Tag Archives: Columbia River

Winter Drive

The bright sun and blue skies called us out of the house for a winter drive.

We took a short drive north and over the Columbia river to see if we could get a glimpse of Lake Ellen on Tuesday afternoon. When we got to the cut-off to continue on to the lake we decided the road was not one we wanted to travel on because of the ice. It was a nice drive regardless and now we know what it will be like to take the drive come summer.

On the way back we stopped to take a photo of the Garden Valley Church and Cemetery.

After our pause here we continued on to get back to Inchelium-Kettle Falls Road where we turned off to check out the Red Rooster Quilt and Fabric shop. It was a surprise to walk into this well appointed shop at the back of a private property. The 5 dogs that came running out at us were friendlier than they sounded!

On our way out from the Red Rooster…

We crossed the mighty Columbia River again to return home after a stop for a bite to eat in Kettle Falls.

Here we are starting the last weekend of February and sitting by our TV’s concerned about the people of Ukraine.

Our church is keeping in contact with our missionaries in Ukraine. They are asking for prayer to remain faithful and to trust God no matter what is ahead of them. Here are the verses they shared with us…

16 But I call to God,

 and the Lord will save me.
17 Evening and morning and at noon
    I utter my complaint and moan,
    and he hears my voice.
18 He redeems my soul in safety
    from the battle that I wage,
    for many are arrayed against me.
19 God will give ear and humble them,
    he who is enthroned from of old, Selah
because they do not change
    and do not fear God.

Border and Back

Uploading my photos was possible on Monday morning. The route that is highlighted in yellow was the road we took to get to the US/Canadian Border at Laurier. The following photos show some highlights along the way.

We are now on Highway 395 going north toward Kettle Falls and beyond.

The bridge across the Columbia River.

United States Post Office in Laurier, Washington. We made a u-turn here since the Border is still closed between the U.S.A. and Canada except for certain essential travel.

Dear spotted the burl on this tree as we passed and we turned around to get a closer look.

A burl is a tree growth in which the grain has grown in a deformed manner. It is usually found on the trunk, at the base of the tree, and sometimes underground in the form of a rounded outgrowth. It is caused by some kind of stress, such as injury, virus, fungus, insect infestation or mold growth.

We pulled off the highway in Orient to get a closer look at this building.

The Kettle River.

Back to the bridge across the Columbia River towards home this time.

Back to views of the valleys of Colville. We enjoy knowing where the roads lead around our country bungalow.

Monday was a warm winter day and I was able to clear out several of the plant/flower beds getting them ready for Spring. My back keeps reminding me that I did that but I’m still happy for that progress.

Tuesday we are scheduled for our Heat Pump repair which is supposed to take all day. Here’s hoping all goes well.

Highway 2 ~ Grant and Douglas County

On our road trip to the Coast on June 12th from Lincoln County we moved into Grant for a few miles before heading into Douglas County.

I think this is Banks Lake.

Douglas General Store

Historic Douglas Church is getting a new front porch.

Douglas

Douglas is one of the oldest towns in the county. The town was platted in 1886 and entered the race for the county seat. In 1891 the general store burned down and it was by luck the fire didn’t destroy the whole town. 

The Great Northern Railway laid track across southern Douglas County in 1893. The line went through Douglas rather than Waterville, spurring growth in Douglas and prompting Waterville residents to build a five-mile branch line to connect with the Great Northern at Douglas.

Today Douglas is a small community on Highway 2.

Historic Douglas Church

The Douglas Church was dedicated in 1915 as St. Paul’s Lutheran Church and served the Douglas Community for some 53 years. It was closed in 1968 when the Waterville and Douglas Lutheran Congregations united in a newly built church in Waterville. 

The Douglas Church building remained unused and neglected until it was purchased by the Douglas Community Historical Association, in 2006. The non-profit initiated a complete restoration of the church building and it is currently used for weddings, family reunions and community events.

St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Waterville

After Waterville we are heading downhill toward the Columbia River.

When we cross the Columbia River we enter into Chelan County and start our climb over the Cascade Mountain Range through Stevens Pass. I’ll share our views on our return trip from Chelan County, Douglas and Grant counties.

I came across this quote by Samuel Davies, 1755, from Grace Gems on The Justice of God and the Sins of our country. The language is 1755 but the conditions seem to be 2020.

“O my country, is not your wickedness great and your iniquities infinite? Where is there a more sinful spot to be found upon our guilty globe? Pass over the land , take a survey of the inhabitants, inspect into their conduct–And what do you see? What do you hear?

