Adventure 877: Ferguson Lake House

Family vacation at Priest Lake began today despite an air quality level poor enough to bring our judgment into question. Smoke be damned! Three area fires ignited and flourished overnight in 20-30 mile an hour winds causing intense particulates to be flushed out overcoming the air. The same billows of ashy soot rose into the air over and over again on the news reports. In  the actual air visibility and particulate level varied. We thought, if we're going to be cooped up anyway, we might as well be cooped up in a nice air conditioned house at Priest Lake.  We drove an alternative route through Spirit Lake which allowed us to dodge the Oregon Road fire, which endangers Justin's home as well as his parents. The Medical Lake Fire, driven by the insatiable vigor the wind grew over night  to a 9500 acre nightmare. It was zero percent contained when we left, but didn't hinder us at all, except for the voluminous plumes of smoke it belched. We made it safely. The cabin is secure and comfortable.  Our hope is that the weather will change and a little rain will fall, knocking much of the smoke from the air. Regardless, some of us are here. Leticia and Falcon will come up tomorrow if all is well with Justin. Angela is holding down the Perch awaiting Sawyer's decision whether to come from Portland or not. He may opt for better weather, and his mother may as well. We'll see. That's about  all. Basically, it' much the same as always, Life is good, especially today.

We catered a taco dinner from the Perch. Here's my Bunny frying up the tortillas.

AQI 202 or Very Unhealthy. Indoor games recommended.

Two days ago ZAM and me we're conversing while Angela and Judy had dinner.

My two favorite kids.

We did bring masks. The weather and water are still perfect after all.

Bonnie and Emily enjoying the moment.

Every one hugs; everyone wins.

Emily adding a little spice to the taco mix.

Getting settled for the week.

Adventure 876: A View from the Perch/15

For me, alotta vibes start humming around anniversary time. Anne and I married on 8-21-71, which would be 52 years in ten days. Judy and I married on 8-12-89, a total now of 34 years, twice that of my time with Annie. Yet, I have real love for both of them. I relish Anne's memory, and I'm grateful to spend each day with Judy. I'll tell anyone, "I'm the luckiest guy on the planet." This year I surprised my Bunny with a trip to Quinn's Hot Springs, a place we hadn't been to in at least 25-30 years. It was rustic thirty years ago; now it's operating as a Five Star resort. The updates and the improvements over the years served to enhance an already magical space. I would recommend today's version to anyone. The service is friendly and competent; the pools are magnificent; the dining at the Harwood House passes muster quite nicely; Our well appointed room served up a cluster of night stars, a bottle of wine, a nice bed and a deck overlooking the Clark Fork river, which served as the venue for this morning's game. The Wiley Cager has been having her way with me for some time now. I do wish she'd choose a different method. Anyway, as you all know, life is good, especially today.

I took Judy to the sight of our first date.

 

We stood up front at the altar just  a few steps off center to the right. Judy's elbow brushed mine and the most pleasant bolt of electricity passed through my body. The rest is living history as they say since we've been sparking ever since.

I do love to relax in a hot tub.

The last time we were here there was just one large pool medium warm. Now there are six pools  of varying temperatures including a cool pool. We spent most of our time between the 101 degree pool and the 105 degree pool. I highly recommend Quinn's, especially for getaway "dates".

Judy about to enjoy her mixed game meatloaf. The gravy:  a fabulous reduction. Grilled broccoli and creamy mashed potatoes. Very rich.

Portobello mushroom stuffed with wilted spinach, whole and halved cherry tomatoes, smothered with mozzarella, and baked. Included as sauce was a honey, cashew, parsnip blended into a loose dipping sauce. Pesto added wings. Really fun to feel the burst of a warmly sweet tomato. Yum! And of course! Dive the spoon into the creme brûlée. 

The sight of the Wiley Cager's recent carnage.. I'm eager for a change in fortune if you please.

Art shot of the day: Down Scope from the Fourth Floor.

Adventure 875: A View from the Perch/14

Met up with a "Trigger Song" in church this morning. You know the one that blurs your eyes, tightens your neck, and sends trickles down your cheek. Along with the message that God both gives and takes away, I found myself suddenly overcome with an 'Annie' event. Every so often I'm overcome with her memory. Today, the song Blessed Be Your Name brought her up through my heart, up through my neck, up through my throat, and washed herself out through my eyes. As I listened to the guest preacher make her point that God sometimes blesses us in ways we don't expect, and sometimes gives and sometimes takes, I found myself feeling the sadness of Anne being taken from me. At the same time I found myself grateful sitting next to Judy who was then given to me. It was a powerful morning. I'm not triggered as often as I used to be. They say time heals, so maybe 35 years, 27 days qualifies. Walking to the car after the service holding Judy's hand, I knew that not only am I the luckiest guy on the planet, but I also know that life is good, especially today.

August 21, 1971. First committed love. Unfathomable loss.

Just last week at The Perch. My Bunny still smiling after 34 years.

Sometimes the Lord blesses us in unexpected ways.

Thank you, Jesus.

