On the Road with Joe and Jill

May 29, 2010 ~ LIVING and WORKING AT SKOOKUM

2010-05-30T01:07:00Z

In mid-April we arrived back at Skookum Rendezvous RV Resort, the beautiful deeded resort in NE Washington where we spent last summer. As mentioned in a previous post, we are working full time in the sales office helping the developers with lot sales. We’ve had our hands full getting organized before the season gets into full swing and the summer residents and guests arrive. The weather hasn’t been cooperating, so some of the snowbirds are waiting it out in Arizona, So. Cal and parts south until it heats up there….and heats up here! We’ve had a bit more rain than folks are used to, and nights and days have been cool. But I’m not complaining….it will heat up soon enough! Since we’ve been working our butts off, I haven’t had much time to take photos and we haven’t taken any trips, but for now, I’ll leave you with just a few photos in the "Skookum Spring 2010 " album until we have more leisure time. The images include 'our lot and view', 'neighbors Danny & Mo', 'a foggy morning', and 'dinner with friends' around the feeder. Thanks for visiting and see you back here next time.

March 25, 2010 ~ UPDATE FROM THE N. CAL COAST

2010-03-25T15:17:00Z

Once again, our stay at Bodega Bay is coming to an end. It’s been another great 6 months here on the beautiful Sonoma Coast, despite a wetter winter this year compared to last. In December, we swapped Bella for a larger coach and just took delivery at the beginning of March. We’re excited about the extra space, the new features that make Joe’s life a lot easier, and the bigger kitchen that makes my life easier. Now, we just have to get used to pulling this big rig behind us! The other big highlight of this season was Mindy’s visit last week. It was a short 4 days, but we had a blast hanging out and doing some wine tasting. The final photos in the "Sonoma & Marin County" album include more local animals and scenery, Dillon’s Beach and Lawson’s Landing camp area, shots of the new rig, and a couple of Mindy’s visit. Also included are images of Patrick Amiot’s urban folk art that can be found all around the area, particularly on Florence Ave in Sebastapol where he lives. Google him or go to patrickamiot.com to read about how he turns trash to treasures while raising funds for schools and adding whimsical fun to the streets and yards of Sonoma County.

December 27, 2009 ~ RENO and LAKE TAHOE

2009-12-28T05:23:00Z

We had a little time off over the Thanksgiving weekend so we took a trip to Reno and Lake Tahoe. From Bodega Bay it’s an easy drive over I-80. Our room at the El Dorado was nice and very reasonable, and we availed ourselves of their incredible buffet…more than once! We also tried the buffet at the Atlantis and it was great, but my favorite is still the El Dorado. Ok, enough talk about food; a diet is now the first item on the menu.
Although it’s a far cry from the granddaddy of sin cities, Reno has its share of lights and colorful flamboyance. The Fountain of Fortune, the focal point in the El Dorado, is a mythological collection of dolphins, cherubs, fish, seahorses, and tritons with Poseidon at the helm, and is made of bronze, marble and gold leaf. Over at the Peppermill, the ostentatious use of neon is the main attraction. I don’t know how much time I could spend there, especially since it seemed smokier than some of the other hotels, but I will admit, all that glitz from one end of the resort to the other is pretty impressive. On the other hand, I was glad to see folks out enjoying themselves at the local skating rink; it shows that normal, everyday life does exist in the midst of all that decadence.
At Lake Tahoe we found that there was just enough snow to give us the holiday feel, but not enough to affect travel. The mountains had small snow caps and the sandy beaches of the lake showed signs of the recent snowstorm. The aqua-colored shoreline with its smooth boulders is quite a contrast to the depths of the cool blue lake interior. At Zephyr Cove, the Ms. Dixie waited patiently at the dock for her next group of visitors. I find that Emerald Bay is one of the most picturesque spots along the scenic lake route and I would imagine it’s one of the most photographed areas. I did get a shot of Vikingsholm Castle at the head of the bay, although it’s pretty far away and somewhat secluded. Before winding up our day trip to Tahoe, we ventured off the main road to take a short hike through the woods to Spooner Lake, another beautiful alpine lake. It was another enjoyable getaway. View the images from this trip at "Reno-Tahoe 2009".

