Adventure 464: The Story of George, Hawk Creek, 40

April 3, 2018

Real time found George looking sharp, acting calm, feeling good, and reading the newspaper when Judy and I checked on him Tuesday morning. He had taken his pills, he was coherent, and all seemed well, so we left to meet our buddies, the Ulmen's for an over nighter in our trailers. We went to a new place, Hawk Creek, in hopes of discovering something new, hopes of seeing some spring flowers, and a guarantee of some good cheer with our friends. We got to the camp ground after Google maps took us the "shortest" way over and around some winding farm country dirt roads. It turns out we also could have made it via smooth pavement, which is what Dave's google map route said. Ours was different, and we happened to be the lead trailer so off we want in a cloud of dust and the pleasure of bouncing along on uneven ground. We got to the campground, which is located on an inlet on Lake Roosevelt. When the water is up, the campground sits right beside it, making it an exceptional spot in the summer for families with young kids who like to boat and swim. In the springtime, however, the water is out, the docks are grounded, and the only water is the profuse amounts tumbling over Hawk Creek Falls. And we were a little early for the flowers. Nonetheless, we walked, took in the sights, and generally enjoyed ourselves. Around dusk, Judy's phone beeped with a text from Vina asking if we were at the hospital with George. We thought we were in a dead zone for phone service. I got in the truck, drove to the top of the ridge and called. Sure enough George was at the Sacred Heart Emergency. We loaded up and drove back to Spokane, arriving around nine thirty. We fiddled with the trailer, hoping to unhook, but of course, a fuse blew on the tongue lift so after some minutes we decided to just park the whole rig along the street and deal with it in the morning. We got to the hospital about ten-fifteen. George had contracted another infection, this one less severe than his last, but never the less, prevented him from peeing. They did the normal things: a new bag, antibiotics, fluids, blood draw, etc. We had George home and in bed around midnight. The whole things begs the question: How much longer can George live on his own? We're in a state of denial about that, hoping that some guiding light will appear and guides us through this maelstrom. Time will tell. In the meantime, George seems fine and we're still swirling along.

 Dave and Liz choosing a site.

 Fric and Frac's new paradigm: short jaunts.

 Hawk Creek Falls.

 Hawk Creek on its way to Lake Roosevelt (Columbia River).

 If you look closely, you can see where the water rises for summer levels.

 This steep gorge is a little less than a mile from campground to the big water.

Springtime on the West plains. Doesn't get much better.