Aug 26th to 28th - Bayview ID, Ephrata WA

Aug 26^th – Sun – to Bayview ID

Last night I called B&G from their backyard to invite them to come for breakfast when they returned from church.  This gave me time to make biscuits & gravy which we all enjoyed.  We viewed some pictures on the computer and then we were ready to finish packing up to head out.

We went to Bayview to see Julie & Larry who are friends from Mesa.  Their friends Terry & Tina also stay there on the weekends during the summer as they are both still working.  We started happy hour way too early – just after noon?! – so Terry M. was really having fun.  Three young people who partied with Julie & group last night joined us on & off for the afternoon.

We dry camped at the park where they stay as the one site with utilities was too small for us.  I went for a walk to see Bayview but it didn’t take too long – it is a very small community with lots of boats & houseboats.

Julie’s daughter Natalie (we met her in Mesa) and her son Thomas came from Spokane to visit in the afternoon.  We all contributed food for a BBQ’d dinner and had a great fire as it cooled down quickly once the sun went down.

 

Aug 27^th – Mon – Bayview

Terry & Tina left early this morning to go to work in Spokane which is their normal Monday routine.  We had coffee and fresh peaches left by Terry & Tina and went to chat with Larry & Julie.  About 10:30 Julie suggested that we all go to breakfast at a restaurant across the road.  She had to get dressed and I changed into shorts as it was way too warm for the long pants I put on earlier.  We sat outside to enjoy a nice breakfast.

Then we all decided to go to the CDA casino at Worley, Idaho.  Terry drove Larry & Julie’s car so we wouldn’t have to unhook the truck.  I did well and had a lot of fun.  Everyone else was ready to leave and I was winning so I delayed them just a bit.  My winnings almost covered Terry’s losses.  We went to CDA Lake to see Julie’s niece Kristie who was at her lake cabin.  She is a lovely person and we enjoyed our visit with her.

Back at Bayview we got together for a drink and a snack.  Then it was off to another restaurant – or maybe I should say “the” other restaurant – across the road for dinner.  Of course Larry & Julie know everyone who works & stays there.  A nice meal again with great company.

 Aug 28^th – Tue – to Ephrata

We pulled out around 9 after having coffee with our neighbors – Larry & Julie of course.  We stopped to pick up our mail in Spokane and went to Northern Quest Casino.  We figured if we did OK we would spend the night in the parking lot.  We did sort of OK and played until 4:30.  It was Seniors day at the casino so we got 30% off a nice buffet for lunch.

We headed out Hwy 2 towards Davenport and decided to take Hwy 28 to Harrington/Odessa/etc as we didn’t have that road colored on our map.  I had checked with Wanda and it wasn’t much further to go that way rather than past Grand Coulee Dam as usual.  The road was mostly smooth with no traffic and miles of grain fields so driving was easy until the wind started just before Soap Lake.  We were buffeted around a bit and dust & water from irrigation sprinkler were blowing across the road.

We were driving through Ephrata and remarking about how much larger it was than we remembered when I spotted an RV park with large trees and lovely lawns.  Terry made a quick turn and we got a spot.  The first site had an overhanging tree so we drove back to the office and got an open site.  We enjoyed a relaxing evening with a drink, dinner & TV – and watching neighbors secure their tents.

Aug 22nd to 25th - Spokane

Aug 22^nd – Wed – Spokane
Terry took the truck in for an 8:30 appointment to get new tires on the rear wheels and found a good place right across the street from Discount Tire to get an oil change and fuel filter.  The wheel well has to be removed to change the fuel filter so not every oil change place can do it.
Sherry & Janelle left not long after Terry & I had breakfast (Janelle & Bill golfed this morning) and Georgia picked up their granddaughter Samantha who spends about 3 days each week with her grandparents while her parents are at work.  Bill helped us list our inflatable kayaks for sale on Craig’s List.
Then we all went to do a bit of shopping which started out with me getting an overdue haircut while the others shopped.  We got a few things at WalMart and went across the street for do-it-yourself frozen yogurt sundaes.
Since the yogurt was our lunch, I had Terry get out a table & chairs in the shade (hot again today) and we had some appies in the late afternoon.  I made dinner today – baby back ribs of course – which was a bit later because of the appies.
We got out the Sequence game and the ladies got off to a roaring start but the guys caught up.  We decided to play a rubber game rather than leaving it as a tie and the guys won.

