Summer update

 We've been in Spokane for about three weeks now, and I can't believe how time is flying by.   We're not venturing too far from home, as you might imagine.   Family time takes priority.

We did take a few days away to celebrate our 53rd anniversary.   Jesse and Erin highly recommended the sweet little town of Nelson, BC and it sounded like just the ticket for us.     We stayed at the Prestige Lakeside Resort, on the shores of beautiful Kootenay Lake.

I "borrowed" this photo from the resort's brochure.

 Our room had a lovely balcony overlooking the lake and facing the Selkirk Mountains, with enough marina and bird activity to keep us entertained for second cup and happy hour each day.     Ducks, geese, cormorants and four very imposing Naval Security Team boats worked the water below and the sky overhead was busy with Bald Eagles and some very low flying private planes using the next door airport.    

incoming over the parking lot!

Naval Security Team boats forming up

Given the quiet and upscale nature of the hotel and the fact that this was - well, Canada - we were surprised to encounter extremely fit and prepared (think flak jackets, helmets, side arms) men and women staying in neighboring rooms.    As we sat on our balcony we watched them emerge from the hotel and approach their boats, moored below.    They appeared to be there on some sort of military exercise complete with large, assault type rifles mounted on the fore and aft of the small boats, powered by two 225 hp mercury outboards.  

The boats would leave, in formation, each morning and return in the afternoon.   We never found out what they were doing, but it certainly provided interesting and unusual entertainment!

off they go!

We were only in the Nelson area for 3 days so we relaxed,  slept in, watched the waterfront comings and goings, explored some of the many lakes and forests and, of course, ate well.  We know we'll be back again, so much to see and do.   The restaurant scene is alive and growing, there is plenty of water and water sports, all levels of hiking, two large Provincial Parks, complete with glaciers nearby, and all this just a few hours north of a nice, easy, one-man border crossing.

guess who, eating guess what

Dave picks up Hungarian take out to eat on our cool balcony

we did a little rock picking after our creekside lunch....

Cottonwood Falls 

and, of course, there was wine

Back home in Spokane, this was waiting for us.....  More to come

Spokane and Family!

I last left you in Boulder with weather threatening, again.    The nasty clouds moved away over the plains and the anticipated storm was a non-event.   Phew.

Since then, we had an uneventful (but very windy) trip through southern Wyoming, northern Utah and into southern Idaho to a few days stay in Heyburn, Idaho.  

We usually try to stop at the little Riverside RV Park, owned and run by the City of Heyburn.    It sits beside the Snake River and is very green, and quiet and run by a couple of friendly hosts.    It's a great place to just decompress and relax after days of interstate driving.     

See Dave in the shade?

There isn't a lot to do in the immediate area....City of Rocks is about 50 miles south and on my list......but this time we really wanted to sit in the shade and rest up.    This long driving trip is beginning to catch up with us.       We enjoy walking beside the River in the morning or evening, when the heat calms down a bit.

Small pleasures....we discovered acres and acres of a new to us crop - Sugar Beets! Thanks to Google, we finally figured out what it was, our best guess to that point was Kale!  The other enormous fields were planted in Barley (headed to the huge, nearby Coors Barley plant), and potatoes (ear marked for the McCain french fry producer's processing plant).   

The other "interesting" thing we discovered was in a large grocery store.    We thought it was a grocery store, the large sign on the building said "Stokes Freshfood Market".    Except it was a good-sized hardware store fully integrated into the grocery store.     At the end of the plumbing section aisle we found lunchmeat.   Walking through the salad dressings we came upon an area of electrical supplies and shelves of assorted nuts and bolts.     Very disorienting to say the least....  We got all the things on our list in one stop!       Ah well, the things you find on the road.

Fully rested we left Heyburn, drove through Oregon and into Washington to the last planned stop before Spokane - Walla Walla.     We had decided on a couple days there, to do a few wineries and dinner at another favorite - Brasserie Four - but an imminent arrival cut our visit short.   

Probably one of the best meals we've had on this trip! 

Way more important things happening in Spokane.   She's here and healthy and 10 days early!    Maybe she couldn't wait to meet her family!     More to follow. 

Jesse and Annabelle

  

     

the ending before the beginning...

 

Bear with me please...Blogger will not let me finish this post.     I cannot continue to add any pictures or tell any more about what/where we are after the last picture of Boulder Creek.      So, if you don't mind, and can understand what I mean......I'll finish the post at the beginning, see?    Sorry.

