Bad Dog

View from Osprey Point

I am a bad dog.  I've been having so much fun here in McCall, Idaho that I haven't even been worrying about my blog. Heck, I haven't even wanted to turn on the computer till tonight, and it's way past our bedtime.

Yesterday morning I went to a real groomer for my first professional bath since Levenworth, Washington, and that was a long, long time ago. Of course I look beautiful now.  Perfect hair and nails and I smell terrific too!  Kathe did laundry, went to the Farmers Market and to the Grocery store while Jim cleaned the whole motor home inside and out.

We had to get everything ready for our friends, Richard and Darlene to visit and see our motor home for the first time yesterday afternoon. We played ball and had a lovely afternoon together.  When Jim, Kathe and Darlene left to take a walk around the Lake they found out that the door to the motor home locked behind them and wouldn't unlock. Jim had to climb in the window and open the door.  He spent about an hour and took the locking mechanism apart and found that a spring needed to be tightened. We left the window open just in case it happened again, but so far so good!

City Park in McCall

Today Jim went for a 22 mile bike ride around Payette Lake and Kathe cheered him on from the sofa! He had a great time, but he was so tired when he came home he had to have a snack right away, I know what that's like, I like have to have a snack when I exercise too!  Well truthfully, I'm up for a snack anytime.

Later today Kathe and Jim took a scenic drive up to Osprey point, the highest point on the Lake. Then they drove around the Ponderosa State Park camping loops and reminisced about the times they stayed in the park when they first came to McCall.


Well, it's way past my bedtime so I better post and say goodnight!

Over the Pass

Idaho Farms

When Kathe and I woke up this morning, or rather when I woke Kathe up this morning it was 49 degrees.  Didn't bother me much, but I had to hear her grumble and moan for the whole walk around the park.  I've got a nice fur coat to keep me warm, but I guess nothing makes her happy at 5:30 in the morning.


We hung around Winchester this morning while Jim cleaned some of the rain spots and bugs off the motor home. Kathe cleaned the inside and tried to get rid of my pine needle collection. She ran the vacuum all around me and most of my pine needles went up the tube.

White Bird Pass

We drove south today on Highway 95 past many large grain and seed farms.  The most beautiful part of the trip was driving over the White Bird pass.  It was 4.429 feet in elevation and a 7% grade for over 7 miles. I wish my pictures were a little better because it really was a spectacular view of the valley below. White Bird was the site of a famous Nez Perce Battlefield,  so you can check out the area on the Internet and even see a video of the drive we took. Google white bird pass Idaho.

We checked into the McCall RV Resort late this afternoon and now we are on Mountain Time which means you are supposed to get up even earlier than usual, I think.  Or maybe it's later, anyway Kathe's not going to like that one bit.

Payette River, McCall Idaho

We didn't get a River view site but our site has a beautiful patio and a nice green lawn. It's a short walk down to the river which is okay by me.  The park host warned us not to leave our shoes or dog leashes outside at night as there are foxes in the area that like to chew them at night.  Imagine that!

Raining with Wolves

There's a wolf in there somewhere

It's our last day in Winchester and it's been raining off and on all day.  Not a good day to hike, bike or even go fishing.   Every time we think the rain has stopped, it starts to sprinkle again.  I've taken Kathe for a few walks around the campground and managed to stay fairly dry. You don't see many chipmunks or squirrels out in the rain so it's been a pretty boring day for all of us.

Kathe and Jim read about The Wolf Education and Research Center that is near the campground on Nez Perce Tribal Land and decided to investigate it today.  The website made it sound like there were wolves running all over the place and that it was a 300 acre refuge for two wolf packs.  When they got there and spoke to the naturalist at the visitors center they found out that the original pack of wolves (the Owyhee Pack) have all passed away after long and healthy lives.  There were only two wolves in a 2 acre enclosure within the 300 acres and because of the rain it was not possible to see them.  I guess they were cozy and dry in a den somewhere and not feeling social.

There was a great deal of information about wolves in the visitors center and it was interesting to find that there are more wolves in Idaho (over 700) than there are in Glacier National Park.  The future of this research center is in question as the land is leased from the Nez Perce and the Tribe will decide if they can continue their research and obtain more wolves in the future.