Aug 23^rd – Thurs

Terry went golfing with Bill so I got going fairly early as well.  One load of laundry was ready to hang on the line when they returned and I did another one right behind the first.  It was quite cool earlier so Terry wore long pants and tennis shoes for golf and his shoes & the bottom 8 inches of his pants were soaking wet from the grass.
After making a quick breakfast, I continued my energetic streak and borrowed Georgia’s carpet cleaner to clean our grubby carpets.  I don’t know why I am always amazed at the mud that you pour out of the reservoir!  I took the time to do another pass with just water and got out a lot more dirt.  I couldn’t figure out how to clean one part of the machine so the guys got into the act when Bill said that Georgia couldn’t figure out how to clean it either.  We weren’t doing too well when Georgia joined us and remembered that there was supposed to be a plastic “wand” to clean the corners.  Sure enough, we found it tucked behind another attachment and finished the job.
Terry helped Bill with a couple of fixes on his 5^th wheel and went with him to run a couple of errands.  The weather was very warm and perfect for drying clothes on the line and drying the carpet.
After another shared dinner, we played Sequence again with exactly the same results – the guys won the last game after we were tied.  And it was my idea to play another hand to break the tie!
 
Aug 24^th – Fri
We and Bill & Georgia met Vern (plays golf with Bill) & his wife for breakfast in Liberty Lake.  The restaurant was not very busy when we finished eating so we were able to sit and chat over another cup of coffee.  We stopped at a garage sale on the way home but we all resisted bring home any treasures.
We got a phone call in the morning about our kayaks that are for sale and the lady said they would come see them in the afternoon.  I spent time on the computer trying to get mailings from casinos cancelled so we don’t have to forward outdated promotions.  Terry went shopping with Bill and got a decent air compressor as we overheated our last one and it is difficult to find a service station with an air hose that can be accessed with the 5^th wheel.  Then he didn’t have all the bits he needed so Georgia & I joined the guys for another trip to Harbor Freight, then to Fred Meyers for groceries and just happened to stop for Blizzards at Dairy Queen on the way home.
The couple came to look at the kayaks and we discovered that we had forgotten what pump & nozzle was needed to inflate them.  They were very nice & we finally found the right attachment tucked safely away in the repair kit.  We inflated both kayaks, zipped & snapped on all seats & covers, put together paddles, and then reversed it all when they said they would by them.  Terry went with the guy to get cash from a credit union as we were reluctant to accept a check since we won’t be here much longer.  Then we got to relax and enjoy dinner with B&G.
After dinner, we had to put everything back in the storage compartments.  Bill built a shelf to go over the new compressor so something can be placed above it.  We pulled out almost everything, threw away unused items (or donated to B&G’s store of useless stuff) and it was nearly dark before it was all replaced.
We played Yahtzee tonight for a change and so we didn’t have to think too much.

Aug 25^th – Sat
We got up fairly early, made a lunch and joined Bill & Georgia for an outing to watch sprint boat races at St. John.  Their son Dennis has a boat and has won the last 3 races so is on top of the standings for his boat category – Super Modified.  It took about an hour to get there.  The track is in a farmer’s field and lots of people dry camp there for the weekend which has the advantage of keeping drunk drivers from the beer garden off the road after the Saturday races.
We got our tickets, had our coolers checked for alcohol, set up a sun shelter on one of the viewing terraces and settled into lawn chairs.  Friends Woody & Debbie joined us shortly.  For anyone who has not seen this sport, here is a quick explanation.  Small boats with huge motors race on narrow “canals” in about 3 feet of water.  There are islands among the canals and a new path is chosen for each race.  The driver & navigator have to memorize this path and are disqualified if they don’t follow the route.  This is all done at high speeds – just over a minute to run the course – and many boats run up on the shallow banks as they navigate the course.  There are safety workers who wade in to get boats back in the water & keep things moving.  There are 3 classes of boats, 4 qualifying heats and 1 or 2 semifinals before the final race between 2 boats in each class.  Dennis came in second today by 9/10^th of a second.
The weather was lovely – sunny with a cooling breeze.  We stopped at a restaurant for dinner on the way home.  We got back just after 7 and Terry went in to have a drink with Bill while I caught up email & the blog.

