Inside the Lodge

There are two levels of rooms and on the main floor a huge fireplace. It felt so good to sit by the fireplace and get warm. I read that the artist Charles M. Russell actually drew the pictographs on the edges of the fireplace. The lodge is decorated like a hunting lodge sort of. It has 100 rooms in the main building. Also cabins and an adjacent motor inn. There is a gift shop, pizzeria, lounge and restaurant. We had lunch in the restaurant and it was buffalo burgers. The only buffalo we saw the whole trip. Darn. They were very good by the way.

Lake McDonald Lodge

Built in 1913. The interior was build to give the impression of a hunting lodge. The front of the lodge faces the lake because people travelled by boat to get there before roads were built. I think it would be fun to stay over night here. There is a gift shop and restaurant inside. The Red Bus stops here as well.

The Lonely Goat

I was really, really excited to finally see an animal. Here he is. a mountain goat just resting on the side of a cliff.

Small Glaciers

I was expecting to see really big glaciers on these mountains but not so. Here we were nearly at the top of the pass and from here it's only down. It is really cool to look way down at the bottom and see where you started from. Also, there weren't any bears, buffalo, elk or deer. Only chipmunks and a lonely mountain goat. oh well. What do you expect for free???

Going-to-the-Sun Road

It is very narrow but not as scary as people make it to be. There are turnouts every so often so you can stop and take in the majestic scenes. The road construction made travel a little slow but you can't really go fast anyway so it was okay with us.

Libby Dam Montana

We enjoyed our tour and visit at Libby Dam. It backs up the Koocanusa Lake. I asked about Koocanusa????no, it's not an Indian name. Koo (Kootenai) can (Canada) and usa is (U.S.A.) It is a beautiful large lake and it has great fishing. Thought I'd let Ben know that. We did the visitors center which is a great adventure for children. By the way, my new cart was a surprise from Dad for my birthday. (quite the surprise) He got it from craigslist at a very good price. I didn't think I was ready for this mode of travel yet, but after using it I feel it will be a great adventure for me. (Don't laugh, okay?)

Ross Creek Giant Cedars

Between Libby and Sandpoint there is a cedar grove that you can walk through. It is about 4 miles off the highway and deep into the forest. I was surprised by the amount of visitors that were there and even one car from Tennessee. The guy kind of looked like a hippy/backwoodsie person and fit the surroundings perfectly. The grove was cool (in scenery and temperature). You just walk down the trail and read the signs or stop and sit awhile to take in the beauty. The signs told how all areas of a forest have their purpose - even trees that have fallen in a creek. Dad's tree has a wart on it, my tree has one too and I think it was actually two trees in one. The pict. of us by the rock slide told about the lichens and moss on the rocks and their purpose in the forest.

Garden Beauties

I LOVE BIRTHDAY PARTIES

Anyone who knows me very well probably knows how much I enjoy birthday parties. They have always been a family tradition for us. I was invited to Avery's 7th birthday party that was held on Friday afternoon. It was a very warm day but I had such a good time watching the children and visiting. Dad couldn't go because of being at work. I know he would have liked to come if he could. Little boys can get out of hand sometimes but Erin and Jeremy handled everything very calmly and made sure each child had fun and each had a turn at the games. Great job to you both. Happy Birthday to Avery.

You Gotta Love Little Boys

Avery posing with his sailboat. You gotta love little boys especially their exhuberance and determination. Some day they will be our leaders. Avery had his 7th birthday party and it was a blast. It was held in Donna's backyard amongst all of the huge maple trees. Thank goodness for good shade and a breeze now and then. I think it was 95 that afternoon. About 6 boys and 2 girls came and the theme was Star Wars. Also included was a regatta boat race. The kids had been given their boats earlier in the week to paint and decorate. They were so excited to race them. Afterwards they were determined to all get wet in the water. Lunch was served: hotdogs and chips. A Jedi training mission was put on by Erin, the leader. Each child received his tunic and belt and a lightsabre. An obstacle course was then enjoyed by all of the kids using their Jedi skills. Then it was present time and cake and ice cream and a pinata. In the end each child received his Jedi certificate with his name on it. Everyone went home happy and tired. Especially the leader, Erin.

Birthday Cakes

I think the story goes like this: Erin really, really wanted to make a R2D2 cake but Avery really, really wanted a cake with Star Wars characters on it. So this is the final decision. They were both delicious with ice cream on the side. Erin, you did an outstanding job on whole party. Go Girl!!

Boat Races

Jeremy is helping Bodee with his boat. He was a little short to actually blow on it. The green pants are pretty special. Bodee had gotten his clothes wet and the only change he had with him was a pair of lime green pj bottoms. They worked fine and he was cool. The rope you see hanging from the tree was a very big hit with the kids. Jeremy hung that from a branch and the kids had the best time swinging on it all afternoon. How cool is that??? Not everyone has a rope swing these days.

The Jedi Training

Erin had such good plans and ideas for this Star Wars party. Here she is doing the Jedi Training. The kids loved it. After they learned their moves, Erin showed them the obstacal course they had to go through. It was up, under, over, through and lots of running to beat the kid with the best time. Jeremy timed each one and I made a list of each kid's time. They were amazing Jedi's.

Pinata Time

This was time for hitting the pinata. The kids each got a chance to take a hit with their light sabers and then a turn with a real bat.

I'm the Big Brother

Davis is learning what Big Brother means and all of the responsibilities linked to that title. When Jack comes home he will soon know so much more how he can help. My time in Portland was so fun and it took me a whole week to warm up to Davis but in the end it was great. We had several trips to the hospital and I sat in the back of the car with him and we talked about lots of stuff and shared treats. It is a 45 minute drive to the hospital so that gave us quite a bit of conversation time. He likes going to the Play Room at the hospital while Mindy goes to see Jack. There are lots of toys and some bikes and a train track that he especially likes. It's on the Ped. floor for children in the Ped. Unit but others are welcome to use it as well. It reallly worked well for what we needed. Evan and I would take turns staying with Davis and visiting Jack. Thanks for letting me be part of your family for awhile. I love'd it.

Little Jack

This was my day to hold Jack. This is in the NICU at Emmanuel Hospital in Portland. Mindy drives each day to see Baby Jack and feed him. It's a 45 minute drive one way, if traffic is slow. He still has his monitor and feeding tube but is learning to suck and swallow and I know he will be home soon.

The T in Man

There is an Atrium at the hospital and upon entering the garden this tin man greets you with his ruby red slippers. Just had to take a picture with him.

Staying Cool

Davis was staying cool and playing in the water. It was so hot in Portland, 103 and even today it was to be 106. This was the best place to be I think. This is Mindy's back yard and deck. Really a nice place for Davis to play and run around - which happens regularly.