Vivian Cooper, age 84, listens to her old friend Carol Brewer, age 80, at the town watering hole, The Red Rooster. They both moved here most recently in 1970, but Vivian’s first stint in La Pine began when she was 6, living in a logging camp with her family. The family stayed for a few years, but Vivian says, “my mother didn’t like it because she couldn’t raise her roses.” Eventually, the family moved to Dallas, OR. “My dad always loved it here, so he’d bring me here to hunt, cause he had no boys. I was his boy.” She fell in love with the area, and after a spell in California, eventually moved back here with her husband.

Wickiup Reservoir at dusk.

Cathy Buono (left) has owned Homestead Quilts & Gallery for 5 years, but was nervous about owning small business at first. Her friend was selling the store and Cathy didn’t want to see the quilt store disappear or dramatically change. So Cathy took matters into her own hands and bought the business. She says the aspect about quilting that she loves the most is that "it brings all kinds of people together and it’s a community that goes back generations." While she loves her work, Cathy admits that operating a small business has its difficulties. ‘Its seasonal here, and every business has ebb and flow’. She loves the quaint, friendly, small town feel of La Pine and wants every person to feel welcomed and taken care of when they go into the store.

The sign that welcomes visitors to La Pine on the south end of town: "Small Town - Bright Future"

Darrell McAllister bought The Red Rooster about four years ago from its original owner. His wife worked at the restaurant, so it seemed like a natural fit to take it over and make sure it didn't change too much. The building itself is over 100 years old and is the oldest building in La Pine. It once housed the town’s only grocery store, hunting shop, and meat market all under the same roof. The Red Rooster is now the social hub in town. Darrell says La Pine is known for its sense of community. There is even a hanging rack in the restaurant where regulars can leave their favorite coffee mug so when they come in for breakfast they feel like they’re already home.

Sean Marchant grew up in La Pine, but moved away to Portland as a young adult. 12 years ago, he says, “I got tired of city living,” so he came back. He polishes and sells rocks as a member of an artist community on Highway 97. When the rocks don’t sell well, he’ll do chainsaw bear carvings to get some more cash. The bears are more reliable sellers, he admits, though his heart is in the rocks. He likes the slower pace in La Pine, but he sees it disappearing. “I’m right on the highway, and I see a lot of things.” He says there are more and more people speeding through town, honking, and yelling at each other. Luckily, his business gets him out of town to collect rocks in the mountains, where he likes to spend as much of his time as he can. "I kind of keep to myself," he says.

A bus drives down Huntington Rd in La Pine, with Mt. Bachelor in the distance

Doreen Smith has only been in town since February. She came here with her boyfriend, who grew up in town. They were hoping to find work but haven’t had much luck. They made some money summer collecting pine cones for a man who sells them for decoration. But that work is drying up, and they’re still waiting for the last thousand dollars they’re owed. ("He’s good for it," Doreen says.) She’s now hoping to get some money from drivers to save enough for an RV so they can head back to her home state of Florida for the winter. “It’s so embarrassing” she says of asking for money, but she can’t find work anywhere. She’s accompanied by her new dog Zachary, who she saved a few weeks back from being put down by his original owners.

The La Pine Cemetery on the outskirts of town to the east.

Maria Deniz and her husband Javier have lived in La Pine for 17 years and have owned Cinco de Mayo Mexican Restaurant since 1998. They both are from Mexico and came up to Oregon to work for Maria’s sister at a restaurant close to Bend. After her sister gave up on the restaurant business, Maria and her husband decided they wanted to buy their own restaurant and see if they could put their love for cooking to use. All the dishes made at Cinco de Mayo are family recipes that they’ve brought up from Mexico to Oregon. Maria said she has been cooking most of her life and loves having a family-owned restaurant. Before Maria moved to Oregon she was a social worker in Mexico. While she liked it, she felt the economy wasn’t that good and there wasn’t a chance for social mobility. Shortly after her family moved to Oregon she applied and became a U.S citizen in 2001.

Wickiup Junction advertises its famous homemade donuts.

Joshua Johnston is selling his old weights in his front yard. He moved from Portland with his grandparents in middle school after he had been getting into some trouble with gangs. La Pine was a good fit for Joshua, who cleaned up his act and went to college. However, he came down with Grave’s Disease, a serious thyroid condition, and had to come back home, where he was bedridden for months. He worked his way back to health when he realized, “I’m going to have to live with this in the long term, so I started cutting meds, and working on fitness.” For the past 11 years, he has worked diligently to regain his health. He just invested in new workout equipment which he uses to teach young people in La Pine how to stay fit, so he’s selling off the old weights. His health is still an issue. He has lupus, and his wife needs to stay home care for him. “We don’t have money. We’ve really been selling everything we can.”

Debbie Wilson leases Joe’s Barbershop in La Pine with her business partner LaurieAnn. Joe, who still owns the barbershop, is retired but makes visits twice a week to the shop to check in on his loyal customers. Haircuts are very reasonably priced and they’ve been known to give a free haircut to someone in need. LaurieAnn says ‘if someone comes in and can’t afford a haircut, we’re not going to turn them away’. They both believe in good karma and feel it’s important to take care of each other in the community. LaurieAnn and Debbie say hands down the best thing about La Pine is the community feel. When it snows people will shovel your driveway, or if you have a flat tire your neighbor will help you. They say there’s never a need to call AAA in La Pine. Anyone who is over 90 that walks into the barbershop gets a free haircut, and they say there are men who are 105 years old still getting their hair cut at Joe’s. Debbie said being a hair stylist is like being a therapist, "people tell you everything."

