Morning on the Deschutes

I spent Memorial Day weekend in Central Oregon, visiting my daughter and brother who are lucky enough to live in this wonderful outdoor playground.  I've already shared photos of  Mt Bachelor's rollicking pond skim in the prior post.  The following day, my hubby and brother decided to try their luck fishing in the Deschutes River.  This scenic waterway winds through the heart of Bend, making for easy access.

Rocky cliff reflections

Although not a fisherman(woman?) I am a photographer, and keen to capture some early morning light on the river, decided to tag along.

Lovely blue blossom

Riverbend Park was the perfect place to start our stroll.  After passing the restrooms and playground, a paved path switched to narrow dirt trail following the river's grassy bank.  Rocky cliffs from the opposite shore produced perfect reflections on it's glassy waters.

More beautiful (but unknown) flowers

Wildflowers were out in force!  I admired a patch of violet-blue blossoms, and captured several images of an unknown tiny mauve flower (gotta brush up on my Central Oregon plant id!)

Bright blue water

While my men searched the riverbank for possible fishing holes, I lagged behind, snapping away.

Riverside vegetation

Finally the guys decided to try their luck from a series of large rocks. 

Hubby fishing on colorful waters

I snuck a few images to document their attempts at landing the "big one."

Brother Dale fishing too

Even though fishing was slow, the scenery was fantastic!

Rollicking rapids

When hubby finally did land a fish, we all got a good laugh.  His "lunker" was a tiny trout, barely large enough to escape being considered as bait.  After a quick couple of photos, it was promptly returned to the river (my hubby's a firm believer in catch and release).

Tiny trout

Getting bored of watching the fishermen, I continued downriver.  Lots of interesting things to see - churning rapids, a long wooden bridge, and quiet pine forests.

Serene waters

Fed by snowmelt, the Deschutes appeared above capacity.  However, despite the high water, it looked peaceful.

Small rapids

By mid-morning the riverside trail became congested with hikers and runners.  Quite a few dogs also tagged along, some staying at their master's sides, where others roamed as far as their leash allowed.

More lovely wildflowers

By then the men decided it was time to pack it in.  Although only bagging one tiny fish each (which were promptly released) both hubby and brother said they had a good time.  And I did too.