Tuesday

Another rainy day.  No matter, we did a bit of baking this morning.   We don't want to waste any of that good rhubarb.

my sous chef concentrates on his duties

We had our second cup inside, again, and then settled down to have fun with rhubarb.   We made rhubarb crisp and 12 rhubarb muffins.   Baking in this tiny kitchen takes organization, but it can be done.

After the mess was cleaned up and the goodies cooling on racks we ate a quick lunch and drove over to check out the nearby town of Whitefish.   Its a really nice little town with lots of interesting shops and restaurants.  They were setting up for the weekly Farmer's market but it really looked like imminent rain.

beautiful Green Zebra tomatoes 

We found a good parking spot and window shopped up and down Center street before heading for the lake.
We knew we were on borrowed time, the sky was getting darker and darker.

some interesting mosaic windows

close up of one of the windows

We'd seen posters for an antique wooden boat show at the Whitefish Lodge Resort and we wanted to see where it would be held.  We love the old Chris Crafts, Thompsons, Hackercrafts and Garwoods.   They are common in the 1000 Islands and Adirondacks where we're from and we're interested in seeing if the same boats are out here.

Whitefish Lake from the cute little city beach

Oh Dave.....

The Rose Robber made a quick getaway.....

We were only back in the jeep for a few minutes before the sky opened and  rain really started coming down.  Distant thunder.     BBQ shrimp was on our dinner menu tonight, but we quickly decided to use the shrimp in another recipe more suited to indoor cooking!

Monday - a Huckleberry kind of day

Yep, the forecasters were right, we woke to rain this morning.  We hung around til near noon then had to find a grocery store, we had nothing for lunch.  First,  we did a bit of exploring and had lunch in West Glacier .  Huckleberry Ice Tea for me along with a reuben sandwich.  Dave decided it was a good day for Chili.

We actually visited the Visitor Center at the beginning our our explorations, instead of the end.  What a great idea!

the forest is carpeted with these interesting flowers

bear grass

McDonald Lake

Flathead river

a 1930's White Glacier National Park Red convertible tour bus.
In 2000, the fleet was completely refurbished by Ford.
We look forward to taking a tour in one this week.

Who says its too cold for ice cream?  

its Huckleberry ice cream, ya got something to say about it?

These horses crossed the road right behind us.   I turned around so fast trying to take a picture that I put my foot right in  our huckeberry pie.....

He brings me flowers

today's "borrowed"  bouquet

a slice of squashed Huckleberry pie.
delicious nonetheless..... 

Sunday - West Glacier, MT.

We seem to attract attention when we leave an RV park....this guy watched us the entire way out of Two Bit Outfit RV Park this morning.   We had a pull through site last night so we never unhooked the jeep.   Too bad, because I think Libby is a sweet little town that is worth at least a drive around instead of just passing through.   Maybe next time.

We were out of lunch meat, we've eaten all the tuna sandwiches we care too, I have peanut butter for breakfast, so today we used our high tech solar oven to warm up our left over pizza for lunch.

the sun was so hot on the dashboard that our pizza was nice and warm by lunchtime!

Uh Oh.....

We continued through Libby on route 2 but encountered several of these "pavement ends" sections so it was pretty slow going.      At last we were through all the construction zones and found a great place to stop for lunch.

Loon Lake for Lunch

clouds reflected in the calm lake water

We're settled in (miraculously) our site at the West Glacier KOA, just half a mile from the park entrance.  When I went in to the office to check in, the young girl couldn't find our reservation.   She looked and looked, growing redder and redder.    We're scheduled to be here for a week, I made the reservations quite a while ago!   The park is beautiful, the sites wide and long and beautifully manicured.  There are plenty of kids around, but its such a big place I don't feel hemmed in by them.  

Long story short, the manager "found" the reservation, we filled our propane tank and pulled into an end site, way in the back, just the way we like it.  Dave grilled the last of our Market of Choice hamburgers and we had another Wild Rose salad.  We topped it off with a couple of the delish Lemon Cooler cookies Jesse and Erin brought us.   Tomorrow  we'll explore the park, unless it rains as predicted.   Then we'll enjoy a cozy day inside, either way sounds good to me.

nice view from our site

Cindy, this little long hair doxie is our neighbor.   Isn't she adorable?

