SOMERS HABITAT CAV BUILD
SPRING 2023
April 23 – May 7
SATURDAY, April 22
Baker City to Wallace Idaho
365 miles
On the road again! Only it is a little harder now as we say goodbye to Spur, who has followed us around unceasingly for the past few days as we pack up the trailer. He KNOWS something is going on! I even got misty eyed this morning as I gave him a hug and a ‘be a good dog while we are gone’. Thank goodness for wonderful neighbors who feed and take him on walks!
We pull out around 7:30am – a relatively late start for us! But our destination is just 365 miles away in Northern Idaho! I drive the first 100 miles or so to the Washington border – our first pit stop for gas! The price? A wonderful $3.69 or nearly 30 cents cheaper than Blacks in BC! By filling up on the Oregon side, we can avoid the higher prices in Washington and get clear into Idaho!
Over the ….River and on up the rolling hills to Dusty and our rustic ‘rest area’ (pit toilets) and into Colfax. We take our new route into Idaho through Palouse and Potlatch and on up US95 to Plummer and a much needed gas stop! I run across the street to grab a drink as the convenience store at our station isn’t open. Rick decides to just keep driving the rest of the way into Wallace. I don’t complain as I am busy trying to get 4 shepherds done in needlepoint during this trip!
The clouds are a little grayer, thicker, and less puffy as we pull into the campground in Wallace. For just the one night, we are staying on a pull through opposite the creek – cheaper! The campground just opened for the season and we have to register in the pub next door. All settled and ready for a walk back down to have a good meal!
City Limits pub doesn’t disappoint! Good burger/sandwich meals and Rick has a beer. (I am saving my wine for later!) We finish the Quordle for today while we wait for our meal. No internet at the sites, just at the pub, plus no phone service. Alas. It will be a quiet evening and early to bed!
I have heard from 3 of the other 5 CAVs – Tom is already in Kalispell as the forest service campgrounds he hoped to explore weren’t open yet. Both Mike and Kimberly, coming from opposite directions in SD or WA both encountered snow as they left respectively! Hopefully everyone will arrive in one piece tomorrow!
SUNDAY, April 23
Wallace, ID to Lakeside, MT
142 miles
Well, perhaps not as quiet an evening as hoped! We were in bed reading shortly after 9:15, and lights out before 10. But then...the group camped opposite us returned, probably from the pub when it closed, and was VERY LOUD – laughter, swearing, banging around. Off and on until midnight when we heard a car leave. Then? Blissfully quiet the rest of the night!!
A leisurely morning as we didn’t plan to pull out until 9ish. The canyon is in shadow until later in the day. I showered and read.
And...we are on our way around 9. This is my stretch to drive – interstate freeway up and over Lookout Pass and into Montana. We move forward an hour as we head over the pass. Snow by the road up on the pass, but the freeway is clear. We stop in St. Regis for gas – it’s getting lower! Only $3.59 at this stop! Drinks and we are on our way! (However – note – three of the ART walls were empty! What’s happening?)
Into the campground around 1:15 – with the time change 4 hours from Wallace. Tom and Al are already here. Gradually the three newcomers arrive – Bob in a big 5th wheel, Kimberly in an Rpod, and the Chards in a camper van – small rig for two weeks!
Quiet evening catching up with the luxury of good internet. Enjoy a brief Happy Birthday call with Jed (he’ll be busy tomorrow night!) And an evening walk across the highway to see the sun on the Mission mountains!
MONDAY, April 24
Shopping and Tamarack Brewery!
What a lazy morning! I didn’t get up until 6:45 and other than a trip over to the bathroom, worked on the laptop, etc. Until 10am! But then again, it was a steady light rainfall from about 4am on until after 10. A quick shower for me and we take off for Wal-Mart to pick up a few necessary items (and a few unnecessary!) We drive through downtown Kalispell just reminiscing about previous builds, and after gassing up the truck in Lakeside we drive up to the Lakeside HfH houses to check things out.
