Thursday, September 26, 2019
Copper Falls, 09-19-19
Copper Falls can be found just east of Highway 95, just south of the border with Canada. Here are a couple of pictures of the trail, one picture of the falls from Copper Creek below the cascade, and pictures from the upper overlook perch.
Three Beautiful Things 09/25/19: Silence, Yellow Curry, Big Toe Update
1. I enjoyed being in the house today after nearly a week away. I loved being away and hiking new trails and seeing new landscapes and, today, I loved being with Charly, getting my travel laundry done, and spending much of the day being still -- no tv, no music, nothing but silence.
2. I left the house once to pick up a few things at Yoke's. It turns out, though, that I had everything I needed to fix myself dinner. A good way to use up vegetables in the refrigerator is to make a vegetable curry. There was a partially used red onion, a partially used yellow onion, and a few celery stalks in the fridge, so I chopped them up and cooked them in oil. Right now I have a bumper crop of baby carrots, but I decided against using them tonight -- same with the miniature sweet peppers. I'll make a soup in the blender with those soon.
Once the onion and celery were tender, I pushed them aside and heated up a couple of tablespoons of yellow curry paste and then added two cans of coconut milk and two tablespoons each of fish sauce, soy sauce, and brown sugar. I spied a lime in a bowl on the kitchen table and I added its juice to the curry. Lastly, I chopped and added all the broccoli I had on hand, covered the Dutch oven, and let the mixture come to a boil -- in fact, it came to a harder boil than I wanted, but I caught it pretty early in its vigor. I removed the lid and turned the eat on low and let the broccoli cook and soften in the curry sauce and, before long, fixed a pot of rice. My curry today was a solid combination of heat, salty, sweet, and acidic. When I can experience all four of those sensations in a curry sauce I've made, I'm very happy.
The entire time I was visiting the top of Idaho and wandering around the Crawford Bay area in British Columbia, I yearned for some curry back home. My meal today was a perfect transition out of eating cafe and pub food and getting back to what I enjoy most: cooking and eating meals prepared at home -- mine, Christy's, Carol's, anyone's.
3. I don't know if my big toe will every look normal again. Over a week ago, the P.A. told me that the nail would come off, but, so far, it's still securely attached and as black and blue and red as ever. It doesn't hurt. The toe's redness and swelling have come down. I treat it three times a day with antibiotic cream. It's a very good thing that this injury isn't keeping me from doing anything -- well, I will continue to monitor the toe when I hike, and, if it seems to be acting up, cut any hike short. On Monday, this injury will be a month old, but everything I've read -- and the P.A. confirmed it -- says that injured toenails recover slowly.
2. I left the house once to pick up a few things at Yoke's. It turns out, though, that I had everything I needed to fix myself dinner. A good way to use up vegetables in the refrigerator is to make a vegetable curry. There was a partially used red onion, a partially used yellow onion, and a few celery stalks in the fridge, so I chopped them up and cooked them in oil. Right now I have a bumper crop of baby carrots, but I decided against using them tonight -- same with the miniature sweet peppers. I'll make a soup in the blender with those soon.
Once the onion and celery were tender, I pushed them aside and heated up a couple of tablespoons of yellow curry paste and then added two cans of coconut milk and two tablespoons each of fish sauce, soy sauce, and brown sugar. I spied a lime in a bowl on the kitchen table and I added its juice to the curry. Lastly, I chopped and added all the broccoli I had on hand, covered the Dutch oven, and let the mixture come to a boil -- in fact, it came to a harder boil than I wanted, but I caught it pretty early in its vigor. I removed the lid and turned the eat on low and let the broccoli cook and soften in the curry sauce and, before long, fixed a pot of rice. My curry today was a solid combination of heat, salty, sweet, and acidic. When I can experience all four of those sensations in a curry sauce I've made, I'm very happy.
The entire time I was visiting the top of Idaho and wandering around the Crawford Bay area in British Columbia, I yearned for some curry back home. My meal today was a perfect transition out of eating cafe and pub food and getting back to what I enjoy most: cooking and eating meals prepared at home -- mine, Christy's, Carol's, anyone's.
3. I don't know if my big toe will every look normal again. Over a week ago, the P.A. told me that the nail would come off, but, so far, it's still securely attached and as black and blue and red as ever. It doesn't hurt. The toe's redness and swelling have come down. I treat it three times a day with antibiotic cream. It's a very good thing that this injury isn't keeping me from doing anything -- well, I will continue to monitor the toe when I hike, and, if it seems to be acting up, cut any hike short. On Monday, this injury will be a month old, but everything I've read -- and the P.A. confirmed it -- says that injured toenails recover slowly.
Wednesday, September 25, 2019
Three Beautiful Things 09/24/19: Relaxed Morning, The Counter, Evening with Teddy
1. I was so comfortable in Studio 7B, the Airbnb space I rented in Ponderay, that I slept in until after 7:30. For the next three and a half hours, I enjoyed the quiet. I fixed French press coffee. I wrote. I showered. I got packed up. I tidied up Studio 7B. Rested and refreshed, I hit the road.
2. After the big dinner I ate Monday night at the Silo Bar, I wasn't really even hungry again until just before I reached CdA. I cozied up to the counter at the Breakfast Nook. I hadn't noticed when I sat down that the guy who, last time I was in, talked loudly about his ex-wife (well, wives) and sang along with "We Can Work It Out" was also at the counter. Today, his ex-wife was still on his mind, but he spared the cafe any sing along performances today; he didn't, however, spare the help his constant stream of chatter and requests for advice. I furtively glanced his way and saw that he had nearly finished the food in front of him, so I stayed put. In the future, I'll sit at a table away from the counter if I see this man is at the counter. It will make eating at the Breakfast Nook more peaceful for me. I ordered Eggs Benedict (it turned out to be the only meal I'd need today), did my best to tune out the loud guy, and enjoyed my food -- and enjoyed it even more when he settled up and left.
3. Back in Kellogg, I joined my sisters at Carol and Paul's house where we had a fun visit with Jeff (Teddy) Turnbow. Teddy was in town to visit his mother, Corrine, at the nursing home across the street. Teddy, Corrine, and Gail Deeder had just finished having dinner uptown. Teddy helped Corrine get settled back into her room and we joined together to do some non-stop yakking. The last time I had seen Teddy was about 15 years ago (give or take a year or two) at the Blue Lagoon on Highway 2 past Rose Lake when his mom and dad had a 50 year wedding anniversary party. I'll just say that a lot has happened in the intervening years and a lot I didn't know about had happened before that (!) and I enjoyed listening to Teddy catch us up on a wide variety of things this evening. Christy brought wine, Carol served a rhubarb crisp with ice cream, and Carol had some gin and tonic on hand and we had a most convivial time re-establishing ourselves with Teddy, a man I've known every single day of his life -- I remember Mom telling me right after he was born that his full name was Theodore Jefferson Turnbow. To my little boy ears, that was the coolest name I'd ever heard and I've never forgotten it!
2. After the big dinner I ate Monday night at the Silo Bar, I wasn't really even hungry again until just before I reached CdA. I cozied up to the counter at the Breakfast Nook. I hadn't noticed when I sat down that the guy who, last time I was in, talked loudly about his ex-wife (well, wives) and sang along with "We Can Work It Out" was also at the counter. Today, his ex-wife was still on his mind, but he spared the cafe any sing along performances today; he didn't, however, spare the help his constant stream of chatter and requests for advice. I furtively glanced his way and saw that he had nearly finished the food in front of him, so I stayed put. In the future, I'll sit at a table away from the counter if I see this man is at the counter. It will make eating at the Breakfast Nook more peaceful for me. I ordered Eggs Benedict (it turned out to be the only meal I'd need today), did my best to tune out the loud guy, and enjoyed my food -- and enjoyed it even more when he settled up and left.
3. Back in Kellogg, I joined my sisters at Carol and Paul's house where we had a fun visit with Jeff (Teddy) Turnbow. Teddy was in town to visit his mother, Corrine, at the nursing home across the street. Teddy, Corrine, and Gail Deeder had just finished having dinner uptown. Teddy helped Corrine get settled back into her room and we joined together to do some non-stop yakking. The last time I had seen Teddy was about 15 years ago (give or take a year or two) at the Blue Lagoon on Highway 2 past Rose Lake when his mom and dad had a 50 year wedding anniversary party. I'll just say that a lot has happened in the intervening years and a lot I didn't know about had happened before that (!) and I enjoyed listening to Teddy catch us up on a wide variety of things this evening. Christy brought wine, Carol served a rhubarb crisp with ice cream, and Carol had some gin and tonic on hand and we had a most convivial time re-establishing ourselves with Teddy, a man I've known every single day of his life -- I remember Mom telling me right after he was born that his full name was Theodore Jefferson Turnbow. To my little boy ears, that was the coolest name I'd ever heard and I've never forgotten it!
Tuesday, September 24, 2019
Three Beautiful Things 09/23/19: Wetlands, Back in the USA, Mickinnick Trail and Laughing Dog and Silo
1. I started my day having to make a decision. The Kootenai Lake ferry workers' union decided to shut down the ferry again, for the third day in a row, in the afternoon. I had wanted to cruise over to a provincial park to hike outside Balfour, go to the hot springs in Ainsworth, and pay a short visit to Nelson. I decided to wait to do these things until next time I visit. There's a wetland trail just outside the town of Crawford Bay and I drove over to it and walked through a marshy area and onto a beach on Crawford Bay itself. I had hoped to see some water fowl, but, as with my hike on the Kootenai National Wildlife Refuge near Bonners Ferry, no such luck. I enjoyed the panorama of the Selkirk Mountains and way the clouds were resting on the mountainsides in several places. I will be eager to see how the pictures I took of the mountains and the clouds turn out when I bring them up on my computer in Kellogg. It's hard for me to imagine that the pictures will look anywhere as dramatic and stirring as the mountains and clouds themselves looked to me as I stood on the beach with Crawford Bay stretching for miles in front of me.
2. So, I hit the road. It was tempting to stop at Lockhart Creek and hike in there again, but I decided I wanted to go to Ponderay and hike a new trail rather than repeat one I'd hiked the day before. If, however, I lived on the east side of Kootenay Lake, I'd go to the Lockhart Creek Trail regularly.
Once the border agent got a solution and cleaned off my smudgy passport card, I entered the USA with ease and I rumbled down Highway 1 and then 95 and returned to The Gathering Place and enjoyed a roast beef and cheddar sandwich on sourdough with a small chef salad. I thought about stopping in Bonners to exchange my leftover Canadian money, but I decided to hang on to it. I'll save it for my next trip to British Columbia which, depending on the weather and road conditions, will be as soon as possible.
3. Upon arriving in Ponderay, I drove straight to the Mickinnick trailhead. Some raindrops sprinkled on me as I got out of the Sube, a little wind was kicking up, and the skies were dark gray and ominous. I decided I'd hike for a while, get a feel for what this trail is like, but if I started to feel wary about the weather, head back.
That's just what I did. I loved the trail as far as I hiked. It's a beautifully forested trail that also features outcroppings of rocks and some stern rock faces and, when they open up, some very impressive panoramas of the surrounding area. I got to a certain point -- I don't know how far up the trail I was -- and I didn't like how the wind felt and some rain started to fall, so, out of prudence, I headed back down the trail. It bothered me that no one knew I was on this trail -- I'd forgotten to text anyone that I was hiking -- and so I called it a day, happy that I'd experienced what I did and eager to return.
My Airbnb suite, as I'd been told ahead of time, is next to an active music studio. As I got settled in, I could hear one of my landlords giving some kind of a music lesson, I think. Well, whatever was going on, I got to listen to the easy sounds of jazz electric guitar, a bass player, and a drummer. When the bass notes reached low, the suite rattled. It's good I'd been told ahead of time that activity at the studio could always be happening in the afternoon, but that 6:30 was the cutoff time.
The rattling walls and live music didn't bother me and I knew I wasn't hanging around long anyway. My plan was to go to the Laughing Dog taproom and enjoy some of their superb beers. The taproom is about five minutes from where I'm staying and, upon arriving, I immediately recognized Katlyn (or Catlyn), the efficient and knowledgeable beer pourer, from when Byrdman and I were here a few months ago. I ordered a half pint of Alpha Dog Imperial IPA and loved it so much that I ordered a second half pint. I really didn't want to leave. So, I went down a couple of notches in alcohol content and ordered a half pint of the 14th Anniversary Hazy IPA -- another superb beer.
I exercised discipline at this point and settled my bill. I didn't want to. The hedonist in me wanted to enjoy the taste of more beer. But, my inward moderating powers won out.
I drove a very short distance to the Silo bar and ordered a huge meal: a chicken fried New York strip steak with mashed red potatoes and grilled bacon and Brussel sprouts. I also ordered a kind of rum mule called an Ol' Farragut and sipped on it for well over a half an hour, drinking most of it as a dessert beer. This was a delicious dinner and I had a pleasant stay at the Silo keeping an eye on the Monday Football game and watching twenty-something men in flannel shirts or dark hoodies shoot pool and drink PBRs and file out the side door to have a smoke.
I left and was back in my suite in five minutes, ready, after much driving, two solid hikes, some good beer, a tart cocktail, and a big plate of food, to fall into bed.
2. So, I hit the road. It was tempting to stop at Lockhart Creek and hike in there again, but I decided I wanted to go to Ponderay and hike a new trail rather than repeat one I'd hiked the day before. If, however, I lived on the east side of Kootenay Lake, I'd go to the Lockhart Creek Trail regularly.
Once the border agent got a solution and cleaned off my smudgy passport card, I entered the USA with ease and I rumbled down Highway 1 and then 95 and returned to The Gathering Place and enjoyed a roast beef and cheddar sandwich on sourdough with a small chef salad. I thought about stopping in Bonners to exchange my leftover Canadian money, but I decided to hang on to it. I'll save it for my next trip to British Columbia which, depending on the weather and road conditions, will be as soon as possible.
3. Upon arriving in Ponderay, I drove straight to the Mickinnick trailhead. Some raindrops sprinkled on me as I got out of the Sube, a little wind was kicking up, and the skies were dark gray and ominous. I decided I'd hike for a while, get a feel for what this trail is like, but if I started to feel wary about the weather, head back.
That's just what I did. I loved the trail as far as I hiked. It's a beautifully forested trail that also features outcroppings of rocks and some stern rock faces and, when they open up, some very impressive panoramas of the surrounding area. I got to a certain point -- I don't know how far up the trail I was -- and I didn't like how the wind felt and some rain started to fall, so, out of prudence, I headed back down the trail. It bothered me that no one knew I was on this trail -- I'd forgotten to text anyone that I was hiking -- and so I called it a day, happy that I'd experienced what I did and eager to return.
My Airbnb suite, as I'd been told ahead of time, is next to an active music studio. As I got settled in, I could hear one of my landlords giving some kind of a music lesson, I think. Well, whatever was going on, I got to listen to the easy sounds of jazz electric guitar, a bass player, and a drummer. When the bass notes reached low, the suite rattled. It's good I'd been told ahead of time that activity at the studio could always be happening in the afternoon, but that 6:30 was the cutoff time.
The rattling walls and live music didn't bother me and I knew I wasn't hanging around long anyway. My plan was to go to the Laughing Dog taproom and enjoy some of their superb beers. The taproom is about five minutes from where I'm staying and, upon arriving, I immediately recognized Katlyn (or Catlyn), the efficient and knowledgeable beer pourer, from when Byrdman and I were here a few months ago. I ordered a half pint of Alpha Dog Imperial IPA and loved it so much that I ordered a second half pint. I really didn't want to leave. So, I went down a couple of notches in alcohol content and ordered a half pint of the 14th Anniversary Hazy IPA -- another superb beer.
I exercised discipline at this point and settled my bill. I didn't want to. The hedonist in me wanted to enjoy the taste of more beer. But, my inward moderating powers won out.
I drove a very short distance to the Silo bar and ordered a huge meal: a chicken fried New York strip steak with mashed red potatoes and grilled bacon and Brussel sprouts. I also ordered a kind of rum mule called an Ol' Farragut and sipped on it for well over a half an hour, drinking most of it as a dessert beer. This was a delicious dinner and I had a pleasant stay at the Silo keeping an eye on the Monday Football game and watching twenty-something men in flannel shirts or dark hoodies shoot pool and drink PBRs and file out the side door to have a smoke.
I left and was back in my suite in five minutes, ready, after much driving, two solid hikes, some good beer, a tart cocktail, and a big plate of food, to fall into bed.
Monday, September 23, 2019
Three Beautiful Things 09/22/19: Lockhart Creek Trail, Lockhart Beach, Cod and Sports Docs
1. This morning I headed south several miles to the Lockhart Beach Provincial Park which sits adjacent to the Lockhart Creek Provincial Park.
I've written before that I love hiking within sight and sound of creeks. My favorites are Sweet Creek in the Oregon Coast Range and, near Kellogg, the West Fork of Placer Creek (the Pulaski Tunnel Trail) and Coal Creek.
Today, I fell in love with another creekside trail as I hiked the Lockhart Creek Trail. Starting about 10:30, I spent nearly two and half hours on this trail, but only hiked about a mile of it. The trail was only moderately demanding, but it afforded me numerous opportunities to stop, admire the rush and power of Lockhart Creek, take pictures, and admire the thickly forested hillsides surrounding this trail. Some of the foliage was turning yellow. Mushrooms sprouted at places along the trail. I loved looking at rock faces high above me. Often, I couldn't snap clear pictures of Lockhart Creek because the trees and bushes were so thick, but I loved the trail's design. At least two or three times the trail descended down the mountain within very close range of Lockhart Creek where I could look at small waterfalls, enjoy the variety of large rocks in the creek bed, marvel at trees that had fallen across and over the creek, and listen to the water's roar.
Sometimes when I'm hiking, I encounter younger people who glide along the trail. I don't glide. I lumber. I lumbered with purpose today, more focused on drinking in the splendor surrounding me and trying to photograph it than with racking up miles. A young couple caught up to me at one point. The man was carrying a fishing pole and the woman was carrying a tiny, I'd say newborn, baby. They were accompanied by one of the world's happiest dogs, a cheerful black mutt who loved the creek, loved dashing up and down the trail, and who made not even the slightest move my way to jump on me. Ha! This dog's unbridled joy on the trail and good behavior made me laugh out loud and I was really happy that these kind hikers turned back at some point on up the trail and I got to see them and their dog again as they returned to the trailhead.
