Mish Mosh Motor

The time has come for another gripping yarn of intrigue, murder and espionage----wait did I think that out loud, I meant eating, packing and heading for parts previously unseen but known by virtue of (insert shameless plug here) Google Maps.

Since we have plundered the remaining food in the refrigerator, decimated the contents of the freezer and digested everything in the larder which can easily be boiled, baked or fried we decided to head out on Saturday for a bite.

When you live in Squampton, a town of 17,000 you have limited dining opportunities available, and those in the gourmet category are even more threadbare. We decided it was a nice enough evening for a short drive and thus found ourselves about 15 minutes south.

Does this look familiar? That's right it's the clubhouse at Furry Creek Golf Club. They have a lovely dining room, where we have idled away many a happy hour. The atmosphere  is "t'shrt and shorts" relaxed, the service relaxed and friendly and the food excellent.

As you can see the gardens are in good shape this year, effusive and understated at the same time. Well done them, I say.

The colors they use here are tasteful but not gaudy.

I have been in some truly nauseating restrooms in my time, you know the ones. You try not to touch anything, hold your breath as long as possible and exit quickly, hoping the scunge does not cling to you on the way out. That's why I have such a such admiration for a well executed bano. Furry Creek does not disappoint in this area.

The dining room is very open, high ceilinged and glass fronted. Since it was a little cool, we opted to sit inside today, where we usually dine al fresco. There was only one other couple there, and they left so we had the place to ourselves until another couple  foursomes came in off the course.

This evening we opted for a light repast, Pulled Pork Barbecue Poutine (you heard me-wipe that drool off your chin), Mango Salsa Crab Cakes and a House Special Club Sandwich with Applewood Smoked Bacon and Gruyere which came with a Toasted Garlic Tomato Bisque. We enjoyed our meal overlooking the 18th. hole and Howe Sound. Peaceful in the extreme.

After we finished our comidas, we waddled to the conference room which overlooks the creek for a picture. I spotted a better vantage point and determined to improve my guerrilla photo skills.

We went up hill a little and I did a little trekking through the bush, on a trail that looked fairly well worn to snap this pic. I should add that one step to the left would have me pitched into a 45 foot deep ravine, and one step forward would tumble me head over heels down 50 feet into the creek which was rollicking with spring meltwater.

We returned to our little shack in the bush and watched a movie, Analyze This with Robert De Niro and Billy Crystal. This one is always good for a laugh, but parents are strongly cautioned. The language is very foul in places.

We were about ready for bed by 10:30 and neither one of us was overly surprised when we were wide awake staring at each other by about 05:45 grinning like idiots, anxious to be on the road. We had preboiled some eggs, so we quickly pressed some java and I loaded the car and hitched up the trailer and we rolled out of Dodge by 7:00.

We had a quick stop in West Vancouver to check the mail, then out Hwy. 1 and over the new Port Mann Bridge. It's convenient to pay with a credit card using one's phone. Not overly taxing for a fella like me.

We stopped in Princeton for gas and chow. Again small town limitations on cuisine apply, so we made the best of a bad situation and went to A&W. Chubby Chicken and the Whistle Dog are off menu, as are the carhops so we did the best we could and had a burger and frosty mug of Root Beer.

Here am I looking less than enthused about the idea of a grilled burger.

The Root Beer helped, and they are still serving it in mugs fresh from the freezer so you get the frost on the outside of the mug. Cheap thrills I know, but fortunately some things never change. Still the same as it was in the 60's.

As we were preparing to leave the female bike invasion began. Most of these ladies were quite petite and they were all riding bikes that were at least 1100c.c or in some cases up to 1800c.c.

Good for them I opine! No more relegation to the pillion. Chicks can twist the throttle at least as well as dudes, in some cases better, as men can be foolhardy and women are careful riders.

There were maybe a dozen, mostly on V-Twins but a few on Gold Wings. Ride on ladies!!!

We rolled eastward to Keremeos, and took this picture for Trobaitiz, who spent some years there.

Up the hill and past Yellow Lake,  a popular fishing spot in both summer and winter.

Then downhill past Skaha Lake and into Penticton. We thought we should take the opportunity of visiting my Aged Mater, who will be 90 this year.

 Here is the lady in question, still chugging along although in low gear at present. Scooterchick had a pot of Butter Chicken which we brought up with us, Served up with Steamed Broccoli and Rice. Can you say yummy? I know you can.