You see the gigantic forms of vice bedding defiance to the God of heaven- while true religion and virtue are forced to retire to avoid public contempt and insult.”

We had an amazing summer storm pass over our property yesterday afternoon. We were able to determine all the low spots on your property with mini rivers springing up. The rain came down so heavy for a period that our gutters just overflowed instead of directing the water to the downspouts. I won’t have to water for a few days…maybe even a week since we have more rain in the forecast for Sunday, Monday and Tuesday!

How’s the beginning of summer in your neck of the woods? We are experiencing some internet difficulty this morning. Google and Gmail are not loading or sending so I won’t be able to visit anyone till things get corrected.

And I Think to Myself…

…what a wonderful world.

I’m so thankful for the wonders of the world that God has created for us to enjoy.

These were our views on the way home from our Sunday Drive to the orchard.

Crossing over the Columbia from west to east. The Columbia River Bridge at Kettle Falls.

The layers of mountains, the trees, the mighty Columbia River…so much beauty in our backyard. Thank you Lord for plopping us in this beautiful part of your world.

Communities around these parts like to brand their mountains. KF is for Kettle Falls. Our Colville mountain has a C on it and a cross.

Now we are about 5 miles from our Country Bungalow with more pastoral views. It was a beautiful day for a drive.

“I will praise the name of God with a song; I will magnify him with thanksgiving.”  Psalm 69:30.

Trail, British Columbia

The weather on Friday November 1st looked promising albeit cold and we decided it was a good day to drive to Trail B.C. to enjoy some Persian food. Since we’ve been in Colville it has been difficult for us to find good Persian food. Kootenay Kabab in Trail looked promising and it is only a 50 mile drive for us from our Country Bungalow. We asked Vera to pack her passport so we were all ready with passports in hand and headed north at 10am. The border crossing was simple and we reached our destination by 11:30. We found out that parking would be a problem for us since we did not have any Canadian coinage. Oops. No credit card parking kiosks in Trail.

We found a place to park by the Columbia River Skywalk and enjoyed the walk across and back building up our appetite.

This was the first time we’ve ever been able to walk across the Columbia River!

Lots of reminders of the country we were visiting.

After our brisk walk we stopped in a bank parking lot and I went inside to see about getting some coinage. With coins in hand we found a spot close to Kootenay Kabab and fed the meter.

Kootenay Kabab in Trail B.C. was worth the trip across the border. Dear and my sister Vera had the Koobideh Kabab and I enjoyed the Lamb Shank. We had the Shirazi salad, too. They are the first Persian restaurant in the Kootenays and the closest Persian restaurant to us. We enjoyed the food and will return next year after the winter snows have melted. This part of the Kootenays is known for their winter sports which means lots of snow. Our border crossing back into the USA was easy including a pleasant conversation with the Border Agent.

Home again along the Columbia River from Canada to the USA. “Roll On Columbia roll on”

Our piroshky baking day was a success but I did not get all the photos I was planning on. Baking is different when you have 2 little grands helping. I’ll share the photos I did get plus the recipe soon.

Marcus Cider Fest & Parade

On Saturday morning we headed north on highway 25 along the Columbia River/Lake Roosevelt to the little town of Marcus. Marcus hosts the best little festival around. Annually in October the crowds head to Marcus for Cider Fest and the Parade.

We were so happy to see the day dawn with the promise of sunshine instead of rain.

The parade rolls along right on Highway 25. We found our spots and waited for it to begin.

Some of the firetrucks and other vehicles are loud and Addy had to hold her ears.

Smokey the Bear even made an appearance!

90% of the parade participants threw handfuls of candy to any kids along the parade route.

Dear kept tabs on Addy to keep her safe.

JJ will have more fun next year at the parade when he can pick up candy, too.

After the parade we met up with “our people” to enjoy some of the classic cider fest treats like fresh pressed apple cider and caramel apples. My cousin Jim, from California, enjoyed the fest and made some purchases to take home with him. Dear bought some local honey for us.

Addy was leading Gramps along and then Uncle Scott took over.

So sweet to see JJ’s big smiles while looking at his mommy.

You can’t get any fresher than this. Look at all that pomace (pulp/skin) discarded to get the fresh pressed cider. The cider was so sweet and delicious! They sold it by the gallon, half gallon, and by the glass.

We said goodbye to our people and headed home with a stop along the highway to get some photos of Lake Roosevelt. What a beautiful day it was.

Zooming in across the lake to the other shore.