2. I had parked in the Lockhart Beach parking lot and across Highway 3A was a very very short trail to the beach. I walked to the lake's shore, sat at a picnic table, and enjoyed the pale light of this grayish day and the its muting impact upon the mountains growing out of Kootenai Lake. I suddenly wished Monet had traveled to the east shore of Kootenai Lake and had painted studies of the various kinds of light illuminating the water and mountains before me. I snapped some pictures, but I doubt they will convey the beauty I was seeing -- they will approximate it, but I'm not sure photographs are the right medium for bringing the pale light and muted shades of purple and gray I saw today into being. We'll see.
3. I returned to the NewKey's pub in Crawford Bay around 3:30 and ate a basket of breaded cod and fries and enjoyed drinking some Strongbow hard apple cider. Toward the end of my meal, the nervous owner of the pub, with the help from an older guy I'd seen helping her with other things before, covered the pool table with a large cloth and began setting out T-shirts, fanny packs, tiny bottles of Fireball, caps, visors, and other products and the nervous owner put up a sign about buying tickets and then she anxiously tested the a speaker system. It appeared to me that some kind of fund raising raffle was about to begin. I finished my last cider, settled my bill at the bar, and lumbered out, having enjoyed a peaceful day and not wanting to be a part of any fund-raising hubbub.
I spent the evening relaxing. More crosswords. I watched a Vince Carter documentary. I listened to Bob Costas interview Bob Gibson and Tim McCarver and enjoyed reliving the 1964, 1967, and 1968 World Series -- three of the best ever. I also watched an old ESPN hour long Sports Century documentary on Bob Gibson before turning out the light and calling it a night.
I've written before that I love hiking within sight and sound of creeks. My favorites are Sweet Creek in the Oregon Coast Range and, near Kellogg, the West Fork of Placer Creek (the Pulaski Tunnel Trail) and Coal Creek.
Today, I fell in love with another creekside trail as I hiked the Lockhart Creek Trail. Starting about 10:30, I spent nearly two and half hours on this trail, but only hiked about a mile of it. The trail was only moderately demanding, but it afforded me numerous opportunities to stop, admire the rush and power of Lockhart Creek, take pictures, and admire the thickly forested hillsides surrounding this trail. Some of the foliage was turning yellow. Mushrooms sprouted at places along the trail. I loved looking at rock faces high above me. Often, I couldn't snap clear pictures of Lockhart Creek because the trees and bushes were so thick, but I loved the trail's design. At least two or three times the trail descended down the mountain within very close range of Lockhart Creek where I could look at small waterfalls, enjoy the variety of large rocks in the creek bed, marvel at trees that had fallen across and over the creek, and listen to the water's roar.
Sometimes when I'm hiking, I encounter younger people who glide along the trail. I don't glide. I lumber. I lumbered with purpose today, more focused on drinking in the splendor surrounding me and trying to photograph it than with racking up miles. A young couple caught up to me at one point. The man was carrying a fishing pole and the woman was carrying a tiny, I'd say newborn, baby. They were accompanied by one of the world's happiest dogs, a cheerful black mutt who loved the creek, loved dashing up and down the trail, and who made not even the slightest move my way to jump on me. Ha! This dog's unbridled joy on the trail and good behavior made me laugh out loud and I was really happy that these kind hikers turned back at some point on up the trail and I got to see them and their dog again as they returned to the trailhead.
2. I had parked in the Lockhart Beach parking lot and across Highway 3A was a very very short trail to the beach. I walked to the lake's shore, sat at a picnic table, and enjoyed the pale light of this grayish day and the its muting impact upon the mountains growing out of Kootenai Lake. I suddenly wished Monet had traveled to the east shore of Kootenai Lake and had painted studies of the various kinds of light illuminating the water and mountains before me. I snapped some pictures, but I doubt they will convey the beauty I was seeing -- they will approximate it, but I'm not sure photographs are the right medium for bringing the pale light and muted shades of purple and gray I saw today into being. We'll see.
3. I returned to the NewKey's pub in Crawford Bay around 3:30 and ate a basket of breaded cod and fries and enjoyed drinking some Strongbow hard apple cider. Toward the end of my meal, the nervous owner of the pub, with the help from an older guy I'd seen helping her with other things before, covered the pool table with a large cloth and began setting out T-shirts, fanny packs, tiny bottles of Fireball, caps, visors, and other products and the nervous owner put up a sign about buying tickets and then she anxiously tested the a speaker system. It appeared to me that some kind of fund raising raffle was about to begin. I finished my last cider, settled my bill at the bar, and lumbered out, having enjoyed a peaceful day and not wanting to be a part of any fund-raising hubbub.
I spent the evening relaxing. More crosswords. I watched a Vince Carter documentary. I listened to Bob Costas interview Bob Gibson and Tim McCarver and enjoyed reliving the 1964, 1967, and 1968 World Series -- three of the best ever. I also watched an old ESPN hour long Sports Century documentary on Bob Gibson before turning out the light and calling it a night.
Sunday, September 22, 2019
Three Beautiful Things 09/21/19: Pilot Bay Lighthouse, Pilot Bay Trail, Stunning Canadian Football Game
1. I started this morning by driving west to Kootenai Bay, BC and at the ferry launching area turned south on Pilot Bay Road so I could hike up to the Pilot Bay Lighthouse and then hike the Pilot Bay Trail at the Pilot Bay Provincial Park. I got the hiking poles out of the Sube, adjusted them, and struck out on the forested and fairly easy lighthouse trail. I thrive on hiking under gray skies in cool air and the conditions this morning were flawless. When sunlight did break through, the cedar forest provided plenty of protection from the sun and the spots of light on the cedar branches created good subjects for pictures.
As I rounded a bend in the trail, the old lighthouse suddenly appeared through the cedars. Now I was happy the sun was breaking through. Kootenai Lake shimmered beneath the towering Selkirk range and the Kootenai Lake Ferry (which would cease running in the early afternoon) skimmed across the lake from Balfour.
I loved the views from the lighthouse's perch. Inside the lighthouse I climbed two very steep and narrow staircases and gazed out the windows at the lake at each level and took interior and exterior pictures. I returned outside, took in more of the lakescape, and headed back down the handsome trail where I encountered two men about my age who were out touring and had a fun chat with them about Idaho, the ferry work stoppage, and work stoppages we had experienced over the years in Europe and England.
2. I backtracked and drove to the parking lot of the Pilot Bay trailhead, once again got the hiking poles adjusted and firmed up, and hiked for ninety minutes or so through more of the cedars on the Pilot Bay Peninsula. A brochure I consulted described the trail as "more difficult". Fortunately, I found it not very difficult at all. Its pitches were never very long nor very steep. The track was a combination of well-packed dirt and rocks, similar to trails I'm used to hiking in Idaho. From time to time, there were gaps in the trees and views of Pilot Bay below opened up and so I got to enjoy both the sight of the forestland all around me and views of the water and mountains.
I didn't know what to expect on this trail. At one point, I came upon a juncture with a sign that said "Sawmill Bay" pointing toward the water. I had just made a descent to reach this spot and figured the water couldn't be too far away and that it might be fun to see if this trail led to a beach on Sawmill Bay.
It did.
The beach was spongy. It was as if I were walking on sawdust. This puzzled me, but I enjoyed it and found a log to sit on and stare out on the cove for a while. One motorboat drifted out on the waters. For a while, its engine was running, but at some point its operator cut the engine, restoring this cove's tranquility.
I returned to the main trail. I felt slight discomfort in my big toe and it was time for me to treat it with antibiotic cream again, so rather than hike any farther, I hiked back to the Sube. At the parking lot, about twenty yards away, a doe munched on foliage along the short road leading to the trailhead and stuck around long enough for me to snap a couple of pictures.
3. On my way to the lighthouse, I had stopped at a tiny place called Red's Bakery just outside Crawford Bay and ordered a flaky, fresh, and delicious chocolate croissant. I hadn't eaten anything since. I drove from Pilot Bay back to Soul Sanctum and treated my toe, fixed myself a cup of coffee, rested for a while, and decided if I grabbed a late afternoon bite to eat, I wouldn't need to eat again.
So, I returned to the NewKey's Pub, ordered a frosty pint mug of Kokanee beer and ordered a burger and fries. I was right about not needing to eat again. The burger was a half pounder, the fries were plentiful. While I ate my meal, Canadian Football League action was being broadcast in the pub. I hadn't watched CFL action for a long time and, within minutes, the differences between the CFL and the NFL came back to me. The CFL field and the end zone are bigger, giving players much more space to maneuver in. Offenses do not have to be set and so in the backfield there's a ton of motion and receivers can get a running start before the ball is snapped. In the USA, offensive teams have four downs to move the ball ten yards and retain possession. In the CFL, it's three downs.
This afternoon, I got to witness the climax of a phenomenal comeback as the Montreal Alouettes reeled off 21 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to edge out the Winnipeg Blue Bombers 38-37. The Alouettes had trailed 28-10 and 34-17 earlier in the game and had never won a game after trailing by so many points in franchise history. It was fun to watch former EWU and U of O quarterback, Vernon Adams lead the Alouettes to their historic win.
One Blue Bomber fan in the pub left the building. She was distraught and needed to retire to the deck for a cigarette and some time to recover. I believe her exact words as she left were, "I can't believe this s--t!"
I returned to Soul Sanctum and was in for the night. I watched an entertaining and upsetting documentary on the 2013 Biogenesis/Major League Baseball drug scandal on Netflix, relaxed with crossword puzzles, and called it a night.
As I rounded a bend in the trail, the old lighthouse suddenly appeared through the cedars. Now I was happy the sun was breaking through. Kootenai Lake shimmered beneath the towering Selkirk range and the Kootenai Lake Ferry (which would cease running in the early afternoon) skimmed across the lake from Balfour.
I loved the views from the lighthouse's perch. Inside the lighthouse I climbed two very steep and narrow staircases and gazed out the windows at the lake at each level and took interior and exterior pictures. I returned outside, took in more of the lakescape, and headed back down the handsome trail where I encountered two men about my age who were out touring and had a fun chat with them about Idaho, the ferry work stoppage, and work stoppages we had experienced over the years in Europe and England.
2. I backtracked and drove to the parking lot of the Pilot Bay trailhead, once again got the hiking poles adjusted and firmed up, and hiked for ninety minutes or so through more of the cedars on the Pilot Bay Peninsula. A brochure I consulted described the trail as "more difficult". Fortunately, I found it not very difficult at all. Its pitches were never very long nor very steep. The track was a combination of well-packed dirt and rocks, similar to trails I'm used to hiking in Idaho. From time to time, there were gaps in the trees and views of Pilot Bay below opened up and so I got to enjoy both the sight of the forestland all around me and views of the water and mountains.
I didn't know what to expect on this trail. At one point, I came upon a juncture with a sign that said "Sawmill Bay" pointing toward the water. I had just made a descent to reach this spot and figured the water couldn't be too far away and that it might be fun to see if this trail led to a beach on Sawmill Bay.
It did.
The beach was spongy. It was as if I were walking on sawdust. This puzzled me, but I enjoyed it and found a log to sit on and stare out on the cove for a while. One motorboat drifted out on the waters. For a while, its engine was running, but at some point its operator cut the engine, restoring this cove's tranquility.
I returned to the main trail. I felt slight discomfort in my big toe and it was time for me to treat it with antibiotic cream again, so rather than hike any farther, I hiked back to the Sube. At the parking lot, about twenty yards away, a doe munched on foliage along the short road leading to the trailhead and stuck around long enough for me to snap a couple of pictures.
3. On my way to the lighthouse, I had stopped at a tiny place called Red's Bakery just outside Crawford Bay and ordered a flaky, fresh, and delicious chocolate croissant. I hadn't eaten anything since. I drove from Pilot Bay back to Soul Sanctum and treated my toe, fixed myself a cup of coffee, rested for a while, and decided if I grabbed a late afternoon bite to eat, I wouldn't need to eat again.
So, I returned to the NewKey's Pub, ordered a frosty pint mug of Kokanee beer and ordered a burger and fries. I was right about not needing to eat again. The burger was a half pounder, the fries were plentiful. While I ate my meal, Canadian Football League action was being broadcast in the pub. I hadn't watched CFL action for a long time and, within minutes, the differences between the CFL and the NFL came back to me. The CFL field and the end zone are bigger, giving players much more space to maneuver in. Offenses do not have to be set and so in the backfield there's a ton of motion and receivers can get a running start before the ball is snapped. In the USA, offensive teams have four downs to move the ball ten yards and retain possession. In the CFL, it's three downs.
This afternoon, I got to witness the climax of a phenomenal comeback as the Montreal Alouettes reeled off 21 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to edge out the Winnipeg Blue Bombers 38-37. The Alouettes had trailed 28-10 and 34-17 earlier in the game and had never won a game after trailing by so many points in franchise history. It was fun to watch former EWU and U of O quarterback, Vernon Adams lead the Alouettes to their historic win.
One Blue Bomber fan in the pub left the building. She was distraught and needed to retire to the deck for a cigarette and some time to recover. I believe her exact words as she left were, "I can't believe this s--t!"
I returned to Soul Sanctum and was in for the night. I watched an entertaining and upsetting documentary on the 2013 Biogenesis/Major League Baseball drug scandal on Netflix, relaxed with crossword puzzles, and called it a night.
Saturday, September 21, 2019
Three Beautiful Things 09/20/19: Myrtle Creek Falls, The Gathering Place, Soul Sanctum and Rockwood Cafe
1. I completed my morning routines and packed up, left the splendid tiny house I'd stayed in the last two nights, and drove back to the Kootenai National Wildlife Refuge. I drove to the parking lot across from the refuge's headquarters and started my hike up the Myrtle Creek Falls trail. It's not a very long hike, but it passes through a forest thick with cedars and other trees and other foliage and is both arresting and peaceful. The trail included a few gentle switchbacks, and overall the climb was mild. I reached Myrtle Creek Falls and loved what I saw, an approximately 100 foot tall rock face divided by a narrow gorge through which Myrtle Creek flows and drops, first into a pool on a rock ledge, and then again to the bottom of the rock face. Two overlook areas, one with a bench, provided two perspectives to view the falls. I took pictures and admired this cascade for a while and then enjoyed the walk back through the woods and returned to the Sube.
2. I drove back to Bonners Ferry and exchanged U. S. dollars for Canadian ones at Wells Fargo and gassed up the Sube. It was after 11 o'clock and I hadn't eaten yet and I'd read that just past 3 Mile I'd find some good food at Sharon's Country Store. Well, it turns out that Sharon's Country Store is one part of three interrelated businesses (along with The Bread Basket and 3 Mile Produce) called The Gathering Place. In some ways, I thought I was back at the Pie Safe in Deary. Both places offer gorgeous baked goods, both pastries and breads, and The Bread Basket also serves a short breakfast menu and offers lunch sandwiches served on homemade bread. I was too late for breakfast, so I ordered a half a ham and swiss sandwich on freshly baked rye bread with a small Caesar salad and it was a terrific and filling meal.
After I ate, I looked around a bit. Sharon's Country Store sells deli meats and cheeses, a wide variety of grains, farm fresh eggs and milk, bulk foods, all kinds of candies, raw honey, and a variety of other country store items. In much the same way that I had marveled in Deary that the Pie Safe was thriving in such a small town, I marveled that The Gathering Place, sitting all by itself on a plain at the top of the grade coming out of Bonners Ferry, was such a successful business. There's more to this place than I've written, as you can see right here.
3. I crossed into British Columbia at Porthill with ease and drove the stunning and windy highway 3A along the southern reaches of Kootenai Lake, resting in the lap of the mighty Selkirk Mountain Range. The highway wasn't busy, but I pulled over to let any vehicle who came behind me go by so I could drive slowly and admire the staggering landscape of lake and mountains and clouds.
I arrived in Crawford Bay about an hour ahead of my check in time and pulled into the NewKeys Pub and quietly sipped on a couple of bottles of Strongbow Apple Cider. I had hoped they'd have Okanagan Cider, but I'll find it elsewhere. Soon, I found the handsome house where I'm staying up Crawford Creek. The owners have converted their basement into a suite with a fully equipped kitchen, a huge bedroom with two comfortable chairs and a queen bed, and a bathroom and shower. They call this space Soul Sanctum. I'll be spending the next three nights in the country in this spotless and airy space.
I settled in and learned online that my plans to go across the lake on the ferry on Saturday couldn't happen. I knew before I arrived that the ferry workers are involved in a labor dispute and that they are striking on selected days -- like Saturday, Sept. 21st! So, I will hope the ferry is back in business on Sunday. I will spend Saturday east of the lake, near where I'm staying, and I read up on hikes to take and places to go. No problem.
Down the road from Crawford Bay near Gray Creek sits a Chinese restaurant called Rockwood Cafe. It's a tiny, charming restaurant, serving food prepared with fresh vegetables and each meal is cooked when ordered, not ahead of time. To start, I ordered a small plate of pork-filled Gyozas which were perfect and then came my generous plate of House Chow Mein with shrimp, chicken, beef, and fresh veggies (except those little corn on the cob things). I loved how friendly the people working here were and enjoyed how enthused they were when some of their regular customers came through the door.
I returned to Soul Sanctum to rest, work a crossword or two, and make plans for Saturday.
2. I drove back to Bonners Ferry and exchanged U. S. dollars for Canadian ones at Wells Fargo and gassed up the Sube. It was after 11 o'clock and I hadn't eaten yet and I'd read that just past 3 Mile I'd find some good food at Sharon's Country Store. Well, it turns out that Sharon's Country Store is one part of three interrelated businesses (along with The Bread Basket and 3 Mile Produce) called The Gathering Place. In some ways, I thought I was back at the Pie Safe in Deary. Both places offer gorgeous baked goods, both pastries and breads, and The Bread Basket also serves a short breakfast menu and offers lunch sandwiches served on homemade bread. I was too late for breakfast, so I ordered a half a ham and swiss sandwich on freshly baked rye bread with a small Caesar salad and it was a terrific and filling meal.
