Cooking contest Update:

Hi Gang,
I have finally started cooking all of the great recipes my friends have shared.  As you can see I have lots of work to do but I am making progress.

Stay tuned viewers.

Mail from Ajdin

Thanks Ajdin.  

Looks like he's getting ready for his first mission as an astrobear.

Wildflowers in Bloom

Hello Blog Friends,

I am patiently waiting for my roommates to get their act together so we can start today's adventure.  It's prime wildflower season so I am hoping to see lots of wildflowers on my adventure today. Let's go!

Sequoia came along for the hike today.  You can see some balsamroot to the right.  

This log is perfect for me. 

So many miles to hike. 

The sky is blue, the flowers are at full blast and it's almost lunch time.  What more does a fox need? 

My fur contrasts nicely with the flowers. 

Mt. Hood in the background.

I believe this plant is Indian Paintbrush, probably not the scientific name.  A good spot for lunch for sure. 

On the way down from the hike I saw in the far distance a long train.  Jerry and Ben, do you see it?

That picture is great, I know J and B love trains and if I don't say so myself the engine is "fox orange", a new color I am trying to trademark. 

Here's a professional picture of a similar train (again, note the "fox orange" color of the engine. 

WildFlower Identification.

It's wildflower season and my trusty hiking companion Sequoia is doing his pre-hike sniff he always does before a hike.  Let's go. 

In the background we have Horse thief Butte.  During the last ice age there was a big ice dam and when the dam broke it flooded the river and carved out the Columbia River Gorge.  Horse thief Butte was one of remnants of the ice age flood.

The wildflowers are out and about.  These are California Poppies and they are the state plant of California.  I love California Poppies, they flower when the sun is out and are really easy to care for.

The higher up I got on the trail the better the views of the river I got. 

I was at an old homestead.  The family that homesteaded the land planted an orchard but I think these trees are Oak.  There is a little creek on this hike so every once in a while there are pockets of trees. 

Another great spring time flower, Balsam Root.

Do you see these little flowers? They are white (and they have a purple counterpart).  What are they?  Great question, I need to do some research and find out. 

Some sort of desert parsley? 

A nice meadow of Lupine and Balsam Root.  Perfect spot for a snack. 

The flowers are sure out today. 

Sequoia is getting hungry.  Time for lunch and a break,

Ahhhhh, this is the life!  I just finished lunch, have more hiking to do, and have a comfortable spot to relax for a while. 

A hodgepodge of a museum.

Adventures around a hotel, hiking, and another day in Bend.  What to do? My roommates decided to take me to the High Desert Museum to learn about the area.  My first stop was the bobcat enclosure.  This bobcat looks like a friendly enough guy.  I wish he had more space to walk around.

The museum had all sorts of historical information.  This is a replica camp of fur traders from the Hudson Bay Company.  Their camp looks pretty good but I think a hotel might be more my style. 

Besides the fur traders campground they also had an old general store. Looks like a great place to get a snack but the clerk is not responding to me ringing the bell. 

Additionally, they had a living history of an old ranch.  The ranch had chickens, yes chickens and a sawmill, along with an old homestead house. 

No chickens today (they probably heard I was in town). 

 They had an old forest service fire truck.  They restored it for Smokey The Bear's 50th anniversary and after parading it around the state for a year it ended up at the museum.

Phooey, I don't think I am can reach the pedals - so driving this is out of the question for me. 

So this museum was a hodgepodge of things.  Part zoo, as you can see from these otters below.  Part living history exhibit, and part history of the area.

Sigh, back to reality.  My roommates have explained that it's time to go back home.  

What adventure is next for me? 

Exploring the badlands on a good day.

Good Morning World.  It's early and I am fortifying myself before my adventure in Bend's Badlands today.

A few miles out of town I ended up at the Bend Badlands. 

My goal is flatiron rock.   So that badlands are actually pretty cool.  There is lots of open space, good trails,  and lots of old Juniper trees to explore.  Back in the day, this land was a large lake.

Lot's of dusty trails and sandy soil.  Perfect for a little fox's paws. 

There were lots of old trees in the badlands. 

I think I am approaching the flatiron rock.

I  made it to the top!  

The mountains are out in full force today.  If the sky was bluer I bet the mountains would be more visible. 

Some cool rock formations on flatiron rock as well.

It was an early morning adventure, so no snacks. Don't worry viewers this Little Fox knows how to convince his roommates to find a good place for lunch.