Selkirk Loop

Our morning started in Coville, WA as we headed for the Canadian border.  After losing our phones we had no map so It became a little confusing to attempt to get to our destination at Crawford Bay.  We managed to enjoy our ride up the river to Kootney Lake to catch the free ferry that is just a short trip from our destination at the Wedgewood Manor.  What a great place.  I will post more when we get home.

Upcoming Trip and Knee Update

It cooled off a lot here on the west side of the mountains in the Pacific Northwest.  Record rainfall hit us on Friday and we had some minor showers yesterday on a day that looked more like fall weather than hot August weather.  The weather is about to change again back to the warmer weather although it appears not nearly as warm as just last month. 

Unfortunately the rains here on the west side did nothing for the eastern portion of the state but create more problems.  Thunderstorms raged across the eastern half of the state on their way up into Canada sparking at least one new fire to join the other massive fires still burning.  The area around Lake Chelan is ablaze with portions of the town and cabins outside town burning.

We are scheduled to leave Tuesday for our little trip up the scenic route to Crawford’s Bay, B.C. and back via Spokane.  I have already made reservations in Colville for the first night on the way up but at least one of the shortest approach highways is closed and I am not certain what the condition of the other approach will be by the time we get there.  The last approach (number 3) is the longest route requiring us to drive to Spokane and turn northwest to get to Colville.  Guess I’ll just have to wait until Tuesday to see what route I will be required to take.  The overall trip isn’t that long so if we need to drive a little extra distance the first day it should be no big deal.

I went to my doctor for a follow up visit regarding my knee injury.  As I suspected, I need continued rest, ice and I got some pain medication and something to help me sleep.  If there isn't significant change for the better in two weeks I need to return for film (X-rays) and maybe and MRI.  Since I went home for the appointment Friday morning, I took our laundry with me and spent the rest of the day at the condo.  I went to bed after taking my new found medication and slept fairly well.   I awoke around five in the morning and went to get out of bed.  What happened next I don’t really remember except I found myself with my knee on fire and rolling in pain as I grabbed the mattress and a hand full of covers trying to keep from yelling.  I fought the urge to cry as my eyes filled with tears.  I don’t know how but I managed to stretch the MCL again and I had flash backs of laying on the trail in the woods wondering what happened.

I managed to drag myself up and get into the shower and get ready to head back up to Gold Bar.  I wanted to arrive in time for their Saturday morning breakfast.  I can’t thing of anywhere else that I can get the breakfast they serve for $5.00 plus a $1.00 tip.  I had Belgian waffles, fruit topping, scrambled eggs, bacon and coffee and the serving sizes are just as big as you would find in a café.  I made it and had a wonderful time with some of the other members in the park.  I just returned to the trailer from the Sunday morning version of the same thing.  This morning was a German sausage scramble with country potatoes, toast and coffee.  Weekends at the park start out just the way I like and there aren’t any dishes to do.

Hope all is well and thanks for dropping by.

Catch Up and Our Upcoming Political Choices

The last time we were here at the trailer our EZGO golf cart that we use to travel around the park started to give us a problem.  We were out riding around the park when the cart started to jerk every once in a while then it went completely dead.  No power for the electric motor or the lights.  I pushed it to the side of the road and visually inspected the batteries but didn’t see anything amiss.  When I turned the key and hit the accelerator we were off again and made all the way back to the trailer.

I thought perhaps low power in the battery pack so I plugged the charger in.  It didn’t recognize the batteries and wouldn’t stay on.  I lifted the seat and once again inspected the batteries.  This time I grabbed each connecting cable and I found one that was loose.  As soon as I touched it the battery charger started up.  It has no doubt been loose for some time since it appears the nut is now welded to the battery post from the arching caused by being loose in the first place.  I had no way to repair it until yesterday. 

It was obvious that I wasn’t going to tighten or loosen the nut on the battery post.  While at home I came up with a shim to tighten the cable.  Using an automotive electrical connector I cut out a section to make it like a C so I could slide it under the nut.  I cut the yellow crimp part off and ended up with four shims that I brought up with me this trip. 

Yesterday I install two of the shims and recharged the batteries and everything seems to be okay.