Last look at Winchester Lake

After lunch Kathe and Jim just HAD to go to the Casino!  The Clearwater Casino was about 30 miles North of Winchester and so they decided to try their luck.  Jim tried playing Wolf Run in honor of the days earlier excursion, but left with his pockets a little lighter than when he began.  Kathe doesn't even want to talk about her casino experience!

Tomorrow it's on to McCall, Idaho.

Sunday Funday

The other side of  Winchester Lake

Last night the rain came down in buckets. Thunder, lightning and a constant rat-a-tat- on the roof. It's a wonder anyone got any sleep. The Internet said that there was a 2% chance of a thunderstorm, I guess they got that wrong.

By the time we had breakfast the sun was trying to come out, and it looked like good "fishin" weather to Jim.  He and Kathe went down to the lake and set up chairs on the dock. Jim caught a nice sized rainbow trout on his first cast.  He caught a couple of small perch and a tiny bass, but nothing else was big enough to keep. We cleaned and froze the trout in case he catches something big when we are in McCall next week.  Hoping for a nice fish fry!

Our site #C-49 in the trees

After lunch Kathe and Jim decided to take a hike around the lake on the Lakeside Trail.  It was about a 3 mile hike and they found out that the lake was a lot larger than it appeared from the campground. There are docks all around the lake and there were people fishing on every single one of them.  They don't allow gasoline powered boats on the lake but there were several kayaks, canoes and even an electric boat floating around.  Jim is thinking that he might ride that same trail on his bike tomorrow if it doesn't rain.

After the storm last night the campground cleared out.  It's not fun to camp in a tent or a pop-up trailer in the the rain.  There are only about four other campers on our loop tonight where  last night all twenty-two sites were taken.  It's so quiet that you can only hear the wind in the trees.
Good sleeping tonight.

Back Into the Woods

Amber Waves of Grain

Hey, this is great!  We are at Winchester Lake State Park and in only a few hours I have been chasing chipmunks and terrorizing the robins and ducks!  We have a great site in the trees and Jim is really happy because we have 50 amps, water and a lake with fish in it.  All this in the middle of nowhere.

We had a very pretty drive today down Highway 95 through Moscow and Lewiston, Idaho.  We saw miles of amber waves of grain and passed through the Coeur d' Alene and Nez Perce reservations. Beautiful farmland.

Winchester was originally a company town for the Craig Lumber Company.  They constructed a dam in 1910 across Lapwai Creek to form a long storage pond that is now Winchester Lake.  After all the mature timber was cut in this area the saw mill was closed, the land was given to The Idaho Department of Fish and Game.  In 1969 the Department of Recreation developed it into the State Park it is today.

Welcome to Winchester

We walked down to the Lake this afternoon and talked to some fishermen on the dock.  They were catching perch, trout, and catfish.  Jim decided to buy a one-day license and some worms so he can try his luck tomorrow. I was hoping for steak!

I just got back from my evening walk and it started to rain.  Now I'm hearing thunder and lightning so I'm going to stop writing and get under the bed.

Windy Day in Coeur d' Alene

While Jim and Kathe sit on the couch counting their mosquito bites, I'll tell you about our last day here in Coeur d' Alene.

A Sea Plane lands in the middle of the kayaks

It was very windy when we woke up this morning, and the flags were all flying straight out.  It was way too windy for Jim and Kathe to rent a canoe or kayak today and play around in the river like they planned. So they decided to take me down to the dog beach and we sat in the Adirondack chairs and watched the jet skis and motor boats go by.  The only people in the water were dogs, kids, and Canadians.  It was just too cold for us Californians.

At lunch time Kathe and Jim went for a drive out to Wolf Bay to have a meal at the Wolf Lodge Inn. Unfortunately they weren't open for lunch and it was time for plan "B".  Driving back into town they found their way to the Moon Time Pub where they ate so much lunch we almost didn't get dinner tonight.

They made a quick stop at the North Idaho Museum where they learned about the history of Coeur d' Alene and how it's grown from a trading post to the tourist attraction it has become.  They only spent about an hour in the museum before they decided to take a walk to the city park.  There were so many

Sight seeing on the Lake

people there enjoying the lake.  Swimming, canoeing, kayaking, sailing and boating all in the middle of town.  A sea plane landed right in front of them and a sight seeing boat cruised by a few minutes later.  A real fun place.