Aug 18th to 21st - Vernon, Summerland, Spokane

Aug 18^th – Sat – Vernon

We went to Terry & Judy’s for breakfast and checked out their new (to them) house.  It is a very nice place in a “over 45”, gated community.  We had a great time catching up and then Terry H. took us for a tour of Vernon and surrounding area.  It is a lot larger than it appears from a drive through on the highway and has nice parks, old town area, shopping districts and murals on buildings.  We stopped at a market on the way back and had ice cream.  We looked at lovely local produce but were just too full to buy any!

Judy invited us for dinner so we left for a while to get out of their hair and let them get organized.  We visited the casino to return a bit of their money and relaxed a bit in front of the TV before heading back to their house.

They invited 2 other couples for dinner – Ray & Louise who we met briefly in Yuma a few years ago and Rick & Sherry who we had not met previously.  It was a good group of people and the conversation never lagged.  We had a lovely dinner and by the time we finished eating, chitchatting and carrying dishes to the kitchen, it had cooled off enough to sit outside for dessert.

Aug 19^th- Sun – to Summerland

It was a short drive to Aunt Jessie’s today so we took our time getting up & ready to go.  There was quite a bit of traffic but we moved easily through Kelowna and parked in Jessie’s driveway about 10.  The weather has been very hot in the Okanogan area and continued today.

We sat and chatted for a while and then decided to go to the WalMart in Westbank (West Kelowna!?) to return an ironing board cover that was the wrong size.  Of course we also planned to have lunch and did so at the McDonalds in WalMart – faaancy!  We returned to Summerland with a new ironing board cover and a few groceries.  Aunt Jessie is not confident driving too far so she was happy to be a passenger and get to look around at everything.  Before we returned to the house, we drove to part of the property owned by my cousin Kelly & his wife Sam.  It is a plateau high on the hillside above some of their orchards and overlooking Okanogan Lake.  It was a wonderful spot for the wedding of their daughter Shannon a couple of weeks ago.

Terry had a little nap in a chair while Aunt Jessie and I chatted.  Kelly, Sam, their daughter Taylor and Taylor’s son Casey came for dinner.  We enjoy visiting with them and it finally cooled off enough to sit outside for a bit.  The wind came up just as they were leaving and helped cool things off a little.

Aug 20^th – Mon – to Spokane

Aunt Jessie is an early riser so she was ready to make French toast for breakfast when we got into the house.  We left about 8 and it was already 75 degrees.  Terry picked the slowest of 3 lines at the border and it took us ½ hour to get through.  This included a mandatory “agriculture?” check where we couldn’t figure out what it accomplished.  When that agent asked me how long we would be in Spokane it took me a minute to say we lived there as it was such a strange question.  Afterwards I figured she was a little confused by my Canadian passport.

We made a slight detour to Okanagan WA to check out a casino that we have not visited before and gave back some more of our winnings!

We pulled into our private RV park in Bill & Georgia’s back yard just after 2:30.  Terry immediately left with Bill and son Dennis to trim some trees which left Georgia & I to relax and yak.  Georgia did have a chicken on the BBQ when they returned.  We leveled, set up and Terry took a quick shower before we joined B&G for dinner – which we didn’t finish until 8.

Aug 21^st – Tues – Spokane

Terry got up early to go golfing with Bill even though there was some thunder & lightning before they left.  I stayed in bed and tried to figure out when it was pouring rain if they would still be on the golf course!  I was checking email when they got back and continued since I knew Georgia had to go get a blood test this morning.  Terry had his phone charging beside me and once they figured out that my phone was in the truck they finally called on Terry’s phone to say breakfast was nearly ready.

After breakfast Terry & I ran errands – mail box, Costco, Camping World, Discount Tire (installation tomorrow) & WalMart for an oil change which they couldn’t do as we also need a fuel filter.  We checked R&R RV for a door latch but it was ridiculously expensive so Terry figured he would try to get one to work that we tried a few weeks ago when the latch broke.  Terry & Bill finally got the latch to catch and then broke it when they tried to open it!  The old latch is reinstalled.  It holds the door shut and is a pain to open but will do for now.

B&G’s daughter Sherry and her daughter Janelle arrived to spend the night on their way to North Dakota where Janelle will be attending college in Bismarck.  It is quite a long drive so Janelle will not be coming back until the Christmas break – a sad farewell for everyone!  Georgia made dinner again for all of us – I am getting quite spoiled.  We left early so I could catch up the blog and they could visit.

