SOMERS HABITAT CAV
FALL TRIP
September 23 to October 10, 2022
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23
High Country Lane to Wallace, ID
363 miles
After a miracle that helps my garden sprinkler to suddenly start working again, we take off shortly after 8am. It seems weird to leave with the lawn sprinklers going, but the timers have been flawless so far so we can leave with certainty they will work! A quick stop in North Powder at the Sinclair station to gas up the truck. Cheaper than Baker City and on the way north!
Leaving North Powder I take the wheel up the freeway and over the Blues to Milton Freewater and the Oregon-Washington border. We gas up there for $4.49, another 20 cents cheaper than NP! Rick then drives through the palouse while I work on some needlepoint stable walls – I have three stables to hmake by Christmas time!
The harvest season for wheat on the rolling hills of Eastern Washington is over, but many fields are being disked and prepped to replant. So much brown and gold!
We decided to try another route this trip, turning east from Colfax on State Rt 272 toward Palouse, then hitting US 95 north just inside the Idaho border and 33 miles south of Plummer. Perhaps a few miles further than our route past Steptoe, but the road is 100% better! And the town of Palouse is pretty cute!
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| Trailer bed hangs out over the creek! |
Rick takes us all the way up to I-90 and then across to Wallace, where we arrive around 3:45. We made reservations several days ago, which was good because they are FULL! With our short rig, we just fit in Space #1, with the back end of the bed hanging out over the creek. I’ll have no trouble hearing the music of the waters tonight! Hurray!
We are hungry! First order of business is dinner at City Limits Pub next door (literally when you are in Space #1!) Glad we were there early because on a Friday night they were filling up fast by 5pm!! Good meal, as always, and then we walk it off wandering around town for an hour or more, exploring old buildings, fancy brickwork, old churches with awesome stained glass windows. And, of course, the ‘Center of the Universe’ for which Wallace is famous! We discovered the old and new jr/sr high schools – an enjoyable evening.
Back to the trailer to relax. We don’t have to be out of here early tomorrow as we are only driving as far as Hot Springs, less than 3 hours distant.
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 24
Wallace, ID to Hot Springs, MT
96 miles
What a lazy morning in Wallace! And I was in bed for nearly 9 hours – welcome back to camping life! It would have been undisturbed except I forgot that the clock resets to a 12am alarm each time and it hadn’t been turned OFF. We took care of that quickly!
We finally get packed up and ready to head out just 5 minutes before checkout time...and just as the sun was finally hitting the road and the west side of the campground. Wallace RV is in such a narrow little canyon that you don’t see much of the sunlight!
Rick takes us the hour drive up and over the ‘still under construction’ stretch of I-90 and Lookout Pass. Just a very few trees are starting to turn colors. We exit at the pass to check out the area around the ski slopes and the bike rentals for the Hiawatha Trail. Don’t see much, but we know this is where you can rent bikes and get the shuttle. The trail had so many visitors in 2020 (during Covid) that they had to institute a reservation system and fee! Rats! But it is still such a unique experience. Another time!
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| Pretty new water bottle! |
DOWN DOWN the freeway to Exit 33 and St. Regis. I have never seen it so busy, but this is the last weekend that Glacier is open. We check out the artwork and browse the gift shop. In the course I discover my plastic, highly expensive Dollar Tree, water glass is cracked. Rick finds some MUCH more expensive tie dye ones and I bite!! Very pretty! Also found a new puzzle. It wasn’t a cheap stop, but I didn’t spend as much as putting gas in the truck!
Finally we are ready to leave the gift shop. I love this store because it has so much BEAR and wildlife/forest/mountain art. We could fill our house!
Another hour plus the time change and we pull into Sophia Springs RV around 3pm. Our spot was switched in an email yesterday so we are in #4, right next to the bathhouse and on a concrete slab – the only spot to have such that we can see. It is a small place, only 8 sites. But a large willow next to us that provides a little shade from the warm afternoon sun.
We relax a bit and then head on a walk into town – to explore and perhaps find something to eat. Hot Springs is quite small (makes Wallace look big!) and there isn’t a lot, but we find the Camas Organic Market and Cafe and with a very talkative and friendly gal we order an Italian panini to split, and pick up a fancy chocolate cupcake and some pasta salad to share. We take all back to campsite and dine!!