This is our last night here and tomorrow we head down the highway to Winchester State Park.  I'll be glad to get back into the trees again and maybe even see a squirrel or two.  I liked this place but the only wildlife here are a few ducks and about a hundred kids on bicycles.

A Better Day

As I predicted, today was a better day!

Lake Coeur d' Alene

First off we had some "Gold Dust" Flapjacks for breakfast!  Jim received the mix as one of his many birthday presents and he decided to try and make them this morning.  Kathe put some blueberries in the ones she made, but Jim is a traditionalist and ate them just plain.  I like the plain ones too! With lots of butter!

Jim went for a bike ride today on the Centennial Bike Trail which runs from Coeur d'Alene to Spokane.  He didn't ride to Spokane but went about 20 miles along the river and down to Coeur d' Alene Lake. He rode for almost 2 hours and had a great time.

While he was gone Kathe and I went for a nice long hike on the trail around the Resort.  It was a windy day and the mosquitoes couldn't catch us while we walked along the river and through the trees.

What's for dessert?

Everyday we watch the changing of the motor homes at the RV park.  By 11:00 the place clears out and by 4:00 we have new neighbors.  It's amazing how many different kinds of motor homes, trailers, and 5th wheels there are in this part of the country.  And almost everyone is traveling with a dog.

I met a great Golden Retriever in the dog park this afternoon.  Harley was 2 years old and reminded me of my cousin Charlie.  All jumping around and trying to get me to play with him and his yucky, wet tennis ball.

Tonight Jim and Kathe went out to dinner at Beverly's in the Coeur d'Alene Resort and had a really nice meal.  Jim brought me a big piece of steak, because he loves me!

The Waiting Game

Waiting till tomorrow for some fun 

Today I spent most of the day with my people, Jim and Kathe, but most of the day I was waiting for someone or something.

First off this morning I waited in the car with Kathe while Jim dropped off the motor home to Erickson's RV Repair for our new transfer switch and surge protector.  They wouldn't let me wait in the motor home so it was the back seat of the car for me.

Then I waited while we went through the car wash.  I was looking out the window and these big blue brushes came right at me spraying blue goop all over the place.  Then there was the water spray and a blowing machine nearly rocked me off the back seat.  The drive through car wash in not my favorite thing, but that's all they have in this part of Idaho.

Next, I waited in the car while Jim went to get some Starbucks coffee for them and a nice cold water for me.

After that, Jim and I sat in the car for over an hour while Kathe finally got a prescription for some antibiotics at the clinic.  She's been keeping Jim and I awake for two weeks with her coughing, so we didn't mind that wait.  Then we waited for her while she went into Walgreen's.

Then when the motor home was all fixed and ready to be picked up, there was a short wait in the car with Kathe.

I was glad to finally get back home, but then they left me waiting while they
went out to get haircuts and to shop at the farmers market.

I waited for my dinner and now I'm waiting to brush my teeth and go to sleep.

Wait till tomorrow, it's got to be more exciting than this!

Coeur d' Alene

Relaxing at the Spokane River

Here we are in Coeur d' Alene, Idaho and boy have things changed since the last time we were here.

This is now an big city with luxury hotels and all the stores like Macy's Kohl's, Staples, and my favorite, Petco.  The Blackwell Island RV Resort has tripled in size to over 180 sites.  It's still on the Spokane River but our site is eight rows back from the riverfront this time.   We have a little real estate and there was a beautiful sunset tonight out our windshield, so it could be worse.

The only wildlife I have encountered so far has been a very tame swan and about a zillion mosquitoes! Kathe made me run back from the dog park and she was slapping herself all the way. Guess we won't be going there at dusk anymore.

Couer d' Alene was named by the French traders in the early 1800's and mining and logging fueled the economy until recently when tourism took over.

My new best friend, Swanie

Tomorrow I have to get Kathe and Jim up early because they have an appointment to get the motor home serviced. Hopefully, they will be able to fix us up with a new transfer switch so we can run our air conditioning again.  It's been so hot these past few days and we have only been able to run a fan.

I better sign off now, if I look real cute they might give me one more treat before bedtime.