Aug 15th to 17th - 100 Mile to Vernon

Aug 15th – Wed
More laundry today. We thought we had all the split wood in but we went to look at another spot and found a smaller wagon load which we brought in & stacked. We went to town for some groceries and Terry looked unsuccessfully for some car wax that Francis uses on his motor home.
When we returned, I painted and Terry washed the truck. Then we cleaned out our clothes closet and the storage under the bed – it is amazing how much stuff we carry around and don’t wear.

Aug 16th – Thurs
After breakfast, Terry & I went back to town for a couple of grocery items that we forgot yesterday. We also went to the hardware store for a gallon of stain for the fences and Terry found his car wax there.
After lunch and putting a turkey in the oven for dinner, I returned to painting fences. Terry waxed the truck and then sat with Dad and watched me work! I finished the sections in front of the barn that I wanted to complete – just before my back and arms gave out.
We didn’t really know when to expect Marg & Toni to return but were a little worried when they didn’t show up by dinner time. We ate and put the leftovers in containers but left them out on the counter rather than putting them in the fridge. They finally showed up about 8:30 and heated up plates of turkey dinner. They didn’t catch many fish but had a great time.

Aug 17th – Fri –to Vernon
I did the chores one last time this morning and then went back in the rig to change out of my “farm”clothes. We hooked up & packed up before we went in for breakfast. While we were making & eating breakfast, I tried to remember all the little items that I wanted to tell Marg. After tearful goodbye hugs, we pulled out just after 9. I have never seen Terry drive the dirt road to the main road so slowly – he didn’t want dust all over his shiny truck!
We had a couple of short delays for road construction and got to Silver Star RV Park in Vernon just before 1. There was a line of rigs checking in and then we had to wait while someone backed a trailer in and blocked the road. I was happy that Terry suggested making a reservation as the park is full.
After setting up, I made sandwiches from some of the leftover turkey that I brought from Marg’s. Then we were off to the casino – of course! It was very warm so we turned on the AC before leaving. Our friends Terry& Judy who live here are busy tonight so we will see them tomorrow.
At the casino, Terry was not winning at all but I was doing OK. He finally played $5 free play and $8 from points on his player’s card, hit 2 bonuses on the same machine and cashed out $270. I didn’t tell him about some money I stashed in my pocket so we ended up $250 ahead for a change. Back at the rig, we enjoyed a drink and an odd dinner of Chinese pork & baked sweet potatoes.

Aug 12th to 14th - 100 Mile House

Aug 12th – Sun –100 Mile House
This morning we took down decorations from the party and did a better job of packaging leftover food. Marg moved her motor home to the front of the house to prepare for a trip tomorrow and got some laundry under way. Dad worked in the shop on a box for the front of an ATV which Marg will take with her tomorrow. We enjoyed lunch outside on the picnic table.
Marg left to run some errands and we continued being lazy! I helped Dad finish his construction project and put on the first coat of paint. I had the chores done and dinner started when Marg got back with the potatoes that we needed for dinner. We made quick work of the penicillin shot for the lamb and then finished making dinner. Marg picked the last of the strawberries from her garden to put on ice cream for dessert.

Aug 13th – Mon
After chores & breakfast, I put a second coat of paint on the ATV box. Then Terry & I went to play golf at Marmot Ridge. After 18 holes – not great golf for either of us! – we had lunch in town and came back. Marg & Toni had left not long before for their 3 day trip to Crooked Lake.
We were kind of lazy and unmotivated so we watched TV and worked/played on the computer. I finally poured a container of stain and painted a section of corral fence. This left me enough time to do chores and change before going to Francis & Nichole’s for dinner.
As usual, we had a lovely dinner. I spent time on Nichole’s computer as it is doing strange things and she is afraid it will quit. Her CD drive is not working and I forgot to take a USB thumb drive to back up some data so I will go back tomorrow to do it.
We had nice weather today with odd high clouds in the evening and a few drops of rain.