Mailboxes on State Recreation Rd — thought of as the dividing line between Sunriver and La Pine.

Linda Stephenson and her husband started a small garden business 23 years ago that has turned into an institution in La Pine. Linda says she comes from a long line of farmers, back to her great-grandparents, who trekked over the Oregon Trail 200 years ago. Her first love is crafts, and her nursery, L & S Garden, is a perfect hybrid between crafts and gardening. Linda never planned to operate a nursery, but they got two acres of property at such a good price they couldn’t turn it down. Over the years the small nursery has transformed into a giant complex, with flowers, plants, and antiques all over the enormous property. She is often called by locals ‘Linda La Pine’ and says she plans on starting a rhubarb farm in the near future.

Known as "The Pits" by locals, this open space is used alternately for 4-wheeling and motorcycling in the summer, and sledding and snowmobiling in the winter.

Jessica Latkovich and Jaxon Walters aren’t planning on staying in La Pine. They came up from Oceanside, CA a few months ago to visit Jessica’s mom, with the intention of heading to Portland soon after. But “once you get around family you get comfortable and accustomed to it,” Jessica says. They traded Jaxon’s Mustang for a motorhome, and just recently signed a lease on an apartment. They’re now planning on sticking around La Pine for the winter, and going to Portland in the spring. “I’d prefer Portland,” Jessica says. She and Jaxon suffer from clinical depression, and they want to be in a town with doctors and therapists. But life is easier and less expensive in La Pine, and Jessica is close with her mom, so for now, they’ll stay.

President Don Dickover presides over a meeting of the La Pine Lions Club. Among the agenda items for today: Induct new Lion Candee Edsburg, and recruit volunteers to act as crossing guards on I-97 for Halloween.

The winding Little Deschutes River

Jim Holmdahl has run his carpet cleaning business for 20 years, getting hundreds of customers "all through word of mouth." But he’s trying to get a new business off the ground: novelty miniatures photography. “We do a lot of Ken and Barbie scenes, you know, fire rescues, stuff like that.” A Hulk figurine and Troll dolls are the usual stars of the show, or, in this case, his cat. He travels around the Northwest to arts markets to sell his photos. Sometimes they don’t do so well, but “as soon as someone has a beer in them” the photos become a lot more popular.

An Abandoned Shack on 6th Street in La Pine.

The putting green at Quail Run Golf Course at the north end of town.

Brain Earls grew up in La Pine and knew that he wanted to come back after college. He graduated from Western Oregon with a degree in finance. He runs a gas station, motel, and R.V Park right off Highway 97. Brian has worked at the business he now owns since the age of 12, and bought the local spot from his old boss in 2009. He had offers to be the CFO of a medical clinic but turned it town to stay in La Pine and raise a family. He is a strong believer in giving back to the community and says he really values the fact that he grew up in this town. He helps run an outreach program with the help of his church and will take people in who are in need. Brian feels that sometimes he might give too much, but says that people are always in need and can’t turn his back to helping a fellow neighbor.

Lynn and Margaret Dallas moved to La Pine 13 years ago. Prior to that they had spent time in Chiloquin, Yakima, and Cushman, WA. They chose La Pine to get away from rain and for some isolation. They were told they wouldn’t be able to garden here, but have managed to grow turnips, potatoes, beets, rutabagas, tomatoes and more. They live with their son and daughter here outside of town, and a home care nurse sees to Lynn, who was disabled in Vietnam. He doesn’t let his disability keep him inactive, though sometimes he has to find workarounds. Since he can’t use a ladder, Margaret uses a bulldozer they keep in the yard as a makeshift elevator to lift him up to the trailer to work on it.

Chris Riggs has been working at the La Pine Community Kitchen since it first opened doors in January of 2002. She says the original idea behind the kitchen was for veterans to have a place where they can go get a warm free meal. The kitchen has since blossomed into more of a community center for people in La Pine to go to and have a meal when times are tough. Riggs says the need in La Pine for a kitchen to serve those who are less privileged is growing. "We serve about 300 people on Thanksgiving and Christmas now," said Riggs. Funding for the kitchen is mostly from community support and through some grants. Most people working at the kitchen are volunteers who are either retired or disabled. They prepare the meals and serve them during their shift. The kitchen is able to feed people, but Riggs feels like the town is still missing crucial programs for people in need. Currently there is no shelter, and outreach programs for residents struggling with addiction are few and far between.

Dorrence Meadow Road

Bailey Larson moved to La Pine from Bend last October when her mom bought a house here. It’s one of the last days of warm weather before the long La Pine winter begins, and she’s enjoying it by reading a book on the grass in the sunshine. “I left school early, but at least I’m doing my homework,” she says. Though she misses her friends in Bend, she sees them regularly. “And we talk on the phone everyday.” Plus the move has improved her relationship with her mom and her 17-year-old sister, who she used to fight with. “We’ve become closer.”