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| Just 'chillin'?? in the hot mineral waters |
yesterday. Around 6:30 it is finally cooling down as the sun has gone behind the hill and the thought of a hot tub sounds good! We lucked out in that NO ONE else is at the small soaking tub provided by the RV park/guest houses. While the water feels hot spring ‘slimey’ it is clean and we enjoy a good 30 minute soak. Not quiet, as kids were playing boisterously right outside the tub enclosure, but solitary!
Evening reading, doing puzzles, and around 8:30 Rick enjoys an hour long chat with his brother Randy. (And I need to figure out how to answer my new phone when it rings! I had to call Randy back!)
Deer are munching on willow leaves right outside our window during the night.
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 25
Hot Springs to Lakeside, MT
51 miles
Another lazy morning – cool! I forget how dark it is when you first move into Mountain Time zone and the sun doesn’t rise until 7:30 or later!
We pulled out of the campsite right at 11am, but we only have 51 miles to drive and we can’t arrive before noon!
Driving north we see the evidence of the fire near Lonepine and the Elmo-Dayton fire right on the west side of the Flathead. All seems quiet on the fire front now.
We pull into Edgewater RV just 5 minutes before noon, and Mariah comes across the parking lot to check us in. She remembered us by name! (Confessing she had been reviewing the list of who was coming, but still!) $450 later, we are checked into site 26 with all the group in a line down the center of the park. And within an hour, we see Norrells, Tom, and Nietzches arrive! (Gayle finally makes her appearance around 6:45 pm!)
It is a beautiful, sunny WARM day – afternoon spent chatting, although Rick and I escape for an hour to drive up to Rosauers on the south side of Kalispell to pick up a few groceries.
We gather around 5:30 for Happy Hour/Meeting and spend the time catching up, reminiscing, and waiting for Gayle! A VERY congenial group and it is so much fun to see Val and Monica again! We haven’t seen them up here since 2015!
The internet is struggling abit.
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| Dropping down to Flathead Lake |
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| Burned areas from Elmo Fire on the hillside |
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 26
Driving Cruise of Glacier National Park
230 miles
We took the back roads up to Columbia Falls, running into some construction slowdowns. Picked up coffee for 75 cents each, however, at the Hwy 35/206 junction just east of Kalispell.
On up Route 2 to West Glacier, where we turned left to the park entrance – they had THREE stations open! Must be expecting some good crowds today! Through with our Senior Pass and then encounter more construction slowdown between Apgar and Macdonald Lake lodge. Plenty of traffic, but….the slow pace gave Rick time to look around. The falls colors are emerging with golden aspens and red patches on the hillsides. As we gained elevation the colors just got more vibrant. The sky is absolutely clear and blue above us.
Traffic was heavy until Logan Pass. Parking was non-existent at the pass, so we just kept on going! And we lost much of the chaos! On down with a stop near St. Mary’s Lake for pictures. The devastation from the burn of 2017 around the lake is still stark. Undergrowth back, but still many sticks of trees.
We don’t stop at the east side visitor center (it is busy also!) but continue south toward Two Medicine. We hadn’t been on this stretch of road since 2015 when we drove up to Waterton with the trailer and had to go through Browning. Today we were able to take the cut-off WINDING road past Two Medicine Lake (it was only half full!) and into East Glacier. We thought about finding a spot to stop and eat, but not much was open!
After another LONG stretch of following a pilot car, we have a beautiful drive back over Marias Pass and then along the Middle Fork of the Flathead to West Glacier again. A great loop, albeit not fast! We stop in Hungry Horse to take advantage of some sub $4 gas and then through Columbia Falls and Kalispell for home (avoiding the construction on 206!)
Back around 3:30 having driven over 200 miles through spectacular mountain scenery.
Tonight’s Happy Hour is informal and impromptu but filled with laughter and plenty of ‘zingers’! As Monica said, “This is why I build – the people are SO MUCH FUN!”
Back to trailer to get ready for tomorrow and relax. Cooling down!
