Living The Good Life On Lake Wenatchee

George and I were the first to arrive at Glacier View Campground last Wednesday, acquiring two adjacent sites for our family reunion. They were fantastic: beach access for canoes, several sheltered cooking areas, and an open area for chairs around the camp-fire. The next day everyone else arrived, and nine tents were set up in a large arc under the trees. In addition to a dish-washing station, George and I also set up a tent for bathing, with several large basins of hot water, soap, fresh towels, and a soft mat to sit on. Off comes the grime of soot, dirt, bug-spray and sunscreen. Sleeping clean feels so good!

A Memorial Day reunion has become a family tradition over the past several years. We celebrate May birthdays, seven of them, with an inexpensive gift-exchange. This is our fourth camping experience at Glacier View Campground, with the last one in September, after Taraz and Megan's wedding. Several of those days were spent huddled under a big canopy while it rained. Another time, we had to wear protective head-nets and gloves, to keep the mosquitoes from biting our ears and hands at dinnertime.

George and I camped at Lake Wenatchee late one fall when we were the only ones here, and the wind blew so bad at night it almost blew our tent over. Fortunately, we were inside, holding it down. The canopy over our picnic table was also secured with ropes and held down with rocks. But, the wind howled and blustered so violently we were unable to sleep. Sometimes, with a clear sky you will get that kind of weather, then come morning all is peaceful and still.

Each morning, of the five that George and I spent here, we arose shortly after sunrise, made coffee, then paddled away, taking our coffee with us. Taraz and Megan joined us on one of these early paddles, and one by one everyone else set out for the south end of the lake here, where there is abundant bird-life and water-fowl. The sounds were delightful.

Rahmat brought along his spotting scope.

The girls teamed up for board-games, and the guys did too.

We drove along a wilderness road rimmed with a bit of snow to get to a trail-head, but found the road washed out here. The guys were eager to make a dam across the roadbed so we could all get to our hike, but we backed out at the last minute. I don't think anyone wanted to get their hiking boots wet, or get washed down the mountainside.

Taraz did a masterful job placing logs in front of boulders to create a stepping stone trail.

Evenings, we sat around the fire-pit, in Rue's camp. That's where all the action was. He had kabobs for dinner one night, and fried trout for breakfast the next morning. Rue likes to cook outdoors, just like his mom. This was an especially
challenging trip, as I needed to keep all my perishable foods cold for at least 5 days. I precooked a number of dishes to save on propane, and some of the larger items, like the pot-roast and chicken, the sausage and bacon, were transferred frozen from my freezer to the cooler. I've found that preparing some of the meals ahead of time really saves on production time later on. It is just a matter of warming things up over the fire.

I wasn't really able to do much photography during this trip. There simply was too much to do keeping things running in camp. However, Annie, Ruhiyyih, Megan, and Taraz took video and stills, and will have them posted on their blogs as time permits. Image here of Rue and Annie - quiet time.

This image of Megan is so sweet; makes me want to squeeeeeeze her!

And this of our precious daughter Ruhiyyih, who leaves to go back to Washington D.C. today. Seeing her, I couldn't have had a more wonderful birthday gift!

We've had some abundant sunshine the past week, which has been perfect gardening weather. My backyard is tended and mowed, watered and clipped, and now I can sit down and rest awhile. I had coffee, with cream and sugar, and listened to the faint bubbling from this little fountain, a recent birthday gift from our friend, Myong. I've never had a Feng Shui fountain before, but it is supposed to balance the dynamics of nature to create harmony. Do you suppose it could have the power to diminish the sound of my neighbor's lawn mower?

One yearns for the silence of deep forests, sunshine glistening on cool water, and a fresh breeze carrying the fragrance of juniper. These greet us at Lake Wenatche, where our families plan to camp next week for our yearly reunion. Laurel and Mehran, Rue and Annie, Taraz and Megan, Ruhiyyih and Rahmat - all are packing their camping gear, and George and I have much to do over the weekend to get ready, much baking and cooking.

