Unexpected Gift

A few weekends ago, norma and I drove over the
Cascades to Bend to attend the wedding of some
Country Fair friends. The land beyone the mountains
is growing faster than any other part of Oregon.
We stayed at a rural B&B east of the city. The wedding
was at SunRiver, a planned resort/community. Hundreds
of attendees drifted around the Great Hall and the
music of 2 bands flavored the ambiance of the moment.
Bride and Groom looked lovely, Father-of-the-bride
spoke to the gathered post-post wedding banquet.
The chefs produced fine dining in the great
Vegan Tradition. While in Bend, we climbed Powell Butte,
checked out the river-side park and visited a
gallery and an east-coast sandwich shop. The car
performed well even though the gas price we paid
was the highest I had experienced. It was a fine
weekend. We made several new acquaintences including
our hosts at the Gazebo Bed and Breakfest. Everyone
that made the drive over the late-snow capped mountains
to a magical site beside the golf course and beneath
several volcanos came away with great hopes for the
couple. The following weekend, it was blustery and on
Sunday, a micro-burst sent peds scurrying and autos
skidding on hailstones reported to be as large as quarters.