Traveling around Oregon is one of the lost treasures for me; done too infrequently now that I’m back into doing a job that combines multitasking and administration, project management and lots of outreach; listening to, learning from and teaching social justice work within diverse communities. I also push the pen around the page and burn the midnight oil far more than I’d expected or is beneficial. So, whenever I’m encouraged to ‘get out there and meet and greet Oregonians,’ I jump at the chance, seeking to take full advantage of the chance.

That’s what allowed me and Sheryl, MRG’s development director, to head over Mt. Hood, to enter the land of big mountains and wide desert, to drive next to towering pines and arid places . As we meandered over Mt Hood and viewed nature as its stunning best; we looked out over miles and miles and miles of land that invited us down the road to Madras, traveling past Prineville, on our way to Bend. It’s been awhile since I was last in Bend, which I recalled was the great winter activities place years ago.

When we reached our destination, I looked back from whence we’d come, and marvelied at the engineering that had carved its way through the mountains to deposit us in the valley below; still a visual treat for me…