One last kiss before we head out. See you later Ma! We headed out from Naramata this a.m. at 6:00

Here is my darling, cuddling up to the mom-in law. My mother loves Patsy, and can you blame her?

The sun was just coming up as we passed Okanagan Falls at the bottom end of Skaha Lake. I really like OK Falls. It has the right combination of location, sleepy good nature and historic value. Too bad the prices for everything in the area are in the "in the realm of the ludicrous".

 We continued on down Hwy. 97 and passed Vaseaux Lake.  This is a look South towards the bottom end of Vaseux. I understand there are bass in this lake, although I have not tested the premise.

This picture is looking north up the lake. You can see from the shadows that the sun is not quite up yet. This is because it isn't even 07:00 and here we are rocking it old school!

We made it to the border around 07:15, and cleared through with a minimum of fuss. Nexus helps as always. This time the CBP fellow must have been bored, because he asked to look in the trunk, before wishing us a good journey. We were the only ones there.

Welcome to the Evergreen State. We headed south and  started considering breakfast.

We slowed down to pass through a small town and Patsy spotted an antique store. Hold on Nelly!
We looked at the stuff they had on the sidewalk, and really wanted a wought iron tete a tete.

We looked at numerous other things and pondered the advisiblility of transporting such wonderful finds all the way to Oklahoma.

Here is the bench in question. We both agreed that it was a) adorable, b) affordable and c) would look great in the back yard, and retired to breakfast to think it over.

This is the sidewalk in front of the Old Creamery Antiques. There's a lot to be said about a town where one can leave wares their out overnight without them "taking a walk."

So, while we consider, I walked across the street to the Chamber of Commerce building to use the bathroom, which was open although the Chamber was closed. Of note to our fellow ADV'ers, there was a grassy yard behind the building with a sign saying "Bike Camp". Say no more!!! Did I mention the open bathroom with hot water and room to change your duds?

They have a display of plaques showing the forefathers with descriptions of their history and accomplishments in this area. Very informative.

We decided to try Shannon's Cafe, lured by the big deck and spreading Catawba Tree.

Here is a view back from the deck towards our parking spot on the other side of the road.

Here is Scooterchick's Breakfast, 2 Scrambled with Cheese, Sausage and Toast. And a cold glass of Apple Juice. Hmmmmmmmmmmmm.........looks good enough to eat!

I opted for 2 Scrambled, Bacon Crisp and French Toast. The  Eggs were good, the French Toast was really good, but the Bacon was outstanding! They get it from a local meat packer and those guys know their Bacon. Thick crunchy and meaty.

We decided that the furniture would likely disappear off our trailer "somewhere in the night" (thanks Barry) before we crossed the Oklahoma state line. Sad but true......

We continued south towards Omak (site of the suicide race)  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Stbmzv3afzM , took a left and headed up over the hill towards the east.

Once we came down the side we got our first glimpse of the Columbia, and the Grand Coulee Dam. Since my beloved has never seen this wonder, we stopped at the visitor center.

We passed through the small neat town of Coulee Dam. The speed limit through here is 25, the streets narrow, the houses well-kept and the yards groomed.

We cross over a small steel bridge that has a sign saying "give way to wide loads". Sh'yeah!

Now we approach the Visitor Center and Pat gets her first real look at the awesomeness that is the Grand Coulee Dam. Built as part of the WPA starting in 1939 it contains 12,000,000 cubic yards of concrete. You could build a sidewalk 4 feet wide and 4 inches thick twice around the earth at the equator with this much mix. The spillway is about 1660 feet wide and 550 feet high.

Here is your intrepid scribe soaking up a little sun and majestic view.

Here are the invincible travelers in a self portrait.

Here is another picture. a gentleman coming out of the Visitor Center offered to take this for us. Kind of him I thought. The object I'm clutching is a pair of shorts. It's getting warm and I need to shed some clothing. It's now about 09:30 and getting hot.

Here's a closer up view with the roaring water of the spillway behind us.It flows about 1,000,000 cubic feet per second at full flow.

Here is a plaque describing the salient facts of the structure. This is at the entrance to the Visitor Center. We enter to see what is what.