We'll head over on Wednesday to secure a site, and I'll return to Flitzy after the Memorial Day weekend. Have a memorable holiday, everyone....

Medicine Creek - Nisqually Wildlife Refuge

The sun was completely over the horizon, almost dusk, when we saw this little remote glade in the Nisqually Delta Wildlife Refuge. We decided to do a very late afternoon paddle on McAlister Creek. This creek has also been called Medicine Creek or Treaty Creek because it was the site of early Native American treaties in 1864 in the Nisqually Delta. In December, Isaac Stevens, governor and superintendent of Indian affairs met with delegates of the Nisqually, Puyallup, Steilacoom, Squawskin, S'Homamish, Stehchass, T'Peeksin, Squi-aitl, and Sa-heh-wamish tribes occupying the lands lying round the head of Puget Sound and the adjacent inlets. In the Treaty, the tribes and bands of Indians relinquished significant portions of their land, and received $32,500 in return, over a succession of years. The creek George and I were canoeing was once their land.

The creek has the richest, softest shoreline, with abundant birds. This little creek tumbled down out of the forest to empty into the waters that feed Puget Sound.

We beached our canoe here, to explore the shoreline - the tide had completely drained out of this little inlet. The mudflats were filled with burrowed clams that had little mounded dwellings with a hole on top.

The tide was very low, pulling the water out of the estuaries. When we paddled here, there was only about a foot of water to paddle through. With the tides so low, we could only go so far before we had to turn around. It was a delightful paddle. We met these kayakers, who told us about their day out on the delta. They are part of a kayaking club, and were the most cheerful, friendly sports enthusiasts. I thought how fortunate all of us are, to be able to put a canoe on the water, in a matter of minutes, all over Puget Sound, and a delightful experience awaits.


Donna Frisk writes poignantly of the 'Legacy of Medicine Creek: On the Nisqually Delta':

A leaden sky loops
down into marsh ponds,
a massive Möbius strip
of gray. Late spring greens,
irradiated by purple light
of an impending storm, tighten their grip.

Tiger lilies and fireweed
fall to their knees
under the weight
of wind. On the water
a rat-a-tat-tat
as round shapes overlap each other, like Kandinsky’s Circles in a Circle.

Too far to dash a
half-mile back,
I pull up my hood,
and sit out the squall
under a weeping willow’s
abundant arms.

Chief Leschi refused to sign the treaty--
reservation lands were not on the Nisqually River,
were forested, rocky, with no place to graze horses,
no place to fish for salmon. He was framed for murder. Hanged.

I hunker,
along with bushtits
and great blue heron,
restless for serenity
to calm the festered clouds.

An army helicopter thwump thwump thwumps it’s way north to Fort Lewis.

Sharing The Spirit of Mothers Day

Katherine Hall, Annie's mom took this picture of George and I with Rue and Annie on Sunday. We attended the Mothers Day celebration at Discovery Baptist Church. While Annie presented a lesson and projects for the junior youth class, we listened to Pastor Suko give a sermon on "Transforming Grace". Mothers have a great role, Pastor Suko said, "to bring spiritual life to their children". We listened as Pastor Suko presented some stories that, although they have no women in the story, are important for women in the training of their children. All people are in need of the transforming spirit of Faith in their lives. Here, a woman from the Ukrane is being interviewed, conveying the different customs for honoring mothers. She also spoke about the process of teaching Christianity to the people in that part of the world. Prior to the sermon, there was a time of testimonials, from members of the congreation who honored memories of their mothers. It was a time of rejoicing and tears, as people recalled the sacrifices and hard work of their mothers. Afterwards, a few of the ladies came to greet me, and hugs and kind words were exchanged. I mentioned to one woman that my mother was a tough ole Montana woman, and that although she is now gone, I use her name on my Google account for Blogger. Each time I open a new window to access my account, I have to type in her name - a memory and a playful reminder of how important she is in my life!