Rick and I walk down to the Tamarack Brewery around 3:45 – the group is to meet at 4. All make it except for Jan and Bud, who evidentally are held up in Whitefish (they were questionable about coming) It was so good to see Kimberly again, who flew in late this morning. She will be with us until Saturday. Rick and I both had burgers and drinks – not a cheap night, but good conversation and chances to get to know one another better.
TUESDAY, April 25
CAV Build Day 1
A beautiful morning – cloudy but reasonable temps! And little wind! (For now!) Bob rides with Tom and Kimberly, but everyone else drives their own rigs up to the job site in Somers – just 6 miles away at the north end of the lake. Garrett greets us warmly, and eventually both Loralee and Hilary arrive (with treats!) to officially welcome the CAVs!
Opening takes awhile, as we have questions, introductions, instructions, etc – typical first day ‘stuff’. But eventually Garrett gets us divided up into 3 groups: Al-Jan-Bud working to clear the foundation dirt away to put the flashing up (shovel and pick axe work!) Kimberly-Tom-Bob working on trim around windows AND Rick-Kim-myself cleaning out garages and moving the painted boards out and covering with tarps.
Rick did much of the clean-out while Kim and moved boards – lots of them! But by lunch break we were done (and Kim’s back was finished!) I had my 10,000 steps plus by lunch!
Hilary brought lunch – leftovers from a banquet – ham and bean soup mostly. Tasted good.
After lunch Rick, Kim, and I went down to House #3, took down supports, cleaned the floor (Kim swept) and we got a lesson in laying out the chalk lines for interior walls. By 2:30 quitting time we almost had the layout done – just the laundry wall left to do in the morning. Then we will get a refresher course in wall building and get started! Appears that will be our assignment for the duration until we are done! Garrett likes to keep one crew on a job once they have learned the ‘ropes’.
Back to the campground and a small crew for Happy Hour – missing Bud who was sleeping and Kim who was resting her back. Good conversation and plenty of laughter!
Could be a cool one tonight – the skies seem to have cleared!
WEDNESDAY, April 26
Habitat Build Day #2
A beautiful SUNSHINE day! And what a crowd...as we gathered in the first house, the local workers just kept coming through the doors! Eleven total to make for a work force today of 20, plus Garrett and Steve T. Great to give Steve a big hug! I gave a devotion after introductions and then Garrett broke everyone into groups and gave out jobs! Rick Kim and I were joined by Bruce to continue our interior wall work. With Steve T’s help we finished the layout quickly and got our refresher course on walls. Steve was there to help most of the day which was nice.
We weren’t fast, but we got the two MAIN walls put together on the floor. A few header jacks still to install above the door openings on one wall and then we will get some help to put them into place tomorrow morning. We were screwing the walls, so it was easy to take out and reposition if we made a mistake!
Others outside were putting up flashing around the foundation, window trim up prior to siding, painting siding, porch work, and ??? I’m not sure what all some of the locals were doing! The site was humming!
Bill Rubley’s wife made our lunch and it was BBQ pulled pork sandwiches. Soooo good along with tater salad and brownies. No complaints from the huge crew.
By the end of the day my knees were so sore from crawling around on the concrete, despite the fact that Rick gave me the kneepads after lunch. Shoulders and thighs calling out, but I think that was from all the lifting from Tuesday! I’m out of shape!
Back to shower and then sit out in the sunshine for an hour reading my book! After Happy Hour (which lasted until 6:45!) I continued reading until I finished at 9:15!! Hence I am writing on Thursday morning!!
THURSDAY, April 27
Habitat Build Day #3
We are ‘on our own’ again today – no local volunteers, plus Tom and Kimberly are leaving at lunch time to take little trip up to Kootenay Falls – about 2 hours away. Kim leaves on Saturday so this is there only ‘vacation’ time venture!
