August 3 - Unhappy campground host

It was great to wake up to the faint sound of the trains in the distance - not passing through our campground. Ant and I went for a walk and returned to the cool air in the camper. We read most the morning then hit Hwy200 around the northern end of the lake. We then took Hwy2 north through the Cabinet Mountains. Trees and lakes where everywhere. The temperature is still above 90F and the sky is slightly less hazy. Now back on Mtn time. McGregor Lake was our home for the night but we drove the wrong way around the campground loop to access the camp site - the host was very unhappy with us. I waded into the lake to cool off, and the boys plunged right on in. We finally finished off the ice cream cake and spent the evening reading. The air cooled off quickly after sunset so I was happy to cuddle under my quilt. I am looking forward to getting to Glacier so that we can spend the next few nights in one place.

August 2 - Goodbye Rich, Hello cooler weather

After placing covers over the sprinkler heads at midnight I was sure the car would stay spot free. Upon waking up I discovered that I had missed one and it took me 1/2 an hour to re-clean the car. What is in this water??? We nearly melted while packing up and had to swim before hitting the road. We hightailed it to Spokane airport - past wheat fields everywhere. After saying goodbye to Rich we headed north east. This region is a real RV dealer mecca! Once we passed Ceur de Arlene we turned north. The sky became really hazy and the heat came down to 90F. We crossed a long bridge into Sandport. Trains seemed to be everywhere. After deciding that the Best Western campground on the lake was just too noisy, we found a campspot (the last one)at Springypoint. It was hell to manouver the camper into the site - I tried nudging a tree, but it did not move! I did not bother to unhitch, just set the brakes. We were right next to the lake and were once again swimming. We read and did puzzles in a very relaxed but hot camper. The air outside cooled wonderfully so Mike and I went for a long walk. Cleaning up after dinner was a joy because they had wonderful sinks with hot water, outside the bathrooms. We had more icecream cake - this birthday is carrying on for days! It was a joy to shower and shampoo my hair. Our last shower was many days ago. I really miss Rich.

August 1 - Returned for Mexican dessert

The early morning sprinklers wet the 'sleeping beauties' in the tent! The water has something weird in it because it left marks all over the car - which we could not rub off. We declared today a 'day off' for the boys. Rich and I went off to do laundry and clean the car, the boys headed to the river. We found Ant's long lost MP3 stuck into a seat. What a joy to have a vacuumed car, free of sand and dog hair. We returned to find the boys back from the beach and Rob making lunch. He is so helpful. The shade from the canopy over the camper(pic) was wonderful but once our tummies were filled the heat sent us back to the water. Even Rocky was pleased to see the beach and river. We struck up a conversation with some folks who have a weekend home here and live in Seattle. The drive is about 4hrs. They were saying that approx. 50% of the homeowners are weekenders. A wind picked up over the water and cooled the air. I must admit that having Rich with us leads to more interesting meals. He made ribs for dinner and then took us to the Mexican restaurant to get the dessert we missed the other evening. We decided to watch the laser show again - before heading home.

July 31 - Mighty turbines on the Columbia River

We woke to the sound of sprinklers firing up. The early morning light was a delicate pink. The whole campground was quiet so I decided to take a walk with Rocky. We went down to the waters edge and watched a couple launch their boat for the first time. After a light breakfast we sent the boys down to the river. We enjoyed the peace and then hiked up a nearby hill. The view was wonderful but Rocky suffered on the hot soil. He kept sneaking under rocks to find some shade and cool his paws. Rich finally carried him off the trail(pic) and into the river(pic). Rich made us lovely burgers for lunch. Our energy levels dipped with the heat. What a great feeling and good excuse to relax. We decided to tour the Grand Coulee Dam - it was really interesting. We each found different aspects of the visitor center interesting. Mike really reads a lot and absorbs so much. The tour into the dam wall was unavailable and the heat was killing us - 105F in the shade - so we returned to the campground for a sunset swim. (Our shower for the day) Ant and Mike pitched the tent and moved in there.