Fall Festival

Today we got to experience a really neat tradition in Bend- The Bend Fall Festival!  It is a really neat event that is put on every year downtown for really no other reason than to celebrate Fall.  Despite the rainy day we are having, there were tons of people downtown out enjoying themselves.  It is a 2 day event, which includes concerts, pumpkin pie contest, kids pumpkin painting contest, a hay bale maze, petting zoo, tons of food and drink vendors, and booths set up selling art and other knick knacks.  It is a really neat part of this town- but isn't unusual... there is some kind of festival, concert, or event going on every weekend it seems. It is so fun to see people out and about enjoying life!

A local blue grass band playing on a corner

The Festival!

Kids pumpkin painting contest

Baby piglet at the petting zoo- just for you Katy!

The Witch!

Booooo!

Hay bale maze

Horse drawn wagon rides

California Girl...

So the first week of work flew by, and here we are in week two.  Dave and I are both loving our new jobs!  Dave is getting a lot of experience working in various math classrooms with special education students, and is holding his first baseball team meeting this week.  I have been very busy with assessments, writing reports, and doing psych evals, but I am so happy to be here!  Friday after work was my middle schools first (of many!) happy hours... it was great to hang out with people outside of work- letting us meet more people as well.  We are still SO happy to here, we couldn't think of a better place to live!

On a funnier note, I thought I would share the story of my morning.  Last night we experienced a HUGE pacific northwest thunderstorm.  Lightning, thunder, pouring rain... the whole works!  So I was delighted to see the weather report for today as I was picking out what to wear to work- 80 degrees in Bend! wooo hoo!  So I happily picked out a skirt to wear... it has been kinda chilly so I haven't had the opportunity to wear my normal California wardrobe!  As I got myself off to work this morning at 6:45, my morning temperature reading in my car read 55.  Not bad, considering it was going to warm up to be a beautiful day.  I had to work in La Pine at my high school today, so I began my 30 minute drive. 

And then it happened....

The further I got from Bend, the more my temperature gauge dropped.  50, 45, 40, 35...32! Next thing I know I am driving through a snow covered forest.... in a skirt!  Our little rain storm we had in Bend last night was a SNOW storm in La Pine... only 30 minutes away!  I have graciously accepted the nickname California Girl from colleagues at work, and this didn't help the title one bit.  As I walked into the school this morning, my breathe visible in the cold air... needless to say I looked like an idiot amongst the other staff members bundled up.  It gave me a great laugh to start my day, and I think I have learned my lesson about living in Central Oregon.... weather is unpredictable, and La Pine can always be projected to be 25 degrees colder than Bend!