Priest Lake

Walter and Elliot in Tandem

On my last few days off Nancy and I went up to Priest Lake and stayed in a wonderful little cabin owned by one of her friends. The weather was beautiful though a bit cold. The good time was tempered a bit by a little "cancer" scare. Nancy went to have some lumps checked out and was immediately sent for blood work and a CAT scan. We were both freaking out pretty bad. We came back early from our little trip for the scan and got there late because of the blood test. What they were checking out turned out to be ok, but some other stuff looked a bit suspicious so she has an upcoming appointment with a Ear, Nose, and Throat doctor. I am banking on it just being a wad of snot that showed up in the CAT scan.

Nancy and the boys taking it easy

We took Walter and Elliot with us and had a nice time. On the first day we were there we went on an 8 mile walk which was a lot of fun. We hung out in the cabin, read a lot, and I took the boys out for a canoe ride. Walter has not been in a canoe for a couple of years, and I am sure Elliot has never even been near water before since he was kept shut up in a yard with virtually no human contact for his first year and a half of life (die Montana puppy mill bitch, die!!!). When we got to the cabin and walked down to the dock he actually walked off the edge and into the water. He learned quick though.

Nancy and Elliot

Because our time was cut short, Nancy's friend is going to let us use the cabin again in the next few weeks. My work schedule has changed dramatically, but luckily, just temporarily. I am now on Monday through Friday for the next 8 to 10 weeks while a coworker has surgery, then I will go back to my 4-10 hour midweek days.

The boys and me in the canoe

Yes, the Fockers do exist

Oh, and just a side note, I went on a cool little kayak jaunt this afternoon with Michelle and Sparky on the Spokane River. We put in the river sort of across from Gonzaga off Desmet, in a skanky sort of neighborhood where we had to carry the boats down to the river. We then paddled upstream past Avista to some rapids just downstream from the Freya Street bridge. I shot the rapids twice because Sparky swamped it and I went back to make sure she was ok. It was cool. We saw lots of urban crap in the water...bicycles, shopping carts, a big ass car stereo, etc. If the water would have been warmer I would have done more fishing out of garbage but all I managed to get were a couple of cans and a beach ball. But it was a cool little urban paddle.

Glacier Park

Last week my sister came to visit me from Illinois and we went to Glacier Park for five wonderful days of freezing weather, spitting snow, cold winds, and occasional sun beams. Bummer that I had to leave Walter at home. Evidently he sat by the door for about 5 hours after I left and when I got back he actually climbed on top of me and started verbally telling me off for leaving him.

It took us about five hours to drive from Spokane to West Glacier. We stayed at the Apgar campground, our old favorite. I did not realize it unti this trip but my sister is a wee bit afraid of bears and that is why she always wants to stay at Apgar. It is a bigger campground in a more populated area of the park and it makes her feel more secure.

It really was cold while we were there. Daytimes were in the 70s but it got down into the 30s at night. I am normally not a cold kind of person but I guess my hypothalamus was a bit delayed in adjusting to a change in environmental temp. On the last night we were there I went to bed wearing wool blend long underwear, polar fleece pants, thermal socks, a wool shirt, polar fleece vest, stocking hat and gloves and I was all zipped up in my sleeping bag with the hood tight over my head. Darn cold.

We hung out a lot at the lake. I took one of my tiny kayaks along and paddled on Lake McDonald during one of the weather reprieves. I went for a hike up along the Garden Wall, saw some mountain goats, drove up to Polebridge for some absolutely wonderful carbs from the bakery, and hung out at Bowman Lake for several hours. I have decided that next time I go to Glacier I am going to camp at Bowman (unless my sister is with me) because there is NOTHING there but mountain and lake. The road is shit so no big trailers and motor homes are there. Mostly just small trailers and folks in tents in a campground that has only about 20 spots. And the lake is amazing with the mountains in the background.

We also went into Whitefish one day when the weather was just too horrible and goofed around. It is sort of a ritual to go on the rainy day. I read a good book called Peace Like a River by Leif Enger. Pretty good.

I will post some photos now that I took but I hope my sister sends me some that she took as well. Most of my pictures are of different scenes of Lake McDonald which always enchants me.

Lake McDonald Pics

Bowman Lake


The Garden Wall by Logan Pass

Curious Fawn at Hungry Horse Reservoir

Icicle Creek

I am WAY behind on my posting. Part of the problem is that I forgot the password to my computer and have to use the laptop which I hate using...long story...and part of it is that I have just been too damn busy.

A couple of weeks ago Nancy and I went camping for a couple of nights at Icicle Creek near Leavenworth, WA. It was a lovely cold, wet, windy weekend. We took Walter and...yes he is back...Elliot. Poor Elliot. He went to live with a new person about four months ago and even though the guy really tried, Elliot did not work out. He was terrified the entire time, was afraid of the other dogs, and spent most of his time hiding. So he came back. And even though he is sort of a freak, he is getting much better. I think part of it is that he just does not like men. Walter is teaching him the ropes though and taught him all about camping and sleeping in a tent and pooping on a leash and eating outdoors and lying by the fire.

So Elliot came back but Olive found her dream parents. I was prepared to keep Olive until the end of her time but we happened upon some folks who were all set up for a geriatric dog (they have ramps on all their steps and footstools up to their couch...they even have a webcam so they can watch the dogs while they are at work). It was too good to pass up and even though I miss her, I know she will live the rest of her life totally spoiled rotten.
So here are some pics of our trip to Icicle Creek...

Walter, Elliot (the white one), and Nancy (the human one)

Icicle Creek

Dry Falls on the way home