Wrapping Up June Hodgepodge

June was a month full of growth with lots of flowers to enjoy.

Joyce has some final questions for the month of June for Wednesday Hodgepodge.

1. What does adventure mean to you? 

Doing something I’ve never done before or visiting somewhere I’ve never been before. I’m so thankful to God for all the adventures afforded to me in my life.

2.  What are your thoughts on tipping?

We’re happy to be able to tip and tip extra when service is exceptionally good.

What businesses or service providers do you regularly tip?

We tip at sit down restaurants, hairdressers, massage therapists, and shuttle drivers.

Do you resent being asked if you’d like to add a tip? What about when a suggested amount is presented? 

I don’t resent it because I’m not bullied into doing something I don’t want to do. Ask all you want but I’m free to say no. I always say no at Goodwill when they ask if I want to just round up the amount of my purchase. Everything they sell was a donation and they should be able to manage the money they make to pay their employees and offer them training.

3. I scream you scream we all scream for ice cream…do we? Is ice cream a favorite treat at your house? What’s your favorite flavor? Regular, soft serve, gelato, sherbet, or some sort of non-dairy version of ice cream…what’s your pleasure? 

We do enjoy our ice cream. We like a variety but favorites at this time are Haagen Daz Coffee chip and Vanilla Swiss Almond. I enjoy Umqua Orange Sherbet, too.

4. What’s your ‘back in my day, we____________________ ‘ story or saying? 

So many because I am old.

Back in my day we used paper maps and had to stop at gas stations for directions if we got lost.

Back in my day we had to get up and walk to the T.V. to change the channel.

Back in my day we had one phone attached to the wall.

Back in my day we only wore dresses or skirts and blouses for school.

Back in my day we did not have computers. We used encyclopedias, dictionaries, and other research materials.

Back in my day we did not have credit cards but paid with cash or check.

Back in my day our suitcases did not have wheels.

5. Somehow this is our last Hodgepodge in the month of June. Next week’s Hodgepodge lands in July. Wow. Sum up your June using three adjectives. 

Painstaking: As in completing some hard physical jobs on our property.

Painful: As in dealing with Plantar Fasciitis (It has improved, I’m happy to report)

Adventurous: As in traveling primitive and new roads to us.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

I managed to work on and finish two puzzles in June.

This Norman Rockwell one was tough with all the white. It helped to sort the pieces into shapes to make it easier. Someone dropped off a load of puzzles where our DIL works and she had a few for me to enjoy. This was one of those.

This next puzzle was a purchase on our road trip at the Mercantile in Metaline Falls. It was $4 and I was happy that there were no missing pieces.

This was a fun one to complete.

Happy Summer to all of you. Hope the bees are buzzing and the heat is bearable where you are.

Hello Summer Views and News

We’ve had a mix of blue skies and rain showers for the beginning of summer. It has been a banner year for our clematis varieties.

The yellow day lilies are always the first of the lilies to bloom.

Addy and JJ had fun at Golf Camp. We visited the camp on Wednesday held at the Chewelah Golf and Country Club.

On Thursday they were able to play nine holes of golf.

On the other side of the mountains, the Seattle Sounders had tournament games with international teams and Josh and Laura were able to attend.

Our kids had uninvited visitors on their mountain. The farmer/rancher was called to lead this girl back home…but she must have told her friends that the grass was greener here because later in the day this crew arrived. There are fencing repairs needed by the owner of these cows.

We finally decided to give this Mexican restaurant a try since the ownership and management changed. We gave it a thumbs up. For our small town with limited restaurants it’s interesting that we have three Mexican Restaurants.

We are still enjoying the many shades of green with pops of color on our property.

We had some rain on Saturday and on Sunday in the late afternoon we had thunderstorms and a real good soak.

This Monday morning would be a great time to do some weeding since the soil is very wet and softer than usual.