Continuing.......

We were missing the mountains, the rocks so we continued a little longer than we should have.    Hail began to thrum on Rocky's roof so we turned around and came back down into Boulder and then on home.   It was a beautiful ride, no sense to finish it in the mountains on slick roads.

Another day we drove up to Lyons to see what Jesse and Erin's wedding site looked like these days.    It was still beautiful and the owner's were happy to have us walk the grounds and enjoy the creekside setting.

After that we drove back into Boulder for our dinner reservations at tiny Il Pastaio.

fish soup makes him smile!

Dave enjoyed the Friday evening special, Cioppino, and I had my favorite mushroom ravioli covered in Aurora sauce....yum.    We took some meatballs and sauce with us to share when we get to Spokane, don't tell though.

Today, our last day here, we had brunch at The Kitchen.    Another YUM meal.

One last little culinary delight to take care of before we leave the area....pick up two dozen heavenly Empanadas from Rincon Argentina to share with Jesse and Erin in a week.

On our way home, our last ride home from Boulder, mother nature didn't want us to forget her.     BEEP BEEP BEEP severe weather warnings....

     THE END

THE BEGINNING:

At the end of my last post we were in smoky Ohio.   Cough, cough, cough.   Complain, complain, complain.     It was pretty bad all the way through Illinois. We wished we could open the windows at night, we wished we could breath without coughing or sneezing.

no happy hour outside in Casey!

Be careful what you wish for.    The smoky skies vanished when the storm clouds and heavy rain rolled in as we left Casey, Illinois.    Rain, hail, thunder, wind and - BEEP BEEP BEEP - severe weather advisories were our constant companions along the interstate.   Speaking of the Interstate....I-70 in Indiana was, once again, the worst road we've ever driven on.     The last time we had the misfortune of routing ourselves that way Beluga's headlights blew out.    This time it was the mirror behind the sink that came down.    Luckily the kitchen faucet kept it from crashing down on the floor and shattering.  Note to self - avoid Indiana!

Mr. David's A-1 Glass Repair Service brings their own tools and towels

We did have a few hours of dry, non-scary weather sandwiched between the storms training across the Midwest.    I planned a couple day stay over in Danville, Missouri and one afternoon we drove into the cute little German settlement of Hermann.  

 

 We had planned to stop in a winery or walk along the river but the temperature and humidity made us rethink our plans.

After Danville, we continued across Kansas, dodging nasty looking red and yellow cells all the way.   Fortunately, the really bad weather went around us, but then dropped down behind to wreak havoc on some of the very spots we had just vacated.  We even enjoyed the strong outflow winds as we crept over the bridge across the Mississippi.    This part of the drive reminded us why we vowed to stop driving across the middle of the country.....why we decided to buy a home base in the west. 

So, enough complaining, I bet you're as tired of hearing it as I am of feeling grumpy.

So, - insert smiley face here, we're here in Colorado, at St. Vrain State Park near Longmont.    I'll try not to complain about the weather anymore, maybe I'll just describe it with no emotion attached.   

    For the first few days we didn't know we had a view of the mountains in the west!  

 Mornings are lovely beside Bald Eagle Pond.   The sun is out, the sky is blue and the temperature is pleasant.

Dave enjoys the view while speaking with brother Mike

We have even been able to enjoy second cup outside, watching the Great Blue Heron work the shoreline in front of us is fun.

Late mornings though, beautiful and powerful clouds rise up around us, tower over us and mostly blow off to the east.

uh oh

We spent a fair amount of time in the Denver area, Jesse attended U of C at Boulder to receive his MBA and we enjoyed visiting often.  He and Erin were married just north of Boulder  in the little community of Lyons beside the St. Vrain Creek.   

We had a few familiar favorite restaurants on our list.   We visited them in between spending as much time outdoors as we could (when those clouds weren't threatening).    

After having lunch at Brasserie Ten Ten and window shopping along the Pearl Street Mall in Boulder, we decided to follow Boulder Creek up into the mountains, just because.

the only "meh" meal I've had on this entire trip!

Dave tries not to notice the Tuba player

beautiful Boulder Creek 

Two weeks of non-stop Food, Family, Friends, Familiar Favorites and Fun

Pour a cup of coffee or a glass of wine and sit down, this is going to be a long one.....

