There I was, just getting into my old 4-Runner after dropping off some French chocolate to my dear old pal, Fetty, at her place near Cascade Estates, when I felt something touch my left finger. In spite of me pushin’ 90, I still have pretty good tactile senses, so I knew it wasn’t my imagination. […]
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Natural World
Bats need homes, too
When people at Sisters Elementary School called me in the fall of 2005 about a bat in one of the classrooms, it reminded me of how easily bats can find summer homes in human buildings, and the excitement they often cause doing so. Thanks to horror films, bats have been given a bum rap. Truth […]
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Rock Party
Climbers hit the wall for Bend competition
Joey Jannsen creates problems for other people. Specifically, the more than 100 sport climbers descending on the Bend Rock Gym this week to compete in the Bend Boulder Bash. Jannsen’s job? Set vertical obstacle course “routes” for those making their way up the bouldering wall. He’s the head “setter,” which puts him in charge of […]
Posted inCulture
Picks of the Week: Jan 11-17
Hip-hop, beer release and shows galore
THURSDAY 1/11 Night Light Show Launch Party for Bend Women’s March EMPOWER—Bend’s World Muse and Visit Bend are teaming up to create a month-long series of Bend Women’s March programs, starting with a kickoff party that doubles as a comedy-based variety show! Look for more details on the Bend Women’s March in next week’s Source. […]
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Chills and (Mostly) Spills
Apologies from a day at the rink, from a brand-new (adult) skater.
Dear Every Other Skater on the Ice: So sorry to put you through this. Please forgive me as I grab wildly for one of your limbs while suddenly dropping straight-down from an already precarious standing position to one where I’m splayed out on the ice like a helpless toddler—and yes, I know toddlers have an […]
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Unstoppable Force
Local runner Renee Metivier knows a bit about competition and recovery
If you walk past Renee Metivier around town, you might not look twice. She’s a petite woman with blonde hair, usually in pigtails. The look doesn’t necessarily scream “badass,” but if you talk to her for a couple minutes you’ll quickly learn that Metivier is a lady boss who is apologetically up front about her […]
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Natural World: Don’t step on the eggs!
There are two ground-nesting birds common to Central Oregon that need help when it comes to surviving during nesting time: the killdeer and common nighthawk. Both lay eggs (almost always four) that are all but invisible because they look like the pebbles surrounding them—often getting mushed by people, cattle or wildlife. Recently, while leaving Sisters […]
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Tough Contender
Pole Pedal Paddle race tips from longtime competitor Lauri Powers
Smiling uncontrollably at Riverbend Park, the paddle leg put-in for the U.S. Bank Pole Pedal Paddle, Lauri Powers lays out her hand-crafted clay chalices. Only the top three finishers in each class of the multi-sport race earn a chalice, but unlike some winners, Powers says: “My mugs aren’t displayed, they are my daily drinkers.” Powers, […]
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Natural World: An unexpected encounter
The last thing the people at Lowe’s in Bend expected to see last week was a lone common poorwill (a bird very closely related to a nighthawk) standing in the middle of the garden center. You have to admit, that bundle of feathers with red eyes just doesn’t fit into a bird category—unless someone knows […]
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Natural World: Lights out for birds!
In the mid ’70s, Oregon’s environmental watchdog governor, Tom McCall, started the 1,000 Friends of Oregon. Those were heady days for old-growth forest management, water usage, fuel shortages and the use of electricity. McCall advocated the shutting down of unnecessary lights after sundown, and in his usual sledge-hammer style of making suggestions, targeted the businesses […]