SOMERS CAV BUILD
Fall 2023
SATURDAY, September 29
High Country Lane to Wallace RV Park, ID
354 miles
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| All packed up and ready to roll! |
I drove my freeway shift to Milton Freewater, fighting a headwind up Baker Valley, which calmed over the Blue Mountains. We followed our ‘old’ route up Hume Road north of Colfax and into Plummer ID – another gas stop – this way we can avoid buying gas in Washington which is more expensive. Rick drove from MF all the way to Wallace, while I got started on the three camels and two kings I need to get needlepointed on this trip!
Cloudy skies the whole day which turned to rain showers off and on from Couer d’Alane east to Wallace. The RV park was busy, so we were thankful Rick had made a reservation. Ended up paying for a pull through site ($5 more) which we should have taken in the opposite direction! We ended up having to use an extension cord, which meant we only had 20amp service. Raining! Tough paying full price for only 20amp and we weren’t connecting water or sewer, but oh well!
We had hoped to walk about town some, but with the constant rain we opted instead for the City Limits pub next to the RV park. A very quiet evening with no TV connection or wifi. But….the rain did stop sometime during the night!
SUNDAY, October 1
Wallace, ID to Lakeside, MT
142 miles
A good night’s sleep for both of us! We are up and moving early and walk into Wallace and wander the streets for abit before winding up at the 6th & Cedar Expresso Bar – I had researched the night before where you could get coffee and perhaps a sweet treat early. This was the only place open before 8am! We both got mochas and shared a cinnamon roll!
Back to pack up the trailer and hit the road. Rick drove all the way to Lakeside while I worked away on my first camel! The colors of the changing trees were awesome again today. We reveled in those that looked like frosting of red had been applied to the green leaves. (Once at the RV park in Lakeside we are surrounded by deep red and orange maples – SOOO pretty!)
We
stopped for gas at St. Regis and took a stroll through the gift shop
and admired the artwork. Always such a beautiful collection of
western and wildlife art. But...for once...we didn’t buy anything!
(Although I did take
pictures of a few items for ideas!!)
Got to Lakeside RV around 1, just minutes before Tom pulled in behind us! Settled and happy to see that Adam arrived last Friday and will be with us until Wednesday. Al was running errands coming in a little later.
Rick and I took a walk up the hill behind the RV park and then down to the lake park before we all met for Happy Hour in front of Tom’s rig – a gathering that lasted nearly two hours as we caught up on everyone’s doings since last spring or Troy.
In making contact with Missy, the Troy homeowner, we discovered she hadn’t moved in to her house yet – bank issues out of Missy’s control, but basically an affiliate screw-up. So disappointed for her, but ultimately she said she should be able to move in by the end of the month.
Quiet evening. Tomorrow, since we aren’t driving to Troy, we are doing some serious shopping! Shoes for me and maybe skis/bike for Rick! And a few groceries at Walmart!
MONDAY, October 2
Day off!
A very lazy morning! I barely moved from my seat for four hours, two mugs of coffee and a few scones!
But we finally got our act together and headed north into Kalispell to do a little shopping! First stop was intended to be REI, but we turned the wrong way toward Costco, found a place called Shoe Dept, and decided to check it out.
Two hundred sixty dollars and FOUR pairs of shoes for me, we left! I bought white, gray, and dark blue sneakers and a new pair of Merrell boots. Whew! We then went to REI and Rick asked a lot of questions in regards to bikes and XC skis, but no purchases!
Stop at Walmart for a few groceries and then a Sweet Peaks stop to treat me for buying shoes!! Oh boy!
Back to trailer around 2 to read, walk, etc. Rick made a call to Chris up in Troy to ask about Missy’s house situation. Shortly after I get a text from Missy that she’ll have keys and what about Sunday the 8th. Hurray!
Happy Hour is late because Tom and Adam don’t get back from Polebridge until 5:45! But we gather in Tom’s trailer for dessert treats and an hour of conversation.