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| Road to the Sun on left as we near Logan Pass |
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| Mt Oberlin on left and back down MacDonald Creek valley |
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| Looking back toward Logan Pass area from east side |
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| Mt. Clements from east side of Logan Pass |
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| Burned trees from St. Mary's burn 5-6 years ago |
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| St. Mary Lake with Heavy Runner peak on left |
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| Along Hwy 2 near Marias Pass |
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| Lower Two Medicine Lake (half full) |
TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 27
Somers Habitat Build Day 1
Our team: Clint and Kathy Norrell, Val and Monica Nietzche, Gayle Miller, Tom Hinkle and son Adam for a few days, and Rembolds.
Well, after a rough start, it was a great day!! I missed an email from Hilary yesterday that said we were to start at 9am up at the ReStore, so we all arrived this morning to the build site in Somers at 8am and NO ONE WAS THERE! After waiting for a few minutes and no sign of Garrett, I called the Habitat office and manage to get a response which clarified the situation. Oops! So, we all treked up to the ReStore, had some coffee and muffins and lots of talk from Bob and Garrett and then got busy!
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| Gayle and Tom check power tools |
Our job for the day was to unload two trailers that had been purchased from a construction company going out of business, sort through the ‘stuff’ and then move it into two storage containers that were going to be moved into place. Tom sat and checked all the power tools to make sure they worked, and we did a lot of treking back and forth! Worthwhile work and hot in the warm sun, especially after lunch.
The pleasant surprise of the day was the arrival of Steve T after lunch. He had just flown back from the east coast yesterday, arriving around midnight! Evidently, Steve will be ‘on duty’ for most of our tenure, as Garrett is driving to Mississippi for a few weddings, leaving on Thursday!
To top the day off, Steve T invited us all to his place for Happy Hour tonight – and all but Gayle went (she wasn’t feeling well). We sat outside until the pizzas arrived and then moved up to the porch chairs to eat. More story telling, laughter, and in general a good time!!
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| Monica and Kathy pause in trailer door |
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| Talking with Steve while we wait for the container to arrive |
I have tried 10 times to load the rest of today's pictures, but they keep jumping ahead to Thursday. Maybe if I write something first??? (SUCCESS!!!!)
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| The driver was incredible - backing this 40' container within 3 feet of the fence. |
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| Clint and Tom on Steve's back deck. |
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| Steve relaxes after dinner |
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| Rick and Lisa |
WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 28
Habitat Day 2 – It’s Concrete Time!
We got a reprieve this morning since we don’t have to report until 9am – the concrete is coming at 10am. A little more relaxing morning!
But….as soon as Rick and I arrive, Steve puts us to work fixing the corners of some of the foundation boards. The local workers are here today as well, plus we are pleased to see Chris, a Lakeside homeowner, still working because, as he said, “I don’t want to be one of those who gets my house and quits!”
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| Getting our instructions |
Steve then gathers everyone together and goes over the concrete process, assigning specific jobs to a few (Rick has been relieved of his ‘stinger’ role to Garrett – younger legs! He is grateful!) and the rest of us will jump in to spread and level the concrete as it is poured. Others will insert the anchor hooks in as the concrete settles and thickens.
But...then we wait….and wait. The boom truck arrived around 11am and the concrete itself about 10-15 minutes later. Many of us just stood around because there wasn’t much else to do! Some of the locals were working over on lots 2 and 3 as the excavator was there prepping them for foundations.
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| Garrett and Steve man the tube |
intense work, moving cement as you reach over the top of the form boards. But….we got ‘er done and lunch wasn’t TOOO late!!
Lunch was brought by Hilary, outreach coordinator and provided by Melanie Moore, a local gal who frequently provides lunch for the crew. Hot dogs, chili, fried taters, grapes, and a coffee chocolate cake! Good! We ate at the picnic tables under the shade of the trees which divide lots 3 and 4.
After lunch, the rest of the CAVs left, but Rick and I stayed to help the locals get started on the footer forms for lots 2. Rick was taking forms off the inside of the footers for Lot 1, while I helped Bruce, then Pete, screw together boards on Lot 2. It was hot!! We wrapped up shortly before 3.
Kathy took the opportunity of getting home earlier to take the peaches we brought and make a crock pot ‘dump cake’ with them. It was a yummy finale to Happy Hour tonight! Gayle has moved sites which left a blank between us and Norrells. We hope no one moves in because it gives us a great patio in the shade of their RV for HH time! We have left our blue table cloth on the table!