After I ate, I looked around a bit. Sharon's Country Store sells deli meats and cheeses, a wide variety of grains, farm fresh eggs and milk, bulk foods, all kinds of candies, raw honey, and a variety of other country store items. In much the same way that I had marveled in Deary that the Pie Safe was thriving in such a small town, I marveled that The Gathering Place, sitting all by itself on a plain at the top of the grade coming out of Bonners Ferry, was such a successful business. There's more to this place than I've written, as you can see right here.
3. I crossed into British Columbia at Porthill with ease and drove the stunning and windy highway 3A along the southern reaches of Kootenai Lake, resting in the lap of the mighty Selkirk Mountain Range. The highway wasn't busy, but I pulled over to let any vehicle who came behind me go by so I could drive slowly and admire the staggering landscape of lake and mountains and clouds.
I arrived in Crawford Bay about an hour ahead of my check in time and pulled into the NewKeys Pub and quietly sipped on a couple of bottles of Strongbow Apple Cider. I had hoped they'd have Okanagan Cider, but I'll find it elsewhere. Soon, I found the handsome house where I'm staying up Crawford Creek. The owners have converted their basement into a suite with a fully equipped kitchen, a huge bedroom with two comfortable chairs and a queen bed, and a bathroom and shower. They call this space Soul Sanctum. I'll be spending the next three nights in the country in this spotless and airy space.
I settled in and learned online that my plans to go across the lake on the ferry on Saturday couldn't happen. I knew before I arrived that the ferry workers are involved in a labor dispute and that they are striking on selected days -- like Saturday, Sept. 21st! So, I will hope the ferry is back in business on Sunday. I will spend Saturday east of the lake, near where I'm staying, and I read up on hikes to take and places to go. No problem.
Down the road from Crawford Bay near Gray Creek sits a Chinese restaurant called Rockwood Cafe. It's a tiny, charming restaurant, serving food prepared with fresh vegetables and each meal is cooked when ordered, not ahead of time. To start, I ordered a small plate of pork-filled Gyozas which were perfect and then came my generous plate of House Chow Mein with shrimp, chicken, beef, and fresh veggies (except those little corn on the cob things). I loved how friendly the people working here were and enjoyed how enthused they were when some of their regular customers came through the door.
I returned to Soul Sanctum to rest, work a crossword or two, and make plans for Saturday.
Friday, September 20, 2019
Three Beautiful Things 09/19/19: Breakfast and Copper Falls, Kootenai Falls, Crab Enchiladas
1. I piled into the Sube this morning and headed north. A grade rises out of the Kootenai River as one drives north out of Bonners Ferry. 3 Mile Junction sits on top of the hill and I stopped in at the combination 3 Mile Exxon Station/Convenience Store/Cafe for a delicious breakfast of hash browns, egg, and sourdough toast. It looked to me like this cafe is a crony cafe -- two tables of several men around my age were having coffee, telling stories, laughing, and getting their days under way.
I finished eating and drove just a mile short of the Canadian border. Upon crossing the Moyie River, I turned right on FS Road #2517 and drove about 2.3 miles to the Copper Falls trailhead.
The Forest Service has forged a loop trail at Copper Falls. One can either go straight to the upper overlook and then take a trail down to Copper Creek and see the falls with obstructed views from below or the other way around. The loop trail is short, very well maintained, easy on the legs, and features interpretive signs along the way about the cedars, lark, birch, and other trees in the forest and about the area's ecosystem. I went down below first and enjoyed the mature trees all around me. Copper Creek was running low. When I reached the trail's end, I could see parts of the 150 foot Copper Falls through the branches of the trees along the creek. I marveled at this sight for a while, took some pictures (I'll post them when I return to Kellogg), and then climbed the gentle grade to the upper overlook.
Above me I saw where Copper Creek flows to the top of a stunning rock face and falls straight down in a narrow cascade, forms a pool, and then continues flowing on toward the Moyie River. When I arrived near the overlook, a couple and their very well behaved dog, who had moved two years ago from Arizona to CdA, were at the overlook. I found a place to sit while they took pictures. I stayed out of earshot to respect their privacy, but I could tell they were in awe of Copper Falls by the way they were pointing and smiling and by the awe on their faces. They left the overlook, we exchanged a few words, and then I took my turn admiring this waterfall.
This trail and Copper Falls were so calming and so beautiful that I wished there had been more trail to hike. But, I thought, the genius of this site is that the trailhead is easy to access and the trail is short and gentle enough that it invites people of all ages and ability to spend some time among stately cedars, larches, birches, and other trees and to enjoy the splendid Copper Falls.
2. I left Copper Falls and drove back south to 3 Mile Junction and headed east on Highway 2 into Montana, through the town of Troy, and parked in the huge parking lot for visitors of Kootenai Falls and the Swinging Bridge.
As it flows through Bonners Ferry, the Kootenai River is placid, almost still. But, here, just east of Troy, this wide river encounters rock faces and structures seeming to rise out of the riverbed itself and as a result of these obstructions, there are anywhere from, I'd say, 12-20 waterfalls up and down and across the river. After the river traverses over these rock structures it whirls and foams in great turmoil, creating a picture of fearful power and utter beauty.
Some visitors to this spot went out onto the rocks in the middle of the river uncovered by the water to get closer to all the roiling water and turmoil. One guy had an inflatable kayak and I watched him soar over a small waterfall, spin in the chaos of water at the bottom, and expertly paddle his way out and head on down to other churning spots in the river. Often the river's force turned the kayaker upside down, but he always popped back upright and continued his thrill ride on the Kootenai River.
I, on the other hand, kept my distance from the river. Unlike the guy fishing from the flat ledge overlooking the tumult below, I stayed back, felt nervous watching the people out on the rocks, the kayaker, and the guy fishing and eventually returned to the trail and made my way to the Swinging Bridge.
The Swinging Bridge is a suspension single track bridge crossing the Kootenai River. It spans high over the river and is a most impressive structure. I walked out about ten yards on the bridge, but, I don't know, I just wasn't in the mood to walk on a swaying bridge over a powerful river many, many feet below. So, I admired the bridge, admired the power of the river, but did not cross over.
3. Back in Bonners Ferry, I returned to my living quarters, rested, treated my big toe, and decided to go to Mi Pueblo. I had checked out their menu -- it is posted on a cork board in my living quarters -- and had decided ahead of time to try their crab enchiladas and a margarita. I hadn't eaten since breakfast and this meal filled me comfortably and I returned to where I'm staying and was pretty keyed up from what I'd done during the day and in anticipation of heading to Canada in the morning and had trouble settling down to sleep. Eventually, I did.
I finished eating and drove just a mile short of the Canadian border. Upon crossing the Moyie River, I turned right on FS Road #2517 and drove about 2.3 miles to the Copper Falls trailhead.
The Forest Service has forged a loop trail at Copper Falls. One can either go straight to the upper overlook and then take a trail down to Copper Creek and see the falls with obstructed views from below or the other way around. The loop trail is short, very well maintained, easy on the legs, and features interpretive signs along the way about the cedars, lark, birch, and other trees in the forest and about the area's ecosystem. I went down below first and enjoyed the mature trees all around me. Copper Creek was running low. When I reached the trail's end, I could see parts of the 150 foot Copper Falls through the branches of the trees along the creek. I marveled at this sight for a while, took some pictures (I'll post them when I return to Kellogg), and then climbed the gentle grade to the upper overlook.
Above me I saw where Copper Creek flows to the top of a stunning rock face and falls straight down in a narrow cascade, forms a pool, and then continues flowing on toward the Moyie River. When I arrived near the overlook, a couple and their very well behaved dog, who had moved two years ago from Arizona to CdA, were at the overlook. I found a place to sit while they took pictures. I stayed out of earshot to respect their privacy, but I could tell they were in awe of Copper Falls by the way they were pointing and smiling and by the awe on their faces. They left the overlook, we exchanged a few words, and then I took my turn admiring this waterfall.
This trail and Copper Falls were so calming and so beautiful that I wished there had been more trail to hike. But, I thought, the genius of this site is that the trailhead is easy to access and the trail is short and gentle enough that it invites people of all ages and ability to spend some time among stately cedars, larches, birches, and other trees and to enjoy the splendid Copper Falls.
2. I left Copper Falls and drove back south to 3 Mile Junction and headed east on Highway 2 into Montana, through the town of Troy, and parked in the huge parking lot for visitors of Kootenai Falls and the Swinging Bridge.
As it flows through Bonners Ferry, the Kootenai River is placid, almost still. But, here, just east of Troy, this wide river encounters rock faces and structures seeming to rise out of the riverbed itself and as a result of these obstructions, there are anywhere from, I'd say, 12-20 waterfalls up and down and across the river. After the river traverses over these rock structures it whirls and foams in great turmoil, creating a picture of fearful power and utter beauty.
Some visitors to this spot went out onto the rocks in the middle of the river uncovered by the water to get closer to all the roiling water and turmoil. One guy had an inflatable kayak and I watched him soar over a small waterfall, spin in the chaos of water at the bottom, and expertly paddle his way out and head on down to other churning spots in the river. Often the river's force turned the kayaker upside down, but he always popped back upright and continued his thrill ride on the Kootenai River.
I, on the other hand, kept my distance from the river. Unlike the guy fishing from the flat ledge overlooking the tumult below, I stayed back, felt nervous watching the people out on the rocks, the kayaker, and the guy fishing and eventually returned to the trail and made my way to the Swinging Bridge.
The Swinging Bridge is a suspension single track bridge crossing the Kootenai River. It spans high over the river and is a most impressive structure. I walked out about ten yards on the bridge, but, I don't know, I just wasn't in the mood to walk on a swaying bridge over a powerful river many, many feet below. So, I admired the bridge, admired the power of the river, but did not cross over.
3. Back in Bonners Ferry, I returned to my living quarters, rested, treated my big toe, and decided to go to Mi Pueblo. I had checked out their menu -- it is posted on a cork board in my living quarters -- and had decided ahead of time to try their crab enchiladas and a margarita. I hadn't eaten since breakfast and this meal filled me comfortably and I returned to where I'm staying and was pretty keyed up from what I'd done during the day and in anticipation of heading to Canada in the morning and had trouble settling down to sleep. Eventually, I did.
Thursday, September 19, 2019
Three Beautiful Things 09/18/19: Breakfast Nook Counter, Perfect Airbnb, Wildlife Refuge and Beer and Dinner
1. I thought about starting my trip by going to a different cafe than usual in CdA, but, no, I wanted to go where I felt at home, things are familiar, and the food is solid. So, I sat at the counter at the Breakfast Nook and ordered Eggs Benedict and listened to one older guy boast about his days working for the Mafia and to a middle-aged guy bewail to a stranger the behavior of his wife from whom he's separated after singing along to "We Can Work It Out" coming over the house music system.
2. The drive to Bonners Ferry was easy. The gray skies were easy on my eyes and the clouds snuggled up against mountains in the distance created dramatic landscapes. My Airbnb host in Bonners had texted me telling me I could get into my room at any time. It's a perfect place. The owners converted a small barn into a living space with living room and dining area with a television affixed to the wall, an adjoining open space with a mini-fridge and microwave, a bedroom with a big comfortable bed, and a bathroom with a shower. There's a coffee maker. The place is spotless, colorful, quiet, and furnished with comfortable chairs and a sofa. The only drawback: I don't want to leave! I could imagine myself staying here all day, reading and working crosswords, drinking coffee, and napping.
3. But I did leave. I drove out to the Kootenai National Wildlife Refuge. I parked, got out of the Sube, and stood and admired the expanse of the place resting in the lap of the Selkirk Mountains. For me, today, this place was a relaxing refuge, but I didn't see any wildlife. I hiked for a mile on the Deep Creek Trail, an easy and wide track situated on a dike near the still and shallow Deep Creek, but stopped, concerned about my toe, and headed back. I drove to another part of the refuge, found the trail that goes to Myrtle Creek Falls and decided that on Friday I'll try to see three different waterfalls: Myrtle Creek, Copper, and Kootenai (in Montana)
I learned from a little research that there's a craft beer taproom with cider, mead, and tons of cans and bottles also available in downtown Bonners Ferry. Perfect. I descended into the basement of a row of businesses, opened a door, and walked into the cozy CrossTime Saloon. Chris, the very friendly owner and beer pourer, recited his very solid eight beer tap list and I told him I wanted Hop Valley's Cryo Stash Imperial IPA. At that moment, a guy was doing some keg/tap maintenance next to the Cryo Stash keg, so Chris recommended I grab a bottle out of the cooler behind me. I did and I sat and enjoyed two bottles of this excellent beer and found myself drifting back to the 80s (again) as Chris was playing a very popular Genesis album featuring Phil Collins (no Peter Gabriel). It was music that got way over exposed when it came out, but I hadn't listened to this stuff for a long time and the way it moved me and excited great memories took me by surprise.
I drove down Highway 95/2 and decided to have dinner at a place I knew nothing about. I dropped into the Two Tones Cafe, a rustic and cozy eatery featuring an expansive patio out back. No one was eating outdoors this evening as the gray settled in and the temperature was dropping. I looked over the menu and decided, like on Monday, I'd try a plate of spaghetti again and ordered their Spaghetti Extravaganza with a garden salad. DJ or TJ (she has a two initial name), my very friendly server, brought out two tiny and tasty homemade scones with honey butter with the salad and then soon brought me a generous plate of spaghetti with tomato sauce, sweet Italian sausage, red pepper, onion, and mushrooms. I enjoyed it, but I am realizing that I like my sauce a bit thinner than what restaurants serve. The Marcella Hazan sauce I make at home is this way -- rich in taste, but not too thick in texture. I couldn't eat my whole serving and I'll heat the rest up and finish it during my stay at Bonners Ferry.
Back at my room, I relaxed with crossword puzzles and hit the sack early.
2. The drive to Bonners Ferry was easy. The gray skies were easy on my eyes and the clouds snuggled up against mountains in the distance created dramatic landscapes. My Airbnb host in Bonners had texted me telling me I could get into my room at any time. It's a perfect place. The owners converted a small barn into a living space with living room and dining area with a television affixed to the wall, an adjoining open space with a mini-fridge and microwave, a bedroom with a big comfortable bed, and a bathroom with a shower. There's a coffee maker. The place is spotless, colorful, quiet, and furnished with comfortable chairs and a sofa. The only drawback: I don't want to leave! I could imagine myself staying here all day, reading and working crosswords, drinking coffee, and napping.
3. But I did leave. I drove out to the Kootenai National Wildlife Refuge. I parked, got out of the Sube, and stood and admired the expanse of the place resting in the lap of the Selkirk Mountains. For me, today, this place was a relaxing refuge, but I didn't see any wildlife. I hiked for a mile on the Deep Creek Trail, an easy and wide track situated on a dike near the still and shallow Deep Creek, but stopped, concerned about my toe, and headed back. I drove to another part of the refuge, found the trail that goes to Myrtle Creek Falls and decided that on Friday I'll try to see three different waterfalls: Myrtle Creek, Copper, and Kootenai (in Montana)
I learned from a little research that there's a craft beer taproom with cider, mead, and tons of cans and bottles also available in downtown Bonners Ferry. Perfect. I descended into the basement of a row of businesses, opened a door, and walked into the cozy CrossTime Saloon. Chris, the very friendly owner and beer pourer, recited his very solid eight beer tap list and I told him I wanted Hop Valley's Cryo Stash Imperial IPA. At that moment, a guy was doing some keg/tap maintenance next to the Cryo Stash keg, so Chris recommended I grab a bottle out of the cooler behind me. I did and I sat and enjoyed two bottles of this excellent beer and found myself drifting back to the 80s (again) as Chris was playing a very popular Genesis album featuring Phil Collins (no Peter Gabriel). It was music that got way over exposed when it came out, but I hadn't listened to this stuff for a long time and the way it moved me and excited great memories took me by surprise.
I drove down Highway 95/2 and decided to have dinner at a place I knew nothing about. I dropped into the Two Tones Cafe, a rustic and cozy eatery featuring an expansive patio out back. No one was eating outdoors this evening as the gray settled in and the temperature was dropping. I looked over the menu and decided, like on Monday, I'd try a plate of spaghetti again and ordered their Spaghetti Extravaganza with a garden salad. DJ or TJ (she has a two initial name), my very friendly server, brought out two tiny and tasty homemade scones with honey butter with the salad and then soon brought me a generous plate of spaghetti with tomato sauce, sweet Italian sausage, red pepper, onion, and mushrooms. I enjoyed it, but I am realizing that I like my sauce a bit thinner than what restaurants serve. The Marcella Hazan sauce I make at home is this way -- rich in taste, but not too thick in texture. I couldn't eat my whole serving and I'll heat the rest up and finish it during my stay at Bonners Ferry.
Back at my room, I relaxed with crossword puzzles and hit the sack early.
Wednesday, September 18, 2019
Three Beautiful Things 09/17/19: Getting Packed, Costco Exchange, Growler Guys with Byrdman
1. I did laundry and packed for my trip so I can leave before 9:00 Wednesday morning.
2. I discovered I bought the wrong battery powered toothbrushes at Costco on Friday, so I made a quick trip back and exchanged my mistake for the ones I wanted.
3. In CdA, I returned to Growler Guys, met up with Byrdman, and we each enjoyed a pour of Great Divide's Hercules, Breakside's Precious Snowflake, and a half pint of Mother Earth's Main Street Cream Ale (not creme soda). We yakked about a lot of stuff and looked at pictures of places we've hiked and might go in the future. It was a great session. The 2IPAs and the Cream Ale were delicious and the yakkin' was awesome.
2. I discovered I bought the wrong battery powered toothbrushes at Costco on Friday, so I made a quick trip back and exchanged my mistake for the ones I wanted.
3. In CdA, I returned to Growler Guys, met up with Byrdman, and we each enjoyed a pour of Great Divide's Hercules, Breakside's Precious Snowflake, and a half pint of Mother Earth's Main Street Cream Ale (not creme soda). We yakked about a lot of stuff and looked at pictures of places we've hiked and might go in the future. It was a great session. The 2IPAs and the Cream Ale were delicious and the yakkin' was awesome.
