Our last entry found us scampering out of California in the first wave of the Covid-19 panic. We arrived home on the Ides of March, truly auspicious if you're the superstitious type. We hunkered down for the spring and summer, keeping our risk pool small. In reality, our lives changed little. Sorely missed was contact with our friends, but dining out and seeing movies mark the bulk of our social life aside from gathering with our buddies, so our sacrifice was small. We did have to limit our contact with my son's family since he and his wife, Bonnie, work for a living outside the home, and our grand daughters were hobnobbing with friends as teen girls will do. Elizabeth moved home on furlough and now is working from home until Nordstrom's makes a decision about returning to the office. She and our boarder, Ken Mo' live with us until further notice. Kevin will likely be here through medical school, and we hope Elizabeth gets to stay in Spokane forever. Who knows the future? I spent as much time as I could on my boat on lake Couerd 'Alene, and while home I averaged about seven miles a day walking the trails over the bluff near our house. So, really, life remains good. We made the decision not to travel South this year; instead, we planned a three week jaunt through the wilds of Northeast Washington on westward into the Okanogan. That was before the fire and smoke descended. As you most likely know, California, Oregon, and large parts of Washington are on fire. While we have escaped the direct devastation, we have enjoyed air quality of nearly of 500 particles per cubic foot: extremely hazardous they say. So we aborted our plan and drove this morning from Spokane to Challis, Idaho where the air is hazy, but merely in the low hundreds in terms of particles. By the time we reach Jackson Hole, Wyoming, we'll once again be in the healthy range. Our destination is Manhattan, Kansas. We decided the middle of the country is one of the few safe weather windows. Besides, Judy giggles like a school girl at the thought of seeing her sisters. Hopefully, when we make the trek back West in early October, things will be somewhat normal in our area. Our drive today was mercifully pleasant and gratefully safe. We stopped for gas just outside Missoula, and for a roadside lunch and a game of crib in Darby, Montana. Other than that, it was pedal to the metal as they say. We're happy to be on the road again. We're even happier to soak in the pristine waters of Challis Hot Springs, and we're most happy that we scored the best camp site we've ever had in this place. So, as you might imagine, and this is not a political statement, life is good, especially today.
My Bunny easing into the hot pool.
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