Indeed it has been a week, poor little Kip up there had to visit the vet today to have a broken nail attended too. He is going to mend up quickly but he looks and feels like so many of us do after this week.

Today winter arrived here in Bend. The snow started to fall around 8am, and just shy of an inch accumulated this evening. I walked to the canyon in Tumalo State Park this afternoon.

A few weeks ago I was doing this hike in shorts and flip-flops, and saying howdy to many fellow hikers along the way. Today I was in four layers of clothing up top, and didn’t see another soul.

The river in the canyon really changes character in the winter… the irrigation draws upstream in Bend are turned off until the spring, so diminutive middle Deschutes of the summer is replaced with deeper boiling pools and swift riffles.

I didn’t find any fish today, but I know they are there. Likely seeking refuge in some soft water on either side of boulders, or sitting out the rush in a back eddy. Pretty smart animals to know to find a place where life doesn’t require as much energy… why fight the powers of gravity and moving water when you can seek a way to live in unison with them instead?

Quite a novel idea indeed. Just keep fishing ✨