Into the trailer around 7 for the evening.
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| The crew works the top surface of the stem wall. |
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| Rick put on amazing finishing touches. |
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| It takes an army to get it right! |
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| Gayle and Tom relax after a hard day! |
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| Monica snapped this one before the pour began. |
THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 29
Habitat Day 3: RAIN! NO WORK TODAY!
Last night the weather changed! Winds brought in a cold front and rainfall – starting around midnight we had showers off and on all night, continuing into this morning. It appeared there would be a pause for awhile late morning and then more showers all afternoon. I called Steve around 6:45 and we decided to cancel. Rick went back to sleep, others in the group went to Somers cafe for breakfast!
I discovered on my emails that Lynn and Deb Roehm were up in Columbia Falls visiting Glacier NP for their 20th anniversary! I emailed Lynn and a phone call later we had made arrangements to meet in Whitefish at 1pm!
So...Rick and I headed up to Whitefish for our bi-annual walk about of the shops in the downtown area. My greatest disappointment? The Quilt Shop had closed permanently!! So sad! We ended up not buying ANYTHING! A first for us! Met Deb and Lynn at Montana Coffee Traders and sat outside talking for 2 hours! It rained briefly but we were under cover!
Back down to Lakeside in time to join everyone at 4pm at Tamarack Brewing Company – time to use up the Gift Certificate we had from last spring! And use it up we did! Tom brought son Adam who had flown in earlier in the day from Chicago. He work with us the next couple of days. Always fun to have Tom’s kids join us on the build!
We bought a big nachos for the middle of the table and everyone ordered beers or wine. A nice gathering! Group picture outside afterwards!
Back to campground and I took a walk across the highway to the marina and lake area to enjoy the sun on the peaks amidst the cloudy skies. Forecast looks better for tomorrow now – Rick and I will definitely go in at 8am and others will make their own decisions. Texted Steve with that info!
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| Group shot outside Tamarack Brewery - missing Adam who took the picture! |
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| View across the lake toward Swan Mountains |
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| Looking more north from marina |
FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 30
Habitat Day 4: Footer Forms & Stem-Wall Forms Demolition
It looks like a relatively clear day to work – clouds are in the sky, but puffy!
Some locals the same plus others come just on Fridays that we have worked with before. We are divided into three crews: 2 working on Houses #2 and #3 and the footer framing. The other crew is over tearing off the form walls from the pour on Wednesday of the stem walls. I started out with the #2 footer crew with Rick, Tom, Adam, Gayle and one of the locals, making some cuts for them and finding boards, but eventually moved to the demolition crew, gathering screws and ‘shoes’ and helping Kathy move whaler boards as they were taken off.
It seemed like a LONG morning as we didn’t take a break! But lunch arrived around 11:30 – homemade venison stew prepared by Hilary’s husband! It was good!
Then back at it!! I end up working most of the afternoon with Kathy and Monica, as we scrape the form boards, then oil them with soybean oil, and stack them up so they are ready for the next house! Eventually we got a rhythm going, but there are still 80% of the boards still to scrape and oil and stack!!
After work, Rick and I drove up to the ReStore to purchase the rugs we had picked out – a 25% sale was advertised, but we later learned the rugs were one of the excluded items! Rats! But it is for a good cause!
Happy Hour over at Gayle’s place this evening. Fun having Adam with us for a few days.
After HH I called Margaret and talked for abit as I walked around the RV park. Ron went into assisted living on Tuesday, so much to discuss. Saw a rainbow and beautiful sunset.
Pictures loaded in reverse order today....ARGH!
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| Rainbow while I talked with Marg |
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| Footer framework Rick worked on all day |
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| Footer framing team: Local Brian, Rick, Adam, Tom, and Gayle |
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| All lined up for morning instructions. |
SATURDAY OCTOBER 1
Habitat Day 5: Oiling Formboards & Footer Forms
Today was a beautiful morning (with a beautiful sunrise over the lake as we drove north to Somers) and a small crew. Just the nine of us plus homeowners Lydia and Steven. They have two small boys and are currently living off the grid in a small ramshackle cabin up near Eureka – a good hour/half away! They NEED this house!
Rick spent the day working with Steven, Lydia, Tom, Adam, and Gayle on the footer forms for Houses 2 and 3 – backfilling the footer, leveling, putting in the rebar, etc. New work that we hadn’t done before.