We will put the festival on our calendar for next year.

After we dropped our purchases off at home we headed south to our favorite Mexican restaurant with Jim and after lunch we took some back roads on our way home.

Today, Monday the 7th, Dear and my cousin are going to try to get the trusses up on the shop posts with the help of our son’s tractor. I’ll be praying along during the process for sure!

Hope your new week runs smoothly for you.

Sunday Drive

On Sunday after church we decided on lunch in Chewelah at our favorite Mexican restaurant in these parts. After lunch we headed north back to Colville and decided to take a turn-off and enjoy some back roads. We turned on Addy-Gifford Rd. west with intentions of following the road to it’s end at highway 25. Some of the roads in our parts are named for their beginning and their end. Addy-Gifford starts in the little town of Addy and ends in the little town of Gifford. I suppose if you start in Gifford and head east to Addy you could call it the Gifford-Addy road. 🙂

Right along the road we came upon the Ten Commandments. When I saw the signs in the distance I was wondering if they would be Burma Shave Signs. If you’ve never heard of Burma Shave Signs google it and you’ll get lots of info and photos.  They used series of signs along the roadways to advertise.

Dear slowed down through this section so I could capture each sign. There was no traffic on this road so that worked out well.

God’s Word along the road is unexpected but enjoyed.

I wasn’t expecting to see this vista, either.

When we got to the end of the road at highway 25 we took a little detour south to see the Gifford-Inchelium ferry launch. You guessed it, the ferry will pick you up in Gifford and cross the Columbia River to Inchelium. Inchelium is located on the Colville Indian Reservation. Some time in the future we’ll take the ride across the Columbia to Inchelium.

After a pause at the ferry launch we headed north on highway 25 that runs along the Columbia river. We turned off the highway in the small town of Rice to head back east to highway 395 on Orin-Rice Road.

Instead of following Orin-Rice all the way to hwy 395 we continued onto Valley-Westside to Mantz Rickey Radio Road. And yes, there is a radio station on Mantz Rickey.

It was a very nice drive and next time we’ll continue north on highway 25 all the way to Kettle Falls. It’s good to learn the lay of the land in our neck of the woods.

Onto highway 395 we headed north stopping at the Builders Supply for some steel wool that I’m going to use on my shower doors to see if I can cut through all the calcium deposits from our well water. It’s super fine grade #0000. I’ll let you know if it works.

Quote of the day from Timothy Keller today:

God’s sense of timing will always confound ours. His grace rarely operates according to our schedule.

To Northport

On Sunday afternoon we turned left out our driveway and headed north to the town of Northport.

We followed our road to highway 25 and turned right headed for Northport. Northport is just shy of 10 miles to Canada.

Northport was given its name since it was once the northernmost town on the Spokane Falls and Northern Railway. It was officially incorporated on June 1, 1898 but has a history stretching back to the 1880s when it was a port and shipbuilding center for steamboat services running northwards into British Columbia during construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway, related to its location at a stretch of the Columbia known as the Little Dalles, a rapids and narrows that was a barrier to navigation and which also was an alternate name for Northport itself. In 2010 the census of Northport registered 295 people.

We had a meal at the River Town Grill.

We crossed the bridge over the Columbia River.

Sometime in the near future we’ll follow the highway all the way to Canada and check out some of the towns close by like Rossland, Trail and Nelson. Nelson is where the movie Roxanne was filmed. (Steve Martin)

On the way back home we stopped to take some photos of the Columbia River.

At this spot we recognized the property across the river and the structures at the top of the slope. Our Eastern Washington kids got married on that property in 2015. I zoomed in to make sure it was the spot.

Flash back to June 30, 2015.

Home again, home again, jiggety jig.

We hope to have many more day trips in the future to learn more about our new part of the state.

Mother’s day plans here are going to be last minute and flexible as our kids are still pretty much homebound. The guys are prepped and ready to barbecue something for a meal on Sunday for all the usual suspects.

Fishing

Each of our family members arrived at Dan and Jamie’s home at different hours on Thursday the 12th of October. The last to arrive were Katie, Andrew and Laura after Dear and I were fast asleep. Dear and I arrived first, Josh drove by himself arriving later in the afternoon. Katie and Andrew hit the road from Seattle after Andrew’s last class at the University of Washington. On their way through Spokane they picked up Laura who flew in after her work day. Hunting Season opening day wasn’t until Saturday the 14th so Friday was deemed fishing day. Dear and our original three loaded up their gear and headed to Lake Roosevelt (part of the Columbia River) to launch Dan and Jamie’s (new to them) boat for a day on the water.