After watching a short movie about the dam itself, and another short movie about the geologic history of the Grand Coulee we look at the exhibits. Here my beloved models a diving suit that was assumably used in the construction of the dam.

Here is yours truly making out mark in the visitor record prior to our departure. a quick scribble and out to the car. The road awaits.

Here is a look back towards the Visitor Center. We were just about the only folks there.

We headed toward the east. Here is a picture of the puffy white clouds looking toward the north.

This is the very northern edge of the Palouse, an area of rolling hills and agriculture that stretches from here to Lewiston ID almost 200 miles to the south. This area is truly unique.
  http://photomoodblog.files.wordpress.com/2013/02/photo-mood-palouse-valley-landscape-photo-11.jpg   Yeah, that Palouse!!!

This is a picture of Rape. You probably know it as Canola. They changed the name in the 60's to make the oil more commercially palatable. The seeds of the mature plant are squeezed for their high oil content, and they decided Can, for Canada and Ola for oil would sell better .

We pass Fairchild AFB and the town of Airway Heights, and stop for a bite to eat in Spokane.

This is Spokane First Presbyterian. We didn't stop to take a closer look, just a picture from the highway in passing. Looks worth investigating though, perhaps another day.

Soon after we got back on I-90 we enter Idaho. It was a short hop to our stop for the night in Coeur D'Alene. We get settled in for the night and begin transcribing our travels.

The end of my post has come. Too soon? I'll have to address the continuation of this trip tomorrow. If you can spare the time, please pray for the survivors of the tornado in Moore Oklahoma, and for the grieving families that have lost loved ones and all their possessions earlier this afternoon. Thank you and good night.

2 Days, 3 Meals and 2 Beaches

We continue with our preparations for our "little road trip".

In getting our ducks in a row, another trip to Vancouver was in order. While there, we stopped at a park that I spent many a happy hour at when I was just a wee gaffer. This is John Lawson Park in West Vancouver. John Lawson settled in West Vancouver at this location in 1905.

This is a picture of a viewing platform with seating area that gives a vista eastward toward the First Narrows and the Lion's Gate Bridge. This bridge was financed by the Guinness family (the Irish brewers) to encourage people to come and view lots for sale in the British Pacific Properties. Construction began in March of 1937 and the bridge was completed in November of 1938. The Guinness family purchased 1600 acres of West Vancouver at a cost of $50/acre.

The lowest price for a residential lot I could find in West Vancouver currently is  $799,000 and features an easement for rail traffic through your backyard.....enjoy!!

The park is loaded with specimen trees. This is a Smoke Bush. It features brilliant red foliage during the summer and then produces flowers in the fall which are large and feathery displays, which resemble nothing so much of puffs of smoke.

This is a view towards the west. It's hard to believe we used to jump off the pier at high tide and swim back to shore. The water in the summer was not exactly cold, but it was chilly enough to raise goose bumps. We couldn't wait to get in the water and our parents had difficulty getting us out.

After eating, the longest hour in a child's life is the hour spent waiting before one can swim again.

This is the picnic shelter were several tons of fried chicken, potato salad and green salads were consumed when I was young. We picnicked here often during the summer. Believe it or not, this was before Frisbee was popularized in Canada. In fact the first one I ever played with was here when my brother got that was used and dull red in color. It had been marketed under the name Pluto Platter, before Wham-O marketed the toy in Canada.

It's hard to believe that we considered this "beach". We had experience with beaches in California and Oregon, and were acquainted with sand, but this was what it was like where we lived. As it was we put up with cuts from barnacles on the soles of our feet, and made do.

This is more of the picnic area. You can see the multi-unit housing no more than 2 blocks away. The residential area is immediately adjacent to the park. Convenient for them since park access includes access to The Seawalk which runs from the Capilano River to 25th Street (Dundarave Pier), a distance of about 3.6km.

Here are your intrepid travelers. I am slathered with SPF60, on doctor's orders, comfy as toast in the sun and fresh breeze and Scooterchick is clad in a windbreaker and jeans, finding it a little chilly.

We ended up going to a Food Court and checking out shopping in Park Royal, then headed home. When we got back I felt a little "peckish" as my Dad used to say, and made a Pannini Sandwich from Chicken, Broccoli and Extra Old Cheddar Cheese. As it turns out my imagination was bigger than my stomach, and I could only manage to eat half, before wrapping the rest to eat today.