Saturday - Mountain Time Zone

We're in Montana now, Libby, Montana.  We left Wild Rose RV before lunch and drove north on route 2, out of Washington and through the northern most tip of Idaho.  The drive was uneventful unless you count the small detour around the Rodeo Parade in "downtown" Newport.  I strained my eyes looking for a good picture of some rodeo stars, or bucking broncos tearing down the main street, but all I saw were firetrucks filled with kids moving slowly along, yawn.....

Our route took us back up into the mountains along a the swift Pend-Oreille River.  Not much to talk about, the scenery was beautiful in places, but mostly pines and a few small houses surrounded by tall grass that really needed mowing.  We passed a some dirt roads or driveways but otherwise, just a two lane road through the mountains.    Sand Point, Idaho looked like a fairly interesting little city but we were just moving through.

lunch spot

We stopped for lunch along the river and then continued on to tonight's destination,  Two Bit Outfit RV on route 2 in Libby, Montana.  Its a quiet, grassy little place and will do nicely for the night.  Actually, the sun came out once we got settled and it felt good to sit outside for a few hours before dinner (leftovers with another scrumptious salad courtesy of Wild Rose RV).  We've crossed over into Mountain Time so we're one hour closer to home.

Tomorrow we finally arrive at West Glacier, just outside Glacier National Park   We'll be there for a week and then work on how to proceed east.    We've a few options to consider.  

interesting moon rise last night

Friday - unexpectedly delicious day

I left my disappointment at missing the winery behind and we broke camp this morning.  Our destination for tonight was the Wild Rose RV Campground in Colbert, Washington, just north of Spokane.  

when I opened the window at our rest area lunch spot I had the feeling I was being watched...this sweet guy  was in a horse trailer parked next to us.

Once again, we found ourselves on route 395.   Even though the weather wasn't nice, the ride was beautiful. I found the soft, green, undulating landscape lovely.  The sky and its dramatic clouds seemed huge.   We drove through enormous fields of wheat, red barns, green and yellow John Deere tractors, grey grain elevators and train tracks snaking along through the low spots in the hills.    We passed a sign proudly advertising "Lind - Home of the Combine Demolition Derby".   Only in America.   ( Later,  I checked it out on-line, its a pretty funny event to watch!)

After lunch we continued to follow 395 right through the middle of downtown Spokane.   Probably not the best choice of routes, but it seemed the only direct way to get north of the city.  Early on we made a bit of a bobble -  we were in the wrong lane for our turn and missed it.    Dave soon got us headed in the right direction and it didn't take long before we left the city congestion behind.   Its never an easy job to pilot a huge motorhome towing a car through tight city streets trying to find the correct street.... thanks Dave.

We turned into our little home for the night and were warmly greeted by the managers (owners?)  The woman in the office couldn't be nicer and her husband stopped what he was doing to lead Dave to our full hook up pull through site. He pointed out a huge fenced in field where we could let the dogs off leash to play (pick up poop please).   He told us to feel free to wander in the vegetable garden and take whatever we wanted.

The sun had finally come out so we pulled out the chairs and had a G&T on our large grassy sitting area.   Sasha really loves to  snuggle down in the thick grass.    We asked our guide if there was a pizza delivery to the park and he returned with a recommendation and their phone #.   Now, thats good service.

While we waited for the pizza, we walked around in the huge garden and picked salad fixings for dinner.

rhubarb!!!

our bag full of three kinds of lettuce, spinach, onions and rhubarb

"I'm a lonely little petunia in an onion patch"

rhubarb pie?  rhubarb bread? rhubarb compote? rhubarb crisp?

Still life - Bovines and Rhubarb

Ooooh, I'd forgotten just how wonderful a salad right from the garden can be!   Pizza wasn't bad either, all in all we're really glad we stopped here!   Tomorrow its on to Libby, Montana.

Thursday - I could kick myself!

We were beat last night.   We must be getting soft, the long drive really whipped us.   I took the dogs out for the last time around 10 and walked into a wall of water.  The park's sprinklers were on, full force,  all around Beluga!   The only place we could stand that wasn't being blasted was a tiny spot of gravel directly outside of the door.   The dogs finally got the idea that they'd be washed away if they tried to get to the grass so the gravel had to suffice.    What good dogs, they rise to any occasion.    We all went to bed and slept the sleep of the dead til morning.