We left our special spot on Conesus Lake Monday morning.    Thanks, again, to Jerry and Pelle for their warm hospitality and for allowing us to spend a couple weeks at this, their special place. 

  

Beluga in her old spot next to a new deck

Staying at the lake was an integral part of this summer's Food, Family, Friends, Familiar Favorites and Fun tour and we've been busy - very busy.

I'm getting the hang of my new laptop, thanks to our old company's IT guy, John, and his infinite patience.     I still have a few things to figure out but, for the most part, I'm feeling fairly comfortable with this new thing.     (I'm still having problems getting my photos from the cameras to the laptop but I'll get it eventually!)

We've been rocketing down memory lane while visiting with friends and family.   Some places looked the same, some very different.  Tons of very happy memories rode with us, some bittersweet pictures and a few unpleasant snapshots snuck in from time to time.     We'll tuck those away and concentrate on the wonderful friends and experiences we enjoyed.  

We arrived on a Saturday afternoon and Dave backed old Beluga down the familiar driveway like he's done it before!     The next day we were invited to Cindy P and Walter's "new" house for a pizza supper.       We haven't seen the property before so it was fun to see where they've settled and get a little taste of their life there.

here she comes with desert!

Jagger waits patiently for us to come out

We sat outside on the patio in their beautiful, green back yard and enjoyed yummy little fruit tarts after a dinner of pizza and wine.    Cindy and Walter gave us a short demonstration of Jagger's scent training work and Ms B was crouched nearby, intently watching a couple of exhibitionist squirrels just outside the fence.    Sweet old Luke took it all in from Cindy's lap.

Walter, Cindy and sweet Luke

Later in the evening, on our way home, we saw a white doe grazing in a large field near the lake.     She was quite far away from us but her dazzling white coat caught our eye.     There is (was?) a small herd of white deer at the Seneca Army Depot on one of the other Finger Lakes (Seneca Lake) about an hour east of us but we've never seen a single deer like this anywhere near us before.  

The photos are very bad, my little camera was zoomed out as far as it could in order to catch sight of her.     Don't ask how I know she was a she.....     

 Unlike the Seneca Depot deer, she did not appear to be albino....her large ears looked to be brown and there was a brown blaze down her nose.

We saw her every evening at dusk.   So beautiful.   I hope no one takes advantage of her lack of camouflage come hunting season.   I'd hate to think of her beautiful head hanging over someone's fireplace.....

The next day our old friend Judi came (laden with goodies from Buffalo) for an overnight.    The weather didn't cooperate that evening, but we were able to enjoy some of the goodies she brought at second cup on the deck the next morning.    We talked and talked and laughed and laughed and ate and ate.    Even after 67 years of friendship, we never run out of things to talk about.    Nice.

Hi Judi!

After Judi left for home, Dave and I went to one of our old time favorite hamburger joints - Tom Wahls.     We ate there on the first day of our honeymoon trip (and, don't tell anyone, but I still have the root beer glass we stole that day).....   Food is still exactly, deliciously the same, even the frosted mugs of homemade root beer.   Judi was invited, of course, but she declined, stating she was just too full from the Paula's donuts at second cup.     

Tom Wahl's steakburger, mmmm

 I can now see that showing you what we did and who we saw, in order, is going to be  hard.....Maybe I'll just show you the pictures with comments instead. 

I didn't take any pictures at the two routine doctor visits I had.   After one of them we traveled a little north of Rochester to Webster for a lunch date with our good friend Barb.    She met us at a new French restaurant and afterward we went to her town house for a bit of desert and companionship.   It was good catching up.

Hi Barb!

she just wanted to rub her cheek on his fork, that's all.....

 After the other appointment, we drove down to Perry, NY and the Charcoal Corral to meet the fabulous Fred and his sweet wife Jeanie.     On Thursdays during the summer, the little restaurant/miniature golf, drive in theater venue holds a cruise night that draws lots of old cars.     They fill the grassy lawns around the buildings and it's fun to get a hot dog, and (in my case) ice cream, then check out all the beautiful hot rods.   

the horseradish hot dog guys!

 

Oh Fred.....

 As the evening wore on, we noticed lots of folks beginning to line the road leading out of the venue and into the town of Perry.      As we watched we saw why....the old cars leaving were giving everyone a real show on their way home.  

a nice burnout!

