Leaving Spokane

I haven't blogged for a while and I am sorry for the delay, for those of you who read this blog.  I have not taken my computer out for some time and I have been in places where I haven't had the reception to do so.

I have been lucky enough to stay in Spokane for several days and my friend Cat calls it my "Northwest Basecamp."  Max and I really enjoyed the company of Cat and her friends.  During my stay, I was able to participate in many activities including going to the lake, concerts at the gas station, walking in the park, going on a merry-go-round, a trip to Idaho, eating a shrimp boil, herding cows at a working ranch, and many more fun things that I wouldn't have had the opportunity to participate in if I didn't make the trip.

I especially enjoyed my time with my dear friend.  Sometimes we get so caught up in doing our daily activities and responsibilities that spending quality face time with friends ends up towards the bottom of the list.  As much as we can connect online with email and facebook, those things won't get you closer to the people you love as much as sitting in the same room for a chat will.  I am lucky I had the opportunity to take the time to slow down a bit to catch up on each others lives.

After my short trip to Long Beach to attend the roller derby and catch up in my home town, I flew back to Spokane to stay another night and plan a few days ahead.  Max had a great time playing with her dog, Bella and I had such a wonderful time with Cat's friends.  Thank you to all of you who made me feel like part of the group.

As with all good bye's, this was a sad one but I know I will be back.  Now it's time for Max and I to get on the road and head East.  I will talk about our adventure in the next few days of blogs.  Thank you for reading and for being a part of it with us! Also, a big thank you to the WSU design team and Danna Snow for allowing me to come in and photograph you!

Spokane, Washington And A Trip To The Lake

I traveled South from my bear free campsite to visit my friend Cat who lives in Spokane.  Cat and I have known each other for a few years now so each time I see her I know it will be a nice and relaxing time.  On this day, she had a group of friends that were going to the lake for the day so I was lucky enough to be here to participate.

I met another online friend, Kari who supplied the boat for the day of fun.  There was waterskiing, wakeboarding and for me, I ventured out for a ride on the tube.  Well, it's more of an inflatable circle mattress with handles to hold on for dear life, which I did.  Lucky for me, I didn't get bounced off of it.  I yelled out to the group on the boat to take it easy on me since I have, "limited health insurance."  Thinking this would be the ticket for an easy ride, the group yelled back, "you, and millions of other Americans!"

I survived the tube and took a back seat on the boat to capture others having a good time.  The weather was hot, the sun was out and the water was surprisingly not too cold.  To finish the day off, Cat coordinated a shrimp boil with the other women at a beautiful cabin owned by a few of the ladies in the group.  I felt very fortunate to be a part of this fun and special day.

On top of it all, Max had his very first boat ride!  He wasn't too thrilled about it or walking on the moving pier.  I took his kennel on the trip so he could hide away if he wanted.  He's not much of a water dog but I think he did have fun with Cat's dog, Bella.

I will be exploring the area for a few days to see what NorthEast Washington has to offer.  I look forward to sharing it with you.

Camping In Northeast Washington Hoping Bears Won't Show Up

I drove along the 20 freeway in NorthEast Washington and went as far as I could before I was really sick of driving.  It got to that time so I pulled into the first driveway where I saw a tent icon on a sign.  After scouting the area, we found the last spot and pulled in.  Lucky for us, the nightly fee was only six dollars!

I am more afraid of a confrontation with a bear than a person for some reason.  I worried a bit in Yosemite when I was lectured by the bear police to keep all lip balms out of the car and put them in the bear box because bears, "love a good lip balm."  I'm glad he told me that because I found all of the ones that I seemingly "lost" and lined them up in the bear box...all 8 of them.  At least the bear will have a variety if it figured out how to open the bear box at the campsite.

Since then, I have calmed myself down a bit thinking that they wouldn't show up.  I read a few blogs from time to time and just when I had a calming feeling, I read the blog from Rich Luhr about a bear approaching his campsite at night, letting out a huge roar...my worst nightmare.

So, here we are again, camping in our tent.  I let it go and decided to relax and enjoy the beauty in the area.  The night was quiet and the next morning was relaxing.  I was having a cup of coffee at the site as the ranger came by.  I didn't think anything of it since I payed my whopping $6 fee.  As he approached, he looked at me and said, "did you see any bears?"

What?  Bears?  Are you kidding me?  I thought I was free from those thoughts and here comes Rick the ranger to put them right back in my brain.  I thought he was joking but he was very serious. You know, that serious ranger face look? Well, Rick had it. We chatted for a bit, he agreed for me to take his photo and later Max and I decided to go for a walk.  Needless to say, the walk didn't last long.  Each crack of a branch or rustle in the bushes made me jump so it wasn't the relaxing morning I had hoped for.  I know, such a big whimp!  I will get over it and not worry.  Good news is, I have plenty of lip balm handy.

Spokafun

Face your fears and say yes to something you are afraid of. Easier said than done. Think about what you are most afraid of. Why are you afraid of it? What is the worst that can happen if you did it? For me, public speaking is what I am afraid of the most. I can do it…I did it in my job. But I dread it. So much so, that I couldn’t sleep the night before a presentation, or even stressing an entire weekend over it. This is coming from someone who minored in Speech in college. Big deal…I know. Anyway, I did it, and you know what…it got a little easier each time. I had a few tricks. But, it was still scary. It’s not my favorite thing to say the least.
I know, I say it over and over but it’s true. I get nervous and shy when I meet new people. Well, I went to Spokane to meet Cat. A friend that I have never met, but we have been chatting here and there for a few months online. We met for the first time last Thursday. Spoke on the phone for the first time just a few minutes before we met. It was as if we’ve known each other for years (ok, maybe weeks)! I had a blast. I think we wore each other out by the end of the 6 day visit.
We sang karaoke, I was interviewed on a local radio show by “bob”, we pigged out in the park, rode the Hathawaa trail, ate sushi, toured the sights, went wine tasting, toured the peach farms, and had the best people watching in town at the park.
I look forward to going back. In fact, we have already made plans to hang out again! I would encourage you to challenge yourself. Do something that you are afraid of. It might change your life. For me, this journey is changing mine. I am blessed with all that I have seen and all who come into my life. Thank you.
Above are a few pictures of the various activities we did in Spokane.