We had second cup outside in the sunshine this morning and all enjoyed our lovely backyard du jour.  We watched a Bullock's Oriole worry a crow and lots of Western Kingbird's swoop and dive after bugs.

We used this free day to move a little more slowly and take care of a few housekeeping and maintenance jobs we've let slip.  Later in the afternoon we drove over to the McNary Dam to see if there were any fish moving through one of the fish ladders that were built to help Salmon and Steelhead migrate around the dam.

fish shoot through the fast flowing water behind the viewing windows

part of McNary Dam and the hills beyond

The hills on the Washington side of the Columbia River in this area are called Horse Heaven Hills.   I assume that is because they are covered with knee high yellow grass- like foliage that almost looks like oats. It certainly would be a horse heaven for wild mustangs!

  Horse Heaven Hills, hmmmm.  That sounds familiar.   I could just kick myself!   Columbia Crest Horse Heaven Hills Chardonnay!!!!    A favorite wine of ours.  Columbia Crest is a mere 10 miles from us and I didn't know it.   I could kick myself - we could have had a nice wine tasting and tour today instead of doing bills, vacuuming, trimming dogs nails, cleaning vents, etc., etc....sigh.

Wednesday - Tuesday and Wednesday's news

Yesterday was our last full day in Eugene, in Oregon actually.  We've really enjoyed the entire state, its beautiful and friendly and has something for everyone.  I hope we'll come back again someday.

Dave and Jesse played 9 holes of golf while Erin and I got our tootsies done.  It was an orange kind of day for the two of us....

Actually Jesse played 9 holes and Dave walked along and hit a few shots.  His back is feeling much better and theres no sense pushing his luck with some long driving days coming up.  We all enjoyed our morning and met at Jesse and Erin's house for lunch after our mornings activities.

Dave and I did a few errands, and then went back to Beluga to take care of our wonderful, patient dogs.
They haven't really had much fun while we were in Eugene, but they always happily greeted  whoever opened the door and climbed Beluga's stairs. Sometimes it was just us, sometimes Jesse, sometimes Jesse and Erin and sometimes our neighbor, Debbie.  They happily ate what we fed them and waited quietly for us to return.  What more could we ask.

Well, actually Lewis did have a tiny bit of fun with some new friends.  Nina, please don't let Polly see the next few pictures, Lewis doesn't want to hurt her feelings.   She is, after all, his very best friend.

Devin (Debbie and Scott's Irish Setter) and Lewis zoom

Lewis and Lyla (their English Setter) zoom

Debbie works, Devin relaxes

After we settled and fed, washed and changed, Dave and I headed back to Jesse's to meet them for dinner at Beppe and Gianni.  We've run out of time for some of the restaurants we like, but there's always next time.
I tried taking some pictures of our delicious meals (I had Cappelli di Vescovo - Bishop Hats) and fiddled a bit with the camera, but in the end we just ate and drank and enjoyed.

When we got back to Jesse and Erin's Jesse made good on his promise to put his cap and gown on for us so I could get another picture.  Once again, we fiddled with the camera, the settings, the lighting, but perhaps it was the wine but I wasn't happy with any of the pictures except this one....

This morning we packed up everything and broke camp for our long driving day.   Debbie came to say good bye and then Jesse and Erin arrived with cookies from Market of Choice!  How did we get so lucky?  It was hard to drive away.

So, good byes said, jeep hooked up, off we went.  I-5 north to Portland, I-84 east along the great Columbia River to 395 (yes, that same 395) north over the River to 14 west and Plymouth Park COE, our home until Friday morning.  We drove along the river frothing with whitecaps, busy with barges and windsurfers winding  its way between ancient mountains hung with mist and dripping with beautiful waterfalls.   We've simply got to get back here.

The further we moved east, the lower the mountains became until they were just smooth banks that looked like they were covered with tan and brown velvet.  What a beautiful ride.

Hmmmm, no pictures of the actual river!   Oh well, use your imagination.  Perhaps tomorrow I'll show you, or you could look back to last July when we were first here.

Dave says that from now on our trend is EAST, and you know what that means.  No definite arrival date  yet, stay tuned.