Recently I had a pleasant surprise. My granddaughter and grandson came to visit me on their own for the first time. Sophie is a fairly new driver and had not driven through Portland and all the way to BZ Corner, about a two hour drive depending on the traffic, on her own before. We had a great time just hanging out. We went for a walk in the woods, played cards, and best of all went climbing on the rocks at Horse Thief Butte. We seem to never tire of that place. Portland climbing clubs often bring their novices here to learn climbing skills. Over the years there have been a number of deaths from falls, including both students and instructors.
Soon it was time to be on our way home, but first we stopped at The Dalles for hamburgers. Neither Teagan or Latah was able to join us. The Trout Lake girls basketball team made it to the playoffs so Teagan was involved in cheering as she was a cheerleader this year. Latah was away at Richland, WA attending the DI regionals. Her team took first place in the science division so they will be going to the state tournament this coming weekend, again held in the Tri-Cities. Good luck Awesome Opossums.
I have one grandson, Samuel James and he is a character. Sam will be 15 in May and up to the past year or so he has pretty much been a computer gamer and youTuber. He has always enjoyed cooking in the kitchen and tending the babies at St Mary’s during church events. Recently his interests have expanded. From being a member of 4-H he has now switched to FFA. Sam has a bit of money of his own earned from his 4-H pigs and a small lawn mowing business he started up serving the folks at Banks, OR. For the most part he is responsible to pay for his expanding interests on his own. He purchased a Go-Kart that needed fixing up. Then he moved into welding and about the same time acquired a 3-D printer. His most recent interest is blacksmithing. He purchased a portable forge and is gaining experience pounding metal.
This past winter Sam and his mother decided his room needed painting
Sam’s most recent interest is blacksmithing so he bought himself a forge and set to work to learn the mysteries of metal.
Subject: Hello from Adrian Villegas! (Henkel Middle School)
Hello Bonnie,
This is Adrian Villegas. I’m hoping you remember me from my Henkel Middle School days. You won’t believe this, but I often find myself reminiscing about my early adult life, especially my time in the Gorge – it’s been my mental happy place for the past 30 years. This morning, I was fondly thinking about the two years I worked at Henkel and the amazing people I met there. You immediately came to mind.
I decided to try and reach out, and since I’m no longer on social media, I did a quick Google search: “Bonnie+Baenen+washington+teacher.” To my delight, your blog came right up! Amazing, isn’t it? I remember my first introduction to the “world wide web” in the Henkel Library almost 30 years ago!
It looks like everything is going well for you. I’m looking forward to reading more of your blog. As for me, I just turned 50 and am twice married with three kids. My first child, Rafael, is currently living in Portland and has been quite the world traveler. He’s always been the apple of my eye. He worked at Artifacts in Hood River for many years, and you might have run into him there. My ex-wife, Patty, is still in Hood River and has done very well for herself. She’s a master gardener and has been featured in publications. She remarried, and Gary was a wonderful step-dad to Rafael.
I lived exclusively in Hood River until about 2005, then transferred to work seasonally in Sisters, OR. I kept rentals in Hood River to spend as much time with Rafael as possible. I split my time between Sisters/Bend until 2012, when I met my wife, Michele. We married in May 2012 and now have two daughters, Mazzy (10) and Lila (7). In 2018, we sold our house in Sisters, and I took a promotion in Reno, NV. We love it here! It’s definitely not the seedy Reno it used to be. There’s so much to do, and the proximity to Lake Tahoe, the Eastern Sierras, and our families in California makes it a great place to be. It’s been a good career and life decision for us.
My career with the USFS is going well. I’m currently an Assistant Fire Management Officer for the Carson Ranger District, working out of a fire station halfway between Reno and Lake Tahoe. It’s an excellent location! It’s been a mentally and emotionally draining career, and I’m seven years away from mandatory retirement, hoping my body and mind can take me there. The upside has been the off-season time with family and the amazing locations I’ve lived in: Charleston, South Carolina, Mammoth Lakes, CA, Lake Tahoe, and Tucson, AZ. I’ve met great people and witnessed God’s natural beauty every step of the way.
Anyway, I’m getting a bit long-winded! We’ll have to catch up. I’ll be in Trout Lake later this summer for the 30th anniversary of my first year as an Americorps volunteer at the NWSA. I’d love to meet up if possible. In the meantime I’ll read up on your blog so I can see what you’ve been up to. You’ve always been such an adventurous and genuinely blessed person to be around. I’m sure those things haven’t changed. Please let me know how I can send you some photos. I’d love for you to see what I’m working with…my three lovely ladies…and a dog (Otis)…and a king snake (Arthur)…and a beta fish (Chimichanga). God bless and please keep us in your prayers this Easter season.
Best regards,
Adrian Villegas
541-647-8821