It's a Wild Life

An Osprey Nest

First, I would like to correct myself for something I wrote last night.  The big big bird in the nest outside our window turns out not to be an eagle but an osprey.  We did a little research and while there are eagles in this area around the lake, this is definitely an osprey.  Still pretty neat!  There are young birds in the nest that make a racket waiting for breakfast. Sushi, ick!

The deer are still hanging around our campsite in the early morning and evening.  Tonight there were two does and a young buck right next to our site.  The buck ran away as soon as he heard the camera click.  The does just looked up and went on eating the grass.

My dear deer

Yesterday we were in fat city running two air conditioners and watching TV at the same time, we were congratulating ourselves on our good fortune to have 50 amp power for the first time since we left Oregon. Well, that all changed today when our transfer switch started acting up.  The transfer switch controls the shore and generator power to the coach.  It's a big problem and must be replaced as soon as possible.  We have an appointment in Coeur d'Alene to have it taken care of on Wednesday, if I don't melt into a puddle before then.

Right now we are only able to run our fans and the refrigerator and it's over 90 degrees inside. All three of us spent most of the day outside in the shade drinking ice water. When we couldn't stand it any longer, we went for a drive. We drove into the nearby town of Sandpoint with the air conditioning blasting and my head out the window.  Doesn't get any better than that! Jim saw a sign for U-pick blueberries we stopped and bought a giant bag of them.  Wonder if they ever have a U-pick dog treat place, now that would really be something I could go for.

Beyond Hope

Lake Pend Oreille

We crossed the border this morning and we are glad to be back in the good old US of A.  We had a better experience with the US Border Patrol than we had going into Canada.  We only had to give them a grapefruit and a lemon, and they didn't even come inside to check me out.

Just beyond Sandpoint there is a little town called Hope, Idaho.  We are at a campground just a little beyond town and that's called Beyond Hope Resort. Really!  The resort is right on the banks of Lake Pend Oreille (pon-der-ray) which is the largest lake in Idaho with a surface of 148 square miles.

Our site backs up to a game preserve and there are dozens of deer all over the place.  I have already spoken to several of them and now find them quite boring.  They just eat grass, look up at me, ignore me, and continue eating grass.  I am now acting very cool when I see them, two can play this game.

One really neat thing; we think there is an eagle's nest right outside our kitchen window.  At least it looks like an eagle's nest and we can see a BIG bird with a white head moving around in the nest.

I thought that when we got back to the United States all our phone and Internet issues would be resolved- not so! Jim's pictures are somewhere in Verizon limbo and I'm still using the Park's WIFI to post this.  If I have this much trouble tomorrow night I might just give up and wait until we get to the city!  I'm buying Kathe a cell phone booster for her birthday.

It least we have Direct TV for the first time twenty days, so I can watch my Animal Planet.

Last Night in Canada, Eh?

Kootenay Lake 

It was another sunny day Creston, BC.  The weather is so nice that I didn't even mind getting a bath this morning.  I was really looking kind of scruffy and I was a little self conscious about being stinky too!  Now I'm all beautiful again and ready for crossing the border tomorrow.

Today Kathe and Jim did some sight seeing in Downtown Creston.  First they went to the weekly Farmers Market and saw all the beautiful produce grown here that they can't take back to the US. They did find a lady selling homemade caramels and they might eat them all before they leave Canada, just in case.

An old time permanent wave machine

They took a stroll down Main Street which took all of 15 minutes (both sides) and decided to visit the historical Creston museum.  They enjoyed the guided tour which consisted of lots of antique farm equipment, a one room school house and a fur trappers cabin.  In one exhibit they saw antique veterinarian tools and an antique beauty parlor in another.  Sounds like a whole bunch of old stuff to me. Jim enjoyed seeing a pipe machine that made logs into pipes to carry water, and Kathe had fun looking at dresses and hats in a 1908 Sears and Roebucks catalog.

They came home to have lunch with me before heading out for a drive to Kootenay Lake.  The lake was formed in 1931 when a dam was built on the Kootenay River creating one of the largest lakes in British Columbia.  The lake originally seasonally flooded a marsh to the south of the lake, but that area has now been diked for commercial agriculture.  That's why there are so many delicious cherries, apples, peaches and berries grown in the Creston Valley.


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Pair A Dice

Pair A Dice

Kathe has found us some pretty interesting spots on this trip, but tonight she has out done herself! We're in Creston, BC, on the way to Idaho and we are spending two nights at the Pair A Dice Resort. Resort? Maybe not so much, but it is a place where the sun is shining and we have hookups!

