What did you do this summer?

Department staff spent their summer in a variety of ways. They share them below.


Susan: My summer was filled with enjoying my garden and lots of day kayak trips to our beautiful lakes nearby. Also walked the river trail 4 -5 times a week.

Rachel: Summer is traditionally a time to leave your hometown and get away. But I live in Central Oregon and I love Central Oregon in the summer. It’s like being on vacation already! Consequently, my family and I rarely leave home in the summer and this year was no exception. I spent my summer kayaking, hiking, riding my bike and taking fitness classes. I tried some new activities I hadn’t done before and met some wonderful people. My husband and I climbed South Sister for the first time. I did a lot of yoga with many of the talented and varied yoga teachers in town. In between activities, I spent time with our 15-year old behind the wheel learning how to drive a stick shift. We were the little red truck stalled at the entrance to one of the hundreds of roundabouts in Bend. Our apologies if you were stuck behind us!

I always feel a little sad to see the slower pace of summer days coming to a close but in the evenings when I walk our dog and feel the temperature drop and smell the first hints of fall in the air, my sadness turns to anticipation for the colors of fall and the promise of snow. It occurs to me, though, that driving with a new driver in the winter isn’t going to be easy. Watch out for a little red truck sliding slowly into a roundabout near you.

Paul: I took a trip to see my daughter’s work in her Chemistry internship at the University of Utah. I also helped out covering for some vacation time for the chaplains at the hospital and lastly just hung out with my son. It went by fast and I enjoyed it.

Natalie: My summer was spent with my family doing the little things that make us happy, like star gazing, baking cookies, and running through the sprinkler. We also mulched – oh happy days!

Katharine: I worked over the summer and burned off the stress with a circumnavigation of Broken Top.

Julie: I hung out with my hunk of a husband and perfect son. We ate, played and the days went by too quickly. Our 18 month old son now speaks two languages…we have a genius in our midst. It was great fun!

Glenda: What summer?

Cristi: This summer I spent a week at the Oregon Coast with my dog Cooper, my daughter Stephanie and her friends (my husband also came for a couple of days). My other daughter, Jessica, came for a visit the next week from New York City. We spent that week kayaking, hiking, shopping and eating!

Carolyn: Hiked the Butte several times a week, got several kayaking trips in, camped on the coast and Redwoods and laughed with my friends.

Beth: I travel to Italy where I modeled for the Italian version of Vogue! Guess what? I made the front cover! My kids were selected to go to Princeton and Stanford even though they are still in middle school. And my husband was asked to serve as Ambassador to New Zealand but he had to turn it down to clean out the garage. We sold five houses in Central Oregon (what recessions?!?!) and all our stocks and investments grew by 50%. All in all I would say it was a pretty good summer.