Quote of the week:

“Never start with your problems. Never! Never start with earth; never start with men. Always start in heaven; always start with God.”
(Martin Lloyd-Jones, Seeking the Face of God: Nine Reflections on the Psalms)
Psalm 71:1 In you, O LORD, do I take refuge…

Sovereign Ruler of the Skies ~Hymn

Sovereign Ruler of the Skies

Sovereign ruler of the skies,
Ever gracious, ever wise,
All my times are in your hand,
All events at your command!

His decree, who formed the earth,
Fixed my first and second birth;
Parents, native place, and time,
All appointed were by Him

He who formed me in the womb
He shall guide me to the tomb.
All my times shall ever be,
Ordered by His wise decree!

Times of sickness, times of health,
Times of poverty and of wealth;
Times of trial, and of grief
Times of triumph, and relief.

Plagues and death around me fly;
Till he bids, I cannot die!
Not a single shaft can hit,
Till the God of love sees fit!

O Thou gra­cious, wise and just,
In Thy hands my life I trust;
Have I some­what dear­er still?
I re­sign it to Thy will.

Thee, at all times, will I bless;
Having Thee, I all pos­sess;
I can ne’er be­reav­èd be,
Since I can­not part with Thee.

John Ryland (1753-1825)

Tea ~ White Heather Tea Room

Welcome to Tea Time 2025. These posts will be about Tea Rooms we’ve been to, Teas we’ve given for friends and family, Church Tea events, and High Tea in restaurants from 2008 to the present. Tea in the U.S.A., Tea in England and Tea in Canada. Many of the Tea Rooms are no longer in business, which is sad.

This post is from April 6th 2011

On Saturday we walked many miles around town and ended up for an afternoon tea in the Oak Bay area of Victoria. It was a wonderful authentic English High Tea that was recommended to us by Pondside who lives on Vancouver Island. She graciously made our reservations for us including instructions not to be seated in the middle of the restaurant. We had a delightful experience at the White Heather Tea Room and would recommend it to you. Later I will post about meeting Pondside on Sunday and what a wonderful day we had together.

It was so delightful to meet Pondside face to face on this trip.

We visited this tea room on a Sister weekend the four of us enjoyed in Victoria B.C. for my 60th birthday. This tea room is still in business!

We stayed at the Beaconsfield for our weekend.

Back to the present: Yesterday was the first day of Summer and we got a nice rain shower and today we are expecting some more rain. Lots of heat forecasted for many areas in the U.S.A. the next few days. Colville is supposed to be 55 F today with rain starting at noon. How are the temps where you are?

Pend Oreille County Part 3

After leaving the Boundary Dam Vista House on Thursday June 12th we took a right turn off the National Development Road 3165 onto NF-325 to reach the Pee Wee Falls Overlook. It was a twisty primitive road and but before too long we were in another nice parking area with picnic tables, a nice restroom and well maintained trail to the Overlook.

We really enjoyed these beautiful views.

The wind was gusty at the overlook.

This next photo is from our son, Dan, that inspired our trip. He took this photo in May.

We traveled back the way we came and soon were on highway 31 and headed back south.

We stopped at this roadside sign after we enjoyed the Falls. It’s a nice map with places to enjoy along the North Pend Oreille Scenic Byway. We met two gals from Florida and were just finishing their drive on the Selkirk International Loop that runs through parts of Idaho,  Canada and Washington. We enjoyed a nice conversation. They were hungry and I could wholeheartedly recommend the Farmhouse Cafe in Metaline Falls. They were the only two other travelers we saw at any of our stops!

Before we hit the road to go home we made this last stop at another overlook of the Pend Oreille River very close to the downtown of Metaline Falls with a good view of the bridge we crossed at the beginning of our trip. This was another well maintained spot with restrooms, parking and lovely trails along the river.

The Pend Oreille River is a tributary of the Columbia River, approximately 130 miles long, in northern Idaho and northeastern Washington in the United States, as well as southeastern British Columbia in Canada. In its passage through British Columbia its name is spelled Pend-d’Oreille River.

This was a great day from beginning to end and we were thankful for safe travels and beautiful scenery to see and praise God for.