We are all pretty tired of rain, so the blue sky and sunshine is a welcome change.  It rained so much in Lake Louise and Radium Springs that bathing me was pointless.  My hair kept getting wet and curly, so I had a reprieve for well past time for a grooming.  Kathe called a groomer in Creston and they said they were booked up into the middle of August.  Looks like it's going to be the kitchen sink for me soon.

This Creston area is known for all the fruit that is grown here and there were at least 10 fruit stands along the highway in town. Even though the fruit looks delicious, Kathe is afraid to buy too much for fear they will take it away at the border when we cross the day after tomorrow.  We will still have to eat a whole bag of cherries and a half dozen peaches if they do.

Tonight Jim barbecued the long awaited steaks.  At least I was long awaiting them, and my wish was granted!  I got a real big juicy piece all to myself!

Rain, Rain, and More Rain

When I woke up this morning it was pouring.  I had things to do so I made Kathe put on her windbreaker and her furry slippers and take me for a trip around the park.  After we got back and dried off we both went back to bed and listened to the rain bouncing off the roof of the motor home.

I wasn't feeling tip top this morning, I had a stomach ache and stayed in bed all morning.  I didn't even get up when Kathe offered me some of her scrambled eggs.  And you know I'm really sick when I turn down a chicken treat.

Site 110  while the sun was shining

Later in the morning I went out to looked for some clean green grass to eat which considering it was still raining was a pretty easy thing to find.  Kathe and I got soaked again.  After we dried off, I went back to sleep in front of the fireplace.  I started feeling better after that and was able to force myself to eat a chicken treat and play a little ball.

The best part of today was that Kathe and Jim stayed home most of the day. Not because I wasn't feeling well, but because of the rain. It rained off and on all day long and even hailed for a short time. All three of us are pretty sick of being wet and cold. That's what we get for complaining so much about the hot weather in the beginning of the trip.  But this rain is really weird, it's sunny one minute and pouring the next. You think it's over and it's safe to go for a walk and then the sky opens up and you get drenched.

Kathe and Jim had to go out for dinner tonight instead of barbecuing the steaks they promised me. It's a little hard to grill steak under water! They tried an Austrian restaurant that was recommended by the people in the park and really enjoyed themselves.

A crazy woodworker built a house in the center of town.  There are always a bunch of tourists hanging around it taking pictures of it.  It's the only tourist attraction.  Jim took a picture of it for me.

In the Canyon

Goodbye to our Mountains

Last night after I finished my post I went out for a bit of fresh air before bedtime and as soon as I got back in it started to rain again.  That makes four consecutive nights of rain.  Oh, it rained every day too, but we still managed to have a lot of fun in Lake Louise in between the showers.  But, it really was time to move on to another adventure.

The last pass into town

Driving back down on Highway 93 through the Kootenay National Park was almost as exciting as it was in the opposite direction, but it was hard to say goodbye to our beautiful Mountains.  After the mountain passes and the 6, 7, and 8% grades we were happy to arrive in Radium Hot Springs and locate the Canyon RV Resort.

Our site is great, we're deep in the canyon in a deluxe site and we back up to a beautiful creek.  I've already walked the whole park and I think we have the best site in the park.  I wish we were staying here longer than 2 nights.

We just chilled out today.  Tomorrow Kathe and Jim will try find something interesting to do here.  I guess yesterdays killer hike took a lot out of them because they are just sitting in the lounge chairs watching the water in the creek flow by.  Fine by me,  I'm chilling in the green grass.

The view from our site

We passed a huge mineral hot springs pool on the way into town, which is the town's claim to fame, that and the 10 golf courses.

A Hot Spring sounds too much like a bath, so
count me out!

Uphill all the Way

Lake Louise

The plan this morning was to wake up early and drive up to Lake Louise to take a hike before the crowds packed the parking lots. Well, I did get Kathe up early and out for a walk, but then it started raining and that was the end of that. Everyone crawled back into bed.

When they finally left the house they noticed that the rain did keep a lot of people away.  So, after a several loops of the parking lots, they gave up and found a spot on the street leading up to the Lake. That only added about  another 1/2 mile to the planned hike to Lake Agnes and the Tea house.