October 15, 2009 ~ THE SEASON ENDS AT SKOOKUM

2009-10-22T23:57:00Z

Our season at Skookum Rendezvous ended October 8th and not a day too soon as the weather was changing quickly. Although the days were pleasant in the mid 50’s, we had 28 degree mornings the last 3-4 days. I understand it got down to 0 overnight a couple days after we left. Brrr! We were hired here at Skookum by the Owners Association to assist management a couple of days a week, but sometime in June we were offered another position with the developer helping out with sales. We had focused most of our time the last 3 months in the sales office. We really enjoyed the work and the people. And, call me crazy, but I decided it would be a good idea to get my WA real estate license before we left. It will help make things run more smoothly when we go back in April. We’re happy they’ve asked us back next season. The "Usk, WA Area" album has some miscellaneous shots of the resort, our visiting moose (taken by Ardie Jones), the popular Coeur d’ Alene Hotel, and some nature shots. We arrived back in Bodega Bay October 15th and have settled in for 6 months (yes, here we are again!). Our Assistant Manager job was waiting for us as was our familiar spot in the Bodega Bay RV Park. I don’t know how many more stories and photos about Bodega Bay I can post, but if I come up with anything, you’ll see it here. See ya back here again!

August 15, 2009 ~ THE POW WOW

2009-08-15T07:00:00Z

The local Kalispel tribe celebrated their 35th Anniversary Pow Wow in early August. I went just to see the colorful, elaborate costumes and dances that I had heard about, but it’s so much more. A Pow Wow is a major social event. This gathering promotes a real sense of togetherness, spiritually and community outreach. The tribe hosts other tribes from around the region, and all compete in drum, dance and costume contests in various categories from golden age to tiny tots with huge cash prizes awarded. And the entire local community is invited for food and festivities without charge. I opted out of the buffalo barbecue! There were prayers and heart-felt speeches from both young and old before the grand dance entrance, and I felt a real sense of human oneness. Take a look at the images in the "Kalispel Pow Wow" album and see if you can feel the sense of pride.

July 31 , 2009 ~ NW MONTANA & GLACIER NAT’L PARK

2009-07-31T07:00:00Z

Our trip through northwest Montana and into Glacier was at the beginning of June. From Usk, we traveled across the Idaho panhandle through Priest River, Sandpoint, Bonners Ferry and Moyie Springs, and followed Rt. 2 into Montana. Our first stop was at Kootenai Falls, a beautiful rocky gorge with the powerful Kootenai River running through, and a swinging foot bridge above. Further along our route we passed several small lakes and amazing scenery before arriving in Kalispell for the night. We took time over the next couple of days to explore the Kalispell, Whitefish, and Columbia Falls areas – very picturesque. We moved on to the small town of West Glacier just outside the southwest corner of Glacier National Park where we stayed at a cute little rustic motel for a couple of nights. Just inside the park we came across Lake McDonald – dramatic, glassy and reflective, and probably one of the most photographed sights in the park. Although the Going-To-The-Sun Road over Logan Pass was not yet open, we saw many beautiful areas of the park…pristine lakes, peaceful creeks, rushing waterfalls, giant cedars and spectacular mountains. We circled around the southern rim of the park and stopped at goat lick overlook, a deep gorge where the goats come down to lick the minerals in the rocks. Next we went over the summit at the continental divide, and then on to Two Medicine in the southeast corner of the park. At Two Medicine we ventured into "grizzly country" to see beautiful lakes, mountains and Running Eagle Falls. We saw a grizzly cub, and because we kept our distance, the photo is not too good (and a bit blurry, as I was keeping one eye out for his mom)! After we left Glacier, we headed south past Flathead Lake and into Missoula where we picked up I-90 and headed for home. Once again, I’m disappointed in my images from this trip and find they just don’t portray the breathtaking beauty of the area. It didn’t seem to matter what time of day it was, the lighting just wasn’t right. After all that positive talk, I’m sure you’ll want to go right to the "NW Montana & Glacier" album and take a look!

July 15 , 2009 ~ NORTHERN IDAHO

2009-07-15T23:19:00Z

I’m posting our Idaho trips a little out of order, but as I mentioned in the May 18 post, I wanted to wait until we had seen more of Idaho. At the beginning of May, we took a drive over to Priest Lake. It’s a beautiful drive and a picturesque lake. All of Northern Idaho is easily accessed from our home base, and the panhandle is about 45 miles across from Washington to Montana. At the end of May we took another portion of the Selkirk Loop which took us out through Priest River, Sandpoint, past Lake Pend Oreille and through the tiny town of Clark Fork where we stopped for lunch. As we continued over this scenic byway, we crossed into Montana and stopped to look at the Cabinet Gorge Dam. We headed north past Ross Creek Cedars and then west through Troy, MT along the Kootenai River, experiencing some beautiful Montana scenery. I wish my images from these trips portrayed the beauty we encountered. On June 5th, we were on our way back from our Glacier trip (Glacier will be in the next post) traveling west on I-90 from Montana into Idaho through the Bitterroot Mountains. We happened upon the little town of Wallace, a quaint old mining community listed on the National Historic Register, where bordellos were a way of life as recently as 20 years ago. Wallace, Silverton, Osburn and Kellogg are part of the "Silver Valley", the silver capital of the world. Several mines still exist, opening and closing depending upon the price of silver. We were intrigued by the 1313 Club-Historic Saloon & Grill. "1313" has a special meaning to us, but if I tell you anymore, I’ll have to kill you! We decided it would be a good place to have a drink and dinner before heading back to our comfortable room at The Wallace Inn. We love exploring these historic little towns – and its even more fun when you come across them unexpectedly. The images from these trips are in the "N. Idaho May-June 09" album.