Jamie, Laura, me and Addy enjoyed the morning getting re-acquainted. Andrew worked on some homework so he would be free to hunt on Saturday. Aeronautical Engineering involves lots of hours of homework. Close to noon Jamie packed up some lunch items and the stay at home crew drove to Colville Flats on Lake Roosevelt to meet up with the fishing crew and enjoy a picnic lunch together. The morning family time tired little miss Addy out and she slept through the drive and the lunch and all the way home again!

The views of Lake Roosevelt from one of the day use areas on the lake.

We had the area all to ourselves.

We enjoyed the views and the reflections. Andrew skipped some stones along the still water surface.

It was fun to watch the boat approach the flats where we had set up our picnic lunch.

Everyone made it out of the boat without getting wet.

The boat took off again with one more passenger, Andrew. The rest of us headed home for the late afternoon and evening. We enjoyed a meal together, fish and chicken tacos and then preparations were made for an early start for deer hunting on Saturday. The ladies and Addy had a Sign Painting Class to attend on Saturday. Speaking of Addy…

She is on the move with many skills. Crawling, holding herself up, pulling herself up to standing, side stepping while holding onto the sofa and increasing her balance. She’s a strong little babe. More to come.

So thankful for our family time all together under one roof for several days.

We are busy back here at home getting the kitchen ready for new quartz counter tops. I have taken some before photos so I’ll have a before and after post in the future. We are scheduled for templates to be made next Wednesday. With the quartz chosen we now will choose the backsplash product.

Hope all is going well in your corner of the world!

Long Weekend Mosaics

On Saturday of Labor Day weekend we left our home bright and early and headed east over the Cascades on highway 2.

We stopped at Apple Annies in Cashmere for breakfast at the 50’s Diner and then shopped through the huge antique mall. After breakfast we connected to Highway 97 north to Tonasket. We enjoyed views of the Columbia River as we rolled along.

Reaching Tonasket we turned off the highway in search of Jim’s Ranch. We were celebrating Jim and Sherri’s marriage with a country barbecue reception. Jim and Sherri were married in Seattle on August 25th but wanted a casual country reception, too, at Jim’s Ranch in Tonasket. We were happy to make the drive and enjoyed our time with some of their family and neighbors. The neighbors arrived on their 4 wheelers since properties aren’t that close together. Jim and Sherri’s ranch is 270 acres. Oh and by the way Sherri has been my hairdresser for several years now.

After a few hours of enjoying good food and conversation we said our goodbyes and continued east along highway 20 to Colville to spend the rest of the long weekend with our kids. This leg of our journey was about 2 hours. We arrived at their place just as they pulled in from an afternoon of boating on Lake Roosevelt.

We had dinner together and enjoyed some Addy time before we all hit the sack early because we would have an early start on Sunday.

Our daughter in law and her mom had signed up for the Country Roads half marathon which started at 7am on Sunday. Thankfully this was a day where the smoke levels weren’t hazardous and the event could go on. I was in the support vehicle for Jamie, Linda and Addy. Jamie carried Addy in her front pack for half the event.

As I drove ahead to wait for them at different mile posts I enjoyed country scenes and some critters, too.

I’m not sure what those larger furry animals are beyond these goats.

I waited at the entrance to Douglas Falls Grange Park for Jamie, Linda and Addy. At this point I would take Addy off Jamie’s hands and head back to the finish line. While waiting I enjoyed the falls and a talk with the Ranger.

Then these folk and their buggy came along and we enjoyed a bit of conversation, too, before they headed off.

Back at the finish line Addy’s daddy met us and we waited for mommy and Addy’s other grandmother to complete their first half marathon walk. Jamie’s Uncle and Aunt were at the finish line, too, with some flowers for their big accomplishment.

Back at home you can see that Addy survived quite nicely and still had energy to jump up and down while gramps held on tight.

Time will tell if I manage to do any link-ups with this post.

I’m happy to report that today Friday the 8th of September it has just started raining here in the Puget Sound area. We are so happy to see those raindrops and hope they will wash away the smoke and ash. Speaking of ash, we left our windows open while we were away last weekend until Wednesday so we are in the process of doing a thorough vacuuming at this old house. We are vacuuming screens windows, window sills, furniture, and floors. Yikes, that soot settled everywhere. I’m getting my exercise in today. Hope you are having a good Friday.

We are keeping all the folk in the path of Irma on our hearts and minds and especially in our prayers. Stay safe friends.