This is another photo that Kathy took that day - of my son Rue and myself. One of the services that she provides to the church is to document, with photography, the special events of the church. She recently attended the Ladies High Tea. She sent me the link and I'll share it - lots of pretty hats, bright spirits, and fine china.

Afterwards the four of us went to the Hot Iron Mongolian grill for lunch. This was a little 'hole in the wall' type place, a mom and pop place that had the best stir-fry! We walked along a long counter filled with various fresh vegetables, fish, meat and noodles, and selected our favorites. They were put in a big bowl, then taken here to the grill. I enjoyed the fresh prawns, and there were mushrooms, carrots, peppers, celery, tomatoes, olives, onions, broccoli and spinach, pineapple and water chestnuts. There were about 12 different types of sauces that were then poured on top, as a flavoring for the stir-fry. I put on the lemon-garlic and a bit of the plum sauce. A scoop of rice was put on the side, topped with a favorite sauce. It was supremely yummy, a perfect Mothers Day luncheon.

The sweet fragrance of roses and baby's breath filled our den on the morning of my birthday. They were a gift from our friend Myong, delivered the previous evening. She and several of her students were planning to come for brunch the following morning, and she brought over all kinds of goodies for George to use for the meal, then put this beautiful bouquet into my arms. I was so touched by the kindness of this gesture.

George did all the cooking, making scrambled eggs with broccoli, parmesan, and mushrooms mixed in. This turned out exceptionally good, but his French Toast (which he baked in the oven) came out so crisp that I had to cut the edges off, so nobody would crack a tooth trying to chew it. (However, if one could imagine camping-out, this is exactly the kind of fare that everyone raves about.) As a compensation, he also served grilled English muffins with a slice of Swiss cheese on top and some turkey saussages. Myong brought a huge tray of sliced canteloupe, watermelon, grapes, and peaches.

Because George was doing the cooking, I was able to relax and enjoy our guests. It was a chance to visit with Myong and her students, Bianco and Raymond, before they scatter for the summer. We invited our Baha'i friend, Debbie, and Taraz, Megan, and Rahmat were able to visit for awhile. Taraz showed a number of videos he made recently, and we also listened to some classical music. Myong was a piano teacher for 14 years in Korea.

George and I have always enjoyed having people over, even when our children were very young. It is a favorite pastime for George, and I feel quite fortunate that he will do the cooking. Over the years, he has really taken over in the kitchen, not afraid to experiment. And, of course with four hungry kids, there was always someone to consume his experiments.

I've cooked for kids so long, I hardly know how to cook anything other than spaghetti, meatloaf, or fried chicken. I need a recipe, or I am lost. He, on the other hand, will look in the pantry and figure out something with whatever is there.

However, he is not as skilled as I am cooking over a campfire. I do all our cooking when we camp, so that the food is not charred or just thrown together because someone is hungry. (I've learned to start preparations well before people feel hungry, and we double the portion-sizes.)

Everyone in our family has very ideosyncratic eating habits, so they are not especially easy to cook for anymore. Ruhiyyih prefers the 'all raw' food choices; Laurel and Mehran are 'all organic' and Persian; Taraz and Megan eat 'healthy', with careful 'lite' food choices and little meat; George eats mostly fruits and vegetables, not too many starches; and I think Annie and Rue have an 'all-American' diet, balanced and yummy. Rahmat will eat anything, and be hungry an hour later. I'm a grazer, eating frequent small meals every several hours.

It is horrendous trying to plan a family reunion with all these different food preferences! I've finally decided that every family can bring their own food, cooking it as they wish, and we'll all pitch in and help out as best we can. I plan to make 36 cinnamon rolls this year, slice them thin, butter them, and then grill them over the fire. Not healthy, not organic, not raw, not a diabetic option...but the fastest, easiest, tastiest of breakfasts. And, it is one of my favorite things to enjoy with that first cup of coffee in the morning.