Truth for Today #149

Thursday June 19th

On Thursdays my posts will include verses that stood out in my readings from the Bible during week. One, two, three or maybe more. If you have a verse/verses that you read during the week and would like to share, leave it/them in the comments and I will add it/them to the post. Let’s dig deep in God’s Truth again this year!

The verses that you share are appreciated and so encouraging, I’m thankful for them and for each of you! 

Psalm 61:4-5

Let me dwell in your tent forever!
    Let me take refuge under the shelter of your wings! Selah
For you, O God, have heard my vows;
    you have given me the heritage of those who fear your name.

Psalm 31:23-24

Love the Lord, all you his saints!
    The Lord preserves the faithful
    but abundantly repays the one who acts in pride.
Be strong, and let your heart take courage,
    all you who wait for the Lord!

1 Corinthians 16:13-14

13 Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. 14 Let all that you do be done in love.

1 Corinthians 1:18, 21-25

18 For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. 22 For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

From Vera:

“But as for me, I will look to the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me.”
‭‭Micah‬ ‭7‬:‭7‬ ‭ESV‬‬

From Karen:

Psalm 118:24

This is the day that the Lord hath made, we will rejoice and be glad in it.

Sorry to See Spring Go Hodgepodge

Last week it was time for the white peonies. This week it is time for the pink peonies and they are my favorites!

Wednesday Hodgepodge with thanks to Jo From This Side of the Pond.

1. Summer officially begins this week (in the northern hemisphere)…what was your favorite thing to do in the summer when you were a kid?

We grew up in Southern California so a favorite was going to the beach. Newport Beach in California was where extended family gathered. I remember scouring the beach for soda bottles and turning them in for the deposit at a store and buying a treat, ice cream or a candy bar.

What do you like most about summer now? 

Visits from family. Watching the Grands at their summer sports.

First golf, then swimming and lastly soccer.

2.  Something you’ll celebrate this summer? 

The 4th of July is the traditional day we celebrate in the summer. I love to pull out my bins filled with red, white and blue decor starting in June.

3. Summer tastes like? Smells like? Sounds like?

Taste~Watermelon

Smell~Lavender

Sounds~Mosquitoes buzzing around my head

4. June 18th is National Splurge Day…what’s the last thing you splurged on? 

My old riding mower died and we bought this new beauty.

What might you splurge on today? 

Not today but tomorrow I’m splurging on a massage.

5. Share a favorite summer quote, saying, song lyric, or meme. 

When I was younger it would be ‘Schools out for the summer’.

These days it will be ‘Where’s the shade?’

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

By next week the Peonies will have wilted away so here are some more for today.

Thank you for visiting today!

Pend Oreille County Part 2

We were so surprised at the lack of vehicles and people on our little road trip to our neighboring county. We took this drive on Thursday June 12th, 2025. After our breakfast and shopping in Metaline Falls we continued North on Highway 31.

It didn’t take us long to get to our next stop. We took a left turn off of Highway 31 onto National Development Road 3165, also called East Side Road. Crescent Lake was a good marker for the road and guaranteed you couldn’t miss it.

It was a short drive to the parking area for Boundary Dam Vista House. Again we were pleasantly surprised with the nice restroom facilities and parking and well maintained trail to an overlook.

There was an indoor viewing house with windows all around and some great information posted. We were surprised to learn that Seattle City Light owns and operates the dam that is 390 miles from the city of Seattle. What surprised us even more is the fact that the electrical current leaves Boundary Powerhouse crosses Washington State and reaches Seattle IN LESS THAN A SECOND!

We took some photos of the dam from the Vista House before we walked the 750 steps to an outdoor overlook.

Looking north towards Canada.

This was another sign inside the Vista House. I’m glad we planned and left the house instead of just wishing on this day. One more display caught our eye. It was hard to photo with the glare but I took it anyway.

Great information and nice historical tribute.

Looking south…

We exited the Vista House that we had all to ourselves and started our 750 foot walk to the outdoor overlook.