I was back on the oil crew with Kathy and Monica, ultimately scraping, oiling, then moving and stack about 100 4x4’ form boards. Val and Clint kept busy moving them out of the foundation ‘pit’ and to a spot where we could grab them. Kathy oiled, I scraped, Monica ‘kicked’ (kicking the loose stuff off after I scraped) and then Monica and I carried them about 125’ to a stack near the two houses. It was mundane work, but necessary! More to come!
But...we had a visit from local volunteer Bill who brought some day-old donuts from the Food Bank and then invited us all to his home for dinner with his wife tomorrow night! What a guy! They live here in Lakeside.
Steve said we were ‘ahead of schedule’ so he let everyone go today shortly after 1pm! Good thing...I was tired! Sat outside the trailer for over an hour just reading!
Happy Hour was lengthy this evening. We brought out leftover pizza from lunch, the donuts from Bill, and other goodies. A little excitement toward the end as we called in what looked like a fire in the trees just up the hill from the park. It appeared to be more than just a campfire and in the middle of trees. A truck finally appeared and we talked with them. Not sure what it was but the flames disappeared after awhile!
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| Kathy oils the form boards |
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| Monica and I carried the boards over to #2 house site |
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| Morning sunrise as we approach Somers |
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| Rick and Tom work on form boards with Lydia and Steven, homeowners |
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| Rick and Steven pause for a chat |
SUNDAY OCTOBER 2
Walks, Artsy Time, Home Tours & Dinner Invites
What a wonderful, busy Sunday! Around 10am Rick and I headed out for an extended walk – south along Lakeside Blvd clear to its intersection with Political Hill Road, then back to the park. It was about 3+ miles and we went past Bill Rubly’s home where we will have dinner tonight. Only drawback was I misread my map phone and we had to walk along the highway for about a half mile – on the outside of the guard rail over rather rough ground! But we made it back!
Some gorgeous burning bushes along Lakeside Drive 
A view through the trees to the lake on our wak
Around 11:45 or so I started gathering the supplies together over in the Rec Room for our art party! Glass Etching and Tie Dye! Kathy and Clint had been up to Kalispell in the morning and purchased more beer mugs at Dollar Tree. We had decided to make a mug for Adam, Mariah (RV park), Hilary (new outreach coordinator), Bill and Kim, in addition to one for Norrells and Gayle, Val, and Monica! It took awhile! And then Kathy and Gayle had shirts to dye! We finished in time to take showers and get ready for our evening activities!
Kathy and I work on a little tie dye 
Gayle proudly displays her etched mug
Carpooling from the park, we headed up to Creekside to visit Hosanna in her new home. The younger kids excitedly wanted to show us their rooms (the older ones not so much!) It was fun but quick as they were headed to an event at their church. Down to Volunteer Park to kill a little time before our 5pm dinner party. We took some silly pictures.
Then up to Bill and Kim’s on Lakeside Blvd. What an evening! Kim had the table set in fall colors and décor. It was beautiful! Bill was BBQing chicken on the back deck. We had appetizers of cheese, crackers, and salami, wine, beer, lemonade, tea, etc. Chicken, potato salad, beans, salad for dinner and then ice cream and peach cobbler for dessert. An evening of banter and laughter, conversation all around. Bill and Kim are more recent Montana residents, having moved up two years ago from Arizona. It was an absolutely delightful evening with great people!
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| The guys of our team pose at Volunteer Park in Lakeside |
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| Dinner at Rubly home |
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| And the gals with their pose! |
MONDAY OCTOBER 3
Day Off: Laundry, Shopping, and More!
Our official ‘day off’! And the group is going in multiple directions! Gayle drove up to the top of Blacktail Ski area, Nitzsches drove around the lake, Norrells down south past Poulson to golf, Tom and Adam took a hike up near Jewel Basin, and the Rembolds??? We did laundry!
