Kit and Carol on the Road

These photos were taken at Panorama--up the "hill" from Invermere.

These photos show part of Kirsten's beach restoration project on Lake Windemere.

Friday we drove north through Idaho and crossed the border into Canada (no wait crossing).  Stopped for lunch in Cranbrook.  This town has a horrid strip (fast food, etc)  on the main highway but we found the quaint downtown with a chatterbox cafe.  Arrived in Invermere about 3.  Our poor GPS could not find Kirsten's new work.  Invermere is a GPS nightmare.  Not only are there numbered streets and numbered avenues which intersect, but streets don't always go straight through--and then there are the A's.  Kirsten lives on 17A.  Nelson the GPS says "17th, a street".  Luckily we did find her eventually.  Had a nice walk and a fine dinner cooked by Kirsten.

Saturday we went for a hike near a wetlands along the headwaters of the Columbia River.  The water was high so there was some squishy walking along the edge.  Luckily it didn't rain.  Kirsten says they have had nothing but rain this month.  We had dinner at a Scottish pub with live Irish music which was quite fun.

Sunday started out drizzly.  Kirsten rode her bike to the trailhead in the nature reserve where there is a nice level trail (with lots of mosquitos) out to another view of the river. (We drove and met her for the hike)  Later we drove up to Panorama which is a ski resort in winter.  Awesome views.  Back to pizza for dinner.

We are on our way to see Kirsten--finally. Left on the 6:30 ferry. Arrived at this wonderful motel in Coeur d'alene at 5--after a stop at Les Schwab because Kit was worried about brakes. Our room is the Tuscan room. All of the rooms are different. My dream motel. Walked into town and had an Italian dinner with Tuscan wine. Walked along the lake. Already am forgetting all the road construction today. 8 hours driving today and still 6 tomorrow

     I need Candace Olson.  When someone wants a new bathroom--they say "I want a new bathroom"   Candace goes back to her office and opens her drawers and picks out tiles, and fixtures, and lighting, and paint colors.  Then she sends the people away and when they return--WAH-LAH--there is beautiful new bathroom.
     My life is not like that.  We have to not only pick out the tiles but guess how many we will need.  We have to choose a vanity with an ugly fake granite top because it is the only one that will fit the space.  We have to tear out the wallpaper (fun) and flooring.  We have to take out the old toilet and choose a new one.  We have to find a paint color that will go with the floor and the ugly vanity and not look too washed out.  The samples I get don't work out.  I pick out a color from a chip but then it looks too washed out so we buy a gallon of a darker version.  (We have to paint tomorrow so no more samples).
     Bart the plumber is coming Monday to install the new shower valve.  I ordered the valve cover (the thing you use to turn the water on and off) online--but it comes in about a million pieces.  I hope Bart knows how to put it together or we will have to follow the directions in 3 languages.
     Bill is coming on Tuesday to start working on the tile and the shower.  We still have no idea about how the door will work.  (I can't order the door until the tile work is done).
       Bathroom remodeling is hell.  Never again.  It doesn't help that we have the world's tiniest bathroom.
Nor does it make any sense to spend big money on a bathroom in a small cheap house.

We packed Ida Monday night as Kit had to take the 6:30 am ferry across before tide got too low. Discovered horrid noise. Drove to dealer in Bellingham. Major parts replacement necessary--on motor home not Kit. So Ida and all our food stayed in BHam. Luckily it was soup supper. No time to meet Kirsten in Nelson so we are staying home to work on bathroom. Kirsten says weather so bad there that road to Nelson was closed. So life goes

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We've been at home long enough to grow some roots.  May was a glorious month and we were both sick for much of it.  And crazy busy.  At present we are tearing apart our bathroom for a complete makeover.  Taking a break from that project to go up to Canada to visit our daughter.  We are meeting Kirsten in Nelson BC on Wednesday night.  Leaving tomorrow afternoon to go Over the mountains and around the bend.  One of those kind of trips.