Make up my salad for tomorrow, read, and hit the sack shortly after 9!!
TUESDAY, October 3
Habitat Build Day 1
Re-Store Work
We all gather at the ReStore this morning around 8 with Garrett and then Steve T and finally Hilary (who brings us some treats!) Probably a good half hour of chit chatting together, asking questions about the status of the build, etc. The ReStore is closed on Tuesdays (altho we saw a number of folks drive in who had to turn around when they realized it wasn’t open.) so we had the run of the place.
Finally head upstairs to where Tom and Al have beenn working for a week to divide one BIG office into two offices and a conference room in between. Walls put up, sheetrocked, and partially mudded. One of the offices had been textured already and was ready for paint. Rick and I quickly volunteered for that because mudding isn’t our bag!!
So...we painted cream color over primer in one place and gray walls on the rest. Rick rolled and I mostly trimmed!
Tom, Adam, and Al sanded in the conference room and one wall of the other office (which will be MaryBeth’s, the new ED), then spent the rest of the day putting on a second coat of mud.
We worked right through break and took lunch around 11:45 in the break room downstairs. By 2pm we were all finished!
Back to the campground and I am engrossed in my book for another hour before we walk down to Tamarack Pub for dinner, mailing some postcards enroute. Al, Tom, and Adam join us as this is Adam’s last night with us – he flies back to Illinois tomorrow afternoon. A very relaxing and enjoyable time over dinner – Rick tried the gumbo special and said it was excellent. I had a salad with huckleberry vineagrette dressing that was wonderful along with Brazillian fish soup. (Plus a very expensive glass of wine!)
We walk back to park around 6:30 and by 8:45 I have finished the book!! A good one. Now I can donate it to the book shelf over in the rec room!
Tomorrow – we join the full crew of local workers at the house site!
WEDNESDAY, October 4
Habitat Build Day 2
What a morning gathering of familiar faces at the build site. I realized as I look around the circle that I am the ONLY female present, but oh well! Many of the regulars have not left yet for warmer climes. We didn’t work with any of them as most were continuing on jobs they had been doing previously. Our CAV crew was sent to House 1 (the yellow house) to paint trim – and what a job!
The trim had been painted by several different people for a first coat, but they stopped in differing places, so it was a treasure hunt to find what needed a first coat and then where we could put on second coats. By day’s end, we had two bedrooms and the bathroom completely finished (2 coats) and everything else with 1 coat done.
But first we had to clean the place up!! The floor was papered but torn in MULTIPLE places, dusty and strewn with small rocks from outside. Tools, equipment, and more littered the floor. It was probably 9:45 before we actually opened the cans of paint and got started with the cream colored trim paint.
Lunch was provided by the Montana Club and was a welcome delicious soup, cookies, apples, and a roll. Good meal.
Steve has invited us to a firepit on Saturday night so we need to tell MaryBeth that Monday might be a better day for us to go to dinner at her place. Scheduling our social calendar is tough!
We said goodbye to Adam today at lunch and Tom took him up to the airport for a mid afternoon flight back to Illinois. It is always fun to have him join us, even if for a short time.
Brief Happy Hour and a pleasant evening. We are back at the ReStore in the morning!
THURSDAY, October 5
Habitat Build Day 3
We are back at the ReStore and it is a far busier place today! We meet some of the new employees, see lots of shoppers and activity. I end up purchasing a small table to take to the church for music storage – it will be stored in Hilary’s office until the 14th!
We work until 3:45 today, but we got both doors hung (thanks Tom and Al), the conference room and second office textured, primed, and the office completely painted. A little touch up work to do on Tuesday on the office. We have the conference room to paint and all the molding to put up around doors, windows, and baseboards. But….ALOT got done!