I spent far too much time on my feet yesterday without my knee immobilizer contraption so last night was a fairly sleepless night as there was no good place to put it.  The aching continued though the night.  Mia was up most of the night as well.  Guess she was having sympathy pains.  She hasn’t been sleeping well at night lately anyway.  Honey sleeps through everything.

Going to take it easy today and hopefully have a better outcome tonight.  Taking it easy here at the trailer means a lot of reading and I find myself nodding off.   We don’t have very many TV channels and the ones we do have don’t give you much to watch.  So it can be boring trying to relax.

Last but not least.  You have to wonder what the leaders of other nations are thinking as they watch the run up to the election of our next President.  Neither party has a front-runner with ethics, integrity, common sense, ability to communicate, perseverance, someone who recognizes their shortcomings, and is a true servant.  I don’t see anyone who appears to see the big picture or be a visionary for the country. 

If the world wasn’t so damned global in nature we could bury our heads in the sand and erect fences around our borders as we have done in the past.  Think of all we could do with the monies that we could save and use for our own infrastructure, poor folks, elderly, education and a multitude of other issues we need to resolve right here at home.  Unfortunately, we must continue down the global path and protect our interests so we can continue to do business with the rest of the world, importing their products while exporting many of our products and services.

I only hope and pray we pick the right guy/gal and they have the fortitude to persevere in the face of the challenges that the future is bound to bring forth.

Hope all is well and thanks for stopping by.

Quiet Few Days At Home

With the exception of a doctor visit yesterday, I have had a relatively quiet time at home.  Mostly reading and sitting with my leg up and ice on the knee.  Tylenol works on the pain but doesn't help the inflammation.  The visit to the doctor yesterday was kind of a waste of time so I am going to have to return next Friday for another followup.  Apparently I decided to followup too soon and there is still too much swelling and liquid on the knee to make a definitive proclamation regarding any further damage past the minor collateral ligament pull/strain.  So I am kind of stuck doing very little and while the condition and pain seem to be quelling I want to make sure I don't do anything stupid like twisting it again before it has a chance to heal.  The knee immobilizer is the pits but it works and I use it anytime I'll be up on my leg.

This morning I spent a short period of time in the basement cutting out the necessary materials to finish putting the shelving system in the closet in the bathroom at the trailer.  Hopefully I can get this done over the next week before we leave for our trip up into Canada.  We aren't taking the trailer with us because we won't be spending too many days on the road.  We'll leave Gold Bar, spend the night in Colville and then move up to Crawford Bay, BC and then back to Spokane the following day and home on Friday the 21st so we can pack up the trailer and head home to be at the condo for the foreseeable future.  We currently have no further plans for travel but I suspect we will spend more time at the trailer before we have to winterize it and put it to sleep for the rough weather to come.

Hardly wait to get back out into nature

Hope all is well and thanks for dropping by.

Painful Reflections

Yesterday was a painful day.  The knee isn't happy that I fell down and twisted it.  It is getting even with considerable pain for which I only have Tylenol.  I have a follow up appointment tomorrow morning with my local, family doctor and perhaps I will come away with a better idea of the damage done and the length of time that will be required for my knee to stop punishing me.  So far I am using all the ice in the refrigerator.

Definitely immobilizes the knee

We are home for the next week.  I have no plans today other than sitting on the couch and letting the knee rest.  Honey has an appointment at the vet that will take all day so she won't be here to comfort me.  Mia has a bunch of errands to run plus she is going to Seattle to visit our daughter in law and give her a hand with the kiddies.  Our son is in Beijing, China until Saturday so we try to help our working mom when he is gone.

It looks like I won't be getting to any of the things I wanted to do on this trip home.  I have been awful accident prone this past year what with the torn hamstring and now this damage to the opposite knee.  Makes you wonder if you should still try to go do things or just lock yourself up in a padded room and not move.

Hope all is well and thanks for stopping by.