Tuesday, September 17, 2019
Three Beautiful Things 09/16/19: Got My Toe Checked Out, Imperial IPA, Tomato Street
1. First thing this morning, I bolted in the Sube to the clinic to see if I could get in to see a professional about my big toe. I succeeded. Scott Gibbs, P.A., saw me shortly after 11:30. A P.A. student was working with him and Kiel came in first and looked over my toe and foot, asked me some questions, and then Scott Gibbs took over.
Here is my takeaway:
My toe is not infected, but, as a precaution, I'm going to apply a topical antibiotic cream to the injured area three times a day.
Injuries like mine take several weeks to heal. My toe continues to be red and swollen as a result of the trauma the toe experienced. Gibbs recommended that I take pictures of my toe next to a quarter every few days as a way of tracking its progress.
In time, the toenail will most likely come off and a new one will grow in.
The rest of my foot looks good. I just need to keep the nail on my toe clipped, keep it medicated, and be patient.
2. I decided to buy a portable phone charger for my upcoming trip to the top of Idaho and British Columbia and I drove to Best Buy in CdA and purchased one. It works.
It's hard to say what my favorite style of beer is, but among my very favorites is the Double or Imperial IPA. These are rarely, if ever, on tap here in Kellogg. So, today, having been hankering for one, I strolled into Growler Guys and was delighted that they had two Imperial IPAs on tap. I sampled each: Great Divide's Hercules and Breakside's Precious Snowflake. Both tasted awesome. I decided to order the Precious Snowflake. I sat at a table, drank my 10 oz pour very slowly, relished every drop of the beer, and enjoyed the house music. Growler Guys was playing classic rock and everything sounded perfect: Pink Floyd, Steve Miller Band, U2, Steppenwolf, The Beatles, T Rex, and others.
3. Before I headed back over the hill to the Silver Valley, I wanted to eat dinner somewhere. Right there, in front of me, as I walked out the front door of Growler Guys, was Tomato Street.
I remembered back several years when Mom and I ate a meal together at this Tomato Street and, before that, I'm sure Christy (and Everett?) and I ate a meal at the Tomato Street on North Division. Over the last year or so, I have cut way back on eating pasta, and, as a result, I've recently had a hankering for some spaghetti. I satisfied that hankering tonight with spaghetti and zesty tomato sauce along with three meatballs, a small salad, some house bread, and a glass of Merlot. I enjoyed indulging in this meal and it made me think that I might make spaghetti at home again once in a while.
My glass of wine transported me back to Eugene. On occasion, I used to stop in at Pegasus Pizza at the shopping center on 29th and Willamette and would order a glass of Pinot Noir with my pizza. The Merlot I drank tonight was fine, but as I drank it, I realized that I prefer the lighter feel of Pinot Noir. I wish I'd read the wine list more carefully and, if they had it, ordered a Pinot Noir. Tonight, I think I learned, once and for all, that Pinot Noir is my preference, when possible.
Here is my takeaway:
My toe is not infected, but, as a precaution, I'm going to apply a topical antibiotic cream to the injured area three times a day.
Injuries like mine take several weeks to heal. My toe continues to be red and swollen as a result of the trauma the toe experienced. Gibbs recommended that I take pictures of my toe next to a quarter every few days as a way of tracking its progress.
In time, the toenail will most likely come off and a new one will grow in.
The rest of my foot looks good. I just need to keep the nail on my toe clipped, keep it medicated, and be patient.
2. I decided to buy a portable phone charger for my upcoming trip to the top of Idaho and British Columbia and I drove to Best Buy in CdA and purchased one. It works.
It's hard to say what my favorite style of beer is, but among my very favorites is the Double or Imperial IPA. These are rarely, if ever, on tap here in Kellogg. So, today, having been hankering for one, I strolled into Growler Guys and was delighted that they had two Imperial IPAs on tap. I sampled each: Great Divide's Hercules and Breakside's Precious Snowflake. Both tasted awesome. I decided to order the Precious Snowflake. I sat at a table, drank my 10 oz pour very slowly, relished every drop of the beer, and enjoyed the house music. Growler Guys was playing classic rock and everything sounded perfect: Pink Floyd, Steve Miller Band, U2, Steppenwolf, The Beatles, T Rex, and others.
3. Before I headed back over the hill to the Silver Valley, I wanted to eat dinner somewhere. Right there, in front of me, as I walked out the front door of Growler Guys, was Tomato Street.
I remembered back several years when Mom and I ate a meal together at this Tomato Street and, before that, I'm sure Christy (and Everett?) and I ate a meal at the Tomato Street on North Division. Over the last year or so, I have cut way back on eating pasta, and, as a result, I've recently had a hankering for some spaghetti. I satisfied that hankering tonight with spaghetti and zesty tomato sauce along with three meatballs, a small salad, some house bread, and a glass of Merlot. I enjoyed indulging in this meal and it made me think that I might make spaghetti at home again once in a while.
My glass of wine transported me back to Eugene. On occasion, I used to stop in at Pegasus Pizza at the shopping center on 29th and Willamette and would order a glass of Pinot Noir with my pizza. The Merlot I drank tonight was fine, but as I drank it, I realized that I prefer the lighter feel of Pinot Noir. I wish I'd read the wine list more carefully and, if they had it, ordered a Pinot Noir. Tonight, I think I learned, once and for all, that Pinot Noir is my preference, when possible.
Monday, September 16, 2019
Three Beautiful Things 09/15/19: Toe Update, Moroccan Family Dinner, Good Conversations
1. This weekend my injured big toe has become more red. It's not painful and it's still flexible and I can walk all right, but I decided to give it a rest today and I'm going to have a doctor look at it tomorrow.
2. Carol and Paul hosted family dinner tonight. We began with cocktails. Carol had made a cranberry liqueur and served it mixed with tonic water. Then Paul and Carol brought out a Moroccan warm eggplant salad and pita chips and this appetizer set the culinary tone for the evening. The main dish was a Moroccan chicken dish, thighs and drumsticks served with dates over rice. Tonight's dishes featured some of my favorite flavors between them: turmeric, garlic, ginger, cardamom, cumin, and others.
3. Carol and Paul had participated Friday in a murder mystery dinner party/auction to raise money for the Silver Valley Chamber of Commerce. I didn't understand, from the pictures of the event I saw on Facebook, quite how this murder mystery part of the evening worked. Paul explained it and once I realized it was more of a game than a theatrical presentation, it made sense. Tonight I also learned more about the local Community Concert Series and enjoyed being a part of a conversation with Carol, Paul, and Debbie about churches and conflict and the difficulties that can develop. I enjoyed how this conversation was, ultimately, about the mystery of the nature of God and how different people experience God -- in the church and in the world. We didn't solve anything. We just talked for a while.
2. Carol and Paul hosted family dinner tonight. We began with cocktails. Carol had made a cranberry liqueur and served it mixed with tonic water. Then Paul and Carol brought out a Moroccan warm eggplant salad and pita chips and this appetizer set the culinary tone for the evening. The main dish was a Moroccan chicken dish, thighs and drumsticks served with dates over rice. Tonight's dishes featured some of my favorite flavors between them: turmeric, garlic, ginger, cardamom, cumin, and others.
3. Carol and Paul had participated Friday in a murder mystery dinner party/auction to raise money for the Silver Valley Chamber of Commerce. I didn't understand, from the pictures of the event I saw on Facebook, quite how this murder mystery part of the evening worked. Paul explained it and once I realized it was more of a game than a theatrical presentation, it made sense. Tonight I also learned more about the local Community Concert Series and enjoyed being a part of a conversation with Carol, Paul, and Debbie about churches and conflict and the difficulties that can develop. I enjoyed how this conversation was, ultimately, about the mystery of the nature of God and how different people experience God -- in the church and in the world. We didn't solve anything. We just talked for a while.
Sunday, September 15, 2019
Three Beautiful Things 09/14/19: Pink Floyd Afternoon, Jake at the Lounge, Salami Sandwiches
1. I was hoping that Alan Parker's film version of Pink Floyd's The Wall would be available on my smarty pants television, but my initial search for the movie came up empty. What I've learned, though, over the last several months, though, is that Amazon Prime has a stockpile of 60-90 minute low budget quasi-documentary shows about rock groups. Sometimes the makers of these shows didn't get permission to use the artists' music so, as was the case of one of the programs I watched today, Pink Floyd's music was presented as played by other bands. But, I find that the interviews in these programs are informative. Sometimes the producers of these shows land old radio interviews or other archived stuff of things band members have said and, because the programs don't feature live interviews, they draw upon these bits. So, I watched two of these low budget programs today -- first, I watched a show focused on Pink Floyd's The Wall and the second focused on the increasingly fragile relationship between Roger Waters and the rest of the band, with special attention on David Gilmour.
It was fun viewing. I learned a lot. In fact, everything I learned today about Pink Floyd's staggeringly complex and dramatic live performances of The Wall was news to me. I'd never looked into this before. Learning what happened on the stage in those live shows staggered me -- and, it also helped me understand better some of what I saw Thursday night at the Australian Pink Floyd show.
As I listened to Roger Waters talk about The Wall and as I listened to the Pink Floyd biographers and music critics talk (glowingly), I kept thinking about Bertolt Brecht and his theatrical principle, the alienation effect. Seeing what Pink Floyd created on stage as they performed The Wall and knowing how much this rock opera explored Roger Waters' experiences with and insights into alienation, I wondered if a Brecht-Waters connection was coincidental or if Waters had learned about the theater of alienation from studying Brecht. I'll look into this more on my own and try to find what others have written about this connection -- I mean I can't believe I'm unique in having observed this.
2. As the second program I watched was drawing to an end, as David Gilmour was playing his brilliant lap steel guitar solo during his song, "High Hopes", I got a text from Cas telling me Jake was in the house. I quickly pulled myself together, rocketed up to the Lounge, plopped down in seat next to Jake at the bar, and we had a good session, yakkin' about all kinds of stuff, playing songs on the jukebox, and yakkin' with others in the bar -- Cas, Eddie Joe, Bob C., Debbie, Ginger, and others.
3. Before long, a lively late afternoon and early evening at the Lounge turned quiet as nearly everyone cleared out. I stuck around and yakked with Cas for a while. I needed to stop at Yoke's and purchase some coffee and half and half, so I took off, but about five minutes after I left, I realized I hadn't paid my tab. I turned around in the swimming pool parking lot, headed back uptown, paid my bill, and hurtled in the Sube down to Yoke's.
At Yoke's I suddenly felt an old urge return to have an Oscar Meyer salami and sharp cheddar cheese sandwich. So, along with the coffee and half and half, I bought the sandwich ingredients and upon arriving back home fixed myself two salami, cheese, and mustard sandwiches. I hadn't had one of these sandwiches since living in Eugene. They totally hit the spot.
It was fun viewing. I learned a lot. In fact, everything I learned today about Pink Floyd's staggeringly complex and dramatic live performances of The Wall was news to me. I'd never looked into this before. Learning what happened on the stage in those live shows staggered me -- and, it also helped me understand better some of what I saw Thursday night at the Australian Pink Floyd show.
As I listened to Roger Waters talk about The Wall and as I listened to the Pink Floyd biographers and music critics talk (glowingly), I kept thinking about Bertolt Brecht and his theatrical principle, the alienation effect. Seeing what Pink Floyd created on stage as they performed The Wall and knowing how much this rock opera explored Roger Waters' experiences with and insights into alienation, I wondered if a Brecht-Waters connection was coincidental or if Waters had learned about the theater of alienation from studying Brecht. I'll look into this more on my own and try to find what others have written about this connection -- I mean I can't believe I'm unique in having observed this.
2. As the second program I watched was drawing to an end, as David Gilmour was playing his brilliant lap steel guitar solo during his song, "High Hopes", I got a text from Cas telling me Jake was in the house. I quickly pulled myself together, rocketed up to the Lounge, plopped down in seat next to Jake at the bar, and we had a good session, yakkin' about all kinds of stuff, playing songs on the jukebox, and yakkin' with others in the bar -- Cas, Eddie Joe, Bob C., Debbie, Ginger, and others.
3. Before long, a lively late afternoon and early evening at the Lounge turned quiet as nearly everyone cleared out. I stuck around and yakked with Cas for a while. I needed to stop at Yoke's and purchase some coffee and half and half, so I took off, but about five minutes after I left, I realized I hadn't paid my tab. I turned around in the swimming pool parking lot, headed back uptown, paid my bill, and hurtled in the Sube down to Yoke's.
At Yoke's I suddenly felt an old urge return to have an Oscar Meyer salami and sharp cheddar cheese sandwich. So, along with the coffee and half and half, I bought the sandwich ingredients and upon arriving back home fixed myself two salami, cheese, and mustard sandwiches. I hadn't had one of these sandwiches since living in Eugene. They totally hit the spot.
Saturday, September 14, 2019
Three Beautiful Things 09/13/19: Touring Whitworth's Campus, Mt. View Ln and Queen of Sheba, Slate Creek and the Lounge
1. Originally, I had planned to get up and out the door fairly early this morning. I got up early, but my Airbnb room was so comfortable, so quiet, and so private and it was furnished with a desk, so I stayed in until nearly 10:00. I wrote in my blog. I got cleaned up. I used the coffee maker in the room and fixed a couple of cups of coffee.
I then drove to the campus of Whitworth University. It took me a while to find a visitors' parking spot. I got out of the car and strolled around. I thought back to May of 1984 when I last worked at Whitworth. I remembered conversations I had with Professor Craig Thomas about the physical campus. It bothered Craig that the campus featured so many aging facilities, both dorms and classroom/office spaces. I, on the other hand, had enjoyed this feature of Whitworth. I romanticized it. I was a student at Whitworth during a time when many students work flannel shirts or bib overalls and other very modest clothing. For many students, the in thing was not to dress flashy. I think the idea was that stylish appearances didn't matter. The inward person did.
Well, in my idealizing mind, I carried this idea over to the campus' physical appearance. I let myself believe that the rundown facilities on campus were a sign that the college cared more about its spiritual and educational mission than whether it had nice buildings. Who knows what the truth was!
I believe if Craig Thomas walked onto the campus of Whitworth University in 2019, he would be astonished by the campus' transformation: many new buildings have gone up; older buildings like the HUB, Westminster, the library, and Dixon along with old dorms like Ballard and McMillan have been renovated; the walkways on campus have been redesigned; I think there are fewer pine trees (not sure), but many deciduous trees and scores of flowers now grow in the central campus area; it's a larger, much more attractive campus.
When I went to Whitworth University today, I thought I'd experience a rush of memories from 35-45 years ago, but I didn't really. In order to get my memories to kick in, I had to try to see the buildings I frequented and the layout of the campus the way it was back in the 1970s and 80s. I didn't do much of that. Instead, I marveled at the Whitworth campus of 2019. I took a stroll on the first floor of Dixon Hall and it was completely unrecognizable from when I attended classes and taught classes there. Cowles Auditorium is currently closed. It's being remodeled. I had been in the HUB a couple of years ago and didn't return today, but I thought wistfully about when the Campus Ministry program was housed in the back of that building -- no chapel, tiny offices, hardly the center of campus -- and thought again, as I have many times before, about the positive change that occurred when the current chapel and theology center was built more in the center of campus, not only giving the chaplain's program a more centralized location, but also providing a place of worship on campus.
Soon I'll contact someone at Whitworth University and get a clearer understanding of my parking options on campus if I'm visiting. I think I'll go back on occasion. I'd like to attend a chapel service. I'd love to sit in on an English class if that's possible. I wish I could visit professors I know on campus, but I think there are only two left with whom I'm acquainted.
I'll be attending a Whitworth sponsored lecture given by Bob Woodward on Oct. 4th. It's downtown. The following weekend, the Whitworth Theater Dept. is putting on A Midsummer Night's Dream downtown. I just might go to the Sunday matinee. I saw signs on campus advertising speakers and writers coming to campus who looked interesting. I think I'll do a better job of keeping current with what's happening at the old alma mater and possibly go over for some events and presentations.
2. I left campus and drove on Mountain View Lane, turned around, and drove it again. I lived in a little house on Jim and Linda Hunt's property from 1976-78 and I wanted to see what things looked like over 40 years later. It was thrilling to see how Jim and Linda have beautified what was already a handsome property. The little house I lived in no longer exists. It looked to me like it's a garage now. I'd actually forgotten what a superb place that was to live. The view of North Spokane and on west is awesome, especially in the fall and winter, and the houses along Mountain View Lane are older homes that have aged very well. Because the Hunt's house and yard and gardens are so marvelously transformed and because the little house is gone, I couldn't quite experience specific memories the way I might have liked to, but I thoroughly enjoyed making this little jaunt, driving by where I once lived.
I took a circuitous route back downtown and eventually parked on Mallon Street and walked to the Flour Mill so I could have lunch at Queen of Sheba, the Ethiopian restaurant I didn't make it to yesterday afternoon. It's a tiny restaurant, handsomely appointed with what I think is Ethiopian decor. I wanted to eat here for a couple of reasons. First, I don't think I've ever eaten Ethiopian cuisine and, secondly, I have watched many shows on television featuring Chef Marcus Sammuelson, who was born in Ethiopia, but adopted by a Swedish family where he grew up. Chef Marcus often talks about the food of Ethiopia and on his PBS program, No Passport Required, in Episode 6, he visited Ethiopian restaurants in D. C. and Silver Spring and his enthusiasm for the food inspired me to try out this restaurant.
In particular, I remembered Chef Marcus' love for injera, a spongy flatbread featured in Ethiopian dishes. No matter what I ordered, I was eager to do my best to wrap injera around my food and eat the way I'd read is the practice in Ethiopia and that Chef Marcus had explained. I ordered a mild lamb curry stew called Yebeg Alich'a. Unlike many curries I am more used to eating, this curry had little or no heat and its flavor was built upon the combination of the lamb in combination with tumeric, garlic, ginger, and onions. I used my spoon to scoop the stew onto torn of pieces of injera. It took me a few bites to adjust to the mildness of the curry, but, as I did, I appreciated more and more the flavors present and enjoyed my meal along with a couple of glasses of Ethiopian spiced ice tea.