The Ranger told Jim it was a moderate hike, but this is Canada where a moderate hike is more like a mountain climb.  I know some dogs would like a hike in the woods, but count me out on this one! It was up, uphill all the way with no flat spots or downhill.  It was switchback and more switchback till they finally got to the top of the mountain.  It seemed much longer than the 2 miles but they made it, just as it started raining again! They found a couple of seats in the Tea house and had a snack while they waited for the rain to stop.

Lake Agnes

The hike was equal to climbing 123 flights of stairs and over 15,000 footsteps. The view from the top was magnificent, and almost worth the climb.  Views of the Lake and the Ski Resort from way up high.  The best part? It was down hill all the way back to the car!

I'm having fun in between the rain showers chasing rabbits and squirrels and sticking my nose into everything.  A whole bunch of dogs arrived here last night with their people on the way to Alaska. It's been fun meeting and greeting, but they are leaving tomorrow in a caravan of 24 rigs.

View of the Ski Resort

As for us, it's on to Radium Springs tomorrow where we will once again have all the comforts of home.

A Day in Banff

Fairmont Banff Springs

Note to Kathe and Jim:  If you want to take a hike around Lake Louise don't stay in bed until 9:45 in the morning! By the time you shower and eat breakfast it's too late!

There are so many tourists here in the town of Lake Louise that as of this evening Jim and Kathe have not actually seen the Lake. For the past two days all of the parking lots have been full and there have been hundreds of cars parked everywhere on the roads and sidewalks leading up to the Lake. And yet it's been overcast or raining everyday.

So after another attempt to find a parking space late this morning, they gave up and decided to drive to Banff for the day.

Look out the hotel window, dear 

That turned out to be a great idea because Banff was sunny and warm when they got there. The town is a real tourist town with lots of gift shops and restaurants but it's in the shadow of the Rocky Mountains. They walked the streets with the rest of the crowd and stopped for nice lunch at the Maple Leaf Grill.

After lunch they walked up to the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel where Jim stayed once when he came here on a ski trip many years ago. It's a really beautiful property, and it would be fun to stay there sometime if dogs are allowed.
If they allow deer, why not!

Nice Ice

Last night after I finished my blog it started to rain.  I wanted to go out after dinner just like we always do but Kathe kept trying to convince me that we didn't have to go.  Well, maybe she didn't have to go, but I sure did.  I love the rain, I ran around and stuck my head under all the wet plants and ran through puddles until I got dripping wet. Unfortunately, so did Kathe.  Then it was time for the towels and the hair dryer to come out, as she wouldn't let me in bed until I was warm and dry.  It rained all night long and more storms are predicted.  Today it's cool enough to put on the fireplace.

I sat at home and twiddled my paws today while Kathe and Jim drove the Icefields Parkway to the Columbia Glacier Center.  Now that was a real adventure!  The Columbia Icefields are the largest ice mass in the Rocky Mountains, it's main bulk, about 10 by 15 miles straddles the Great Divide.  The ice covers about  130 square miles to a depth of over 900 feet.

Kathe and Jim took in an Ice Explorer vehicle right onto the Athabasca Glacier.  From the Glacier Discovery Center you are able to see three glaciers, Stutfield, Athabasca, and Dome.  It was a breathtaking experience being able to walk on a field of moving glacier ice formed by snow falling as long as 400 years ago.

They came home as soon as they could, but it was a 120 mile round trip and they were gone so long I was afraid they wouldn't get back in time for my afternoon walk.  I am such a good girl, I waited six hours until they returned.  TREATS please!

Driver of the Year Award

The Kootenay Rockies

I nominate Jim Riha for the driver of the year award.  It was an unbelievably beautiful drive up from Cranbrook to Lake Louise Campground.  We drove on the Canada 93/95 Highway and into the Kootenay Rockies and then we drove through the Kootenay National Park.  The mountains were all around us and beautiful pines were everywhere.  It is still a little smoky from the many Canadian forest fires, but this picture sort of shows you what it looked like from the motor home.

