Sisters, OR

The day Mom had been waiting for finally arrived. We were going to the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show. This event has been organized by the Stitchin' Post Quilt store and Jean Wells Keenan for 35 years. It gets larger and larger as time progresses. The town is wrapped in quilts that are on display and available for purchase and the streets are full of genuine and caring quilters. No one meets a stranger. Techniques and questions are discussed among the gathered group no matter the name of their home town. Help is offered, compliments are shared and doors are held with no animosity or impatience to be found. The town is full of excited women eager to learn a new skill or find a new idea, some accompanied by husbands who calmly photograph whatever they are bid to shoot. The event is masterfully orchestrated to accommodate any possible need. Shopkeepers are generous with parking spaces, advertising and water. It is a scene directly out of a Norman Rockwell painting.

The Stitchin' Post

Sisters, OR cont.

The scenery, quilt based or nature made, was awe inspiring.

The raffle quilt I was supposed to win.

The Texas quilt Mom eyed.

The patient best friends watching their masters fade into the horizon to inspect the handiwork of another.

Leavenworth, WA

While we resided at the Sleeping Lady Mountain Resort, we availed ourselves of the Bavarian arrayed town of Leavenworth. Accordion playing pop singers, Manitou Springs like shops and more than a handful of German restaurants made for a unique stay. Not one billboard or business sign protruded above the trees. In fact, all signage, including the corner convenience store, was crafted in an old world wooden style. Each turn of the head brought lush flowering baskets into view. And, never far from sight were the Cascade Mountains.

On our last night at the resort, we made feeble attempts to play horseshoes. The rules were dismissed and multiple tries were had. I narrowly avoid tossing the shoe directly above my head. Mom showed amazing athletic form and Dad caused several horseshoes to hit the peg, but never ring them. I guess the Camarano clan just isn't designed to be expert tossers of equine foot apparel.

Coeur D'Alene, ID

Initially, Coeur D'Alene was only going to be a stop over on the way to Washington. Once they became aware that Idaho was a state I still needed to visit to meet my goal of visiting all 50 states before I turn 50, Mom and Dad made sure we experienced some activity while in the state.

We didn't ride aquacycles, though they looked intriguing.

Having high tea did not meet the requirements.

We took a seaplane tour of the city. The night we arrived in town, we drove to the lake dock to view the water. Upon seeing the potential ride, Dad asked his questions and decided that the flight would be our chosen activity.

Grant, the pilot, and the three of us loaded into the plane and away we went. It was one of the smoothest plane rides I have experienced.

Take off was so mild, that Mom had to ask me if we had actually left the water.

I think she was the most excited passenger.

We flew over a 26,000 sq ft house.

And a floating golf green among other things.

After landing, Mom and Dad tried to make seeds fly like helicopters and then we hit the road for our lengthy drive to Leavenworth, WA.

My septuagenarian parents really know how to stay young at heart!

Fly Fishing

Sisters, Oregon not only brought a wash of color in the way of quilts, but an opportunity for Dad to try his hand at fly fishing.

He met up with an ex-Marine who suited Dad up in waders, boots, flippers, fishing gear and a personal pontoon boat. While Mom and I walked through the town for the afternoon, Dad floated on the water and cast.

Great day!

Laundry Day

Week 1, laundry had to be done in Dickinson, ND. Dad kept stating that he had never been in a laundromat. He seemed to be jazzed about working as a team in such a setting. Amidst the humidity and oil rig workers attempting to remove the spots from their rank clothes stored in large garbage bags, it was humorous to see the parents racing to load their coins and push the start button. See Dad trying to get the upper hand by eyeing Mom's actions. Notice Mom claiming victory before she pushed the start button. By the end of the 2 and 1/2 hour experience, Mom and Dad had perfectly folded clothes sets stored in 2 gallon bags and I looked like a vagabond carting my belongings in a makeshift grocery bag. The only thing I was missing was the stick and stubble.

Bolts & Booze

One of the things Mom and I had negotiated with Dad prior to our departure was that the experience was taking place throughout the entire journey, not just at the destinations. When we stopped in Ritzville, WA for lunch, I piped up that there happened to be a quilt store/liquor store in this city. At least, that was what the Quilter's Travel Companion indicated. Dad had to see this.

Low and behold, we entered Wildflowers Quilt Store and Liquor Store. They were run by the same person and she used two separate registers for the different transactions. After Dad started talking to Ami, we soon realized that the family business had once also included a funeral home. From snugly cuddling to forgetful inebriation to solemn internment. They did it all. Now, the above picture would have been even better if Mom was holding the booze and Dad was holding the bolt.

Small towns are full of wonders!

Yellowstone NP Old Faithful

We had a fairly short drive from Bozeman, MT to Yellowstone. Since it was the Friday before the July 4th weekend, Mom suggested that we try to get the southern part of the park viewed before the rush. We made it to Old Faithful and found a good vantage point on the benches. Initially, the area was freckled with a few people, but as the projected eruption time approached, the seating became sparse and the ground was used as makeshift chairs.

The geyser did not disappoint, but the camera's delayed reaction time did. Here is the best I was able to do with the sequence.

Yellowstone NP Grizzly

Grizzly Sighting!!!

Rangers, Yellowstone Association Institute and the B & B proprietor kept telling me that I needed to get out in the park at dawn or dusk if I wanted to see something other than bison or prong-horned antelope. They knew their park. On a bus tour on the evening of the 4th, the driver had us sing "I Want to See a Bear," a song he composed in the 1970's. Boy, did it deliver. We approached a crowd of cars, telephoto lenses and park rangers all indicating something big was around. Apparently, a young bison fell to a prey. It was unclear as to what made the kill, but the carcass was "possessed" by myriad of animals. Early in the morning, it hosted a pack of wolves. Later, a grizzly took over the feast. Upon our arrival, we were witnessing the second grizzly to benefit from the fallen bison. In the above picture, you are witnessing a satiated bear choosing to sleep by the carcass to stake a longer claim. The only time the creature moved was when it started to rain. It lumbered around looking for shelter only to realize it was stationed in the drizzle for a reason. It plopped back down on the banks of the river in front of the remains. Two bald eagles were hovering in the area and expert wolf trackers were setting up in anticipation of a pack making a move for the nutritional banquet. Don't let the lulled stature fool you, those yellow claws were quite intimidating.

I can't tell you how thrilled I was to have the chance to observe such a beast in its natural setting. It is hard to imagine such a life cycle and pecking order being a product of chance.