As we got home around 4:15, Bill Rubly got out of his truck and approached us. I don’t know how long he had been waiting! He told his wife the CAVs were back in town, and she immediately said ‘we have to have them over for dinner!’ What a great couple! Our social calendar is filling up!
I’ve been working on a 300 piece puzzle in the game room – nothing fancy but relaxing at times! More pretty clouds tonight around 7. Plus I got ahold of Missy in Troy, and we are going to meet up on Sunday for a meal and see the house. Tom is heading over with us.
FRIDAY, October 6
Habitat Build Day 4
Another day of paint! A good crew at the home sites, including homeowner Chantel who will be moving into the third house, the dark gray and red trimmed one. Chantel is a character and fun to work with – she was assigned with Rick and I back to House #1 to finish up the trim painting.
While we got a second coat on everything (and a first coat in places then second coat) Rick worked on two doors and the entry closet. He helped put the doors back up before getting out the 20 12’ long 1x4’s that Garrett brought for second coating that we need to trim out the offices on Tuesday. By days’ end Rick and I had those finished.
Other locals were working on flooring, cabinets, etc in the other two houses. Drywall expert Chuck was mudding in #1 garage. Tom and Al worked with Steve T briefly on laying out the last two houses. Garrett has the digger guys coming in on Monday and Tuesday to dig out for the foundations of those homes. Tom and Al had a challenge working around all the ‘stuff’ still located on the last two sites. But they did lay out the lines completely for ONE of the homes.
Lunch provided by MacDonalds – Big Macs, Double Pounders and fries. I guess there were a couple Chicken Sandwiches, but they were snatched up quickly. At least the fries were relatively warm this time!
A brisk morning in the high 30’s which warmed up to shirt sleeve weather, clear skies, and sunshine! Couple that with the fall colors and oh my!!
When we got back to the RV park, I walked around taking a few pictures of the trees in the sunshine. After Happy Hour and dinner, I finished the puzzle and started another one! As evening rolled around the temps began to drop!
A beautiful weekend forecast!
SATURDAY, October 7
Habitat Build Day 5
Another BEAUTIFUL brisk morning that develops into a warm sunny afternoon – what more can we ask for??
We are a small crew today...just the four of us and Lydia and Steve, the homeowners of the second house. Lydia brought banana bread for everyone which was quite welcome!
Tom and Al continue their work staking out the final two homes in prep for the excavator to start digging next week. The ground breaking ceremony is scheduled for next Friday afternoon. Rick and I plus Lydia and Steve begin trim work in their house – first caulking and filling the nail holes (Rick did all that). The caulk process took us all until lunch time! After lunch began the first coat trim paint – a switch today from the cream trim in House 1 to a light tan in Lydia/Steve’s. We didn’t finish by day’s end, but got a good start. Mostly it is the kitchen/living room and laundry/mud room left.
Around 2:30 Lydia’s parents stopped by with their two boys (both under 4) Fun seeing them explore their new home and yard. But that basically signalled ‘end of day’! Brushes washed and we are heading back to Lakeside to clean up and be ready for our evening with Steve T and Lisa.
I call Stageline Pizza and order a JUMBO Bacon Cheeseburger pizza. One should feed the six of us. Garrett and his wife and baby have also been invited, but we aren’t sure if they will be able to come. (And they don’t…:() Lisa bakes a peach pie, and Al brought some cookies. Steve and Lisa had plenty of beer and wine as well! We enjoyed two and half hours of easy going conversation around the firepit, all the while entertained by the two golden retrievers. (The young one’s tail knocked Tom’s beer over three times!) A beautiful evening!
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 8
Trip to Troy to visit Missy
What a great day! Warm sunshine (after some morning fog), beautiful drive with fall colors, good company and conversation with Tom, good food and visit over lunch with Missy, Jordan, and Chloe, and then a positive walk through of her new Habitat home with a chance to be dazzled by the craftsmanship and attention to detail from Pete and Darnell.
