Wenatchee Glacial Lake Cascades

Smoking, Fishing,Bubbling and Bliss

Ben and Kelsey's Chickens Vashon Island

The smoke in the background is from forest fires on either side of this beautiful glacier fed lake in the Cascades. All up and down Washington, Oregon and California there are continuous fires, un-contained fires started from lightning so it was a little scary.Many people lost their homes. California is in one of the most serious of droughts so much so that much of the drinking water has been contaminated in places. We will probably have to change routes again when we head south.  To get to this second choice lake because the first was closed due to fires we had to detour through a pretty hairpin/switchback road.  Once at Wenatchee we kayaked, it was blissful, but a funny story is that as Pat was checking out at the village market on Vashon, commenting to the clerk that at $7.99 a pound, salmon was probably cheaper to buy than to fish for..the clerk said he was up at Wenatchee on Thursday, the same day we were there, and caught his limit and his friends caught theirs of Chinook Salmon, 6 each. Pat said next time he will fish from the kayak and leave me behind. Our kayak is a tandem like the bike so I guess he will fill my side with fish.  We loved Wenatchee, it was private on the north campground, nice trails and we had electricity and water. The south side is busier but has horseback riding and rafting is nearby.  It was also blissful,  sitting in the chairs in shallow water having a much needed drink (reminded us of West Meadow Beach); he found a Vancover man who loved the Knicks (basketball) there with his family and five other families with their kids wading in the water.  They come every year. it was fun to watch the one father show the kids how to blow bubbles (learning how to swim) by singing a song.  Pat taught both our boys how to "bubble".  He has the perfect "dirty" ditty, which also a pirate song.  Bears are breaking into houses on outskirts of towns in BC so our tale of the bear in the pop-up camper at Killarney is something not so unusual, food is scarce. I met a young history teacher who is subbing because she can't find a job in Washington (sound familiar?).
We got to Vashon a day early because of the fires and camped under a huge maple tree near Ben and Kelsey's cottage. The rooster crowed at 4:30 am, not so much different than waking up at that time for 30 years to get to school on time.  Ben has to get up to milk the cows.  Their lives are so busy but maybe more now because it is only 5 days before the wedding.  I hope to send you photos but may not be able to use my cell phone. Pat and I are helping out, picking blackberries tomorrow for the the blackberry lemonade going to be served at the wedding with hard cider.
Hope all of you are fine...PS Seattle's traffic is just as bad as Long Island's and if you want to get a ferry to Vashon you have to show up early like 2 hours on the weekends-no such thing as a reservation.