August 21-Buddy in Bend
With the sun bearing down on us and temperatures in the mid to high 80’s, my best friend and I leaned back on our inner tube floating gently down the Deschutes River in Bend, luxuriating in the feel of the cold refreshing water underneath us and the slight breeze fanning our faces while watching ducks swim nearby.
It’s hard to believe that Michelle and I met in this town almost 50 years ago when we were both freshmen at Bend Senior High School. At that time, ours was the only high school in the small town of about 16,000 people known primarily for ponderosa pine logging. When I went back to school shopping the summer before ninth grade the only place to buy clothes in our city was the farmers’ supply store and we had to drive to Portland for school wear other than jeans and overalls.
My family moved away from Bend in 1985 when I was finishing my second year of college, but I have been a frequent visitor there over the years as I have kept in regular touch with Michelle. The town now boasts a population of 107,000 and is considered the outdoor adventure capital of the northwest.
As I work my way north towards home in West Linn in anticipation of teaching another year of high school math, I was delighted to be able to spend a full day with my buddy in my hometown.
Driving to Riverbend Park we unloaded our inflatable double inner tube and carried it over to the loading ramp. Settling into our spots, we laughed, reminisced, and shared our hopes and dreams as we drifted down the river to Bend Whitewater Park where we took out the tube.
Afterwards Michelle and I drove over to Pilot Butte State Scenic Viewpoint, an extinct cinder cone volcano located within the city limits and covered with porous volcanic cinder, reddish-brown basalt, western junipers, high desert scrubs, and ponderosa pines, a place Michelle and I had frequented many times as teens.
Driving up to the top at an elevation of 3,700 feet we were able to enjoy 360-degree panoramic views of the area including Mount Bachelor, a nearby peak where Michelle and I often went skiing together.
On a whim, I asked Michelle if she might be willing to drive by the house my parents had built for our family, located east of town behind a gate at the end of a long driveway. To our surprise the gate was open, and we decided to not only drive up to the residence but knock on the door.
Amazingly, the homeowners who greeted us were the same ones my parents had sold the place to almost 45 years ago. The friendly couple proceeded to take us on a grand tour of the house and grounds as we shared stories about how it had been built and remodeled. It was so meaningful to see how happy the current owners were in the home where I had spent time as a youth.
One of the things I love about Michelle is her sense of adventure. I’m so grateful she didn’t mind throwing caution to the wind and approaching strangers to see if they might be willing to show us around. There are few things in life that are more precious than spending meaningful time with a fun and loyal friend who has known you for decades.
