Trail of the CDAs July 2014 with the EAOD

A bike ride with the EAOD ladies.  Always a good time with lots of stories, laughing, smiling and always an adventure.  Trish, Bonnie, Mandi, Sheila, and Michelle.  We started at Silver Mountain! 

We just got started and pop Sheila's bike tire went flat.  I think Trish fell over as an act of sympathy for Sheila.  So nice but not necessary Trish.  Of course we all yelled, "Welcome to the club!" "You are an official biker now that you fell." We sort of forgot to ask her if she was OK because we were so excited that she joined the club.  As you can see she is OK!

 The flat tire fix.  Sheila is good at it because she gets flats more than anyone.

I am sure our supervision of the tire fix was appreciated.  We were good at it.  It is a one person job so we just looked on and hoped for the best.  We were on our way in a flash.  Sheila is a pro!

We did stop at the bike shop for another tube.  No riding without a back up.  Sheila did not have to use the backup!

OK, now we are really on our way for the 24 mile ride. 

 Beautiful scenery!  God's handiwork for us to enjoy.  Thanks!

 And there they go!

 I took most of these pictures while I was riding.  Love my new camera!

 Getting to warm! Time to shed a layer.

 Tradition to take a picture under this overpass.

 Aren't they beautiful!!!  Good friends are precious for sure!  And appreciated!

 Our bikes are resting!  They go faster after they rest you know.

 Off we go again!

 We made it too Wallace.  Mandi and Sheila did a few more miles!

 Not sure what is happening here.

While Sheila and Mandi did a few more miles we visited the Center of the Universe in Wallace, ID.  Don't believe me?

 It says it right here!  The Center of the Universe.  It must be true.  You have to watch out for cars when you stand on the Center of the Universe.  It is in the middle of the street.  Cars you know.

We headed to lunch at our favorite lunch spot in Wallace.  We were hoping to see Ian again before his move to Boston but he was hanging out with family on a walk.  I was disappointed I didn't get to see him one more time but we talked on the phone and I was able to say good bye for now.  What a nice, kind, young man.  Glad we can say in touch!

 This is Ian's father taking our order.  He even let us put our bikes in the restaurant. Nice!

 Really yummy food here!  I ate way too much.  No dinner for me!

 We had a relaxing lunch!  Pretty sure the lemonade was the best I have ever had.

Time to head back to Silver Mountain.  Sheila took off while we were still gearing up.  She rode slow so we could catch up! What's the rush?  :)

 Yes, we are in Wallace, Idaho and there are 4 wheelers all over on the streets.

Another tradition!  Right before the end of the trail for us!  Pictures on whatever this thing is!  We did it last year and this year so it is now a tradition!

What a great time with great friends.  They make me smile!  We support each other, laugh with each other and sometimes cry with each other.  There could not be a better support crew!  Love you all! Truly I do and I am so thankful for all of you!  My cup runneth over!

Huckleberry Picking July 2014

I have never been huckleberry picking.  I am not sure I understand the fascination with them.  They are berries that don't taste great unless you mix them with something sugary.  Mike had asked me to go many times.  Hmmm, average tasting berries that bears like.  Not going!  I finally decided to go to support Mike.  Who knows it could be fun.  With my sister here I thought why not.  We can both go and how bad can it be?  You just pick berries.  Little did I know that the quest to find the berries was so long and difficult!  Here we go, bell, bear spray, buckets and hiking boots! 

Mike is on a mission!  Let's get out of here!  All smiles we hopped in the car.

Priest Lake on the way to Gleason Mountain.  Volunteer Ambulance.  Hmmmm.  What if they are out of town or busy doing something else?  I guess you are out of luck.

Oh where, oh where have the huckleberries gone.  Oh where, oh where can they be!

First stop to check for berries was up this hill.  We waited in the car and took pictures while Mike climbed.

No berries so off we go.

Another stop so Mike could show us what huckleberry bushes looked like.  No berries yet but bushes.

Are there any berries in there?

Finally success.  We have to get instructions on how to do this picking and avoid wild animals.  First lesson is the bell.  Ring it and ring it loud and often.

Next lesson is how to use bear spray.  Click the link to hear Mike's instructions.

Bear Spray Instructions

Here we go!  Goin' for the berries, one by one, by one!  This was a pretty good patch.

Patti and I thought it was lunch time but Mike wanted to find one more patch. AHHH!  Luckily, some people were coming down the mountain.  They asked how we did and I said good, but my husband wants to find one more patch.  They pointed to the other side of the road and said there was a big one right there.  Whew.  No more driving.

We picked some more on the other side of the road.

Then we went to lunch at Hill's Resort.  Beautiful!  We were a bit tired of driving around on bumpy roads and looking for tiny berries but off we went again after lunch.

One highlight of the quest to find berries was this moose.

Mike got directions to the huckleberries from a local person.  You turn right on this road, left on the next and then left on road 10.  Is road 10 marked Mike asked.  I think it is painted on the tree she said.  Yep, painted on the tree.  I said welcome to the Pacific Northwest Patti!

Baby coyote! We never did find any berries on road 10.  The ride got quieter and quieter.  Patti and Jackie were not talking.  We just wanted to pick or go home.  So tired of driving.  Picking is fine but driving not so much.  We ended this outing with a gallon and a half of the priceless berries.  I now know why they are so expensive.  The process takes forever!

Another day!  Tuesday we left about 2:00 PM on another quest.  This time to Chewelah Peak.  Closer and not as much driving but still on narrow bumpy roads.  Mike found a pretty good patch and it turns out he had picked there before.  At first we didn't think there were many berries but the patch kept going on and on.  We got about a half a gallon.

It's a bear!  Or Patti!

There is our truck.  We weren't far off the road.

After about 90 minutes we were done and cleaned out the patch.  We headed home.  What a beautiful view and then...

We heard a hissing sound.  Flat tire in the middle of nowhere.  Mike didn't think he had a spare or tools to fix a flat.  WHAT!  He did.  No walking back to civilization.  Just a repair job.

Yes, I was taking pictures as Patti and Mike worked.  Couldn't help myself.

Mike got it done with Patti's help.  Whew.  On the road again and I think Patti and I are retiring from huckleberry picking unless we know where the berries are.  The driving for 2 hours did not make us happy. Family time and the picking did make us happy.  Being in God's beautiful creation is peaceful and calming even with a flat time.