Missy was thrilled that Rick spoke to Chris who followed through with the board – she should be moving in this week after the board agreed to ‘rent’ her the house for utility costs only until the bank paperwork happens for final closing. It was fun watching all three of them check out every aspect of the home for the first time since the dedication nearly a month ago. The most ‘animation’ I have seen ever from Chloe and Jordan!
I had Tom sit in the front seat and he was as talkative as I’ve ever seen. A good thing. And I got a lot of work done on my NP camels! Just one more half to complete and I can sew them all together less the opening for stuffing!
Rick and I took a short walk about town after we returned around 4pm – needed to stretch our legs! I did another section of my latest puzzle and caught up on some postcards, etc. Tomorrow we wash clothes and relax (and a visit to JoAnn’s???? and grocery!)
MONDAY, October 9
Rest Day! Laundry/Groceries!
Probably the last of our beautiful weather days, so we try to enjoy a little of it while relaxing and resting up for week 2! In short I can summarize the day’s accomplishments quite briefly:
1. I took a shower.
2. We did 2 loads of laundry at Rocky Mt. RV.
2a. FINALLY got a picture of the fall colors heading north on 93.
3. I went to JoAnn’s while Rick tended the laundry. Spent $32.
4. We bought some groceries at Super 1 Foods.
5. I finished the 400 piece puzzle I had been working on.
6. I took several laps around the park.
7. I finished reading my second book of the trip.
8. Ate a baked potato and made some popcorn.
9. Caught up on photos and my blog. DONE!
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| This was a fun FAMILY puzzle - three different sizes of pieces for different ages! |
TUESDAY, October 10
Habitat Build Day 6
ReStore Work!
It seems to be darker this morning as we head north toward the ReStore, but the Mission Mountain skyline is beautiful again the glow of red-orange and the threatening skies.
We are back at work at the ReStore today, armed with paint and caulk and the trim boards all painted last Friday and ready to installation! Rick gets started right away on the cream paint in the conference room, while I start out cleaning off the shelf unit in Maggie’s office – paint splatters from the roller! Al and Tom get going on cutting and installing the trim – baseboards and door frames, plus the windows on the conference room side of the new walls. We are trying to get MaryBeth’s office finished first, then to Maggie’s office – mostly so we can move some of the mountain of furniture back to give Rick access to the ceiling. No place for the ladder at the moment!
I pull out my paint brush after cleaning and start trimming around the big triangle window in the conference room as well as all the corners, etc. As Tom and Al get done, we realize we have no spackle to fill the nail holes so I hop in the truck and drive the mile plus to Western Building Supply and pick some up. By lunch we have accomplished a lot!
And a great lunch! While we all brought one, MaryBeth decided she wanted to treat us to lunch, so Maggie went and got a couple of pizzas! We devoured them all!
After lunch I caulked baseboards joints and painted in both offices. They are DONE! We moved furniture back in. Rick got the whole conference room painted except the center portion of the ceiling around the fan. Tom and Al needed 6 more trim boards painted, so Rick and I got that done with some we found in the back room. We are all ready to return on Thursday and get the job DONE!!
Started raining lightly on the way back to Lakeside and then the skies really opened and the wind blew! As I write I am still waiting to see if we are going to have a Happy Hour...we got back later today, so….
Around 5 I went over to Tom’s and joined him and Al for about an hour. Quiet evening otherwise!
Habitat Build Day 7
Would you believe we painted all day, with a bit of caulking thrown in for good measure???
A full crew on board today – the local were out in force. I think I counted 9 local guys, plus the four of us, and both Steve and Garrett. Not to mention Darrel the excavator guy was on the job all day working on the new foundation ‘holes’.
We were back in Steve and Lydia’s blue house along with Jim and Steve Maneras. Jim was painting doors and Steve installing cabinets. It made it fun to access some of the baseboards, etc to put second coats on the trim. Plus I found a few places where caulking hadn’t been finished last week. But...we got ‘er done by days’ end – mostly! Will finish tomorrow afternoon.