So...after the chaos of yesterday, it seems quiet! After I give devotions, we get back to work. Our team is back to our walls – finish the last couple of header jacks and then we call in the troops to help us lift the walls into place. It takes us until break time to secure the base plate to the concrete floor (Rick did that heavy hammering!) and to shim and secure the top plate to the plate already in place on the trusses. But both walls were finished by break!
After break, Garrett explained that we needed to put some nailers between the trusses in places where the walls hit between trusses. That took awhile and involved a lot of screwing over head. I fear my neck might be sore tomorrow!
Lunch outside!! Those of us working inside the house were just a little jealous of those working outside! But they were still digging and moving dirt after installing the flashing on the foundation. Tom, Bob, and Kimberly got all but ONE window trim installed by lunch!
Our wall crew managed to finish up the truss nailers and get started on the preliminary work to construct the bathroom wall. Therein we will start tomorrow!
Happy Hour was OUTSIDE in the sunshine!! We missed Tom and Kimberly, but shared stories, especially enjoying the retelling again of Bob’s adventure last Monday night where he was awaken at 2:30am by a drunk from the saloon across the highway. Ended up taking the guy home up in Somers. But the stories the guy told Bob and the droll way that Bob shared was great!
Walk down to the post office to mail a few more postcards after Happy Hour and then inside to work on pictures!
FRIDAY, April 28
Habitat Build Day #4
Another good day on the build – joined by a FEW local volunteers but most enjoyably was meeting Chanell, whose house we have been framing. She had a 5 year old son who is very excited about his new house! Chanell worked with Kat all day painting the siding for the first house (light yellow!) But she occasionally came in to see her ‘walls’!
Steve T was back in today to finish helping us with the layout of the rest of the walls – so we can continue on our own tomorrow. We worked on the bathroom walls and started in on the master closet. Just when we think we are cruising, we run into problems but with Steve’s help, we get there!
Lunch compliments of Subway! We were able to eat out on the picnic tables for the first time this year (according to the locals!) It was blessedly warm!
Happy Hour once again outside as well. After awhile we took our ‘trailer tours’ and visited everyones RV/trailer. Fun since we range from our hybrid to an Rpod to a camper van, plus three 5th wheels.
SATURDAY, April 29
Habitat Build Day #5
Whew. Glad it is the end of the week! We are tired! But another beautiful day – we even had opening outside! And two new YOUNG volunteers – Jameson and Chandler. Also with us were the homeowners for the middle house – Steve and Lydia – who we met last fall doing foundation work. Fun to see them again.
Tom is gone for the morning taking Kimberly to the airport for her trip home. It has been fun to have her with us this week.
We are back working on closet walls – they should be easy because they are small, but it seems it still takes us awhile to get them done! By the end of the day (and we worked until 2:45!) we had everything done but the BIG wall at the front of the house with garage entry. It does have two closet areas attached as well. Hopefully Tuesday we can finish.
We were able to grab Bob to help us for awhile before lunch as he finished his task and was waiting for Tom to arrive for his next assignment.
Lunch was more pulled pork, but no one was complaining! It was good! Plus...Lydia had made scotcheroos! They looked a little different, but sure tasted right! She and I compared recipes and sure enough it was the same! First time we have met someone who made them!
We didn’t have Happy Hour tonight. Folks are tired. Rick and I suggested a walk down to the ice cream place, but only Tom took us up on it. A relaxing time chatting and indulging! Rest of evening reading and visiting with Jess about our garden!
SUNDAY, April 30
A Day of Rest!
Ah...a day to do very little! Worked on pictures and prayers, etc. In the morning. Around 10:15 Rick and I drove up to Whitefish to check things out, visit our favorite shops, and eat a little brunch at Montana Coffee – a lemon blueberry scone and a sausage quiche, both to share. Plus mocha coffees!
We walk about the shops, but end up buying NOTHING! A rare day in Whitefish. Easier to do now that my favorite quilt shop went out of business. (Sadly).