Aug 14th – Tues
After breakfast, computer stuff and phone calls we finally hooked up the wagon to the ATV to bring in firewood. We stacked 2 loads before we broke for lunch. One more load after lunch cleaned up the piles. I had left a note for Dad so he was sharpening Marg’s knives when we got back in.
I returned to the stain on the fence and ended up with one side of one board not painted on the section I hoped to finish. I was too lazy to go back to finish the one board! Terry & I went to Francis & Nichole’s so I could back up her data on a thumb drive.
HH, dinner, reading & TV filled the rest of the evening. A cool breeze came up about 7 but the day was lovely and nearly too warm to pick up wood.

Aug 8th to 11th - 100 Mile House

Aug 8th – Wed –100 Mile House
Marg left very early to join a couple of friends for a 2 day stay at a resort at Crooked Lake. They took ATVs to explore the area. She took the time to check on the injured lamb and left a note that she looks good which I confirmed when I did the chores.
I caught up my blog, found some paint for Dad and swept the shop while I was out there. All this time Terry was mowing with the riding lawn mower. After lunch I was painting a window frame when I heard thunder in the distance. I had one little spot to paint so I finished in rain & hail. Terry was mowing the garden area and finally ran for shelter in the greenhouse. He finished his mowing when the heavy rainstorm passed over in a short time while I used up the paint in my pail by painting a gate.
Next I climbed up and walked on some boards that Terry put on top of the outside runs on the chicken house so I could paint the final high portion of a wall. Terry continued spiffing up the place by using the weed eater to trim and get in places too small for either mower. Dad was painting little tables in the shop.
Francis & Nichole came over just after 4 to give the injured lamb a penicillin shot as giving shots is something that I don’t want to learn.
After dinner I baked a large batch of cookies.

Aug 9th – Thurs
The weather was perfect today– sunny but not as hot as it has been.
After breakfast, Terry & I made a trip to town for some groceries. Then Terry mowed the final corral with the riding mower and I climbed up on the boards again to paint the last window frame on the chicken house. Now we could put the boards away and straighten up the lumber that was displaced to get the boards and to paint behind the stack. I had Terry lift me in the bucket on the tractor to give a fascia board a second coat of paint and I am calling the chicken house DONE!
After lunch I washed windows. I couldn’t reach one window with the long extension pole so Terry had to get the tractor and give me a lift again – should have thought about it when the tractor was out earlier. Terry put the awning out on the 5thwheel and we washed the underside which still had Alaska dirt on it. Then we went inside and did some sorting, cleaning and tossing out until I remembered that I had some frozen dough buns rising and had to bake them. They certainly were light & fluffy!
Francis & Nicole came over again for the penicillin injection but this time I had invited them to stay for dinner. We cooked some of the salmon that Terry caught in Valdez and introduced them to 321 cake for dessert which we jazzed up a bit by adding a few of the wild raspberries that we picked.

Aug 10th – Fri
I worked on the blog and did housecleaning this morning. Terry was kind of at loose ends as there was no more mowing to do so he puttered around and sat in the sun with Dad a lot.
In the afternoon we gathered up garbage and made a run to the dump. Marg and her friends returned late in the afternoon. When we went to feed the injured lamb, we untied the t-shirt coverings and found the wounds healing quite well. Marg put on more ointment and tied everything back up.
There was leftover pulled pork for dinner so we just had to add a salad for almost no work at all.

Aug 11th – Sat
Marg and I went to town this morning for groceries and a couple of other errands. When we returned, Terry told us that Dad’s ATV had died. Marg worked on it a bit and then Terry towed it to a parking spot. By the time we put everything away it was time for lunch which we enjoyed outside on the picnic table. We are hosting a birthday party for our friend Cecile today so we hung balloons & a banner, put on tablecloths and put together a veggie plate.
At 2 the first people arrived and added more decorations. The attendees were a mix of mutual friends and Cecile’s relatives from out of town. Relatives: husband Al, daughter Jean, sister Marie & her grandson Joe, son Mike with wife Sue and their daughters Katherine & Jen with boyfriend Dallas & roommate Yota who is an exchange student from Japan, daughter TD and husband Brian. Friends: Francis & Nichole, Steve, Gord& Jerri, Frances & daughter Donna, Toni & Micheal, Jane & daughter Alisha, Sharon, Herb & Pat and of course the 4 of us.
The weather was perfectly sunny with a light breeze to blow & pop the balloons. A few of hours of snacking, drinking & talking were followed by hamburgers on the BBQ with all the trimmings & salads brought by everyone. When the sun went down and it started to cool off, a fire was lit for warmth & atmosphere. Everyone was gone by 9:30 so we cleaned up a bit and crashed.