Rick and I drove up to Rocky Mountain Hi RV park and used their laundry facility – Rick stayed and tended the laundry while I drove down to JoAnn’s, only to find they didn’t open until 11am. So I wandered a block down Hwy 93 to the Goodwill Store! Bought a couple books, a puzzle, some Christmas stuff, and a pair of jeans! Back to JoAnn’s then to pick up the yarn I needed. Picked up Rick and we headed off to the box store mall on the west side of Kalispell. Went to REI and SkiHaus in search of used cross country equipment for Rick – failed. Walmart for some groceries and I found what I couldn’t get at JoAnn’s. Success! Lunch at I-Hop, then a stop at the thrift store south of town, but only got 2 books there.
Afternoon cleaning house, mailing letters, and helping Kathy and Gayle rinse out their tie dye shirts. I cooked up three ears of corn for Happy Hour, plus some pesto bread. Gave Adam his etched mug – tomorrow will be his last work day (he flies out at 6:30am Wednesday morning!)
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| Gayle and Kathy show off their finished shirts! |
TUESDAY OCTOBER 4
Habitat Day 6: Foam Insulation House #1; Final Footer Prep #2 and #3
What a beautiful fall day in Montana! A brisk morning as stars were finally visible in the sky as we arose, but it warmed into the low 70’s by afternoon.
Today is the last day for a full CAV crew, so we need to be productive today! Rick and Gayle work to make final connections with rebar etc on House #3 footer prep, while Tom and Adam work on the footer frame for the porch supports. Monica, Kathy, and I oil the last of the 4x4 foundation form boards, while Clint and Val begin work on installing the foam insulation around the stem walls in house #1.
By break time, the oil crew has joined the insulation team and before lunch Gayle and Rick come over to help. After lunch? Everyone is working on the insulation and we have it DONE by 2pm!! Steve says we are so far ahead of schedule that we don’t have to show up tomorrow until 10:30!! Wow! The concrete truck is coming at 1pm for the footer pour in #s 2 and 3. What a team. We do have some rebar work to finish in the garage of #1.
So….a lazy afternoon. I finished reading a book and then we Happy Hour from 4:30 to 6. Rick had bought a sweet potato pie to contribute, as well as more apples and cheese. Popcorn and other good treats! Goodbyes to Adam.
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| Monica works on foam installation on House #1 |
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| Quick shot of the geese/swans/seagulls? that kept flying past! |
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| Not sure why Val was making such a face! It was just foam! |
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| And Kathy? She just kept rolling on the soy oil! |
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| Rick works to adjust rebar in the footer framing |
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| Gayle was always easy to find in the mornings before she took her sweatshirt off! |
WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 5
Habitat Day 7: Footer Foundation Pour
Another reprieve morning! We don’t have to report until 10:30!! And then opening introductions take another half hour, so we don’t even get started until 11!! But it promises to be another beautiful fall day and warm – although we chose the sun in the morning cuz it was still a tad cool! A full crew today with our 8 and about 6-7 local regulars. We spend the morning moving rebar, insulating the inside common walls of the garage foundation, moving the foam pile, and in general preparing for the arrival of the concrete truck at 1pm. Hilary arrived at noon with our Montana Club lunch (minestrone soup and good!) and then it was wait again!
The pump truck arrived right at 1 which was good because it took awhile to figure out where to put him to reach both houses. In the long run, he had to move between pours. Amazing to watch that long arm reach out however and the tremendous span it has. The concrete didn’t arrive until nearly 1:45, so we had plenty of wait time! And then? GO!
Pour, shovel, scree, clip wires, remove excess, scree, level, then remove spreaders, make a line down center to insert rebar hooks, clean spreader woods to use again. Repeat on next house! I basically followed the shovels and got the excess off the spreader boards so the wires could be clipped. Rick was clipping on the first house, then helped with the lines. Kathy took a video of it all and it was time lapse, so the whole pour only took 40 seconds! We got done around 3:45.
Back to clean up briefly and head to Tamarack for a goodbye meal for Clint and Kathy who are leaving to attend to some medical issues back in Salem. Local volunteer Randy joins us. More laughter, beer, wine, appetizers, and food.
Rick and I walk down to the post office to mail some thank you notes, then quiet evening in trailer.
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| Monica adjusts footer framing |
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| Final adjustments before concrete arrives |
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| And then....we wait..... |
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| ...and wait.... |
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| ...and wait while the truck determines it can't fill both homes from this point! |
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| So...we wait a little longer, but finally the concrete mixer itself arrives and.... |
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| ...we get to work on the footers! |
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| Local Randy, plus Monica and Val at Tamarack |
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| Kathy and her lifelong friend Gayle |
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| Who is this cute couple??? |
THURSDAY OCTOBER 6
Habitat Build Day 8: Installing StemWall Form Boards!