3. I checked out Four Thousand Holes, a used record and cd shop on N. Monroe and walked out empty handed. I did a little more cruising around Spokane. I thought a lot these last couple of days about how much I really don't know Spokane any more. Having gone to college in Spokane, visited often, and having lived here two different times, I had come to enjoy a Spokane that, as you'd expect with the passing of time, doesn't really exist any longer. Since moving to Kellogg, I haven't spent much time in Spokane and I can tell that if Spokane is going to become a place I enjoy a lot again, I'm going to have to learn the place again and learn all over again where I like to spend time. I have begun to do this. Christy, Carol, and I had a fun time in the Perry District. Both Manito Park and Riverfront Park are wonderful. I have enjoyed my two or three visits to the Manito Tap House. When Deborah, Scott, and I met at the Rockwood Bakery, I loved it. I plan to return to the Steelhead Bar and Grille. Before too long, I'll go hiking at Riverside State Park and on trails near Mt. Spokane and other places. I'm looking forward to further exploration.
I left Spokane, dropped into the CdA Costco for a couple of things and then met up with Byrdman for a couple of beers at Slate Creek. Slate Creek is a perfect neighborhood brewery -- it's fairly small, hosts many regulars, is run really well, and offers a short tap list of high quality beers. Today I enjoyed Slate Creek's own Tiki IPA. It featured New Zealand hops and was a pleasure to drink.
Back in Kellogg, I had a good b.s. session with Eddie Joe, enjoyed a hamburger and fries delivered from the Elks, and returned home, wrote a glowing review of my Airbnb experience, and soon hit the hay.
It was a full day, a very good day and I had a lot on my mind.
I then drove to the campus of Whitworth University. It took me a while to find a visitors' parking spot. I got out of the car and strolled around. I thought back to May of 1984 when I last worked at Whitworth. I remembered conversations I had with Professor Craig Thomas about the physical campus. It bothered Craig that the campus featured so many aging facilities, both dorms and classroom/office spaces. I, on the other hand, had enjoyed this feature of Whitworth. I romanticized it. I was a student at Whitworth during a time when many students work flannel shirts or bib overalls and other very modest clothing. For many students, the in thing was not to dress flashy. I think the idea was that stylish appearances didn't matter. The inward person did.
Well, in my idealizing mind, I carried this idea over to the campus' physical appearance. I let myself believe that the rundown facilities on campus were a sign that the college cared more about its spiritual and educational mission than whether it had nice buildings. Who knows what the truth was!
I believe if Craig Thomas walked onto the campus of Whitworth University in 2019, he would be astonished by the campus' transformation: many new buildings have gone up; older buildings like the HUB, Westminster, the library, and Dixon along with old dorms like Ballard and McMillan have been renovated; the walkways on campus have been redesigned; I think there are fewer pine trees (not sure), but many deciduous trees and scores of flowers now grow in the central campus area; it's a larger, much more attractive campus.
When I went to Whitworth University today, I thought I'd experience a rush of memories from 35-45 years ago, but I didn't really. In order to get my memories to kick in, I had to try to see the buildings I frequented and the layout of the campus the way it was back in the 1970s and 80s. I didn't do much of that. Instead, I marveled at the Whitworth campus of 2019. I took a stroll on the first floor of Dixon Hall and it was completely unrecognizable from when I attended classes and taught classes there. Cowles Auditorium is currently closed. It's being remodeled. I had been in the HUB a couple of years ago and didn't return today, but I thought wistfully about when the Campus Ministry program was housed in the back of that building -- no chapel, tiny offices, hardly the center of campus -- and thought again, as I have many times before, about the positive change that occurred when the current chapel and theology center was built more in the center of campus, not only giving the chaplain's program a more centralized location, but also providing a place of worship on campus.
Soon I'll contact someone at Whitworth University and get a clearer understanding of my parking options on campus if I'm visiting. I think I'll go back on occasion. I'd like to attend a chapel service. I'd love to sit in on an English class if that's possible. I wish I could visit professors I know on campus, but I think there are only two left with whom I'm acquainted.
I'll be attending a Whitworth sponsored lecture given by Bob Woodward on Oct. 4th. It's downtown. The following weekend, the Whitworth Theater Dept. is putting on A Midsummer Night's Dream downtown. I just might go to the Sunday matinee. I saw signs on campus advertising speakers and writers coming to campus who looked interesting. I think I'll do a better job of keeping current with what's happening at the old alma mater and possibly go over for some events and presentations.
2. I left campus and drove on Mountain View Lane, turned around, and drove it again. I lived in a little house on Jim and Linda Hunt's property from 1976-78 and I wanted to see what things looked like over 40 years later. It was thrilling to see how Jim and Linda have beautified what was already a handsome property. The little house I lived in no longer exists. It looked to me like it's a garage now. I'd actually forgotten what a superb place that was to live. The view of North Spokane and on west is awesome, especially in the fall and winter, and the houses along Mountain View Lane are older homes that have aged very well. Because the Hunt's house and yard and gardens are so marvelously transformed and because the little house is gone, I couldn't quite experience specific memories the way I might have liked to, but I thoroughly enjoyed making this little jaunt, driving by where I once lived.
I took a circuitous route back downtown and eventually parked on Mallon Street and walked to the Flour Mill so I could have lunch at Queen of Sheba, the Ethiopian restaurant I didn't make it to yesterday afternoon. It's a tiny restaurant, handsomely appointed with what I think is Ethiopian decor. I wanted to eat here for a couple of reasons. First, I don't think I've ever eaten Ethiopian cuisine and, secondly, I have watched many shows on television featuring Chef Marcus Sammuelson, who was born in Ethiopia, but adopted by a Swedish family where he grew up. Chef Marcus often talks about the food of Ethiopia and on his PBS program, No Passport Required, in Episode 6, he visited Ethiopian restaurants in D. C. and Silver Spring and his enthusiasm for the food inspired me to try out this restaurant.
In particular, I remembered Chef Marcus' love for injera, a spongy flatbread featured in Ethiopian dishes. No matter what I ordered, I was eager to do my best to wrap injera around my food and eat the way I'd read is the practice in Ethiopia and that Chef Marcus had explained. I ordered a mild lamb curry stew called Yebeg Alich'a. Unlike many curries I am more used to eating, this curry had little or no heat and its flavor was built upon the combination of the lamb in combination with tumeric, garlic, ginger, and onions. I used my spoon to scoop the stew onto torn of pieces of injera. It took me a few bites to adjust to the mildness of the curry, but, as I did, I appreciated more and more the flavors present and enjoyed my meal along with a couple of glasses of Ethiopian spiced ice tea.
3. I checked out Four Thousand Holes, a used record and cd shop on N. Monroe and walked out empty handed. I did a little more cruising around Spokane. I thought a lot these last couple of days about how much I really don't know Spokane any more. Having gone to college in Spokane, visited often, and having lived here two different times, I had come to enjoy a Spokane that, as you'd expect with the passing of time, doesn't really exist any longer. Since moving to Kellogg, I haven't spent much time in Spokane and I can tell that if Spokane is going to become a place I enjoy a lot again, I'm going to have to learn the place again and learn all over again where I like to spend time. I have begun to do this. Christy, Carol, and I had a fun time in the Perry District. Both Manito Park and Riverfront Park are wonderful. I have enjoyed my two or three visits to the Manito Tap House. When Deborah, Scott, and I met at the Rockwood Bakery, I loved it. I plan to return to the Steelhead Bar and Grille. Before too long, I'll go hiking at Riverside State Park and on trails near Mt. Spokane and other places. I'm looking forward to further exploration.
I left Spokane, dropped into the CdA Costco for a couple of things and then met up with Byrdman for a couple of beers at Slate Creek. Slate Creek is a perfect neighborhood brewery -- it's fairly small, hosts many regulars, is run really well, and offers a short tap list of high quality beers. Today I enjoyed Slate Creek's own Tiki IPA. It featured New Zealand hops and was a pleasure to drink.
Back in Kellogg, I had a good b.s. session with Eddie Joe, enjoyed a hamburger and fries delivered from the Elks, and returned home, wrote a glowing review of my Airbnb experience, and soon hit the hay.
It was a full day, a very good day and I had a lot on my mind.
Friday, September 13, 2019
Three Beautiful Things 09/12/19: Breakfast and New Shoes, Pencil and Paper Saved Me, Peaceful Solitude and then Australian Pink Floyd
1. I went on a mini-road trip today. It started in CdA at the Breakfast Nook. I sat at the counter and ordered eggs benedict and this plate of food was just right. Afterward, I drove to Kohl's to see if I could find a pair of Trail Runner shoes, size 11, 4E, the size and style of shoe that has been working for about four years now to keep my big toes from getting angry and swelling up. I knew the style I've been buying all these years has been discontinued, but I tried on the new look Trail Runners and the fit felt good. Later in the day, as I did some walking in downtown Spokane, I put my new shoes on and, to my relief, they were comfortable and I am about 97.4% confident that the fit is right.
2. I drove from CdA to North Spokane, via the Bigelow Gulch Road. I wanted to relive some Whitworth memories. I drove down Colfax Road, just to glance at what we used to call the generic apartments. I moved into the generics late in summer of 1982 when I started a two year temporary full-time appointment teaching in the English Dept. and lived there until late fall of 1983 when I moved downtown. I drove my old walking route to campus, took note of all the improvements in the Whitworth area over the last 37 years and then drove by campus. I plan to return and walk on campus on Friday. Today I had another goal in mind. I wanted to drive to the Airbnb house where I'd be staying tonight out north of Wandermere Golf Course. I wouldn't be arriving at the house until after 10:30 and I wanted to drive the route and see the house in daylight.
It was a good thing I did this. On my way to the house, after the Australian Pink Floyd concert, my phone ran out of battery and so I couldn't depend on Google Maps to get me to the house. Fortunately, I'd written down the address in the pocket notebook I carry (as a backup to my phone) and I wrote down the code I needed to punch in to get in the house. Yes, I was nervous that I wouldn't remember the route to the house and that I'd get confused in the dark, but I did remember and I didn't get confused.
I can't charge my phone in the Sube. The cigarette lighter power source crapped out long ago. Had I not written down the address and had I not rehearsed the route earlier in the day, I guess I would have had to try to find a late night establishment that would have let me charge my phone so I could have retrieved the information.
But, thanks to being one of those people who hasn't quite given all my confidence over to the electronic age, I had the info written down, I remembered the route, and I arrived at my destination between 10:30 and 11.
3. I drove downtown and the first thing I did was go to the INB Performing Arts Center to exchange my terrace seat for one on the floor. The Australian Pink Floyd ticket sales were not strong, so the terrace and balcony were closed.
As it turned out, a parking space was available in front of the Davenport Grand Hotel across the street from the Performing Arts Center. I decided right then that I would park here and feed the meter every two hours, knowing parking was free after 7 p.m. My new concert ticket was left center in Row M. Perfect.
I strolled around downtown, making note of places I'd read about and now knew where they were. I returned to the car, put on a cooler shirt, fed the meter, and set off through Riverfront Park to walk to the Flour Mill where I planned to have dinner at an Ethiopian restaurant, The Queen of Sheba. I arrived at the bridge to cross over to the Flour Mill and it was closed for maintenance. I didn't feel like backtracking and finding another bridge, so I decided, on the spot, that I'd have a light dinner at the Steelhead Bar and Grille (no relation to the one in Eugene) on North Howard Street.
The Steelhead is a terrific place. It's a whiskey bar and serves great food and the serving staff is friendly, attentive, and knowledgeable. I ordered a pound of steamed clams with a glass of Pinot Gris and when I finished decided to have a whiskey for "dessert" and ordered a pour of Templeton Rye, neat.
I still had an hour or so before me before the doors opened to the concert and I spent that time near the water and on a bridge behind the Performing Arts Center, enjoying the soft light of the late afternoon and marveling at the beauty of Riverfront Park, the many runners, walkers, bikers, and skateboarders, and the stillness of the water.
Back when I lived in Spokane, two different times in the late 1970s and again in the early 80s, I went to quite a few concerts in what used to be called the Opera House. I entered the old Opera House and stood near a rail overlooking the people arriving and thought back to when I would stand at this rail over forty years ago and see people I knew from Whitworth or people my wife worked with at the Chronicle walking in and how much I felt a part of the city of Spokane. Of course, that's no longer true in 2019. This evening, I didn't so much look for people I might know as I enjoyed the fact that about 90% of the people coming to the concert were around my age. Many of my fellow gray hairs were wearing old Pink Floyd concert t-shirts. Others were attired in some kind of tie-dyed or other colorful garb. I wasn't. I had on a standard white button down shirt with a pattern of squares on it. So, even though I didn't know anyone, I felt kinship with this audience and I figured that many of these people were longtime Pink Floyd devotees and pondered how I came to Pink Floyd later in life, about 10-11 years ago.
I loved the concert. Australian Pink Floyd played an excellent selection of cuts from The Wall, Animals, Wish You Were Here, and Dark Side of the Moon. While the audience was small, it was enthusiastic and met each song with howls of approval, often rising to their feet. Australian Pink Floyd features two brilliant guitarists (I think I read once that this band decided it takes two mortals to match the single genius of David Gilmore), three superb women as back-up vocalists, a superb lead vocalist who rarely played an instrument, a great bass player and vocalist, a fantastic drummer, a versatile and thrilling keyboard player, and an occasional saxophone player (he's out of sight).
I'd forgotten from when I saw the Australian Pink Floyd in Eugene several years ago what a visual feast one of their shows is. Behind them was a screen that flashed montages of photographs, animations, and other images. The light show featuring strobes and lasers and smoke and other effects was thrilling. I especially enjoyed the two gigantic blow up figures that took the stage a couple of times, as if a couple of balloons had escaped from the Macy's parade. The visual effects helped underscore Pink Floyd's lyrics, whether grieving the deterioration of Syd Barrett, satirizing or raging against the dystopic elements of the world of the 20th and 21st century, expressing alienation and ennui, or longing for more beauty and grace in the world.
I never wanted this concert to end, but, as I remembered had happened last time I saw Australian Pink Floyd, was deeply satisfied that they closed the night by performing "Comfortably Numb" and that my last impression of the night was this song's wailing and fiery guitar solos and an energetic drum solo that brought the song to its end.
I left the INB Performing Arts Center keyed up and hungry for more live music. Once I arrived at the house where I'm staying, it took a while to settle down and be able to get to sleep. Pink Floyd tunes danced in my head all night long.
2. I drove from CdA to North Spokane, via the Bigelow Gulch Road. I wanted to relive some Whitworth memories. I drove down Colfax Road, just to glance at what we used to call the generic apartments. I moved into the generics late in summer of 1982 when I started a two year temporary full-time appointment teaching in the English Dept. and lived there until late fall of 1983 when I moved downtown. I drove my old walking route to campus, took note of all the improvements in the Whitworth area over the last 37 years and then drove by campus. I plan to return and walk on campus on Friday. Today I had another goal in mind. I wanted to drive to the Airbnb house where I'd be staying tonight out north of Wandermere Golf Course. I wouldn't be arriving at the house until after 10:30 and I wanted to drive the route and see the house in daylight.
It was a good thing I did this. On my way to the house, after the Australian Pink Floyd concert, my phone ran out of battery and so I couldn't depend on Google Maps to get me to the house. Fortunately, I'd written down the address in the pocket notebook I carry (as a backup to my phone) and I wrote down the code I needed to punch in to get in the house. Yes, I was nervous that I wouldn't remember the route to the house and that I'd get confused in the dark, but I did remember and I didn't get confused.
I can't charge my phone in the Sube. The cigarette lighter power source crapped out long ago. Had I not written down the address and had I not rehearsed the route earlier in the day, I guess I would have had to try to find a late night establishment that would have let me charge my phone so I could have retrieved the information.
But, thanks to being one of those people who hasn't quite given all my confidence over to the electronic age, I had the info written down, I remembered the route, and I arrived at my destination between 10:30 and 11.
3. I drove downtown and the first thing I did was go to the INB Performing Arts Center to exchange my terrace seat for one on the floor. The Australian Pink Floyd ticket sales were not strong, so the terrace and balcony were closed.
As it turned out, a parking space was available in front of the Davenport Grand Hotel across the street from the Performing Arts Center. I decided right then that I would park here and feed the meter every two hours, knowing parking was free after 7 p.m. My new concert ticket was left center in Row M. Perfect.
I strolled around downtown, making note of places I'd read about and now knew where they were. I returned to the car, put on a cooler shirt, fed the meter, and set off through Riverfront Park to walk to the Flour Mill where I planned to have dinner at an Ethiopian restaurant, The Queen of Sheba. I arrived at the bridge to cross over to the Flour Mill and it was closed for maintenance. I didn't feel like backtracking and finding another bridge, so I decided, on the spot, that I'd have a light dinner at the Steelhead Bar and Grille (no relation to the one in Eugene) on North Howard Street.
The Steelhead is a terrific place. It's a whiskey bar and serves great food and the serving staff is friendly, attentive, and knowledgeable. I ordered a pound of steamed clams with a glass of Pinot Gris and when I finished decided to have a whiskey for "dessert" and ordered a pour of Templeton Rye, neat.
I still had an hour or so before me before the doors opened to the concert and I spent that time near the water and on a bridge behind the Performing Arts Center, enjoying the soft light of the late afternoon and marveling at the beauty of Riverfront Park, the many runners, walkers, bikers, and skateboarders, and the stillness of the water.
Back when I lived in Spokane, two different times in the late 1970s and again in the early 80s, I went to quite a few concerts in what used to be called the Opera House. I entered the old Opera House and stood near a rail overlooking the people arriving and thought back to when I would stand at this rail over forty years ago and see people I knew from Whitworth or people my wife worked with at the Chronicle walking in and how much I felt a part of the city of Spokane. Of course, that's no longer true in 2019. This evening, I didn't so much look for people I might know as I enjoyed the fact that about 90% of the people coming to the concert were around my age. Many of my fellow gray hairs were wearing old Pink Floyd concert t-shirts. Others were attired in some kind of tie-dyed or other colorful garb. I wasn't. I had on a standard white button down shirt with a pattern of squares on it. So, even though I didn't know anyone, I felt kinship with this audience and I figured that many of these people were longtime Pink Floyd devotees and pondered how I came to Pink Floyd later in life, about 10-11 years ago.