July 4, 2009 ~ FIREWORKS ON THE RESERVATION

2009-07-08T16:24:00Z

The Kalispell Tribe celebrates the 4th of July with food, festivities and fireworks. Everyone is invited to join, and everything is free, a very generous community gesture. We skipped the afternoon fun, but staked out a good spot for the fireworks at about 9:00 p.m. It gets dark a little later up here, and while we waited, the mosquitoes had a nice snack. But the show finally started about 10:15 and ended by 10:45, and it was worth the wait. It was a fantastic display. Although there’s nothing like being there, I think I captured some decent images. Take a look at the "Fireworks July 2009" album but be patient-there are a lot of photos in the album and it might take a little longer to load; they were all so unique I couldn't decide on which ones to post. I may have to delete some, but for now, enjoy the show!

June 25, 2009 ~ IN LOVING MEMORY

2009-06-27T18:01:00Z

          KEN CHESLEY
March 31, 1932 ~ June 24, 2009
It's so hard to say goodbye, but today the angels rejoice.
His magnificent spirit will brighten the heavens for all eternity.
I love you, Dad, forever and always.


    SAL IUCULANO                          JOAN MOULTON
1/20/1922 ~ 7/30/2008              5/30/1933 ~ 1/13/2003


They will always be with us.

May 18, 2009 ~ EXPLORING NORTHEAST WASHINGTON

2009-05-19T03:30:00Z

We are now in the tiny town of Usk in Northeastern Washington on the Idaho border, about 50 miles south of Canada. Our temporary home is Skookum Rendezvous RV Resort, a private deeded park where residents own their lots here on the beautiful Pend Oreille River. Pend Oreille, pronounced "Pond-o-RAY", means "ear pendant" and was coined by French settlers for the earrings worn by the local Kalispell tribe.
We’ve had the opportunity to explore a little of the area since we arrived May 1st. The Kalispell Indian Reservation lies here in Usk and in the neighboring town of Cusick. Our Native American neighbors have a herd of buffalo, some of whom you’ll see in the "Northeast Washington" photo album. Also within their land lies the Manressa Grotto, a glacially formed above-ground cave system used for religious ceremonies by early American Indians and missionaries. Close to home and right off the road, it is an easy and interesting site to explore.
We take a daily five mile walk from the resort down to Skookum Creek, and are happy to say that nature abounds here in northeastern Washington. We’ve seen deer, elk and llamas, peamouth chub fish spawning, and delicate flowers and insects. It’s "baby" season, and there are new offspring of every living thing! The Canadian geese are very protective of their new broods, and a killdeer couple, a plover-type bird, spent some time in our yard tending to their newborns. Both parents take turns sitting on the chicks, especially when it’s cold and drizzly as it was the day my photos were taken. You’ll see the mother sitting in the gravel with several tiny legs sticking out from beneath. The gangly-legged chicks are up and about as soon as they hatch, and they are the cutest little downy fur balls you’ve ever seen! Once you’ve heard their distinctive call, you’ll always know they’re around. And this is interesting…unlike most species that protect in an aggressive manner, an adult Killdeer puts on a deceitful "broken wing" display. As you approach, you may notice it suddenly develop a broken wing. As it struggles pitifully and you instinctively try to help, it lets you come close, but stays one step ahead. It guides you further and further away from its chicks and when it feels you are no longer a threat, its broken wing suddenly heals and it flies away. Isn’t Mother Nature incredible! We haven’t yet encountered any moose, bear, lynx and bobcat, but we’re keeping close watch since we know they’re here.
My fascination for clouds has grown since we arrived. As was the case last time we were in the northwest, the cloud displays have been fantastic. You may see one or two in the album, but I’m determined to create a cloud portfolio before I leave.
The International Selkirk Loop runs through Northeastern Washington, the Idaho Panhandle and into British Columbia. We took a portion of the loop in Washington and Idaho. Our first day-trip took us north from Usk past Box Canyon Dam to Metaline Falls, about 10 miles from the Canadian border, and our second trip was a loop past the Little Pend Oreille Lakes, the wildlife refuge and the historic town of Colville. Although the lack of wildlife in the refuge was a disappointment, we did have a bit of excitement when we encountered a blizzard (note: it was May 12th).
Our day-trip into Idaho will be saved for the next post after we’ve had a chance to explore Idaho further and add more images to the album. Until then, thanks again for sharing our travels. We’ll see ya back here soon!