After watching a movie on demand, "Assault on Wall Street" (warning ...language and lots of blood) we turned in. This morning dawned bright and early. We decided to head out for breakfast. This is one of our Rhododendrons which has been ill but still put on a brave show. 

We went to one off favorite breakfast places, Chef Big D's. Their food is good and servers pleasant. Scooterchick had her regular, Crab Cakes, Over medium eggs and Brie Cheese, while I tried the Eastern Wrap, which is like their regular breakfast Wrap with the substitution of Pastrami instead of Sausage. Different......

Here's a glance at the menu. Pretty standard breakfast fare. Pretty standard breakfast pricing.

After breakky, we headed to the beach for a little exercise and fresh air. This old cedar has been "Slabbed and Bolted" until there was no more usable wood.

This one looks like a Chrysanthemum. We could call it a "Wood Flower", if it weren't so large.

Here's Scooterchick beside another stump that has washed ashore. The adorable babe has been gazing out to sea. The wind has not yet risen. By noon it will be steady at about 15 with gusts to 20 and the Kite Surfers will be out in force.

This is a shot I like to call the "Driftwood Jumble". This stuff gets blown ashore with high tides and rough water during the winter, then sits in the sun and bleaches.

This is another shot of the "Driftwood Jumble". I used to bring the children here when they were in elementary school so they could practice their Log Hopping. We would jog along back and forth jumping from log to log like goats, in a Wet Coast version of follow the leader. You can see Mamquam Mountain in the background.

Here are "Two Grizzled Sentinels". There's no telling how many years they have been weathering the elements in this location. Years is certain, decades are likely in view of their present condition.

Here is a view along a creosoted log toward another stump. I had a brilliant name for this shot when I took it, which sadly escapes me at present! Suggestions anyone?

Here is my beloved standing at "Hands Up"! I got her to stand close to the stump so you could get a sense of scale. This was a large tree at one time.

Due to the low salinity of the water because outflow of the Squamish River seagrass is common. Here are 3 different  varieties in this shot which are flourishing, in spite of being submerged twice a day.

This is a look back down the beach toward the parking area. You can see Shannon Falls in the distance.

Here is a look back up the trail. Mount Garibaldi is visible in the distance.

It's that time of year again allergy sufferers. When the Cottonwood fluff starts to fly can watery eyes and sneezing be far behind? I bought some allergy meds. right away.

We decided to stop and check out the Farmer's Market. There were a preponderance of baking stalls this time but I manfully resisted the urge to fill my sweet tooth to overflowing. Here is a lovely Rhododendron in the park next to the market area.

This is the market itself. Mt. Garibaldi is visible in the left background, Mamquam Mtn. in the right hand background.

A view looking the other direction. The folks seem to be setting up a performance space.

Looking towards the Mamquam Blind Channel. There seem to be a good number of vendors and few patrons. I wish them luck with sales but buy nothing.

We departed as a mild shower rolled in and headed back to our "little shack in the bush" to continue our preparations for the trip. Thanks for rollin' along with us today and I'll look forward to catching up with you later. Cheers!

It's a Spring Thing

Well, it's a beautiful day in the neighborhood, and time for Scootard and Scooterchick to head out and explore. The only drawback is that we couldn't manage it mounted, since our iron ponies are still in Oklahoma (where the wind comes whistling o'er the plain). This bush is right across from where the car is parked, and has long white flower brachts. I don't know the variety but it's pretty.

We drove downhill to the city and toured the canyons slowly (to paraphrase Joni Mitchell from her song Nathan LaFraneer) and I managed to catch this shot. On the left side of the shot is a church built in the early 1900's - on the right side is the old BC Hydro building which was built in the early 60's - and in the center an office block that was probably constructed shortly after the turn of the millennium. 

We made our way down to Richmond and stopped for some lunch. My darling is taking a shot for inclusion in her blog later. This is very common, we photograph places, scenery and folks, but mostly food glorious food!!

For lunch today, it was Insadong Korean Restaurant. While Korean food is not my favorite, Scooterchick loves Pork Bulgogi! I ended up having a Korean Tuna Roll, and Gyoza.....This was however the first time I have ever used stainless steel chopsticks, which are rectangular in cross section rather than square or round. They seem to do the job equally well.