Aug 5th to 7th - 100 Mile House

Aug 5th – Sun –100 Mile
I forgot to include our total mileage for the Alaska trip – 6477 miles. It is amazing that it is very close to the mileage for our 2008 Alaska trip.
Right after breakfast I went back to the painting on the chicken house as one section was still shaded. When Marg finished fixing a blade on the chop saw, she got the tractor and lifted me in the bucket to paint the high section of the wall. Then we repaired a section of the chicken house wall that had been backed into a while ago. Of course this was a project that grew past our original “estimate” and included moving a large, loaded shelf unit that was screwed to the wall for stability. Terry picked up the weed eater (that Marg was trying to start when she needed at the shop) and cleaned up a couple of areas. Marg had to leave just before noon for a birthday party.
After lunch, Terry took the weed eater into a corral as quite a bit of rain – and lots of “fertilizer” -has resulted in overgrown weeds. I had finished putting a second coat of stain on the section of the chicken house that I did this morning and was painting one of the fascia boards when he finished. I had to take the bucket of water that I used to clean windows and wipe him down as he had weed bits and other icky stuff from head-to-toe. Marg arrived back in time to help me finish the fascia board.

Aug 6th – Mon
Terry took out a couple of low stumps and sledge hammered some rocks that Marg hits with her riding lawn mower. She is keeping quite a large area mowed now and it looks really good so we want to make the job as easy as possible. I got to pick up the bits that Terry created!
I got a lift from Marg & the tractor again to paint a fascia board on a tall end of the chicken house. The ground slopes in this area so using a ladder is a pain. I painted a door molding while Marg put away the stuff that we had to move from the shelf yesterday. I finished in time to help her clean up the rest of the mess. Terry carted away junk and reminded us that it was “just a chicken house”.
In the afternoon, we all ended up in the shop. Dad was having trouble finding wood for the tables that he is making so Marg & I helped him before we worked on a sliding shelf for her computer desk. Terry made a shelf for the cupboard in our bedroom that has the Direct TV receiver and the dish controller. These units sit on the bottom of a large shelf which makes it awkward to use the rest of the shelf. I painted the shelf so we can install it tomorrow.
I was making dinner when Marg took an ATV for a checkout ride around the property. I heard her come back but she didn’t come into the house for a while. I went out to check and found her trying to isolate a lamb that her dog Sage had injured in an uncontrollable frenzy that we thought Sage was not doing any more. I went to help Marg and we got the lamb into a small pen. We came in for dinner and found the meat burning but still edible.
After dinner, Marg & I gathered up supplies and doctored the lamb. Sage pulled off wool on both flanks so we took an old long sleeved t-shirt to hold dressings on. Marg clipped wool from around the wounds, put ointment on them and covered them with large dressing pads. Then we opened the shirt down the front and pulled the sleeves over the back legs to hold the dressings in place. The shirt was a little large so we ended up with strips of the shirt running all over the lamb to hold everything in place. We put hay, water & grain in the pen and crossed our fingers.

Aug 7th – Tues
We had a downpour last night but just scattered clouds this morning. I had just mentioned to Marg how much the grass had dried out with a few days of hot weather.
Before we went into the house this morning, we installed the shelf that Terry made yesterday and replaced all the clothes. After breakfast, we looked after some business on the computer and I helped Marg’s friend Jane copy a document. Marg took Dad to the hearing aid specialist and Terry & I drove to town as well for a couple of errands. We met Marg & Dad, filled up some gas containers and then went to lunch at the Firehouse Café. Terry & Dad came back while Marg & I shopped at several stores and tried to get liability insurance for her new ATV.
Terry got ambitious when he got back and took the tractor & brush cutter to cut down overgrown thistles and weeds in a couple of corrals. This also involved moving sheep temporarily into a smaller corral. He also cut up a dead tree that had fallen from the neighbor’s field onto Marg’s fence. When Marg & I got back, we had to hang around the house waiting for the insurance lady to call – not! – so we did laundry and other chores.
Marg & I changed the dressings & “clothes” on the injured lamb that is eating, drinking water and looking really well. We used our experience from yesterday to design a more effective wound covering from another old, long sleeved t-shirt. By the time we finished cleaning up, the lamb was eating hay. I have to mention that lambs at this time are almost as large as their mothers.
After dinner, Marg picked strawberries and went to visit her friend Nicole. We watched TV, read and finished up the laundry.

