Black Butte and Sisters and Bend, July 27-31, and a few earlier pics/events

THB and DB are on the road again

How the town got its name: Hope, Faith and Charity, shortened to The Sisters

Days One and Two

Weather: 

The temp outside the storage facility in Sisters. Hopefully not being used to store wine

6:30pm, in the shade of the deck overlooking the 15th fairway

Housing: 

THB and DB are staying 3 nights with SA and DA, our neighbors for 15 years at the beach. They relocated to Portland and Black Butte. Also planned for the four of us: a return to Antarctica together in early 2023

Sandy's cousin (same breeder) Sinead; 25 pounds heavier and two years older than Sandy. Also slightly more pampered: that's a bubbling, filtered water bowl

On Day 2, the four of us are having brunch down the road from Black Butte at BP&PT's second home in Sisters (they also live in Portland).  THB and DB met BP&PT on a pilgrimage hike in Japan back when going to Japan was a thing. Japan has not yet opened up after Covid hit (or you followers would have read THB's posts from the Tokyo 2020-21 Olympics).

PT took pic, from left to right: DA, SA, DB, THB, BP

BP&PT built their house from scratch, wood framing and many of the furnishing were made by them. Below is a shot from their loft/TV room. 

Pop Quiz Numero Uno: que es eso? 

DA's sister lives in Sisters, she purchased a townhome during Covid, one of six that DA and SA co-built with a local contractor. She's now building a stand-alone house a few blocks away.

Also in this housing development: HfH builds

Food: 

BP&PT serve pastries from Sisters Bakery

Pizza dough from Boon Dog Pizza (next to The Barn)

Have pizza dough, will travel

Pizza from SA's and DA's backyard pizza oven, easily the best home-made pizza ever (figs and blue cheese) and better than many many pizzas from around the world

Pics from around town

On way up, 3 and 5 year-old share a set of two seats while parents sit in front, including on takeoff and landing. Safe? They did same on return flight (we were on same flight back from Redmond to SFO)

Thru the Tesla's sun roof

On the major round-about in Sisters

Days 3 and 4:

Weather: same-same except for lunch on Day 4 when we ate outside at Barn at Sisters...that was just like eating in an overheated sauna

Big raindrops in the middle of Day 3

Day 3 at 6:30pm, finally below 100

Day 4 at 9am

Hiking at 8am along Lake Creek, very pleasant

what are these boxes, up around 20'?

Maybe needs a QR code AND cell reception here?

Tengay, a Tibetan relative of Sandy and Sinead

Why THB and DB did not go for a Tesla

Sinead is also tech wizard 

More tech wizardry: DA shows DB how to go from phone to TV

DA demo'ing hands free driving, to stay in self-driving pilot mode you have to place your hands on the steering "wheel" and apply a bit of pressure...hmmmm....every 15 seconds

Wait, couldn't fit "organic" on the sign?

Dinner at Jackalope Grill, Bend

THB has the osso buco with a very large amount of rosemary

This guy is the original baker at Boon Dog Pizza, started by making bread then moved on to pizza. THB is lucky enough to snag one of the last loaves of the day (olive bread) and 4 cc cookies. Makes for an excellent dinner that night in E-ville.

Pop Quiz Number 2: Why did THB take these next 2 pic?

The Oakland Temescal and Lake Park farmer's market roti truck has gone viral: Costco now selling their potatoes...

Butterfield bronze on the 5th level of a SFO long-term parking garage. Her work is every major museum west of the Mississippi. Seems like an odd spot for this one!

Miscellani

The A's finally, finally sign the most talented player on the planet

Now warming up, number 19, Stephen Curry

Also signed, Ayesha Curry

The train switching cars to a different siding was taking forever, long enuf that THB got this "capture the moment" shot

Lunch at La Calenda in Yountville, dessert specialist Jackie from Tutka Bay Lodge in Alaska is now the exec chef. She is terrific and so was the food

This dessert is hard to describe, the waiter tried: sort of shaved coconut (?) ice milk on top of lemon sorbet. AWESOME, as was the flan.

Adam Shiverdecker demo'ing a ceramic drone. We are holding out for a dirigible 

The name of this Carmel store is Heaven. Sorry, no more than 6 shoppers make it into heaven at a time, and no food or drink allowed

The Emery has started leasing, THB can see people wandering around their units at night

The twins come to E-ville for a brief visit

The bed is "too hard" so now their sleeping bags are on top of the rug on top of the rollout couch. Princesses?

There must be no toys left at their house, they have all come to stay with THB and DB

Neighbor GT has another art project at hand for the twins

The twins couldn't be much closer