I loved the concert. Australian Pink Floyd played an excellent selection of cuts from The Wall, Animals, Wish You Were Here, and Dark Side of the Moon. While the audience was small, it was enthusiastic and met each song with howls of approval, often rising to their feet. Australian Pink Floyd features two brilliant guitarists (I think I read once that this band decided it takes two mortals to match the single genius of David Gilmore), three superb women as back-up vocalists, a superb lead vocalist who rarely played an instrument, a great bass player and vocalist, a fantastic drummer, a versatile and thrilling keyboard player, and an occasional saxophone player (he's out of sight).
I'd forgotten from when I saw the Australian Pink Floyd in Eugene several years ago what a visual feast one of their shows is. Behind them was a screen that flashed montages of photographs, animations, and other images. The light show featuring strobes and lasers and smoke and other effects was thrilling. I especially enjoyed the two gigantic blow up figures that took the stage a couple of times, as if a couple of balloons had escaped from the Macy's parade. The visual effects helped underscore Pink Floyd's lyrics, whether grieving the deterioration of Syd Barrett, satirizing or raging against the dystopic elements of the world of the 20th and 21st century, expressing alienation and ennui, or longing for more beauty and grace in the world.
I never wanted this concert to end, but, as I remembered had happened last time I saw Australian Pink Floyd, was deeply satisfied that they closed the night by performing "Comfortably Numb" and that my last impression of the night was this song's wailing and fiery guitar solos and an energetic drum solo that brought the song to its end.
I left the INB Performing Arts Center keyed up and hungry for more live music. Once I arrived at the house where I'm staying, it took a while to settle down and be able to get to sleep. Pink Floyd tunes danced in my head all night long.
Thursday, September 12, 2019
Three Beautiful Things 09/11/19: Goodbye to Dr. Jones, Pondering at Hill St. Depot, *Chopped* and Cheese
1. I didn't go out hiking today, but I did walk uptown to the clinic where I had an appointment with Dr. Kristie Jones, my nephrologist. In that we were both pleased with my blood work and with the stability of my kidney function, it was a good visit. In that Dr. Jones is moving to Arizona and this was the last time I'll see her, it was a sad visit.
Regarding my health, Dr. Jones and I discussed that I am fortunate that I am not suffering other maladies -- I'm not diabetic, my heart health is very good, etc. People with low kidney function like I have and who have ancillary health problems have a much tougher time than I am having. So, I'd say that, so far, the way I'm eating and the fact that I'm out walking and hiking quite a bit are keeping my system in pretty good shape and are helping keep me from starting dialysis.
2. After my appointment, I walked down to the Hill Street Depot for a couple of street tacos and two margaritas. I hadn't been in the the Depot for a while. I arrived close to 3:00 and, as I figured, it was very quiet. I was the only customer for nearly the entire hour I was there. I pondered. I enjoyed the house music (Modest Mouse, Lord Huron, Mumford and Sons and others). I thought about my visit with Dr. Jones. I read a few of my favorite Twitter feeds. It was a welcome hour of relaxation.
3. Back home, I continued to relax and started to get ready for my trip to Spokane. Out of the blue, around 9:00, I decided to watch a random episode of Chopped and enjoyed the contestants wrestling with ooey, gooey cheese focused baskets. Several times during the program I wanted the discussion to slow down and expand -- why did that chef add acid to her dish? how did that chef decide to balance out the sweetness of the corn-cheese ice cream? what spices did the chef of Indian descent use as she worked to make her dishes have a taste of India? I'm not crazy about the competition part of Chopped, but ideas about cooking do fly by during the program and I think if I watch this show some more, I will pause the show and replay cooking comments and take notes. I honestly wish the show put more emphasis on what these chefs say about food prep and put less emphasis on whether the chefs think their dish is better than their opponents'.
Regarding my health, Dr. Jones and I discussed that I am fortunate that I am not suffering other maladies -- I'm not diabetic, my heart health is very good, etc. People with low kidney function like I have and who have ancillary health problems have a much tougher time than I am having. So, I'd say that, so far, the way I'm eating and the fact that I'm out walking and hiking quite a bit are keeping my system in pretty good shape and are helping keep me from starting dialysis.
2. After my appointment, I walked down to the Hill Street Depot for a couple of street tacos and two margaritas. I hadn't been in the the Depot for a while. I arrived close to 3:00 and, as I figured, it was very quiet. I was the only customer for nearly the entire hour I was there. I pondered. I enjoyed the house music (Modest Mouse, Lord Huron, Mumford and Sons and others). I thought about my visit with Dr. Jones. I read a few of my favorite Twitter feeds. It was a welcome hour of relaxation.
3. Back home, I continued to relax and started to get ready for my trip to Spokane. Out of the blue, around 9:00, I decided to watch a random episode of Chopped and enjoyed the contestants wrestling with ooey, gooey cheese focused baskets. Several times during the program I wanted the discussion to slow down and expand -- why did that chef add acid to her dish? how did that chef decide to balance out the sweetness of the corn-cheese ice cream? what spices did the chef of Indian descent use as she worked to make her dishes have a taste of India? I'm not crazy about the competition part of Chopped, but ideas about cooking do fly by during the program and I think if I watch this show some more, I will pause the show and replay cooking comments and take notes. I honestly wish the show put more emphasis on what these chefs say about food prep and put less emphasis on whether the chefs think their dish is better than their opponents'.
Wednesday, September 11, 2019
Three Beautiful Things 09/10/19: Good News from LabCorp, Communion at Coal Creek, My Toe Held Up
1. I had blood work done last Thursday and have been waiting for the results to come floating into my inbox. The notification came today.
All my markers improved. My kidney function gained three points since my last blood work -- I improved from 14% to 17%. My creatinine and BUN levels dropped some. The spike in glucose in my July blood work was gone. My potassium levels had dropped, my CO2 levels were back up to normal, and everything else was in range.
I've had a lot of reasons for getting out on hikes so often. Yes, I've hungered to be in the natural world and I've been trying to get back to taking more pictures again, but I've also come to believe over the last several years that walking, hiking, and biking helps keep my diseased kidneys functioning at a more stable level. I don't really know the difference between cause and effect and correlation when it comes to hiking/walking/biking and my kidney function, but I'm going to keep myself moving and I'm going to continue to tell myself that the moving is helping to keep dialysis at bay. I've also been continuing to eat a reduced amount of meat. I've been mindful of eating smaller amounts of high potassium foods. I am enjoying all of this. It's been good for my body and my spirit. I know I'm not well, but I feel great. These blood test results encouraged me to keep doing what I'm doing to keep my spirits up by enjoying the way I worship, the food I'm eating, the music I listen to, the ways I keep my mind active, the glory of the outdoors, and the company I keep with friends and family.
2. I went on my first hike since the exuberant Bowzer knocked me over on the Pulaski Tunnel Trail eight days ago. I drove up to the Coal Creek Trailhead where I knew if I hiked the lower part of the trail, I could test my toe on some moderate inclines and I knew that it was a modest distance to the bridge that crosses Coal Creek before the trail ascends into the mountains.
I was right. This hike was a good test for my toe and I didn't risk overdoing it. I remembered to bring poles along and started to get a sense of how to use them, a good thing.
We've had some rain recently and some cooler weather. These conditions have had an electrifying effect on the Coal Creek basin. The trail skirts rock slides and these rocks are now covered with moss. In fact, everything along the trail like the mossy logs and the creek side foliage radiated varying shades of green. It was stunning. Several times, I stopped and marveled at the varying degrees of light and the union of water, rocks, logs, foliage, and trees, on their interdependence. I experienced communion today. There were moments when I, as a sojourner here, an outsider, felt at one with all that was growing, flowing, resting, and dying around me and my thoughts moved to how I, too, like the forest, am growing, flowing, resting, and dying in union with the world I move through every day.
3. Back home, I peeled of my left shoe and sock to inspect my injured toe. It was bleeding lightly. I cleaned it and put bandages on it. Otherwise, my toe held up pretty well. The hike didn't anger my toe; there was no increase in inflammation or swelling. I only had a couple of incidents on the trail when I jammed my left foot against a rock sticking out of the trail or as I descended a couple of spots when I felt any discomfort. I was heartened that my hike today had raised my spirits and invigorated my heart and lungs, but not at the expense of further damage to my recovering big toe.
All my markers improved. My kidney function gained three points since my last blood work -- I improved from 14% to 17%. My creatinine and BUN levels dropped some. The spike in glucose in my July blood work was gone. My potassium levels had dropped, my CO2 levels were back up to normal, and everything else was in range.
I've had a lot of reasons for getting out on hikes so often. Yes, I've hungered to be in the natural world and I've been trying to get back to taking more pictures again, but I've also come to believe over the last several years that walking, hiking, and biking helps keep my diseased kidneys functioning at a more stable level. I don't really know the difference between cause and effect and correlation when it comes to hiking/walking/biking and my kidney function, but I'm going to keep myself moving and I'm going to continue to tell myself that the moving is helping to keep dialysis at bay. I've also been continuing to eat a reduced amount of meat. I've been mindful of eating smaller amounts of high potassium foods. I am enjoying all of this. It's been good for my body and my spirit. I know I'm not well, but I feel great. These blood test results encouraged me to keep doing what I'm doing to keep my spirits up by enjoying the way I worship, the food I'm eating, the music I listen to, the ways I keep my mind active, the glory of the outdoors, and the company I keep with friends and family.
2. I went on my first hike since the exuberant Bowzer knocked me over on the Pulaski Tunnel Trail eight days ago. I drove up to the Coal Creek Trailhead where I knew if I hiked the lower part of the trail, I could test my toe on some moderate inclines and I knew that it was a modest distance to the bridge that crosses Coal Creek before the trail ascends into the mountains.
I was right. This hike was a good test for my toe and I didn't risk overdoing it. I remembered to bring poles along and started to get a sense of how to use them, a good thing.
We've had some rain recently and some cooler weather. These conditions have had an electrifying effect on the Coal Creek basin. The trail skirts rock slides and these rocks are now covered with moss. In fact, everything along the trail like the mossy logs and the creek side foliage radiated varying shades of green. It was stunning. Several times, I stopped and marveled at the varying degrees of light and the union of water, rocks, logs, foliage, and trees, on their interdependence. I experienced communion today. There were moments when I, as a sojourner here, an outsider, felt at one with all that was growing, flowing, resting, and dying around me and my thoughts moved to how I, too, like the forest, am growing, flowing, resting, and dying in union with the world I move through every day.
3. Back home, I peeled of my left shoe and sock to inspect my injured toe. It was bleeding lightly. I cleaned it and put bandages on it. Otherwise, my toe held up pretty well. The hike didn't anger my toe; there was no increase in inflammation or swelling. I only had a couple of incidents on the trail when I jammed my left foot against a rock sticking out of the trail or as I descended a couple of spots when I felt any discomfort. I was heartened that my hike today had raised my spirits and invigorated my heart and lungs, but not at the expense of further damage to my recovering big toe.
Tuesday, September 10, 2019
Three Beautiful Things 09/09/19: Rain, Leftovers, Toe
1. Rain fell much of the day and I stayed indoors. I worked several crossword puzzles and enjoyed the comments different friends wrote on my Facebook page about Sloppy Joes and Creme Soda.
2. Debbie combined the leftover Sloppy Joe mixture with leftover fried corn. I fixed a batch of jasmine rice. With the addition of some Frank's RedHot Sauce, this was a simple and tasty dinner.
3. My big toe continues to heal. I continue to ice it periodically. Every once in a while it bleeds a little bit. But, the inflammation has decreased, it gets more flexible all the time, and, gradually, the bluish tint continues to fade. A few small areas are tender to the touch, but the toe fits easily in my shoe and rarely bothers me as I walk around.
2. Debbie combined the leftover Sloppy Joe mixture with leftover fried corn. I fixed a batch of jasmine rice. With the addition of some Frank's RedHot Sauce, this was a simple and tasty dinner.
3. My big toe continues to heal. I continue to ice it periodically. Every once in a while it bleeds a little bit. But, the inflammation has decreased, it gets more flexible all the time, and, gradually, the bluish tint continues to fade. A few small areas are tender to the touch, but the toe fits easily in my shoe and rarely bothers me as I walk around.
Monday, September 9, 2019
Three Beautiful Things 09/08/19: Making Sloppy Joes, Epic U. S. Open Final, Sloppy Joes at Frontier Days
1. Debbie and I agreed that, as hosts of tonight's family dinner, we'd keep it simple tonight. When Adrienne, Josh, and Jack came to visit, we fixed Sloppy Joes to eat upon their arrival and decided to serve them for family dinner along with some fried corn and potato chips. Around noon or so, I browned the ground beef along with the chopped onion and red pepper, drained the mixture, put it in the crock pot and added the other ingredients -- tomato sauce, ketchup, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, vinegar, garlic, salt and pepper, and chili powder. I also added some Montreal steak seasoning and I left out the red pepper flakes. Before long, the Sloppy Joe mixture bubbled away in the crock pot and was ready to eat around 6:00. The recipe is here.
2. It felt good to vacuum the living room and other rugs in the house. Charly sheds fur and I just liked getting it cleaned up. With the cooking and vacuuming done, I settled into the Vizio room and watched Rafael Nadal and Daniil Medvedev play an epic tennis match in the U.S. Open championship. I wish I could write intelligently about tennis, but suffice it to say that after two sets and on into the third set, it looked like Nadal would capture this title in straight sets. But, suddenly, in the third set Medvedev turned things around, played some astounding tennis, seemed to have Nadal confused and a little tired, and he won the third and fourth sets.
Now.
Get this.
In 1949, seventy years ago, Pancho Gonzales dropped the first two sets of the U. S. Open championship to Ted Schroeder, but stormed back to sweep the last three sets and capture the U. S. Open Title.
No one has dropped the first two sets and gone on to win the U.S. Open since.
So, Medvedev was poised to achieve an historic accomplishment if he could win the fifth set.
But, he didn't. Yes, he pushed Nadal to the brink of defeat, but Nadal fought and grunted and wailed his way to a 6-4 win in the fifth set and, exhausted, won the title, his fourth U. S. Open and 19th major.
I missed much of the fifth set, but, for the first time in the history of family dinner, Paul and I came to the table a little late so we could watch the very end of this epic match.
Am I ever happy we did.
I love to watch championship tennis and thoroughly enjoyed witnessing this extraordinary match.
3. Christy, Everett, Carol, and Paul all seemed pleased with our simple dinner. Christy recalled how the Silver King PTA used to raise money by selling Sloppy Joes from under the grandstands at Ferd Stadium in Smelterville during Frontier Days. As I remember it, those attending the rodeo and the demolition derby were the primary customers and I definitely remember putting in shifts at the booth, no doubt with Mom. I had a meaningless argument within myself as to whether we sold Cragmont or Shasta (It Hasta be Shasta) soda. I think we sold Shasta and I think it was during this time that I had my first Shasta Creme Soda and really liked it!
Christy remembers that the Sloppy Joes we sold included Chicken Gumbo soup in the recipe. Once she mentioned it, I remembered that, too, and I silently wondered all though dinner just what Campbell's Chicken Gumbo soup would add to the Sloppy Joe mix I had made.
I have no answer.
But, whether or not it's the recipe the Silver King cooks used, Campbell's Kitchen has posted a Chicken Gumbo Sloppy Joe recipe and it's right here.
(Do I want to try it? Not really.)
2. It felt good to vacuum the living room and other rugs in the house. Charly sheds fur and I just liked getting it cleaned up. With the cooking and vacuuming done, I settled into the Vizio room and watched Rafael Nadal and Daniil Medvedev play an epic tennis match in the U.S. Open championship. I wish I could write intelligently about tennis, but suffice it to say that after two sets and on into the third set, it looked like Nadal would capture this title in straight sets. But, suddenly, in the third set Medvedev turned things around, played some astounding tennis, seemed to have Nadal confused and a little tired, and he won the third and fourth sets.
Now.
Get this.
In 1949, seventy years ago, Pancho Gonzales dropped the first two sets of the U. S. Open championship to Ted Schroeder, but stormed back to sweep the last three sets and capture the U. S. Open Title.
No one has dropped the first two sets and gone on to win the U.S. Open since.
So, Medvedev was poised to achieve an historic accomplishment if he could win the fifth set.
But, he didn't. Yes, he pushed Nadal to the brink of defeat, but Nadal fought and grunted and wailed his way to a 6-4 win in the fifth set and, exhausted, won the title, his fourth U. S. Open and 19th major.
I missed much of the fifth set, but, for the first time in the history of family dinner, Paul and I came to the table a little late so we could watch the very end of this epic match.
Am I ever happy we did.
I love to watch championship tennis and thoroughly enjoyed witnessing this extraordinary match.
3. Christy, Everett, Carol, and Paul all seemed pleased with our simple dinner. Christy recalled how the Silver King PTA used to raise money by selling Sloppy Joes from under the grandstands at Ferd Stadium in Smelterville during Frontier Days. As I remember it, those attending the rodeo and the demolition derby were the primary customers and I definitely remember putting in shifts at the booth, no doubt with Mom. I had a meaningless argument within myself as to whether we sold Cragmont or Shasta (It Hasta be Shasta) soda. I think we sold Shasta and I think it was during this time that I had my first Shasta Creme Soda and really liked it!
Christy remembers that the Sloppy Joes we sold included Chicken Gumbo soup in the recipe. Once she mentioned it, I remembered that, too, and I silently wondered all though dinner just what Campbell's Chicken Gumbo soup would add to the Sloppy Joe mix I had made.
I have no answer.
But, whether or not it's the recipe the Silver King cooks used, Campbell's Kitchen has posted a Chicken Gumbo Sloppy Joe recipe and it's right here.
(Do I want to try it? Not really.)
Sunday, September 8, 2019
Three Beautiful Things 09/07/19: Trip to Deary, Pie Safe for Lunch, Kendrick Beer Run and Dinner
1. We hit the road today.
Debbie and I piled into the Sube just before 9:00 and wound our way down the Scenic White Pine Byway, Idaho State Highway 3, with its splendid views of thick pines, cedars, and other coniferous trees, the glassy Chain Lakes, reedy marshes, and remote small towns like Fernwood, Clarkia, and Bovill.