Aug 2nd to 4th - Prince George to 100 Mile House

Aug 2nd – Thurs – to Prince George
We had a short drive today so we left at 8 in sunshine. We stopped at Burns Lake for fuel and Terry bought a couple of doughnuts to tide us over until we stopped at the casino in Prince George. We all went into the casino for a good lunch and it took Terry & I the rest of the afternoon to lose our allowances. Actually, Terry did better than I did so I had to help him lose some of his money! Dave & Margo gambled a bit, watched some Olympic events and then walked to a nearby shopping center. We got together for happy hour which lasted way too long! I had some leftovers that I could heat up for a quick late dinner and we crashed. The casino is at the intersection of Hwy 16 and Hwy 97 so there was enough traffic all night that even Terry didn’t sleep too well.

Aug 3rd – Fri – to 100 Mile House
Another change in plans. We were going to leave our rigs in Quesnel and drive the truck to Barkerville but we decided to skip Barkerville and go directly to my sister’s place in 100 Mile House. We didn’t sleep too well last night and once you start heading “home” the inclination is to get going. We stopped in Quesnel for breakfast in McDonalds, were slowed just a bit by construction and pulled into Marg’s about 11:30. We had a wiener roast at the back yard fire pit for lunch. It was absolutely perfect sitting in the shade and relaxing. We all decided to go for a drive but we had to go to town first to get diesel as our truck is the only vehicle that seats 6. Marg, Margo & I got a few groceries and hit the liquor store while Terry got fuel and filled a propane tank. We drove to Canim Lake and walked to Mahood and Canim Falls. Marg & I picked huckleberries as we walked – small but tasty. Dad can’t do the walk but sat on a stump near the truck, enjoyed the silence and worked on a crossword puzzle. When we got back, I picked some rhubarb and Margo helped me get a cake in the oven. Marg & Terry were going to take Dave & Margo for an ATV tour around the farm but Terry & Dave took off on their own so the rest of us sat on the porch and chatted. We enjoyed a late dinner with some of the halibut that we caught in Alaska and finished with the rhubarb cake.

Aug 4th – Sat – 100 Mile
Marg picked strawberries from her garden yesterday evening so we had them on waffles for breakfast – yum! Terry & Marg picked up friend Rick’s pop-up trailer that had been repaired while I did some painting on the chicken house – door & second coat on both ends. Terry pulled a lot of stuff out of our storage compartment to get information on our inflatable kayaks that we want to sell. After lunch we and Marg went on the ATVs to pick raspberries. We rode through privately owned and crown (government) land for quite a ways to the first patch of berries where we picked less than half a carton each ( we were using large cottage cheese cartons). We carried on to another, larger patch, poured most of the berries into one carton and then picked 3 cartons. The berries were quite small so we had a lot of little berries. By the time we bumped our way back it was 4 o’clock. Dad had spent the time working on some small tables in the shop. I was too lazy to put a 3rd coat of paint on the door so just washed the inside of the door so I can paint tomorrow. We all enjoyed raspberries on ice cream for dessert.

July 29th to Aug 1st - Iskut,Stewart,Telkwa

July 29th – Sun – to Iskut
We got to sleep in a bit this morning and left at 8 under high clouds. We are amazed at how nice the Cassiar Hwy is this year – the Milepost says “paved” which translates to great seal coating. We stopped at Jade City where Margo bought a ring and I got a pair of earrings.
We don’t eat breakfast when we leave early but take coffee and something for me to munch on like Cheerios. Terry got so hungry this morning that he ate a muffin with raisins & nuts which he doesn’t like too much. We stopped at Dease Lake for what turned out to be a very expensive late breakfast at Mama Z’s since Rumours Café was not open.
We stayed at Mountain Shadows RV park which is in a very nice setting off the highway. We had wifi there so I spent some time catching up on the blog and email. Then we all went for a walk to a nearby lake – first to the dock and then to a trail which leads to a part of the lake where you can fish from the shore. We actually got our satellite dish to latch on to the signal so happy hour, dinner and TV filled the rest of the evening.