When we finally arrived at Lake Louise that's when the fun began.  Of course we have no Google and who knows how far 450 kilometers left and 850 kilometers right we went while trying to follow the written instructions, but we somehow missed the turn off to the campground.  Jim was driving up this other road and Kathe noticed that it said not recommended for trailers and campers. Oh no! We drove a little further and stopped at a little motel. Kathe jumped out and asked for directions and also asked where the heck we could turn the motor home (and tow car) around.  The only alternative was the Fairmont Hotel Bus Parking Lot.  There were thousands of cars and people everywhere. Jim made it around the loop with only inches to spare and we headed back down to the right turnoff and to our campground.  Best driver in the World!!!

The view site #122

Now we are in our site and we are not going anywhere else today!  It's a really nice quiet campground but there are more people out on the roads than I ever saw at any US Park.  I wonder where they all are staying, because there are not that many campsites.

We are in the Hard Side campground, which means all metal rigs.  I'm glad because there are BEARS here.  If we were camping in a tent we would have to be in an area enclosed by an electric fence, and that might shock me when I start exploring.

I hope not to see a bear, a but few chipmunks would make my day!

A Day Back in Time

Fort Steele Cafe

What a surprise we had this morning.  We thought we were getting up early at 8 AM but when Kathe looked at her cell phone it was already 9 AM.  Somewhere between here and there we lost an hour in British Columbia and we never found it.  We were running behind all day.


The reason we chose to stay in Cranbrook before heading up to Lake Louise was so that we could prepare for our 4 days in the wilderness without hookups.  We are supposed to have electricity, in Lake Louise, but it may only be a 20 AMP circuit, and we don't think there is water or sewer at the campground.

I told you last night that Kathe isn't feeling tip-top and today she tried to find a Canadian doctor but there is such a shortage of doctors in the area, no one would see her.  She was told to go to the emergency room at the hospital in Cranbrook. When they told her it was going to cost $900 to see a doctor there, she was cured right on the spot.  She says she wasn't THAT sick.  I guess Canada has a great health care system, but only for Canadians.

After that adventure they went shopping and started the laundry.  That's usually when I get dumped into the kitchen sink for a bath, but they forgot about me and I had a nice afternoon relaxing and snacking on chicken treats.

Kathe and Jim went out to see the Fort Steele Heritage Town which was about a 7 kilometer drive from Cranbrook.  It is a living history site with 60 restored buildings which is like a step back into the 1890's.  There are people dressed in period costumes that work in the various shops and greet you as you walk through the town. Kathe and Jim

The barber shop on Main Street

met the school teacher, the baker, blacksmith, and the town dressmaker. It's too bad they got such a late start, they would have liked to have spend more time there.

When they came home, I ended up in the sink and got a surprise bath.  They never give me a bath in the evening, ever.  But the universe provides--it started raining just after Kathe finished drying me. Now I look worse than I did before she started!



Please don't worry if I don't post for the next four
days.  If we don't have Internet I will just take pictures and catch up when we are back in civilization.

Up and Down And Up and Down

Waiting for the pilot car 

Worst ride ever! Today we left Lake Christina and headed toward our next stop, Cranbrook, BC.  We drove over two Mountain Passes which were each over 5000 feet high. There were 6%, 7% and even 8% grades on the very winding roads which had me standing up in my crate most of the ride.  Not fun!  Kathe was hanging on to the sissy bar and had her eyes closed so she wasn't much help at all.

Jim's driving was great but just when we thought the worst was over we ran into the dreaded "road work" sign.  Tar and gravel for the next 7 km.  Boy, was Jim upset.  Of course the motor home was clean and the car freshly washed when we started out this morning, so it was dirt, tar and gravel bouncing everywhere.  

And while we are on the subject of kilometers, you have to be a math genius to drive here! If the speed limit says 80 they really mean about 65, then they say 60 which means about 40 in kilometer talk.  Very confusing!  Don't even get me started on bridge ceiling height, you have to quickly calculate how high in meters your motor home is BEFORE you drive under the bridge. Since I can't do math I have to leave it up to Jim and so far, so good!

The creek at the entrance to the park

It took forever to get here and then we had a little trouble locating the Mount Baker RV Park because it's in the middle of town. No swear words but a lot of hand wringing and fussing on Kathe's side of the coach. We were in our site and relaxing by about 5 PM.  We're staying here two days before we start up to Lake Louise and Banff.

It's and okay RV Park a bit too civilized for me, but it's quiet and there is a dog park.  I've already made friends with a big blond dog.