We arrived in Deary in a couple of hours and met up with Christy, Everett, Carol, Paul, Cosette, and Molly at Deary's lone public school building, home to the the senior high school, junior high school, and a half of the elementary grades (the others go to Bovill). My niece, Molly, recently landed her first teaching job at Deary where she teaches special ed. We all got together at the Deary school so Molly could show us her classroom and office and give us a tour of the building.
Molly's road to finishing high school and college and now being hired as full-time teacher has been trying for a variety of reasons. Over the years, I've watched Molly stick with her studies and navigate other challenges in her life. I worked with many students at LCC who were similar to Molly. They were in their twenties. They weren't conforming to the traditional timeline of finishing college in four years and then getting some kind of career under way. Again and again and again, I saw how it's common for young people to need more time to figure things out, to come to understand their place in the world, to recognize their talents and put them to work. I've seen this play out in our home. Having worked with 20-40 years old all those years at LCC and having seen how Adrienne, Patrick, and Molly have grown into such fine adults has always given me confidence that, in time, Molly would work things out and so will Zoe and Cosette.
Because it was Saturday, so no students were at the school, I didn't see Molly in action; nonetheless, as she showed us around and explained her work, for the first time, I saw Molly as a professional, as coming into her own, as more forthright and forthcoming than I had ever seen before.
It was the highlight of our trip.
2. After visiting the school, we caravanned over to the Pie Safe Bakery in Deary, a handsome bakery and cafe in the heart of downtown. I think I'm correct when I say the building also houses a creamery -- I didn't work very hard to figure out what was what -- but, I do know that the space was airy, filled with colorful and tasteful decor, and I know that my turkey sandwich was very tasty. I spent a little time giving the baked goods a look -- pies, sweet rolls, etc. -- and they looked superb.
Cosette's birthday was on September 5th and I lost track of how many times today things we were doing were in celebration of her birthday. I know our dinner later in the day was a birthday dinner and I think this lunch was a birthday lunch, but, to be honest, I have trouble keeping up.
Debbie, Christy, and Everett returned to Kellogg after lunch. Carol and Paul visited Molly and Cosette's residences.
3. I went on a solo trip, down the curvy road and through the golden fields of wheat to Kendrick. I wanted to sample some of the beers at Hardware Brewing. Don and Shelley and Marcy went there late in July and invited me to join them and I was busy with a trip to Spokane and couldn't make it down. But, Shelley sent me a picture from the brewery, Don spoke highly of their Oatmeal Stout, and, being in Deary, I was just twenty minutes away from Kendrick, so I drove down.
I'd been in the brewery's building before. When Mom and I made one of our trips to Orofino, we stopped at Kendrick, maybe on our way back to Kellogg, and ate lunch when this former hardware store was a cafe.
The Lohmans established the brewery here in 2016 after renovating the building, exposing the original brick work, using wood from the original building for trim work on the inside and around the entry doors. It's a roomy space. Historical relics and old pictures hang on the walls. It's comfortable and welcoming. I enjoyed being in this room a lot.
Turns out the beer was very good, too. One of the owners, Christine Lohman, was working the bar and I ordered a flight, four 5 oz glasses of Hardware Brewing's Orange Hefeweizen, Red Nail Ale (an Irish Red Ale), 1904 IPA, and Bolt Cutter Black Oatmeal Stout. Given what I was in the mood for today, the only one of these beers I would not have ordered in a full pour was the Red Nail Ale, but on a cooler day or on a day when I was in the mood for a more malt forward beer, it would no doubt be great. It's a very popular beer at Hardware, but simply wasn't what I wanted today. I very much enjoyed the other three beers and ordered a 10 oz pour of the 1904 IPA.
I took my time drinking my beers and drinking water. I listened to conversations going on around me and I very much enjoyed what I considered the Alternative Country music being played on Pandora over the house system -- think Old Crow Medicine Show's "Wagon Wheel". Maybe there's a better name for this genre of music, but whatever it is, it was perfect today.
Back in the Sube, I ate the other half of my sandwich I'd taken in a box from the Pie Safe and soon I headed up State Highway 99 to Troy and then onto Highway 8 and eased on into Moscow. I parked the car near where we'd be having dinner and strolled over to Paradise Ridge, a used cd and record shop, hoping to find some Tom Rush, Old Crow Medicine Show, Mose Allison, or Dr. John, but I didn't and I strolled down Main Street, found a bench near La Casa Lopez, and waited for Carol, Paul, Molly, and Cosette to arrive.
We had a lot of fun at dinner. Molly's husband Travis works at La Casa Lopez and so we saw a lot of him which was wonderful. The restaurant's owner and several other of the serving staff came by the table to say hello to Molly and meet the rest of us. I ordered the highly recommended margarita made from scratch, enjoyed it, and ordered chicken strips (not breaded) prepared in mole sauce. Cosette's pal Jesus joined us and we had a festive, almost rambunctious time together, laughing, eating, celebrating Cosette's birthday and enjoying one another's company.
I arrived back in Kellogg around 9:00.
Debbie and I piled into the Sube just before 9:00 and wound our way down the Scenic White Pine Byway, Idaho State Highway 3, with its splendid views of thick pines, cedars, and other coniferous trees, the glassy Chain Lakes, reedy marshes, and remote small towns like Fernwood, Clarkia, and Bovill.
We arrived in Deary in a couple of hours and met up with Christy, Everett, Carol, Paul, Cosette, and Molly at Deary's lone public school building, home to the the senior high school, junior high school, and a half of the elementary grades (the others go to Bovill). My niece, Molly, recently landed her first teaching job at Deary where she teaches special ed. We all got together at the Deary school so Molly could show us her classroom and office and give us a tour of the building.
Molly's road to finishing high school and college and now being hired as full-time teacher has been trying for a variety of reasons. Over the years, I've watched Molly stick with her studies and navigate other challenges in her life. I worked with many students at LCC who were similar to Molly. They were in their twenties. They weren't conforming to the traditional timeline of finishing college in four years and then getting some kind of career under way. Again and again and again, I saw how it's common for young people to need more time to figure things out, to come to understand their place in the world, to recognize their talents and put them to work. I've seen this play out in our home. Having worked with 20-40 years old all those years at LCC and having seen how Adrienne, Patrick, and Molly have grown into such fine adults has always given me confidence that, in time, Molly would work things out and so will Zoe and Cosette.
Because it was Saturday, so no students were at the school, I didn't see Molly in action; nonetheless, as she showed us around and explained her work, for the first time, I saw Molly as a professional, as coming into her own, as more forthright and forthcoming than I had ever seen before.
It was the highlight of our trip.
2. After visiting the school, we caravanned over to the Pie Safe Bakery in Deary, a handsome bakery and cafe in the heart of downtown. I think I'm correct when I say the building also houses a creamery -- I didn't work very hard to figure out what was what -- but, I do know that the space was airy, filled with colorful and tasteful decor, and I know that my turkey sandwich was very tasty. I spent a little time giving the baked goods a look -- pies, sweet rolls, etc. -- and they looked superb.
Cosette's birthday was on September 5th and I lost track of how many times today things we were doing were in celebration of her birthday. I know our dinner later in the day was a birthday dinner and I think this lunch was a birthday lunch, but, to be honest, I have trouble keeping up.
Debbie, Christy, and Everett returned to Kellogg after lunch. Carol and Paul visited Molly and Cosette's residences.
3. I went on a solo trip, down the curvy road and through the golden fields of wheat to Kendrick. I wanted to sample some of the beers at Hardware Brewing. Don and Shelley and Marcy went there late in July and invited me to join them and I was busy with a trip to Spokane and couldn't make it down. But, Shelley sent me a picture from the brewery, Don spoke highly of their Oatmeal Stout, and, being in Deary, I was just twenty minutes away from Kendrick, so I drove down.
I'd been in the brewery's building before. When Mom and I made one of our trips to Orofino, we stopped at Kendrick, maybe on our way back to Kellogg, and ate lunch when this former hardware store was a cafe.
The Lohmans established the brewery here in 2016 after renovating the building, exposing the original brick work, using wood from the original building for trim work on the inside and around the entry doors. It's a roomy space. Historical relics and old pictures hang on the walls. It's comfortable and welcoming. I enjoyed being in this room a lot.
Turns out the beer was very good, too. One of the owners, Christine Lohman, was working the bar and I ordered a flight, four 5 oz glasses of Hardware Brewing's Orange Hefeweizen, Red Nail Ale (an Irish Red Ale), 1904 IPA, and Bolt Cutter Black Oatmeal Stout. Given what I was in the mood for today, the only one of these beers I would not have ordered in a full pour was the Red Nail Ale, but on a cooler day or on a day when I was in the mood for a more malt forward beer, it would no doubt be great. It's a very popular beer at Hardware, but simply wasn't what I wanted today. I very much enjoyed the other three beers and ordered a 10 oz pour of the 1904 IPA.
I took my time drinking my beers and drinking water. I listened to conversations going on around me and I very much enjoyed what I considered the Alternative Country music being played on Pandora over the house system -- think Old Crow Medicine Show's "Wagon Wheel". Maybe there's a better name for this genre of music, but whatever it is, it was perfect today.
Back in the Sube, I ate the other half of my sandwich I'd taken in a box from the Pie Safe and soon I headed up State Highway 99 to Troy and then onto Highway 8 and eased on into Moscow. I parked the car near where we'd be having dinner and strolled over to Paradise Ridge, a used cd and record shop, hoping to find some Tom Rush, Old Crow Medicine Show, Mose Allison, or Dr. John, but I didn't
We had a lot of fun at dinner. Molly's husband Travis works at La Casa Lopez and so we saw a lot of him which was wonderful. The restaurant's owner and several other of the serving staff came by the table to say hello to Molly and meet the rest of us. I ordered the highly recommended margarita made from scratch, enjoyed it, and ordered chicken strips (not breaded) prepared in mole sauce. Cosette's pal Jesus joined us and we had a festive, almost rambunctious time together, laughing, eating, celebrating Cosette's birthday and enjoying one another's company.
I arrived back in Kellogg around 9:00.
Saturday, September 7, 2019
Three Beautiful Things 09/06/19: *Miami Vice*, A Walk to the Lounge, Leon Russell and then Tom Rush
1. Today, I gave my big toe another day of rest for most of the day. The first episode of The Eighties, which I watched on Thursday, focused for a little while on how Miami Vice broke new ground as a television show with its music video approach to story telling and its focus on inventive camera work, giving viewers frame after frame of intriguing shots and filling the frame with beautiful men and women. I realized I'd never watched Miami Vice. So today I watched the show's pilot, a two hour story that established how Tubbs and Crockett came to be partners as detectives on the vice squad, Crockett's unstable personal life (and his pet alligator), Tubbs' fraudulent means of getting to Miami and his desire for avenging his brother's death, and the pilot introduces members of the Miami Police Department. I'm not sure how much more of Miami Vice I'll watch, but I enjoyed the visual features the show was famous for (Executive Producer Michael Mann banned all earth tones) and I especially enjoyed the way pop music was integrated into the story line.
2. I gave my toe its first moderate workout late this afternoon. Debbie and I had decided to have burgers from the Elks delivered to the Lounge. I walked uptown. It was just about the right amount of exercise to give my injury. Occasionally, I felt twinges of mild pain, but, overall, my toe felt pretty good. It's definitely still inflamed. It bled a very tiny bit today for the first time since Tuesday. But, all in all, I was encouraged and I continue to ponder when to take my toe hiking on a trail.
3. Back home, I watched the last fifteen minutes or so of the J. J. Cale/Leon Russell studio session I enjoy so much on Amazon Prime and then I watched a 1980 performance of Leon Russell sitting in with the New Grass Revival. When Leon Russell sang gospel songs, including "Amazing Grace", I had to pinch myself as a way of coming back to reality. At times, Leon Russell seemed like Jesus himself wailing the vocals and playing the piano. If you have Amazon Prime and want to check out this concert, it's called Leon Russell and the New Grass Revival: Live and Pickling.
Before I went to bed, I watched nearly half of a documentary: Tom Rush: No Regrets. When I worked as a Graduate Teaching Fellow at the Univ. of Oregon library back in 1987-88, my supervisor and good friend, Paul Frantz, introduced me to Tom Rush. I played his music over and over and over again on an a Walkman cassette tape player and couldn't listen to "Urge for Going", "No Regrets", and "Joshua Gone Barbados" enough and tonight I recalled flying to Minneapolis in late January of 1988 for a (failed) job interview at Augsburg College. I'd never flown to Minneapolis before and I listened to that Tom Rush tape as the great expanse of Montana and the Dakotas opened up beneath the jet plane and, later, as the lights of the Twin Cities filled me with awe. I loved that trip, despite my lousy interview performance, and Tom Rush was with me not only as I flew into Minneapolis, but as I walked the streets near Augsburg and the Univ. of Minnesota and gazed at the Mississippi River and imagined myself living there one day -- which, of course, never happened.
2. I gave my toe its first moderate workout late this afternoon. Debbie and I had decided to have burgers from the Elks delivered to the Lounge. I walked uptown. It was just about the right amount of exercise to give my injury. Occasionally, I felt twinges of mild pain, but, overall, my toe felt pretty good. It's definitely still inflamed. It bled a very tiny bit today for the first time since Tuesday. But, all in all, I was encouraged and I continue to ponder when to take my toe hiking on a trail.
3. Back home, I watched the last fifteen minutes or so of the J. J. Cale/Leon Russell studio session I enjoy so much on Amazon Prime and then I watched a 1980 performance of Leon Russell sitting in with the New Grass Revival. When Leon Russell sang gospel songs, including "Amazing Grace", I had to pinch myself as a way of coming back to reality. At times, Leon Russell seemed like Jesus himself wailing the vocals and playing the piano. If you have Amazon Prime and want to check out this concert, it's called Leon Russell and the New Grass Revival: Live and Pickling.
Before I went to bed, I watched nearly half of a documentary: Tom Rush: No Regrets. When I worked as a Graduate Teaching Fellow at the Univ. of Oregon library back in 1987-88, my supervisor and good friend, Paul Frantz, introduced me to Tom Rush. I played his music over and over and over again on an a Walkman cassette tape player and couldn't listen to "Urge for Going", "No Regrets", and "Joshua Gone Barbados" enough and tonight I recalled flying to Minneapolis in late January of 1988 for a (failed) job interview at Augsburg College. I'd never flown to Minneapolis before and I listened to that Tom Rush tape as the great expanse of Montana and the Dakotas opened up beneath the jet plane and, later, as the lights of the Twin Cities filled me with awe. I loved that trip, despite my lousy interview performance, and Tom Rush was with me not only as I flew into Minneapolis, but as I walked the streets near Augsburg and the Univ. of Minnesota and gazed at the Mississippi River and imagined myself living there one day -- which, of course, never happened.
Friday, September 6, 2019
Three Beautiful Things 09/05/19: Upcoming Road Trip, Big Toe is Better, *The Eighties*
1. My plan is to go on a solo hiking, photographing, site seeing road trip. Today, I booked accommodations in Bonners Ferry for two nights, Crawford Bay, BC for three, and Ponderay for one night. I will hit the road on Sept. 18th and return on Sept. 24. So far, my tentative plans are to spend a good chunk of time at the Kootenai Wildlife Refuge and to hike to Copper Falls. I've read up on other hikes around Bonners Ferry and I'll decide which ones to do based on what I can learn about the condition of the roads that lead to the trail heads and how I feel about hiking alone in these places. In Crawford Bay, I look forward to revisiting Artisan Way, riding the ferry across Kootenai Lake and going on to a few places, most likely Nelson, Ainsworth Hot Springs, and Kalso; I'm also reading up on provincial parks near Crawford Bay, with a special interest in Kokanee Glacier Provincial Park. I have some more reading and thinking to do about my time in Ponderay, but I'm almost positive it will include a visit to the Laughing Dog Brewery. I'll be looking into finding an easy to moderate hikes around there.
2. While making these plans, I've been encouraged by the way my big toe is healing. Yes, it still looks ugly and still feels insulted, but my toe is growing increasingly flexible and I am experiencing almost no pain. I am walking freely again and am on the verge of testing it out on a nearby trail. I am optimistic that my toe will be in great shape for my upcoming excursion northward.
3. I often hit the hay around 9 or 10 o'clock, but tonight was different. I got hooked on the CNN miniseries, The Eighties, and watched the first three episodes. These episodes explored, in order, the leap forward in high quality television in the 1980s (along with some junk!), the presidency and popularity of Ronald Reagan, and the AIDS pandemic.
The content of each episode engrossed me, and, at the same time, I found myself reliving some of my life's happiest days. Granted, I experienced some of my life's darkest days in the 1980s and I would love to go back and stop myself from doing some of the stupid things I did.
I'll leave it at that.
But, I got to know many of the best people I've ever known during that time. I thought about the people I worked with at Whitworth and felt gratitude swell inside me that I am still in touch with some of these friends. Yes, I've lost touch with others, but all of these people paid me visits this evening. My love for all of them, whether we've lost touch or not, occupied my inward self. So did my love for all the great friends I made in the 1980s at the University of Oregon and I thought about my good fortune to have worked at LCC with some of them and that we remain good friends. Starting in about 1987, I began to frequent hiking trails and waterfalls in Oregon -- I suddenly recalled trips to Crater Lake and hiking Mt. Scott, Silver Falls State Park, the string of waterfalls just off Highway 138 (the North Umpqua Highway) -- Clearwater Falls, Watson Falls, Toketee Falls, and others --, Silver and Golden Falls in Coos County, a trip to Waldo Lake and Gold Lake, hiking Fuji Mountain, jaunts up Mt. Pisgah, and many others. Those hikes in the late 1980s are with me all the time as I find places to hike and explore now in North Idaho.
2. While making these plans, I've been encouraged by the way my big toe is healing. Yes, it still looks ugly and still feels insulted, but my toe is growing increasingly flexible and I am experiencing almost no pain. I am walking freely again and am on the verge of testing it out on a nearby trail. I am optimistic that my toe will be in great shape for my upcoming excursion northward.