But… after Montana Coffee we talked with Luke about the idea he and Jed cooked up to join us for a week in Troy, MT for the first part of the Habitat build! Luke has a wedding to attend on the 17th of June, so will build with us from the 11th to the 16th, driving back to Portland on the 16th. Exciting!! I’ve been envious of Tom having his kids join him on this adventure!
Back south on the Stage Road, admiring all the new houses (all big and wealthy) and the views to the east. Into Walmart for some shopping and then back to Lakeside. We did check out the potential spots to park the trailer at the ReStore on the way up.
Quiet afternoon, altho I did end up doing some tie dye with Kim (baby stuff for Garrett’s new one on my part!) and then a long phone call with Marg while I walked around the park. We actually ate a REAL dinner of pesto pasta!
A warm 80+ degree day, but some haze as there is slash burning, plus a recent house fire filtering through the skies.
MONDAY, May 1
Day Off! Giving Blood & Laundry!
Well, I sure didn’t get my steps in today! Or most of them came from walking between the trailer and the laundry/rec room across the ‘street’. Morning spent catching up on laptop stuff and then rinsing out the tie dye articles and getting them in the wash. Then our own laundry to do! (After I scrubbed the residual dye out of the laundry sink!) I did bundle up three items of tie dye to present to Garrett today for his little baby girl!
Once the laundry was done I tackled getting the names etched on the glass mugs I brought for everyone. The day was borderline HOT – hitting in the upper 80’s.
We left shortly before 3 to drive up to Kalispell for our blood draw appointment. Stopped at the ReStore to check out again where we can park the trailer next Sunday, then on to the Red Cross building. A very smooth process for both of us, Rick doing his Rapid Pass on my phone as well. The fun part was that one of my attendants turned out to be Chanel’s older sister! We share pictures and videos, all while we were pumping blood! I told them it was one of my most positive and fun blood draw experiences!
Back to campground and the group gathered for Happy Hour and an hour of very relaxed conversation...in the shade of our trailer!
Rest of day? I worked on my digital drawings of everyone!
TUESDAY, May 2
Habitat Build Day #6
A warm one today! Again in the 80’s – only this time we are working, not just weekend relaxing! Part of the crew is installing man doors in the garages, part still putting up all the firring strips to be ready for siding (one house to go!), and the three of us are back in our house to finish the interior walls!
It goes fairly smoothly, although no shims necessary today which meant Rick was swinging the sledge hammer to knock the walls into place – and he was swinging! But...we finish all but the little bathroom wall that Garrett said to do last while he was deciding what to do with it (an end of the tub corner wall so not huge). The miter saw was right outside our front door, so I didn’t have far to go to make my header cuts...and the four times I went out to trim down the header jack studs to make them fit! So...for today? Four walls (one large), three door openings.
Rick’s knee and back are really bothering him. Kim and I tried to limit how often he had to bend down – the knee seems to be swelling some so hard to bend. Not a good sign for Troy in three weeks! He’ll call Zach tomorrow.
The trailer is 93 degrees inside when we get back, but we turn on the air and start cooling things down. Pull down the awning for the first time to be a little extra shade.
Bud purchased a charcuterie board over the weekend, so of course he had to try it out during Happy Hour! By the time Al brought fresh baked banana bread, I had pineapple and grapes, and Bob brought some anise cookies – it was dinner for me!
Got two more drawings finished today...just three to go!
WEDNESDAY, May 3
Habitat Build Day #7
Ah! Forecast is for a little cooler today – perfect 70’s weather! Thank you, God!
Rick stays ‘home’ today to make some calls to Dr. Capra’s office and to dear Doc Zach. Hopefully he can get some answers to that will a little more encouraging!