The Sun Lakes - Eastern Washington

Marker Five, Deep Lake, in the Sun Lakes area -- capsize here, and you'll sink down about 300 feet into a dark canyon crevice, never to see the light of day again!

It was thoughts like that which caused George and I to cancel a paddle here about three years ago. The wind was whipping up a storm, clouds churned purple overhead....and not a soul was around! I started to feel very apprehensive, that it was foolish to continue. We'd just reached marker #4 along this canyon wall when we turned around.

So, you can imagine the pleasure George and I felt, exploring Deep Lake again, this time with Taraz and Megan. It was a gorgeous weekend, with sunshine and warm temperatures, and very little wind. Perfect for camping, hiking and canoeing. We padded through this canyon, where every sound echoed off the basalt cliffs. We took turns shouting phrases, delighting in the echos. It was like the unfriendly place we once visited had suddenly become cordial, talking back to us. It was amusing and delightful.The sounds of swallows came from little rock out-cropings. They were just beginning to build their nests.

We took a long hike up to the Lenore Caves, starting early in the morning. These caves are simply amazing. They were formed during the last ice age, when catastrophic floods raged across much of eastern Washington. These floods carved the deep ravines and coolies that formed Deep Lake, and they also created the caves.

I hiked down inside one of them, to capture this image of Taraz walking along the rim.

It was here that George and I turned back from the hike. Taraz and Megan hiked up to the top of that distant rocky mass, culling through sage and tons of rocky scree to get to the top. George and I did not want to risk the hazards coming down. We already had as much of a hike as we could muster.

This was taken at the beginning of the climb. We packed plenty of water, trail-mix, fruit, and some sandwiches. I packed some Tootsie Pops, so my mouth wouldn't get so dry on the climb upwards.

Over the weekend we canoed three lakes - Lake Lenore, Deep Lake, and Dry Falls Lake. Dry Falls, was in a dramatic basin, carved out thousands of years ago. The rim is 400 feet high, and the walls about four miles wide. The area is an oasis of the coulee country, part of the Grand Coulee, a rocky, shrub-steppe canyon bounded by spectacular basalt cliffs and talus slopes. A series of of alkaline lakes fill this coulee including Dry Falls Lake.

We paddled along the shoreline, then Taraz and I scurried up a rocky cliff. We managed to get to the top. When we looked down across the valley, we noticed a large coyote about two hundred feet from us on the bluff, watching us. As we got closer, it trotted away.

This was the 'put-in point' at Deep Lake -- cottonwood seeds were floating down from the trees, dotting the water with fluff. It was very magical, something I recall seeing in that movie, "Legend", with Tom Cruise. The seeds floated down so softly, and with the slightest breeze they'd swirl around on the ground.

This was our campsite at the Sun Lake Recreational Area - about a four hour drive from our home. Not too many tourists are camping yet, which made for a very quiet evening. Come summertime, this place will be packed with campers. Megan made dinner for all of us, a rich soup with cheese, macaroni and vegetables, and served with sprouted-grain bread. We turned in early, and listened to the sounds of mourning doves, owls, and wood- peckers. In the middle of the night I opened the tent flap and looked out at the brilliant stars. It was so peaceful.

The next morning a flock of seagulls awoke us at dawn. They were ready for breakfast -- someone had been feeding them over the years, so they stayed here. We sat with coffee, Megan made oatmeal, then I cooked some eggs and toast for breakfast. Later, we broke camp and went on our hike and paddle, which consumed the entire day.
We were pretty tired by the end of this paddle, but very happy that all of us accomplished our goals. Taraz and Megan are wonderful canoeing partners. It was delightful listening to their chatter as they marveled at the sights. George and I thoroughly enjoyed the exploring, the camping, and the companionship. We've had a lot of camping trips over the years, but the favorite ones are always those that we spend with our family or friends. They make it special, in so many ways.