The Cascades are beautiful...and still covered with snow.  I wasn't expecting to see so much snow in June.  These mountains are The Three Sisters and Mt. Bachelor. 

 Here is a dormant (I hope) volcano in Deschustes National Forest - Newberry National Volcanic Monument, not far from Bend, Oregon..  I am standing in lava, or at least a paved path in the lava field.  It is pretty amazing.










The views are a pretty stark contrast if you consider how hot the lava once was in contrast to the snowy peaks in the distance.  I wonder at how things can grow in such barren "soil".  There were a few species of wildflower and just a couple trees (this was the biggest one).

 If you click on the photos, I believe you will see them enlarged, if you need help reading the sign.

 The signs say not to feed the wildlife, but you can be sure this friendly little fellow has had plenty of handouts.  They boldly walk within a foot of you and I m sure they would take a morsel out of your hand if it were offered.

 In another part of the park we hiked for about 1/2 mile to see some spectacular waterfalls.  There must have been plenty of melting snow, as the river was high and rushing loudly along its path.

 After the dry, sage-brushy terrain of eastern Oregon, waterways appearing on our route were a welcome change. 

 I have finished two pairs of socks on the trip and now I am working on a tank top.

 Hey...guess what...A&W drive in restaurants still exist!!!  I was so excited we had to pull over immediately for our supper.  I don't think I have seen one of these since it left Greenfield a long time ago.  Though the ordering process is updated, with a menu like any drive through, they do bring a tray out to the car and hang it on the window.  A&W rootbeer tastes way better from the tap than from a can in the grocery  store!

 This is the second pair of socks I finished.  We arrived at Black Sheep Gathering on Friday night and, after setting up our tent we went to an informal pie and beer get together by Velma's tent.  We met a bunch of people and had a good time.

The night was a bit chilly and the tent felt like a long walk from the  bathroom in the morning, but we were quite comfortable and you can't beat a $10 per night fee.