Smoke and Water

We were very much looking forward to our visit in Washington state.  Of course, everyone was excited to see the grandparents, but we were also looking forward to clear blue skies, the scent of pine needles in the air, and maybe even one or two long hikes through the hills surrounding Spokane.

Unfortunately, Mother Nature had other designs. Eastern Washington is hot in August. Very hot. One day the mercury topped out at 109 F. There were also numerous wildfires in the area. I read in the paper one local wildfire was started in a debris pile, when sunlight focused through a window ignited dry paper and building materials.

We headed into town most everyday. The kids splashed in the giant fountain at Riverfront Park and rode the carousel. The first day at the park, we hadn't brought towels or swimsuits, but that didn't stop them. They stripped down to their shorts and made the ride back to Cheney damp, but happy.

Of course, no visit to Eastern Washington would be complete without the pilgrimage to Wolf Lodge. We decided to head over to Idaho early with Uncle Dan and Aunt Janice, stopping at Lake Coeur d'Alene for a quick dip. 

The water wasn't quite as refreshing as I had remembered it, and we weren't able to spend as much time there as we would have liked for the sheer brutality of the heat. But the swim -- short as it may have been -- was sufficient to work up appetites in advance of steak, trout, and krebble.