The Party's Over

It's our last day here in Lake Christina and everybody is a little bit sad that it's time to say goodbye and move on to our next adventure.  I guess the party is really over here in Christina Lake.

This morning Kathe and Jim were invited to share a pancake breakfast with Linda, Frank and Fran at the Sunflower B & B. The owner, Kathleen, has been so kind and included Kathe and Jim even though they aren't staying at her property.  I'm keeping my toes crossed that the next time we come to Lake Christina she will have her RV sites up and running so we can stay with her too.

After breakfast Linda, Frank, and Fran wanted to take a drive into the wine country of Oliver and spend the day tasting the local wines.  Since Kathe and Jim are planning to drive all day tomorrow they chose to stay home with me today. Well, at least Kathe stayed home, she wasn't feeling tip-top today and decided a day of rest would do us both good.

The Rails to Trails bike path

You know that resting is not in Jim's vocabulary, so he went to the Visitors Center to get directions for the "Rails to Trails" bike and hiking trail.  He was really happy when he came home and glad that he took the ride.  He found some bear scat on the trail so he started singing while riding.  That would definitely scare off the bear!

One more round of "Happy Birthday"

After dinner everyone gathered at the Sunflower B&B for another round of "Happy Birthday" and some lemon meringue pie.  Then it was time for goodbye hugs as tomorrow we will all be heading in different directions.

I had a great time and it wasn't even my birthday!

Happy Birthday Happy Birthday

What a great day! Today, the seventh day of the seventh month, Jim and Frank turned seventy!

The day began with a birthday breakfast at the Sunflower Bed and Breakfast.  Although Kathe and Jim are not staying there the owner, Kathleen, invited them to share breakfast on the deck overlooking the lake with Linda, Frank, and Fran.  The homemade blueberry muffins she served had a birthday candle in them and they sang "Happy Birthday."

After breakfast and the opening of lots of birthday presents, Kathe and Jim came home to visit me and to put on their hiking boots.  After my day on the Christina Lake yesterday I really wanted some rest and relaxation in the air conditioning, so I was glad they didn't ask me to come along.

Hiking in Texas Creek Park

The hike they took in the Texas Creek Campground was a little strenuous because by the middle of the day it was starting to get really hot.  They hiked about 3 miles on the Badger Trail, Mary's Lookout Trail, and a bit of Deer Point Trail before deciding it was time for an ice cream lunch.

After some short naps, some kayaking and a dip in the Lake it was time to get ready for the big birthday celebration at the Bobalooz Restaurant.  After having such a great time there on the previous night, everyone decided to go back and to repeat the fun.

Fran arranged for Chef Jason to prepare a special birthday dinner and bake two little birthday cakes, a spice cake for Jim and a chocolate cake for Frank.  Both Jim and Frank agreed that it was the best birthday ever!

Even though I didn't get to join the party, at least Jim and Linda remembered to send home a nice piece of steak so I could celebrate in my own way.


Happy Birthday!

A Fish Tale

What a lucky dog I am! I got to go on a party boat today with all my people.  Almost everything Kathe and Jim do, and almost everywhere they go it's NO DOGS ALLOWED! Today was different. We rented a 24 foot pontoon boat at the Lake Christina Marina and went for a half day boat ride on the Lake.  I got to go with them.  I loved being on the boat and flying down the Lake with the wind in my hair, it was like sticking my whole self out a window!

Jim and Frank took turns driving the boat and I sat on Fran's lap while we flew from one end of the Lake to the other.  We found a great fishing spot and Jim and Frank got the fishing poles out and went to work.  They had a few mishaps in the beginning and a few fish got away but then they started reeling them in.  I think there were about eleven small trout that were caught and sent back into the Lake. Linda took some great pictures of the fish and the fishermen but with the Canadian Internet we might have to wait a day to receive them. Trust me it's not just a fish tale, there were really a lot of fish caught today!

Later we stopped at a sandy beach for some exploring and for me to answer natures call.  After that the people all went swimming.  I couldn't go in because I forgot my life jacket. They looked like they were having a great time. but they didn't stay in the water very long.  I guess the water was in the mid seventies. Refreshing!

We had a picnic lunch with all sorts of people food and a couple of dog biscuits for me.  We made it back to the Marina with only minutes to spare on our rental but we all wished we could have stayed out for a whole day.