Adventure 874: A View from the Perch/13

Good news for the Wiley Cager. She finished the month of July $.89 ahead. As someone once said, "In order to win a player must get the lead, keep the lead, and finish in the lead." The Cager led wire to wire this month, and her #@%* eating grin proves it. In other news, we got to spend some time with Falc. We played ball, did puzzles, crashed trucks, tossed balls, and any other thing he could devise. Pretty fun. In boat news, I was wildly successful replacing the pump mechanism on Davey Boy's head. The motor, however, is still ensconced inside the shop at Elephant Boys. I'm pretty sure the tab is running. BOAT! Like many places, Spokane been enduring consistently hot temperatures. Rumor has it that the heat will subside next week a bit. In the meantime, we're staying cool in our little nest where life is good, especially today.

I had to channel my dave Ulmen ignorer to repair this pump. Very satisfying.

That would be the winning "grin".

Finishing touches continue to enhance life here at The Perch.

Puzzling.

The landscaping in the central courtyard is now complete.

Keep buzzing.

Adventure 873: A View from the Perch/12

Anyone who's ever owned one knows that BOAT stands for "Break Out Another Thousand". I concur as Davey Boy's motor is currently in the shop after already running up over a thousand dollars of towing and maintenance costs. The new diagnosis is a possible fuel pump failure. Time will tell since I am now waiting my turn for the shop fix. In addition, the pump mechanism on the "head" has failed. Thanks to Amazon, I'm now armed with a new pump and I'm eagerly anticipating squeezing my gymnast's body into the small bathroom space in order to replace it. Sometimes things go smoothly in the repair world. Sometimes that Irishman, Murphy, gets involved. Again, time will tell. Meanwhile, life continues apace at the Perch. We enjoyed lunch with several friends this past week in an effort to use our monthly food allotment. One nice side benefit in that attempt is that the kids have been joining us for Sunday brunch. Mostly, we've decided we'll never be able to keep pace unless we want to look like a couple of bulbous Michelin tire creatures. Instead, we've adopted a new paradigm, a back to the future approach to normal living. We actually cooked a meal at dinner, our favorite summer dish of pasta with cherry tomatoes, sautéed onions, a dash of red pepper flakes, and a chiffonade of basil all of which was covered with parmesan cheese. For fun, Judy has started practicing piano duets with Jace, a new friend and resident. So, basically we're all a flutter here at the Perch where life is good, especially today.

The Perch at rest.

This pump failed after only twenty years or so. What's this world coming to?

Judy and Jace practicing.

Sad to say, "The Wiley Cager is up $1.84 with two days to play this month!"

We enjoyed a few giggles at lunch with our friends, Liz and Deb.
 

While tasty, this  dish didn't quite match the past where we plucked ripe tomatoes from our garden. Still pretty good.

Adventure 872: A View from the Perch/11

Before Judy went to bed, we wintled a little bit in the front room. After a few sways I asked, "Remember when we first met, we wintled at the Seattle waterfront on Pier 60?" "We thought it was fun." Judy replied, "It's still fun." I agree. Recently, Judy has been tending to Falcon while Leitica either works, or works to replace her vehicle. Either way, Mimi to the rescue. As for me, I spent the morning at my friend Pat's house, discussing the progress of the new griddle he's installing on his outside Smoker/BBQ. Things are coming along nicely. Yesterday, Judy and I had a delightful time with our across the hall neighbor's, the Koehlers. We drank wine, chit-chatted, and enjoyed a nice time at dinner. We look forward to more time with them. Tonight, we ventured downtown to meet up with our old and dear friends, the Cramer's. We met at a place called the Wooden City. The place was packed, a bit noisy, and very good. It was fun. We've come to the realization that we can never catch up with our excess in house food money, even if we were to give in to weighing a lot more. Instead, we just accept the cost as part of doing business. That's why going out tonight felt so good. It's more of our previous life. I imagine it's just part of the modification process as we adjust to this new life paradigm. Anyway, not to worry because life is good, especially today.

We also enjoyed a burrata cheese over bread pudding and a stuffed pepper.

It was a high calorie day. I smashed this burger Pat made me at lunch.

 

This is the serious end of the new griddle. Elements work!

I brought these cactus starts from Tucson. They seem to be thriving.

Me and my Bunny waiting be seated a the Wooden City.

 The place is cool. It felt like walking into a magazine.

Adventure 871: A View from the Perch/10

It's always been about the rug, which finally arrived leading to the next phase of decorating the perch. Dave Burgad, craftsman extraordinaire, mounted the TV, two floating shelves, and the reading lights above our bed. All this enabled us to move furniture into a semi-final resting place. Looks and feels good. Earlier in the week, I took KebMo and Kelsi sailing. It was hot, and at first the lake was calm, so we dove off the boat for a refreshing swim. Then the wind came up to 13-15 knots and lasted for about three hours. KebMo manned the helm and we had several over and backs out in front of the marina. Finally, KebMo want to try and sail back to the marina, which he did. It was a fun day. So I'm here to report the usual: Life is good, especially today.

No bad days at the lake.

The water, clean and refreshing, provided a nice respite from the heat.

DebMo at the helm; first mate, Kelsi, by his side.

The new diorama.

This view.

That view.

Side view.

Dave's view.

Folding table; Floating shelves.

Reading lights.

Family corner.