Tom moved wood all day with Steve T and Al helped Darrel on the excavation process.
Lunch was a good soup from Nickel Charlies, after which a good little wind storm rolled in and rain came. It rain off and on with sunshine the rest of the afternoon!
Happy Hour at Tom’s and then a quiet evening in the trailer watching a little baseball and reading.
THURSDAY, October 12
Habitat Build Day 8
Just want to state….today is the first day of a Habitat CAV build that I have NOT worn a tie dye shirt. But I knew we were going to be painting, it was cool and I had an old Turkey Trot shirt that already had paint on it, so…. Al said it was unheard of!
We were back at the ReStore today to finish up the conference room. Rick got right to work on rolling the last window wall plus the rest of the ceiling. Tom and Al cutting and installing the last of the trim boards. I spackled, then caulked, and then painted as fast as Tom and Al could go. We were all finished shortly before 11!! Cruising! Unfortunately, I left my phone/camera in the truck and have to rely on some transferred photos that Al took!
With a little time on our hands prior to meeting Steve and Garrett at the job site at noon, we ate lunch in the break room and I browsed a little more – finally purchasing 4 little cement gnomes that I will repaint for the front porch at Christmas!
Back down to Somers for the afternoon – Al and Tom continued to work with Steve on the foundation lines in the last two homes. Rick and I finished up the tan trimwork in Steve and Lydia’s home and then tackled the final coat of paint in the master bedroom. While we worked two electricians were wiring plugs, etc.
Dinner tonight with the Rubly’s! And what a spread. Kim always outdoes herself with table decorations, hors d’overs, drinks, etc. Prime rib (maybe??), scalloped potates, green beans, and bread. Dessert of a rich chocolate cake. Mostly a table filled with laughter and sharing. Good folks!
FRIDAY, October 13
Habitat Build Day 9
Groundbreaking!
What a busy building site today. Plenty of volunteers and I wasn’t the ONLY volunteer gal (Kat was there with Anthony!) - that doesn’t count the homeowners because Chanel was there today again. Plus we finally met Jamie, the homeowner in the yellow House #1! Guys were laying the rebar on her driveway in prep for cement, Tom and Al were joined by a local in laying out the footer lines in the new foundations. Mostly Kat and I cleaned up Houses 1 and 2! Repapered the floors in places, swept, put tools away, etc. Those houses were going to be available for ‘walk throughs’. Rick and Jim installed doors in 1 and 2 – after Jim finished painting the final coat on a few. Cabinets were being installed, trim put in – everyone was busy!
We cleaned up and by noon ready for the ground breaking ceremony. Two single moms – one with two kids ages 11 and 15 and the other with 4 kids ranging from 5 to 17. The first mom had not told her two kids they had been selected for the home, so it was touching to see the realization in the older daughters face and the ensuing hugs!
Hilary had asked me to share a devotion ‘from the CAVs’ and after her lengthy (yet very complimentary introduction to the CAVs) I shared the following:
Let us be concerned for one another, to help one another to show love and to do good. Let us not give up the habit of meeting together in community.
COMMUNITY.
What a great word.
Within every community, there will be those who are hurting, joyful, sick, or in need of forgiveness. We all have different stories to tell; tales of how we came together in this community. But our basic human needs are the same. We need to share our stories to find our common threads, and then share our praise, our prayers, our forgiveness for the benefit of all.
As Care-a-Vanners we relish the many communities that we have been blessed to join and be a part of. Getting to know the stories of homeowners allows us to become one with them – the same hopes and hurts and sorrows that we all bear. We become partners. It makes the work we do personal and allows us to form relationships that extend well beyond the completion of the homes. For Rick and I working side by side with homeowners is the highlight of our Habitat volunteering.
Today the community of Habitat homes here in Somers is growing. So I challenge everyone, volunteers and homeowners alike to share while you work – get to know each other and grow that sense of community you can have with one another.