We carried on after lunch looking in garden shops and seeing stuff, and then I took Patsy to Finn Slough. This is a backwater community (and favorite of Bob's) that was settled by Finnish fisherman in the 1880's Although moldered and decaying the community is still home to about 30 residents. I took this picture because the gillnetter moored here has the same name as one of our grand-daughters.

Some of the homes have decayed to the point where they are no longer habitable, and some have been lovingly tended, restored and/or rebuilt for permanent residents. This one is called Dinner Plate Island School. Why is anyone's guess, because it is not located on Dinner Plate Island, nor is it a school.

Here is another house with some interesting architectural detail. The lack of railing on the front porch assures careful visitors, and the roof over the entry is also very interesting!!

Access to Gilmour Island, which is the barrier island between Finn Slough and the Soouth arm of the Fraser River is an adventure. It has a wooden drawbridge to access the island and the homes located thereupon.

For those who have an interest here is a link to some Finn Slough history  http://www.finnslough.com/
There is also a notice board where residents and visitors can see the latest news, and upcoming events.

After all that excitement a coffee was called for. We went to Steveston and visited an establishment called Rocanini. These guys have a fresh take on coffee. They offer several different types of beans and when you order they grind some beans and brew it fresh with each cup.

I had Nicaraguan coffee which was full bodied, slightly acidic, with an earthy undertone and a slightly fruity finish. Scooterchick had Colombian which she tasted and described quite succinctly......tastes like coffee!

We also ordered a little tidbit. I wanted cheesecake for my baby and a brownie. I found out what I got was a flan and a chocolate mousse. (more on the mousse shortly) It turns out Scooterchick cannot get anywhere near custard, so the flan went back in favor of a delightful raspberry cheesecake.

Scooterchick offered me a taste of her cheesecake and it was almost vaporous in it's consistency it was so light. The raspberry filling and glaze were full flavored and made a happy complement to the creamy  cheesy and delicious cakeage which was topped off with 2 batons of white chocolate and 2 fresh raspberries that made one pucker with their burst of flavor.

Lest I get too far ahead of the story, let us return to the Mousse which was altogether delightful.

 The Chocolate Mousse itself was very light but created a moist sweet explosion in one's mouth when ingested. It was coated with powdered cocoa, which was then passed through a gentle dusting of confectioner's sugar, which created a stippled finish on the top. The crust was a flaky pastry like  substance which first crunched, then melted in one's mouth with a nutty and somehow citrusy flavor.

I can not recommend this too highly. The experience far exceeded my expectations, and I left wanting more but at the same time fully satisfied.

Immediately outside the coffee shop is the major intersection of Moncton and First Avenue. It has an interesting crosswalk, which has an all-way crossing every second light. One can cross in the traditional directions but also diagonally through the intersection. This is something which I have only ever seen in very congested big city applications.

This sign is indicative of this area, since it shows the location in Steveston Village and references the Community Center across the road.

Here is a picture looking back towards the delectable Rocanini. The whole area has a very village like feel to it, and there are a lot of people strolling and bicycling around the locale.

As we strolled down the street we passed a clothing store with a classically attired mannequin in the window. Imagine Scooterchick's shriek of surprise when the mannequin moved. This is a new thing they have been trying out and the girl in the window gets a variety of reactions from laughter to shock to horror. Some people have actually reacted in fear. We found it hilarious!

Across the street was a small marketplace with gourmet foods, cafes and fish markets. It was cute but tiny. Barely enough room for 20 steps down and a further 20 back.

One of the stores was a gourmet market and features an interesting variety of comestibles. We looked in but did not enter. It looked like the sort of place where one could quickly rack up the Visa with goodies.

Outside the store there was a variety of plants growing in the window box. I love to see the plants in bloom and I am sure that I am not the only one who feels thusly.

We were thinking about catching a flick and when we looked at prices for the 3D IMAX showing of IM3 which opened today.  We found prices exorbitantly usurious so settled for heading back to our little shack in the bush and watching a  movie we had purchased some time ago,but had not yet opened. It was a remake of Town and Country. Drama, with comedic elements. We enjoyed it.

Here is a parting shot of the Stawamus Chief seen from the creek near our house.

Here's hoping y'all have a great weekend. We will, after all it's laundry day and what other small pleasure can equal the sensation and smell of clean laundry, still warm and fresh from the dryer. 

Talk with you later!