This edition will reach over 4,116 Banner Readers! We can’t thank you all enough! We’re Paige and Mason. The Bend Banner is our way of keeping tabs on this wild, beautiful place we call home. To the mornings that start with coffee and mountain air, the trails that somehow lead to a brewery, and the kind of small-town stories that remind you why you chose to live here in the first place.

Red Leaves And A Big Smile

We walked around Larkspur Park as a family last weekend, and on the way our 3-year-old noticed that some of the trees were already dropping leaves. Orange, yellow, and red. The red ones were something else, at least to him:)

We picked up maybe 30 and carried them home. He glued them onto a piece of paper, and it's found a home on our fridge.

Not every tree has started. Most haven't. But it's starting.

This is my favorite stretch of the year in Bend, and it doesn't last long. School is back in session. The summer crowds have thinned out. Mornings are cold enough for a jacket, and by afternoon it's sunny enough to take it off. There's no wait at the places that had a wait in July. The trails have room on them again.

Leaf color usually starts turning in mid-September and runs through October, so we're right at the beginning. Drake Park and Pioneer Park are both known for their fall color, and it tends to get better as October goes on.

The osprey are leaving too. They show up in the spring and head south in September, typically all the way to Mexico. If you spot one over the river this week, you're catching them on their way south.

This week, walk your neighborhood and look up. The seasons only change a few times a year, and this one brings colors out everywhere.

In just a few weeks, those leaves will be falling, and across town, kids will rejoice at the giant piles they get to jump into. Make your cup of coffee, and go for an early morning walk. That crisp, cool, quiet air is something special.

This Week’s Conditions
☀️ Sunrise: 6:52 am
🌅 Sunset: 7:02 pm
High Temp: 79°F
Local Photos of the Week: A Collection
Local Weather Man: Weather.Max

🐾Bend’s Best Good Boys & Good Girls 🐾

🐶 Polly – 1 Year, German Shepherd
She will be available for adoption shortly. She just looks like the cutest, most playful pup there could be.

🐕 Benson – 2 Years - Mix
Came in as a stray and took a while to come out of his shell. Now he's a total sweetheart, happy to take pets and treats from anyone. His adoption fee is already sponsored.

🐶 Wesley – 2 Years - Retriever/Lab Mix
Although he’s been slow to warm up, he's starting to get super excited to go on walks and play. Wesley will end up being someone’s best friend.