Job's Daughters

When Susan was a teenager, she belonged to a Masonic organization called Job's Daughters. After we moved to Bend, I joined the local Lodge, and when some of the Masons learned we had a boy and a girl, they began asking us if we'd be willing to help with the youth groups. In June, Susan agreed to be the Bethel Guardian and helped the incoming Honored Queen plan her installation.

On Thursday, we took some of the girls on a trip in the RV. Our first stop was Crater Lake.  

From there we headed south to the Oregon Vortex, a "House of Mystery"

We then turned north to the Grants Pass Lodge, where Susan had arranged for the girls to stay the night. Bryan and I slept in the RV. 

Friday we drove home, and today the girls initiated Jenn into the Bethel. Afterwards they had a pool party.

Scouting

The kids continue to be active in Scouting. Bryan spent last week at Camp Makualla on Crescent Lake south of Bend.

Earlier in the month Jennifer was rewarded for being the top Girl Scout cookie seller in her Council with a lunch at the Pine Tavern downtown.  

In April, Bryan went with his troop on a camping trip to Horse Ridge, east of Bend.

Last month, the Girl Scout troops in the Bend area held their annual "Big Tree" campout in LaPine State Park.

Washington National Parks Part 2

Tuesday afternoon we visited Fort Spokane, part of the Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area. We stopped for the night outside Spokane, and were able to see Independence Day fireworks from our campground.

 

The next day we drove south to Clarkston, then turned east and drove into Idaho to visit the Nez Perce National Historical Park and learn a little about the Nez Perce tribe and life under the Indian Agency.

After the kids earned their Junior Ranger badges we headed back east to Lewiston, and spent the night at the Hells Gate State Park campground next to the Snake River.

 

From there we continued southwest to Bend, stopping at the Whitman Mission National Historic Site to earn one more badge. They learned about the Whitmans, their role in establishing the Oregon Trail, and how they were killed by an angry native tribe.

Washington National Parks

On Friday we left on another week-long RV trip, this time to several National Park sites in Washington, plus one in Idaho. Our first stop was at Mount Rainier National Park. We drove north from Bend to Yakima, then turned west and entered the park from the east.

We drove to Paradise, located on the south face of the mountain, and the Henry M. Jackson Memorial Visitor Center, where we picked up Junior Ranger packages. We then continued west to Longmire, where the kids turned them in and were awarded badges. On Sunday we turned north and drove through Seattle, where we met friends for lunch, then continued north.

After another night, we turned east and entered North Cascades National Park, where the kids completed Junior Ranger programs for the park as well as Ross Lake National Recreation Area. We then continued east to the town of Twisp, where we camped for the night.

This morning we continued east, stopping at the visitor center at the Grand Coulee Dam.