Buffalo Terrace provided lunch – chili and corn muffins and the fixings. Families wandered through the homes while Lydia’s boys played in the dirt piles. (They were having a ball!)
All done by 1pm and the work day is over! (Short day!) Back to the RV park to enjoy the sunshine, take more leaf pictures, and be ready for the ‘dedication’ of the conference room this evening!
Enroute back to the ReStore we drive up by Legends Field to make sure we know where we are going in the morning. A little confusing so we get some advice from Steve T back at ReStore. Spend an hour in the new conference room with cheesecake (not many ate BEFORE dinner) and drinks and a GOOD discussion on homeowner hours and other key habitat policies, etc. None of the ReStore team joined us so just Steve and Garrett, MaryBeth, Maggie, Hilary and the four of us. But….Garrett brought little Haddie and Rick got some baby time!
Then up to Mackenzie River Pizza – just the four of us and MaryBeth. We were joined by her friend John, a gregarious guy who will probably be doing some of the RV park work. Two hours of good pizza and conversation. Back to trailer by 8:45pm and early to bed!
SATURDAY, October 14
Somers Build Day 10
And a busy day it is! And we are treated to a spectacular sunrise over the lake as we drive up to Somers. Rick even pulled over a couple times to let me take pictures! When we passed the pond behind Steve’s place we almost couldn’t see the water, it was so THICK with swans and other water birds.
A much quieter crew, however, as none of the regular volunteers come on Saturdays as a rule, so it is just Lydia and Steve, plus the new homeowner, Jayleen (3 br, 2 kids), the four of us and Garrett. And...we are NOT painting. We actually had to pull out our hard hats for some foundation footer work! Jayleen, Steve and Lydia went to work on prepping the porches etc for concrete work on Tuesday, while Al, Tom, Rick and I were screwing together the form boards for the footers.
At 9:50 Rick and I headed up the road to Legends Field (which is a beautiful stadium on the south side of Kalispell) to watch Ethan Schultze play in his last middle school game. Had great visit with EJ, Jen, Mahrias, and rest of family while watching a losing battle for Ethan’s team (eg, their only score was by the defense on an interception) Watching little Isaiah scramble all over the place with his ‘girlfriend’ was a riot. They were adorable. Nice to see that Marquis and Declan Ashley also came to the game to support Ethan.
Back to the job site shortly after noon (we stopped to gas up at $3.88 a gallon!), quickly ate lunch, and then back at the footers. Jayleen joined our crew for the afternoon and eventually she and I went over to the 4 bd house and put together four corners! Had a good visit time – upon leaving I suggested she find a spot to take a picture at the end of every personal build day for a ‘play by play’ of their home. Garrett overheard and said that is something they should suggest to all the homeowners!
Back at the RV park by 3 pm and quickly set to work putting away tools, folding up the front of the trailer, cleaning up sinks, etc. And hooking up the truck to the trailer. Happy hour with Tom and Al at 4:30, a leftover dinner, and we drain the tanks! We will be ready to pull out at 7 in the morning, grab a cup of coffee and hit the road!
SUNDAY, October 15
Lakeside to High Country Lane
493 miles
Well, this will be short and sweet as I write on the 25th of October – 10 days after we have arrived home. It was a smooth trip home – the larch tree golden colors over the pass were spectacular. Gas ranged from a high in Dayton at 5.29 (fortunately we did NOT have to fill up!) and a low in Plummer at 3.55 (we filled north of Plummer at 3.64 and thought we had scored, but it had a decent restroom also!) I drove my usual freeway stretches while Rick got the windy roads! Home around 4pm and unloaded by 5!
Beautiful week of Indian summer followed for multiple outdoor chores to be finished as we prepare for winter. Today (25th) it is finally coming – snow on the peaks and we have hit freezing two nights in a row!
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| Larch trees on Lookout Pass |
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