A little chilly this morning with temps in the low 40’s, but it sure warmed up by afternoon and we were HOT! The trailer was even over 80 when we got back!
Just our crew of 6 today, plus Steve Maneras. We learned a lot about prepping for form-boards – chalk lines, backer boards, corner boards, etc. And then got the entire INSIDE boards installed and braced. Rick did multiple backer boards, plus he and Tom installed all the corner form boards. I screwed down corner boards and then spent the day hitting the ‘shoes’ to secure the ‘whalers’ (Yes, you have to learn the lingo!) And Gayle? She’s wanted all week to operate her favorite – the miter saw – and she got her chance today! She cut all the whaler boards for us as we called out measurements.
But...we were tired by days’ end and glad Steve called it quits at 2:30. Tomorrow we only expect less than a handful of local volunteers, and we have a lot more work ahead of us to be ready to put the outside boards on and call this house done and ready for concrete!
I walked down to the post office when we got home and mailed two more thank you notes to our lunch providers. Washed the pot the soup came in from Montana club and will send it back with Hilary tomorrow, along with our thank you note!
A relaxed Happy Hour with just the small group and a quiet evening. Boy, when that sun goes behind the hill, the temps start to drop quickly!
Rick and Steve mark plum lines on footer 
Rick and Tom adjusting and anchoring corner boards 
Rick, Tom, and Val figure out the form board
FRIDAY OCTOBER 7
Habitat Day 9: More Stem Wall Form Board Work!
Another day in the trenches inside the foundation walls! We are joined today by Anthony, Dick, and Speedy Steve (Maneras) Hunting season has begun! But, as usual Steve has things laid out and uses the help he has to the utmost. While Rick, Monica, and I put the bottom and middle whalers on the walls, with Gayle cutting, Tom worked with Anthony to lay chalk lines on the inside of the form boards and then install the ‘shelf’ that marks the top of the concrete. Val, Speedy began the process then of installing the massive amount of rebar that goes inside the wall.
Next door, the truck arrived many times with loads of rock to fill the foundation of House #1 in preparation for the plumbers. The electrician arrived to finish connections that will eventually cross the street to the power pole and transformer on the other side. So far we’ve been using a generator. AND….shortly after noon, a group from the woodshop class at the middle school across the street arrived to check out our work and hear a talk from Steve. So cool!
Rick and I were nearing the end of our endurance (I have no idea how many ‘shoes’ I hammered into place today, or the number of times we had to duck under the braces to install the boards. But we got it done and then Steve had another job for us! We grabbed Gayle and the three of us installed the OUTSIDE form boards on two walls of the house where the rebar crew had finished. A full day of activity but MUCH got accomplished. We have a deadline for everything to be ready in time for a stem wall concrete pour next Thursday.
During lunch I had a talk with Hilary about the camping fees and the email she found when she took over the job that Habitat was picking up part of the costs. She gave me her card and asked for Mariah to call so they could figure things out. Back at the park and showered, I sought out Mariah so we could talk about it. She was wonderful and assured us no charges would be made (over her dead body!) She is going to go in and visit with Hilary face to face.
Happy Hour, a brief walk around the park, and I am ready to crash!!!
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| Gayle finally gets on the miter saw! |
SATURDAY OCTOBER 8
Final Habitat Day! More Stem Wall Forms!
Our last day on the job and it is another brisk, but beautiful morning. A nice sunrise across the lake (no picture) as we drove up toward Somers.
Today we have two new volunteers – Ken and Arthur, the first a retired teacher/firechief and the second a 29 yrs old new resident of the valley seeking a financial job. Luke, the young architect and Lydia, homeowner, were also present in addition to our crew of 6. We got a lot done!
Tom, along with Luke, worked much of the day over on house #3 prepping the footer for stem wall install. Another crew worked on rebar horizontals in advance of the whaler/shoe crews. Gayle was frantically trying to keep up with the demand for wood for all the whaler boards. Finally, shortly before 2:15, we had to stop production because we ran out of 1x4 boards. :( But….House #2 will not take much time to be ready for the concrete pour on Thursday.