Looking South on the Pend Oreille River.

Looking North to Canada.

Back up the 750 Feet to the parking lot. We enjoyed a few wildflowers.

We were inspired to take this trip because of the next photos our son sent when he had to work out in this area for several hours. His photos were taken in May with different cloud cover.

I’m saving our next stop for another post.

Thanks for coming along.

Pend Oreille County Road Trip

 

On Thursday June 12th we left our home bright and early to travel to the Metaline Falls area of our state. Instead of traveling highway 20 to Highway 31, we chose a back road that looked simple enough to navigate. The map showed that Aladdin Road would get us to an alternate route to the town of Ione. After a while we knew we had missed the turnoff. We turned around and saw a gentleman on his morning walk so we stopped to ask him if he knew where we went wrong and if he knew an alternate route to Ione. He said he did and he had just driven it the day before and if we didn’t mind getting our car dirty we could drive Smackout Creek Road for 14 miles and get to Ione. We found the primitive road and set out slow and easy. After several miles the road changed names to Smackout Pass Road. It was a pretty but very remote road.

We did not see another vehicle until we got to about mile 12. We were relieved to finally reach the small town of Ione.

Our first stop once we reached highway 31 was Box Canyon Viewpoint in Ione.

We were happy to see a nice parking area with a clean restroom.

We saw eagles besides the nice views up and down the Pend Oreille river. Pend Oreille is pronounced ‘Pond Array’.

We made a quick stop at Eagle Nest Viewpoint but we were only entertained by swallows.

Continuing on Highway 31 we crossed the bridge over the river into the little town of Metaline Falls.

The Farmhouse Cafe was the spot we picked for our breakfast. Since it was the only choice for food we were happy the food and service was good.

After breakfast we stopped at a Mercantile for a little shopping. We bought a puzzle for me and a hat for Greg.

We got some extra information about the area from the owners of the shop and set off north again on Highway 31. We had two planned stops that were about 1 mile from the U.S. – Canadian Border.

We knew the next two stops were something we’d enjoy seeing in person because our son, Dan, had been in this area last month and had sent photos via text of what he saw.

I’ll save those stops for another post.

Yesterday we had a nice Father’s Day starting with church and then we enjoyed a quiche for brunch.

Our Colville kids brought us a wonderful homemade Curry for dinner along with a Strawberry/Rhubarb Pie that Addy and JJ helped bake.

They forgot to bring a strawberry for the top so they improvised with the fresh cherries we were enjoying.

It was high time to take a fresh generations photo of the guys.

Enjoy the last days of Spring!

I Was a Wandering Sheep ~ Hymn

I Was a Wandering Sheep

I was a wan­der­ing sheep,
I did not love the fold;
I did not love my Shep­herd’s voice,
I would not be con­trolled.
I was a way­ward child,
I did not love my home;
I did not love my Fa­ther’s voice,
I loved afar to roam.

The Shep­herd sought His sheep,
The Fa­ther sought His child;
They fol­lowed me o’er vale and hill,
O’er des­erts waste and wild;
They found me nigh to death,
Famished and faint and lone;
They bound me with the bands of love,
They saved the wan­d’ring one.

They spoke in ten­der love,
They raised my droop­ing head,
They gent­ly closed my bleed­ing wounds,
My faint­ing soul they fed;
They washed my filth away,
They made me clean and fair;
They brought me to my home in peace,
The long sought wan­der­er.

Jesus my Shep­herd is:
’Twas He that loved my soul;
’Twas He that washed me in His blood,
’Twas He that made me whole.
’Twas He that sought the lost,
That found the wan­d’ring sheep,
’Twas He that brought me to the fold,
’Tis He that still doth keep.

No more a wan­der­ing sheep,
I love to be con­trolled;
I love my ten­der Shep­herd’s voice,
I love the peace­ful fold.
No more a way­ward child,
I seek no more to roam;
I love my heav’n­ly Fa­ther’s voice,
I love, I love His home!

Words: Horatius Bonar, 1843.