So...I catch a ride with Al to the job site. And it is a full crew of locals again today! After I give my Ripples devotion, we break up into multiple crews! Kim and I are to get that final wall up in the bathroom behind the tub! It takes awhile, but we get ‘er done! A little sledge hammer work on the concrete nails and some advice from Steve to get walls plumb and in place. We are finally finished shortly before lunch, just in time….
...to get our next assignment in the house! Putting up the nailers for the ceiling sheetrock! Steve gives a tutorial, we get the miter saw set up in the house, Kim collects some scrap wood, and we are all ready to go just prior to lunch.
Lunch is provided by the Montana Club and delivered by Bob. A bit of a challenge as we have soup, but no bowls, no ladle, etc. Jan to the rescue as she gets a ladle from their camper van and some paper bowls. Soup and crackers – that’s all, so Bob scavenges in the trailers and brings out all the snack stuff! It’s enough, but it was a big crowd to feed! And lots of men!
Good progress over the afternoon installing the nailer boards up in the rafters. Kim did most of the cutting and I screwed with my head and arms all twisted around amongst the boards. It was GREAT FUN! (Not really – quite warm up there in the rafters!)
Progress being made on all the homes – HVAC was in working in #1 today. Nearly all the firring strips will be done by week’s end and many doors installed.
Al drove me up to the ReStore after work to pick up some leftover ‘spirits’ from a fundraiser that Bob wanted to donate to the CAVs. Unfortunately, Bob had already left and the ReStore workers thought Al and I were telling a tall tale about picking up some booze!
Worked on drawings after Happy Hour today. Slowly but surely.
THURSDAY, May 4
Happy Birthday Jess!
Habitat Build Day #8
A clear cloudless morning in the Flathead Valley – wonderful temps to work! Wish it could last but Saturday is forecast for rain and a high of 50! We’ll have to see what shakes!
We finished up the nailer boards in House #3 around Morning Break. And then? Garrett moved us down to #1 and it is a framing nightmare – largely due to an uneven cement floor. That affected the tops of the wall boards which in places don’t meet the trusses (shims) or were cut to accommodate the trusses. It made our job very tedious! By the end of the day we got about half of the house done (with a few words of frustration tied in!) Needless to say I was rejoicing when I looked and saw it was cleanup time! And that went quickly for us as House #1 can be locked up so we left all our tools, etc. Inside!
Midway through the morning, Bob Helder stopped by with a box of beer and wine! (I had sent an email about it) He said they had a good laugh at the ReStore meeting this morning about “some old couple came in last night and said you had booze for them”. And Bob had to say, “I know who that was!” Anyway...we have beer now in Al’s fridge and 3 bottles of wine to take to Steve’s tomorrow night.
Rick and I walked down to mail a lunch CAV thankyou, pick up a Stageline Pizza menu, and have an ice cream cone on the way back! He thought a little just straight walking might be good.
Happy Hour was just six of us. Jan and Bud have gone out to dinner with friends up in Kalispell. But...they have signed up for the fall build! A beautiful evening out with enough cloud cover to cut the bright sun, but still just delightfully cool.
No composite picture for today as I left my phone/camera in the trailer so I didn’t take any! So I'll post the composite of all the drawings, including Tom's 'plaid' shirt (I had complained to him that drawing his shirts was always so hard, that I was just going to do it MY way!)
FRIDAY, May 5
Habitat Build Day #9
Raindrops are falling on our heads! Rain around midnight last night that stopped, but we drove through a good storm enroute to Somers and then had a couple good downpours during the morning. All that freshly graded dirt turned to MUD!! All Kim’s cleanly swept houses became a mess! But a good turnout of regulars (never as many as on Wednesdays) and we are joined once again by Chanel, homeowner for #3. She comes in and instantly says to me, “So I hear you met my big sister!” Great young lady.
Our team gets moving in #1 to finish up our sheetrock nailers. Done by morning break, which is held inside #1. Team photo time finally! Bud and Jan come in wearing their rain slickers – they’ve been outside, as has Al! Got Chuck, a local, to snap the photo as we wanted Garrett in picture.
