A point in the vast sagebrush steppe of central Oregon, St. Brendan’s Hermitage is set on ten acres of sand, scrub and juniper.  Look more closely and you’ll see, depending on the season, delicate wildflowers—paintbrush, filaree, or various composite, and wild mustard where we disturbed the ground to put in our septic tank.  Paths of field mice wind through the bunchgrass, crossing those of deer, jackrabbit and the occasional coyote.  We could swear there are badgers: something large burrowed deeply under our lumber pile before we set it firmly round with large rocks.

It’s said that Brendan found a “desert in the ocean”--well, we have an “ocean” in the desert!  Out here on the edge of the Great Basin we look out on a sea of sagebrush.  The Cascades rise close by to the west, and to the east lies a great deal of desert, with occasional mountain ranges in between.  In fact this high desert is sometimes called the Sagebrush Ocean.  Developing the property will be quite a process as the site, though buildable, is bare land and off-grid.  A septic system is in and a small hermitage has started to go up.  Help with any aspect of the building process is always welcome!