At Least I Found The Lake

Monday, just afternoon, I decided that I finally should get my fishing line wet by taking a trip up to see if I could find Lake Elizabeth in the Mt. Baker/Snoqualmie National Forest.  Leaving the trailer I head up Highway 2 eastbound towards Skykomish.  About two and a quarter miles from town is the Miller Creek Campground and my directions say to exit the highway and drive one mile to forest service road 6420.  Once on 6420 I am looking for service road 6410 which appears in less than an eighth of a mile.  I turn right on to the service road which quickly turns into a gravel fire service road that at times is single lane.  I drive up this road (trail) for approximately seven miles before I come to the end of the trail.  But there is no lake.

Apparently as I was watching a river flowing down the hillside on my left, I drove past the lake (pond) on my right.  I got out at the end of the road and walked up a trail for roughly a half mile thinking that must be where the lake is.  The trail continued and I saw no sign of the lake.  Returning to the truck to check the map I realize that I may have passed it on the way up.

Beautiful Landscape

On the trail I walked up 

Half a mile and no sign of a lake

Parked near the end of the road

I started back down the road and kept a keen eye out to the left when out of the trees there came what looked more like a pond than a lake.  I stopped and grabbed my fishing pole and started down what appeared to be a short trail to the lake.  Mine you I should have gotten out my phone and added to my collection of pictures but frankly I was excited to find the lake and wanted to dunk my line.  Unfortunately what happens next keeps my attention and I don't take any further pictures.

The road bed wasn't that bad

My next trick wasn't so funny.  As I stepped down from the last step leading down to the lake I slipped and couldn't catch my balance as I went crashing to the trail.  As I fell my right leg below the knee went out to the right as my foot got caught under me.  I came down hard and there definitely was a problem with my right knee.  I sat there collecting my thoughts and checking my leg to make sure there was no blood or serious pain.  I had pain but not to the extent that I thought I would need help and after checking my phone with no bars, help wasn't exactly next door.  I got myself up and made it back up to the truck.  Weight on the right leg caused serious pain in the knee but I managed to get back in the truck and head down the fire service road and back to the trailer.

Half way up a concrete drain pad

I apologize for not having pictures of the lake (pond) but I thought it more prudent to get back to the truck and head for home.  I had a difficult time once I got back to the trailer and we decided to head back home a day early and stop and urgent care on the way.  I phoned Zach and he had no problem with us coming home a day early.

We stopped at urgent care and I got in and out pretty quickly.  After some initial checks the doctor conclude that I had badly sprained my medial collateral ligament.  I couldn't argue with that cause it really hurt when he pushed on it.  He said he didn't believe it was torn since the motion of the knee would stop when pressure was applied.  He recommended ice, Tylenol and rest.  Fortunately I don't work so rest is much easier.  He gave me a knee immobilizer which I am supposed to wear if I am up for long periods of time.  Don't think I need it to much.  It is a stiff, velcro thing that takes time to install and once it is on you can't bend you knee.

So sleeping last night was difficult to say the least.  The pain has gone down from a 8 on a scale of 10 to about a 5.  I can manage the pain and I hope the healing process is quicker than the hamstring pull I had a few months back.  The pain of that was a full on 10 and it lasted for several days before calming down.  

Basically, no hiking to alpine lakes or rivers for me for a while but as far as slowing down and smelling the roses.....I don't like roses.

Fishing and Self Containment

The temperature has screamed past the 90 degree mark here at the park in Gold Bar.  Thank the heavens for self containment and air conditioning.  About this time of the afternoon the pool starts to call me.  At six o'clock when the kids have gone home the adults descend on the pool for a relaxing period of contemplation and discussion about every possible subject you can come up with.

Yesterday I drove up to the ranger station and had a very nice visit with a young ranger in the National forest.  He is an avid fisherman and was a encyclopedia of information about the lakes around the Skykomish area.  He also told me that the Skykomish River that I thought was closed is only close below Gold Bar and the North and South Forks are open along Highway 2.  The only caveat is what the state of Washington Fisheries calls Hoot-Owl restrictions.  Basically you aren't allowed to fish the rivers from 12 at night until 2 pm.  No morning fishing.  So now I have the information that I need to make my stay up here a little more interesting.  The only issue is with this heat who wants to leave the trailer to go fishing.  Might miss the pool time.  The temperatures go down next week but we are heading home until next Sunday so I miss another opportunity.  

Hope all is well and thanks for stopping by.