Lunch provided by Buffalo Terrace Asst Living Center, plus Hilary brought up pastries and bananas this morning. We are spoiled!
At the end of the day, Steve invited the CAVs up to his place (a block away!) for a beer/drink. But first Rick and I had to run up to the ReStore to pick up our new rugs for the living room. Then a relaxing hour on Steve’s deck petting Ollie the dog, sipping on drinks, and discussing all things Habitat.
Back to the RV park and folks are starting to pack up things in preparation for tomorrow’s departure. But first four of us walk down to the coffee/ice cream shop two blocks up the road for an icecream. I picked up a muffin for Rick for breakfast.
A few clouds drifting in as the evening passes.
Morning introductions and inspiration! 
Steve gives some instructions 
New volunteer Arthur worked with me on whalers 
Ollie LOVED Rick 
Moonrise at Edgewater 
End of Build: House #1 
End of Build: House #2 
End of Build: House #3
SUNDAY OCTOBER 9
Lakeside, MT to Tucannon River RV Park, WA
338 miles
Val and Monica are the first out around 9am and we are shortly after. Gayle will be coming after us clear to Spokane and then she’ll veer off toward Portland. Tom is making the drive north to the ReStore spot! He plans to stay until the end of the month or the snow falls!
We stop to gas up and find that gas has risen AGAIN (second time in two days) – now up to $4.19 from the low of $3.99 when we arrived. Diesel went up even more! But we fill the tank and get coffee and are on our way!
Smooth sailing down the west side of the lake and then over toward Hot Springs and Plains and St. Regis. We love this travel center for its art! Pick up a gift for Luke, a picture of chickadees and pine cones for me, and a fluffy pillow for the couch for Rick! Then time to get back on the road so we can make our 1pm lunch date in Spokane!
No big changes in the road other than the trees are a little more golden! Drifting clouds all along the Clark Fork hills and a general haze in the skies. Seems to be clearer upon entering Idaho. Rick has opted to drive the whole way today so I can be productive with the needlepoint stables and angels I need to finish! (Since I didn’t pick it up once during Happy Hours!)
We pulled into the parking lot of First Presbyterian Church, just off 190, 3 minutes before 1pm. Whew! And 3 minutes later, Randy and Anne drive up! This is an OLD, ornate building taking up the whole block. We walk to the little World Feast restaurant next door, originally begun by the church to assist refugee women with a source of income doing what they knew best – cooking ethnic foods! A good meal, but really enjoyed an hour and half of conversation with Randy and Anne and what they are up to – which includes an expected first grandchild in the next few months! (And sadly, I FORGOT to take a picture of our friends!)
We leave Spokane around 2:30 and head south toward Tucannon RV Park. So much palouse of vast wheat fields, half of which are now sprouting the green buds of winter wheat. I called ahead to the park , so upon arrival found our note on the bulletin board and pulled into our assigned space!
Quiet evening. I walked along the river path briefly, but there was so much feather/bird kill along it that I wondered what predator lurked around the corner! Then watched the moon rise in the clear starry skies!
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| Morning drive along the Clark Fork |
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| First Presbyterian Spokane WA |
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| The 'power' of the Palouse |
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| Sunset set at Tucannon |
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| Along the Tucannon River |
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| Rising moon and clear starry skies |
MONDAY OCTOBER 10
Tucannon River RV Park to High Country Lane
173 miles
Ah, it is so nice to start waking up as the sky lightens rather than in the dark! And the sun is an orange ball in the same spot where the moon came up last night!
We do some final cleaning in the trailer, drain everything, and pull out shortly before 8am bound for Oregon and home! A smooth trip as Rick drives the whole way while I work on NP nativity angels and stables! As long as I was productive, Rick kept driving!!
Quick stop in Dayton for gas (at 5.19 a gallon, but we needed it! Ouch!) and a stop at Dead Man’s Pass rest area and otherwise – drive!! We arrive home around 11:30 am, and by 1 we have the trailer emptied, dishes in the dishwasher and a load of laundry already started!
Ran out to check my garden and found 6 large zucchini and 6 large cukes and 12 pumpkins still in the process of fully turning orange. Still waiting for a good freeze!
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