Concern for our safety kept us from getting very close, but we were close enough to see the smoke and smell the rubber and hear the crazy noise.   What a hoot!     Evidently the local police were somewhere else that evening or they chose to look the other way in the interest of giving the locals a great show.   Either way we had a ball.      One guy was really full of himself, really showing off,  but he started his burnout before he turned the corner, lost control, and his wheel (complete with the axle attached) flew off and headed in the other direction through the fields.    Glad we weren't close.        Embarrassing and very expensive.   It never pays to show off...

the road was filled with rubber marks!

We had a couple great dinners with friends Tom and Robin.  It was so good catching up in person, nothing like it.

my chicken and waffle sliders!

 They have a new pup, Jack, and we fell in love.   We love Tom and Robin too.

Tom and Jack

 I'm not good at taking pictures of people, I make them look too posed, or cut off their feet, or just plain forget to include one or all of them.    It's not because I'm not having fun (probably BECAUSE I am having fun) or that I don't care about the un-included (is that a word?) it's just me I guess.    No pictures of Jeanie, no pictures of Robin, no pictures of Jerry and Pele, no pictures of my laptop savior John.   

 Mea culpa

One evening we met Cindy P, Walter and their beautiful daughter, Geneva at the nearby Yard of Ale.   She lives in Ithaca (about an hour southeast of Geneseo) and came in specially to see us, thanks G! The waitress taking care of us that evening was another blast from the past - Laurie.    When Jesse was small he (we) took Suzuki piano lessons on Thursday nights.     After his (our) lesson we'd all have dinner at a now defunct local restaurant - Station 42.    It was a great family run Italian restaurant with grandma's homemade sauce and pizza fritte for dessert.    Laurie was our waitress there, every Thursday, for years.    Such a wonderful surprise to see her again!

Before she went back to Ithaca Geneva had lunch with Cindy and I at Letchworth State Park's Glen Iris Inn.    They have opened a lovely new outdoor patio beside the thundering middle falls and we enjoyed the sunny warm day amid the well tended gardens.  

the color coordinated girls

We spent Father's Day at Dave's brother Mike's summer spot on tiny Lake Alice, near Lake Ontario.    Mike and his wife Arline have two adult kids, Mike and Shelly.   Since it was Father's Day, we were  lucky to be able to visit with them all,  it's been way too long.    We spent the day outside, visiting, catching up, taking a boat ride and sharing a picnic supper.

Parade to the boat

Hey Mikey!

Shelly, Mike, Mike and Arline on her candy apple red scooter

Are you tired yet?    It was a really really busy two weeks.    Just a few more, I promise.

Up to Webster again, this time we were invited to old friends Cindy and Norm Kraft's home for dinner.    Dave and Norm grew up together and we've all been friends since before we were all married.

Cindy made a wonderful dinner complete with Dave's favorite, Rhubarb pie.   She makes the best pie crust ever.        After dinner their daughter, Melanie, dropped by with her family to say hello.    It was a whirlwind visit!

Norm, Quinn, Melanie and Cindy 
(the two other little blondies were busy elsewhere)

One of our last, but definitely not least, visits was with Tracy.    She started out being Jesse's babysitter when he was 18 months old and she was an 18 year old  student at SUNY Geneseo.    Actually, she took care of our entire household when we traveled, dogs, cats and horses along with little Jesse.    She became a dear and valued friend through the years.    We were so happy she could meet us at one of our old favorites, Phillips European (yes, again, another old favorite!).

Phillips is famous for their decadent desserts....Tracy and I gobbled ours up too fast for a picture, Dave cooperated.

Our very last visit was in Amherst, NY, near where we both grew up.    My family is very small - two cousins on my mother's side and three on my father's side.    Those three and their spouses were gathering at Cousin Linda's house for a casual dinner.     We see each other rarely so it was nice of Linda to organize this meet up when two of us were "in town"

Since Amherst (near Buffalo) is quite a distance from Geneseo, we stayed overnight at Judi's house that evening before heading back home on Sunday morning.    Our last good visit with her, sigh.

bye Judi

Tonight we're in smoky Ohio, on our way to Spokane.   It was raining when we left Geneseo, it rained all the way to our first stop last night and much of today.   

 

hail at lunch time.....

We're settling down to our quiet life on the road now.   It was absolutely wonderful to see everyone (we did miss two special people, Lisa and JoAnn, but it couldn't be helped)  and wander along memory lane.    We're happily exhausted but looking forward to the next chapter of this journey.