Life + Culture

Rooted in Community

Around the Bend Farms Helps Central Oregon Explore Food, Connection, and Community Through Regenerative Agriculture Article by Lynette Confer | Photography by Shadow Bear Media When it comes to food, it can be easy to focus only on what’s on your plate – and miss the deeper connections it creates. But exploring where our food comes from has the power to reconnect us not only to nourishment, but also to community, to the rhythms of the seasons, and to the land itself. In a fast-moving world...

Life + Culture

Summer Nights Trailside Cocktails

Simple Camping Cocktails Designed for Relaxing Evenings Beneath the Open Summer Sky Article by Julie E. Furnas Summer campouts offer the perfect opportunity to slow down, reconnect and embrace the beauty of the great outdoors. Whether exploring the lakes, trails and forests of Central Oregon or simply gathering around a campfire beneath the stars, camping creates lasting memories rooted in adventure and relaxation. At the end of a full day of summer campout activities, a signature cocktail...

Arts + Culture

In a Rut?

Time to Explore the Oregon Trail! Article by Donna Burklo In 1993, 57-year old Muriel Carbiener stepped out of her vehicle and into the Eastern Oregon sagebrush. “You want me to hike in THIS?” she asked her husband Gail Carbiener, then 59. The trust earned over their 36 years of marriage won Gail the privilege of introducing his wife to the “ruts”. The ruts are, in this case, the indentations in the earth made by the wheels of the covered wagons passing through on their way from Missouri to...

Life + Culture

Campfire Kitchen in the High Desert

Celebrate Father’s Day the Central Oregon Way with These Simple Fireside Recipes Article by Lynette Confer There is something about cooking a meal over a campfire or campfire stove that slows everything down. In the best ways. Each step feels more intentional. From gathering the ingredients, tools and camping gear, to setting up the campsite and camp kitchen, opportunities abound for connection and a chance for families and friends to gather in ways that just aren’t possible in a crowded...

Wellness

A Mane Event

Personalized Hair Restoration Solutions that Build Confidence Article by Sue Baldani | Photography by Shadow Bear Media A healthy head of hair is often associated with youth and vitality. But as men age, many begin to notice thinning—or even significant hair loss. “Most hair loss in men is due to male pattern hair loss,” says board-certified medical, surgical, and cosmetic dermatologist Dr. Leslie Carter, owner of Deschutes Dermatology in Bend. “It’s estimated that 80% of men will experience...

Arts + Culture

More Than Music

Local Men Share How Guitar Creates Connection Article by Donna Burklo What is it about guys and guitars? Hypothesis: A guy playing a guitar is in it to get the girl. There is something undeniable about the sexiness of a man caressing the neck, strumming the strings, and gazing lovingly at the curvature of the body - of a guitar. Type ‘what is it about guys and guitars’ into your browser and you’ll have enough fodder to support the hypothesis. Cue the research music. The ‘Guitar Gods Revue’...

Arts + Culture

Mari and Her Dream

Local Band Releases Debut Mini Album Article by Donna Burklo | Photography by Miguel Edwards Mari Wilson took the stage in a long, glittery gown holding an electric guitar with attitude and confidence just like the woman in the picture she saw as a child. That woman was Sister Rosetta Tharpe, 1930’s through early ‘70’s genre-bending singer/guitarist. Photos of Tharpe, known as the “godmother of rock and roll”, portray a joy-filled woman cranking up the volume like nobody’s business when the...

Arts + Culture

Fragments of Beauty

Bend's Mare Schelz Brings Colors and Rhythms of Nature to Life Through Mosaic Stained Glass Article by Lynette Confer | Photography by Natalie Stephenson The way light dances through the hand-cut pieces of glass in Mare Schelz’s intricate stained-glass mosaics reveals her deep love for nature, her reverence for movement and flow, and the joy she finds in creating art, and sharing it with others. Each piece she creates is a luminous reflection of the natural world that surrounds her and the...

Arts + Culture

Where the Music Leads

From Bend to the Top 30 on American Idol Article by Lynette Confer | Photography by Maile Mason This past October, on a stage nearly 2,000 miles from Bend, 23-year old Bella Emry stood in the spotlight, steadying her nerves in front of three celebrity judges on the national stage of American Idol. Just a few months earlier, Emry had been singing in her bedroom, creating videos to post on social media. But an audition video sent in on a whim quickly landed her among a top group of contestants...

Home + Design

Invest in an Outdoor Retreat

Patio World's Legacy of Quality Furnishings Article by Sue Baldani Patio World, the local destination for high quality outdoor furniture, is an institution in Bend. Founded in 1997 by Scott Holmer, it continues to focus on offering the finest furniture with timeless style for outdoor entertaining. Although Scott passed away last year, his son, Eric, is continuing his father’s legacy. “I've loosely been a part of it my whole life because we used to live above our skiing/patio shop,” says...