3. I often hit the hay around 9 or 10 o'clock, but tonight was different. I got hooked on the CNN miniseries, The Eighties, and watched the first three episodes. These episodes explored, in order, the leap forward in high quality television in the 1980s (along with some junk!), the presidency and popularity of Ronald Reagan, and the AIDS pandemic.
The content of each episode engrossed me, and, at the same time, I found myself reliving some of my life's happiest days. Granted, I experienced some of my life's darkest days in the 1980s and I would love to go back and stop myself from doing some of the stupid things I did.
I'll leave it at that.
But, I got to know many of the best people I've ever known during that time. I thought about the people I worked with at Whitworth and felt gratitude swell inside me that I am still in touch with some of these friends. Yes, I've lost touch with others, but all of these people paid me visits this evening. My love for all of them, whether we've lost touch or not, occupied my inward self. So did my love for all the great friends I made in the 1980s at the University of Oregon and I thought about my good fortune to have worked at LCC with some of them and that we remain good friends. Starting in about 1987, I began to frequent hiking trails and waterfalls in Oregon -- I suddenly recalled trips to Crater Lake and hiking Mt. Scott, Silver Falls State Park, the string of waterfalls just off Highway 138 (the North Umpqua Highway) -- Clearwater Falls, Watson Falls, Toketee Falls, and others --, Silver and Golden Falls in Coos County, a trip to Waldo Lake and Gold Lake, hiking Fuji Mountain, jaunts up Mt. Pisgah, and many others. Those hikes in the late 1980s are with me all the time as I find places to hike and explore now in North Idaho.
Thursday, September 5, 2019
Three Beautiful Things 09/04/19: Toe Update, Travel Plans, Relaxing Next Door
1. My injured toe continues to look ugly, but it doesn't hurt and becomes more flexible all the time. When I wear my shoes, there's no pain and I am not really limping much. I'm thinking that in another day or so, I can give the Health and Wellness Trail a try and test this beat up old toe.
2. I decided to go on a road trip between Sept. 18 and 24. I will spend a couple nights in Bonners Ferry, ID, drive north to Crawford Bay, BC for three nights, and spend one night in Ponderay, ID. I'll explore each locale, take pictures, be out in the natural world as much as possible, and, in British Columbia, visit Nelson, Ainsworth, and visit a couple of provincial parks. It will be solo trip. I look forward to spending more time than I ever have in the Bonners Ferry area and revisiting places in British Columbia and seeking out new sites.
3. After a day that got fairly hot, things cooled off refreshingly this evening. Debbie and I went next door and sat on Christy and Everett's deck for some enjoyable conversation and relaxation.
2. I decided to go on a road trip between Sept. 18 and 24. I will spend a couple nights in Bonners Ferry, ID, drive north to Crawford Bay, BC for three nights, and spend one night in Ponderay, ID. I'll explore each locale, take pictures, be out in the natural world as much as possible, and, in British Columbia, visit Nelson, Ainsworth, and visit a couple of provincial parks. It will be solo trip. I look forward to spending more time than I ever have in the Bonners Ferry area and revisiting places in British Columbia and seeking out new sites.
3. After a day that got fairly hot, things cooled off refreshingly this evening. Debbie and I went next door and sat on Christy and Everett's deck for some enjoyable conversation and relaxation.
Wednesday, September 4, 2019
Three Beautiful Things 09/03/19: Verizon Store Revelation, Sube Talk, Tooling Around CdA
MEDICAL UPDATE: The big toe on my left foot is angry and inflamed. Its toenail looks like I had a one toe paint job done at the salon -- it's a pale blue color. So far, it hasn't fallen off. The good news is that I can comfortably wear shoes and, as you will see, I did a lot of driving and walking around today, always in a state of slight discomfort, limping for sure, but I was never in agony, never thought I should give up on the things I did today. I expect my toe to be pretty much healed fairly soon.
1. I took my crapped out cell phone to the Verizon store. A very helpful solutions expert tried three, four, maybe five different methods to get the phone, with my permission, to perform a factory reset. Not one of them worked. We agreed the cell phone was D.O.A. I had expected this. I'd held out a sliver of hope that the phone might be resuscitated, but -- no. So the very helpful solutions expert escorted me over to the wall of cell phones and started explaining how I could get the new model of this phone, but that one did about the same thing for less, and, somehow, he interrupted his sales pitches and said something like, "unless you've got an old phone at home you haven't been using."
Suddenly a shaft of light descended from the skies. I stopped him. I told him that I had bought my now dead phone on a whim. I didn't go into the details with him, but I bought the now dead phone when Debbie needed to buy a new one after she left her former phone outside over night in a rain storm over a year ago. I told the very helpful solutions expert that the phone I had when I bought the now dead phone must still work. "Great!" said the very helpful solutions expert. "Bring in your other phone, we'll swap the SIM cards, and set you up." I thought for a second. I asked how long the Verizon store was open, found out it didn't close until 7:00, so I told the very helpful solutions expert that I'd be back later, that I was going to drive back to Kellogg, retrieve my former phone (I knew exactly where it was), and I'd bring it back and see if it works.
2. I had also planned on making a trip to Reliable Auto to talk with the guy who works their front desk about the Sube's maintenance schedule. I decided to put that off and as I soared over the Fourth of July Pass, the Sube's check engine light came on. Well, I said to myself, I'll grab the phone, return to CdA, go straight to Reliable Auto and have the car checked, talk about maintenance, and then return to the Verizon store.
That's exactly what I did.
The guy at Reliable scanned the Sube for a code, got it, told me that what the code was and we talked about how the Sube has been idling (just fine). He said that if there wasn't a problem, before long the Sube's sensors would realize there wasn't a problem and the light would go off. He recommended that I come back in a month if the light was still on and the shop would dig into it. This was consistent with what he told me last time I dropped in for a check engine scan. Then I showed him the maintenance records for the Sube over the last 80,000+ miles and he told me the Sube's spark plugs, timing belt, etc. should be fine for another year.
3. I returned to the Verizon store and the very helpful solutions expert was now the check-in guy and he smiled broadly when I entered the store, impressed that I had actually returned. After about a ten or fifteen minute wait, another very helpful solutions expert sat down with me, put some juice in my idle old phone, swapped out the SIM cards, punched a few buttons here and there, and before long announced that I was in luck. My former phone was functional and ready to use.
I returned to the Sube and headed over to Fred Meyer to pick up a few things and PRESTO! the check engine light went off.
I picked up a few things at Fred Meyer, gassed up at Costco, went to Long Ear and bought a live JJ Cale cd and a cd of JJ Cale songs sung by other artists, had a sandwich and a beer at Capone's, picked up a couple of items at Staples, and headed on back to Kellogg. The check engine light stayed off. Once home, I iced my injured toe and put a full charge in my old phone.
Then I went to bed, satisfied that my trips to the Verizon store and Reliable Auto had gone so well and happy to have some more JJ Cale ready to play in the Sube.
1. I took my crapped out cell phone to the Verizon store. A very helpful solutions expert tried three, four, maybe five different methods to get the phone, with my permission, to perform a factory reset. Not one of them worked. We agreed the cell phone was D.O.A. I had expected this. I'd held out a sliver of hope that the phone might be resuscitated, but -- no. So the very helpful solutions expert escorted me over to the wall of cell phones and started explaining how I could get the new model of this phone, but that one did about the same thing for less, and, somehow, he interrupted his sales pitches and said something like, "unless you've got an old phone at home you haven't been using."
Suddenly a shaft of light descended from the skies. I stopped him. I told him that I had bought my now dead phone on a whim. I didn't go into the details with him, but I bought the now dead phone when Debbie needed to buy a new one after she left her former phone outside over night in a rain storm over a year ago. I told the very helpful solutions expert that the phone I had when I bought the now dead phone must still work. "Great!" said the very helpful solutions expert. "Bring in your other phone, we'll swap the SIM cards, and set you up." I thought for a second. I asked how long the Verizon store was open, found out it didn't close until 7:00, so I told the very helpful solutions expert that I'd be back later, that I was going to drive back to Kellogg, retrieve my former phone (I knew exactly where it was), and I'd bring it back and see if it works.
2. I had also planned on making a trip to Reliable Auto to talk with the guy who works their front desk about the Sube's maintenance schedule. I decided to put that off and as I soared over the Fourth of July Pass, the Sube's check engine light came on. Well, I said to myself, I'll grab the phone, return to CdA, go straight to Reliable Auto and have the car checked, talk about maintenance, and then return to the Verizon store.
That's exactly what I did.
The guy at Reliable scanned the Sube for a code, got it, told me that what the code was and we talked about how the Sube has been idling (just fine). He said that if there wasn't a problem, before long the Sube's sensors would realize there wasn't a problem and the light would go off. He recommended that I come back in a month if the light was still on and the shop would dig into it. This was consistent with what he told me last time I dropped in for a check engine scan. Then I showed him the maintenance records for the Sube over the last 80,000+ miles and he told me the Sube's spark plugs, timing belt, etc. should be fine for another year.
3. I returned to the Verizon store and the very helpful solutions expert was now the check-in guy and he smiled broadly when I entered the store, impressed that I had actually returned. After about a ten or fifteen minute wait, another very helpful solutions expert sat down with me, put some juice in my idle old phone, swapped out the SIM cards, punched a few buttons here and there, and before long announced that I was in luck. My former phone was functional and ready to use.
I returned to the Sube and headed over to Fred Meyer to pick up a few things and PRESTO! the check engine light went off.
I picked up a few things at Fred Meyer, gassed up at Costco, went to Long Ear and bought a live JJ Cale cd and a cd of JJ Cale songs sung by other artists, had a sandwich and a beer at Capone's, picked up a couple of items at Staples, and headed on back to Kellogg. The check engine light stayed off. Once home, I iced my injured toe and put a full charge in my old phone.
Then I went to bed, satisfied that my trips to the Verizon store and Reliable Auto had gone so well and happy to have some more JJ Cale ready to play in the Sube.
Tuesday, September 3, 2019
Three Beautiful Things 09/02/19: Water in the Basement, Falling on the Pulaski Trail, Wound Treatment and a Dead Cell Phone
1. The plumber arrived around 9 o'clock this morning. On Sunday, a pool of water formed in the laundry area and my thought was that the pipe under the basement floor where discharge flows out from the washing machine and where the kitchen sink and dishwasher drain to was stopped up -- just like it was in February '18. Sure enough, just like the last plumber, today's plumber snaked out the two inch pipe, going at it through the basement floor drain and water ran freely through the pipe again. I ran the dishwasher and the washing machine after the plumber left and there was no back up.
2. I met Meagan and Patrick in Wallace after they spent some time at the Labor Day weekend flea market and we drove to the Pulaski Tunnel trailhead for a hike. It was splendid. The combination of the shade and the creek kept us cool. We meandered up the trail, admiring the trees, the small waterfalls, and the beauty of the day.
Before long, we encountered a hiker with a young and strong dog coming down the trail. I climbed a few feet off the trail and stood on some large rocks, happy to give way to the man and his dog. The dog was very excited about encountering us and he pulled forward, pulled hard, and, even though he was leashed, the dog's owner did not have his dog under control. Fortunately, the dog was not aggressive but friendly. He charged to where I was standing on the rocks and jumped on me. He knocked me over. I tumbled down the rocks onto the trail.
I was stunned by having fallen. I got myself in a sitting position. The hiker whose dog knocked me over helped me to my feet. I gathered myself, determined I hadn't broken any bones, and said to dog owner, "I'll be all right. You can go on."
Patrick and Meagan came to my side and I realized that when I fell I jammed the big toe on my left foot. I also had an ugly, but shallow, scrape on my left arm and a small scrape on my leg. I immediately knew I needed to head back to the car, get home, and ice my toe. I told Patrick and Meagan I'd wait for them down below if they wanted to hike farther up the trail, but they said they'd come back to the car with me.
I was relieved that despite having jammed my toe, I could walk just fine -- I think my toe got a healthy shot of adrenaline. Down the trail a short way, we stopped, I got out my day hiking first aid kit, and cleaned and dressed, with Meagan's help, the scrape on my arm and cleaned the scrape on my leg.
3. Back home, I took off my left shoe and my sock was bloody mess. When I jammed my toe, my toenail cut into my toe. It was blue underneath my toenail and the toenail was intact. I cleaned the wound and Debbie dressed it to stanch the bleeding. I got out an ice pack and started the icing process. My toe was swollen, but I've experienced worse.
Later in the evening, I suddenly realized that I could have brought the hiking poles Christy lent me on this hike. They are such a new addition to my life -- I'm not in the habit of using them -- that I didn't even think of putting them in the car when I left. (Now I'm going to keep them in the car.) Had I been using those poles when the excited, friendly dog jumped on me, the chances are good I might have maintained my balance. It's not a guarantee, but my chances of staying on my feet would have been better.
After arriving back home, I felt my cell phone getting hot in my pocket. It was heating up and wouldn't turn on -- in fact, it was in an endless reboot loop. Patrick inspected the phone and found a problem unrelated to my fall. Whether my fall and the phone being on the blink had anything to do with each other is a mystery, but it doesn't really matter. I'll be heading to CdA on Tuesday morning to see if my phone can be resurrected (I doubt it) and, if not, to purchase a new one.
Quite a day.
I wish I could have changed a couple of things about what happened today.
First, I wish the dog owner had had his dog on a shorter leash, especially if he knew his dog is overly friendly with people. He would have had better control of his dog with a shorter leash. As it was, the dog was pulling his owner down the trail, leash pulled out tight, the owner's arm stretched out straight. But, I understand how these things happen and I'm actually grateful that the dog was friendly and not aggressive.
Second, the poles. I really wish I had remembered to hike with them today. I've got to make using hiking poles a regular part of my hiking.
Monday, September 2, 2019
Three Beautiful Things 09/01/19: Goodbye, Day with Ed, Dinner at Radio
1. Josh, Jack, and Adrienne got up around 4 a.m. and were soon out the door on their way to the Spokane Airport, their trip to North Idaho having ended. I got up to say goodbye to them, sad to see them go, but confident that this had been a good trip for them.
2. Later in the morning, I headed out to Ed's house. Today was a good day to get away from it all and head down to Worley and mess around at the casino. We had a great drive down and back and yakked about a lot of stuff. Once we got to playing, I had no luck on my side, but Ed's fortunes were much better. Every time I checked on him, something good had just happened or happened soon and it was a lot of fun to see him enjoying the excitement of some good spins.
3. Back in Kellogg, Meagan and Patrick met Debbie and me at Radio Brewing after they rode the Hiawatha Trail from top to bottom. I enjoyed hearing their report and seeing the pictures Patrick snapped. We returned home and split a 22 oz bottle of Deschutes' Barrel Aged Imperial Stout, the magnificent Abyss, between the four of us and yakked for a while on the deck, appreciating the cool air and good company.
2. Later in the morning, I headed out to Ed's house. Today was a good day to get away from it all and head down to Worley and mess around at the casino. We had a great drive down and back and yakked about a lot of stuff. Once we got to playing, I had no luck on my side, but Ed's fortunes were much better. Every time I checked on him, something good had just happened or happened soon and it was a lot of fun to see him enjoying the excitement of some good spins.
3. Back in Kellogg, Meagan and Patrick met Debbie and me at Radio Brewing after they rode the Hiawatha Trail from top to bottom. I enjoyed hearing their report and seeing the pictures Patrick snapped. We returned home and split a 22 oz bottle of Deschutes' Barrel Aged Imperial Stout, the magnificent Abyss, between the four of us and yakked for a while on the deck, appreciating the cool air and good company.
Sunday, September 1, 2019
Three Beautiful Things 08/31/19: Out for Breakfast, Jack at the Water Park, Dinner at the Roberts'
1. Adrienne and Josh took advantage of the fact that this morning was not a get right up and go time and went to Pinehurst for a fresh and filling breakfast at Goose n Tree. Patrick and Meagan also went out to breakfast. They went uptown to the Backcountry Cafe. Jack occupied himself with glue and yarn and paper plates and bowls, making stuff at the kitchen table and with the fly swatter, doing his best to rid the house of pests.
2. Patrick and Meagan took Jack over to the local water park for a few hours. Josh and Adrienne took a much needed and well deserved rest. I retired to the Vizio room and worked crossword puzzles and watched the Phillies and the Mets.
3. At four o'clock, Christy, Everett, Debbie, Patrick, Meagan, Adrienne, Josh, Jack, and I arrived at Carol and Paul's house for a dinner of grilled brats, potato salad, green salad, and chips. Christy made Cowboy Cookies for dessert, served with a small container of ice cream. Jack played bocce ball, shot pool, and played darts with a variety of competitors and had a superb time.
Back home, the evening ended with Patrick, Meagan, and I sitting in the living room, listening to selections from Patrick and Meagan's YouTube playlist, capping off a fun evening of discussing movies and music. Talking with Patrick and Meagan transports me back to my days teaching at LCC, especially when I acted in plays. In the classroom, my office, and in the basement beneath the theater, I spent hours listening to young people discuss movies they watched and music they were listening to. They always expanded my horizons and prompted me to watch movies I otherwise would have missed and listen to music that was unfamiliar to me. Patrick and Meagan did the same for me tonight.
2. Patrick and Meagan took Jack over to the local water park for a few hours. Josh and Adrienne took a much needed and well deserved rest. I retired to the Vizio room and worked crossword puzzles and watched the Phillies and the Mets.
3. At four o'clock, Christy, Everett, Debbie, Patrick, Meagan, Adrienne, Josh, Jack, and I arrived at Carol and Paul's house for a dinner of grilled brats, potato salad, green salad, and chips. Christy made Cowboy Cookies for dessert, served with a small container of ice cream. Jack played bocce ball, shot pool, and played darts with a variety of competitors and had a superb time.
Back home, the evening ended with Patrick, Meagan, and I sitting in the living room, listening to selections from Patrick and Meagan's YouTube playlist, capping off a fun evening of discussing movies and music. Talking with Patrick and Meagan transports me back to my days teaching at LCC, especially when I acted in plays. In the classroom, my office, and in the basement beneath the theater, I spent hours listening to young people discuss movies they watched and music they were listening to. They always expanded my horizons and prompted me to watch movies I otherwise would have missed and listen to music that was unfamiliar to me. Patrick and Meagan did the same for me tonight.
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