July 30th – Mon – to Stewart
We had a short drive today (197 miles) so again left at 8. It rained a lot last night but was overcast this morning and then intermittent showers. We saw 3 bears on the road and a fox with breakfast in its mouth. The road continued good until we hit a section that was being resurfaced and was total mud. It was still smooth but we got absolutely covered in mud. The clouds were high enough that we had good views of most of the mountains. I continue to be amazed and delighted with the amount and diversity of wildflowers on the roadsides.
We stopped for fuel at Bell 2, stopped for pictures of glaciers once we turned onto 37A and checked into the Bear River RV park. When we stopped once for pictures & a pit stop, I noticed that the catch for one side of the mirrored sliding doors on the closet had come off so Terry wedged in the laundry basket and another tote so the door would not slide back & forth. When we got here, the clothes rod had a broken fitting on one end and one of the two support brackets was broken. So the first order of business once we set up was to repair the clothes rod and door catch.
After a late lunch, we all went to check out Stewart & Hyder. We stopped at the visitor information center and then went to the museum where a lonely employee kept Margo trapped while the rest of us wandered through the museum. We watched a film which turned out to be a rather long hour of slightly repetitive history of Stewart. We dragged Margo away from the employee - who followed her out the door after the film - and went to Hyder. As we were walking to the viewing platform someone told us that a mother bear & cub had just been there. Just our luck that all we saw were lots of spawning salmon and one immature eagle.
Back at the park we joined Dave & Margo for happy hour, then went our own way for dinner and cable TV.

July 31st – Tues – Stewart
We have to be crazy! We left at 5:45 this morning (after listening to rain all night) to try to see bears. There was one bear eating a salmon when we got there and it hung around for quite a while. It is amazing how the salmon scurry away when a bear comes to the edge of the stream or an eagle flies over. After about an hour, we drove about 18 miles – in Dave & Margo’s “putt putt” – further out the road from Hyder to the Salmon Glacier. We were actually being very optimistic as clouds were hanging low and we were hoping they would lift. We now have “imagine if you will” pictures of clouds over the glacier but mountains behind showing above the clouds.
The car was making strange wheel noises when we got back through Canada customs so we stopped at a car wash as the guys thought it very possible that dirt was causing the problem. The noise did quit but the car was still a mess so Dave used dry wash to finish cleaning it up.
After lunch we all went back to check out stores in Stewart. We were surprised by the unusual items in one grocery store and the amount & selection in the other grocery store. Pretty expensive – Margo read signs wrong and ended up paying over $6 for a gallon of milk. We stopped for ice cream, drove through all the parts of town that we could find and headed back.
When we were in a gift store, the clerk told us about taking some visitors to the dump to see bears so of course that is what we had to do after dinner. We saw 4 black bears scrounging in the dump – not the best way to view wildlife. Apparently mothers & young cubs and yearlings go there as they are likely to be beaten up or killed by grizzlies at the stream with salmon.
We were supposed to have wifi but couldn’t get it at our site and I wasn’t interested in splashing through puddles to sit outside on a deck to get online.

Aug 1st – Wed – to Telkwa
We made a change in our schedule due to the rain which is getting us all down. We were going to go to Prince Rupert but rain is forecast there for at least another 2 days so we decided to hit the Yellowhead Highway and head east. We had sunny breaks before we left the Cassiar but weren’t totally out of the rain yet.
We stopped for diesel at Kitwanga and then at the visitor center at Hazelton. After taking pictures outside and going through a little museum, we drove to the Hagwilget suspension bridge over the Bulkley River canyon. We walked across and took pictures and carried on.
We are staying at Fort Telkwa RV park where we stayed 5 years ago. It has a free high pressure wash station for vehicles and RVs which we took advantage of before parking and setting up. Margo and I did laundry which took a little while since there were only 2 washers and 3 dryers and someone else snuck in and did one load after Margo did her two and before I could get there.
Then it was time to drive back a few miles to Smithers. Main Street is done in an alpine theme and is fun to walk through. We found a liquor store and then found a place for dinner which turned out to be very nice. It was billed as a bar & bistro and had chicken wings as today’s special. We added nachos and a mixed appy platter to make it dinner.
When we got back, we all walked down to the river for a little exercise and to settle dinner. Then we played a game of Uno – I slipped past Terry to win again!