A Midday In Sunshine

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Sunday, May 05, 2019

I went to Bend’s Old Mill District to meet a friend for lunch, and for some reason, arrived an hour too early. Fortunately, I was carrying a book and upon recognizing my mistake began wandering in the morning sunshine, among bunches of people out enjoying the day. Spotting an empty seat under an umbrella providing shade from a warm midday sunshine, I sat to read.

I sat beside a walking path that runs alongside the Deschutes River. While reading, I didn’t watch nearby action but heard the passing noises of bicycles, strollers, conversations, and of course, Canada Geese on the River, some noisily preparing to lift off in flight. Finally closing my book, I stood and looked toward the River, soon becoming drawn to an illustrated signboard describing the local history.

I stood beside the Deschutes River as it’s flowing westward, just before starting to curve north toward where Bend’s Old Mill once stood. The Mill’s original location is indicated by three still-standing preserved smokestacks. One can imagine the clouds of steam that early-on must have plummeted from those stacks 24-hours a day. Bend’s early lumber mills were erected soon after the completion of railroad tracks across miles of incredibly rugged country from Hood River to Bend. Once the railroad arrived in Bend, in 1910, the lumber industry followed and made local communities wealthy by creating lumber from trees in surrounding massive forests, and distributing the finished products by rail.

The spot where I stood looking over the River once was filled constantly with newly sawed and floating trees. The Mill took advantage of the natural resource to float raw materials from their upstream origins directly to the Mill. Some early Mill workers specialized in standing on the floating logs, riding along to ensure that the logs without jamming progressed to their final destination. My information source added that in winters, workers floating on the logs had to navigate, and also break up accumulating ice on the water, to keep log traffic moving.

Sudden bird action over the water caught my attention. Nearby sitting atop before taking off from an old staked bird house, a gorgeous blackbird swiftly flew over the water and circled widely before returning momentarily to perch on that bird house. Its long tail and gleaming feathers fabulously reflected the sun’s myriad colors, and its white underbelly, suggested a Violet Green Swallow.

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Besides having the pleasure of visiting over lunch with a long-time friend, I was grateful for an opportunity to be on the other side of town, and although by accident early enough for time to learn more of Bend’s history and to witness a fabulous wild bird show.

Dear Friends, spring finally has arrived and it’s beyond welcome. Diana