We were then assigned to #2 – our first time to work in Steve and Lydia’s house! Putting up drywall shims – cardboard strips that help even out the walls to help the sheetrock lay flat, especially in the midpoint of the stud where the two sheets meet. Tedious work with a huge level, shims, and hammer staplers.
Lunch is McDonald’s – good burgers and the fries are ‘somewhat warm’. No drinks ever arrived this time around. Ah well.
More shimming in the afternoon and we are wearing down! But the skies have dried out a bit.
Evening spent enjoying time together at Steve and Lisa’s. Rick and I pick up a couple of giant pizzas, others bring side dishes, plus all that good beer and wine from the ReStore! And the rain held off, so we could enjoy some time around the firepit. Garrett and Desi came by with little Haddie around 6:30 or so. Great to meet Desi and the little one. Got to hold for awhile! Everyone but Tom, Bob, and us left around 7:30, but we stayed and visited around the fire until nearly 9pm.
Tomorrow we will only work til noon. Supposed to rain all day anyway.
SATURDAY, May 6
Habitat Build Day #10
Wet. VERY wet. Good thing we were only working a half day and a VERY good thing that most of it was indoors! Garrett called off the locals who were signed up for today as well as Lydia and Steve, homeowners. It was just the 7 of us – working on doors, drywall shims, and hurricane clips!
Garrett surprised us this morning with orange juice and cinnamon rolls! What a way to put a smile on Tom’s face! I had figured maybe we’d go to Somers Cafe for lunch, but Garrett said Hilary had it all arranged and she brought us Mod pizza at noon. Wow. PLENTY of leftovers pizzas now for us to share at dinner time! Good conversations, plus Hilary brought some FV HfH ‘bling’ – shirts and caps – for us!
Rick, Al, Jan, and I worked in #2 and #3 to drywall shim. Rick and Al were getting the cut/wood shim or planer methods down when things were really out of line. We finished in #2 and got half of #3 done by lunch time.
Back to relax, take a nap, and begin sorting and packing up for the afternoon. Had word from Kim that she got back to Leavenworth just fine.
We had an abundance of pizza, but couldn’t get rid of most of it – I think Rick and I had several pieces, but no one else! It ended up in the garbage, sadly enough! Bud and Jan took a drive, so I hope we get to say goodbye to them at some point.
SUNDAY, May 7
Lakeside,
MT to High Country Lane (via ReStore!)
535 miles
It was an early morning! Rick woke up around 5:15, realized it wasn’t raining at the time and said, “Time to pack up!” So we did! And pulled out of Edgewater RV around 6:30 bound for the ReStore. We got parked in our little spot, adjusted a few things, and said, “See
you in a couple weeks, Trailer!” By 7am we were headed south on 93 with a quick stop for gas at the great price (relatively speaking!) of $3.42!!
Smooth sailing all day, although had a quick scare nearing St. Regis when Rick went to pass a truck that was slowing down and realized he was slowing down due to deer on the left side of the road. They jumped in front of us, but by the grace of God and Rick’s good driving, we split through right between them. Not sure we missed one of them by more than a foot.
flowers!
One of our shorter stops in St. Regis – didn’t need gas – and I took the wheel until Post Falls, ID – the stretch on I-90 across the northern tip of Idaho. Feels strange to drive this familiar route without the trailer! We make good time! We tried to gas up at the Flying J in Post Falls, but the station was having ‘issues’ – not pumping! Went to Love’s instead!
We opted to take 395 south – Rick driving again – and remembered why we don’t – BORING!! But with some Google Maps help, we took a few back roads by-passing TriCities that took us out right at the Stanfield Pilot.
I drove us home! We arriving around 2:40, having gained an hour of free time when we crossed the Montana Idaho border. Good to be home!
PS. This promised to be a wet rainy trip, and we did have some rain, but not as bad as we expected.
The Individual Team Drawings:
