Beginning Bikers

Atley and Miro are having their first bike trips these days - here they are in Rossland in front of home.  They love the bike trailer, just as they loved the ski trailer.  All the adults love the Chariot.  It's very versatile and has given us all so much pleasure.  Nice to know that it's a Canadian product.

Summitting Old Glory

 Yesterday, Dave and I were in Rossland and it was a cool day.  A decision was made to NOT take Andrea and the boys with us on a hike - weather was too unpredictable and those boys are HEAVY!  We headed up Plewman Trail, a mere 10 km west of Rossland, and were on the summit of Old Glory before lunch.  We had a few spits of rain and then snow for the final stroll to the top.  Views are good, but clearcuts abound and yesterday was a poor day for good photos with all the grey cloud.  It was wonderfully cool on the entire hike and I think it has to be one of the easiest summits I've ever reached.  The old fire tower at the top is still open so you can escape the constant wind.  Huckleberries were big and ripe on Plewman Trail; not so plentiful on the descent down Old Glory Trail.  The ridge walk is lovely!

The Laundry

 I liked this clothesline that the custodian at Kokanee made out of an old map holder - guess there won't be much use for those things in the digital world.  It does make a great place to dry socks, etc.  I love a clothesline and it doesn't have to be an actual "clothes line".  I hope the readership is hanging out laundry and enjoying watching it sway in a summer breeze. 

Heading to Idaho Peak

 Hiking season has mostly been a washout (literally) this summer, but yesterday 3 of us headed for Idaho Peak, shown to the right.  The flowers are at their peak and the road is in great shape.  It's great to have a good road because Dave has the truck torn apart and we had to take the Subaru up the road and the clearance is very low - it worked like a charm.  Views were extensive and I was happy to see that I could identify plenty of peaks while at the top, as well as plenty of mountain flowers.  I'm learning a few things (and remembering them) in my older age!

Rethinking Hemerocallis

 I can't quite believe that this is happening to me but I'm actually getting to the point where I no longer want to deadhead my daylilies!!  I have so many blooms this year and I can't keep ahead of it all.  I was busy picking off buds affected with the gall midge and now I have so many dead blooms.  The only way to really keep these garden plants looking super is to deadhead them daily.  I'm no longer willing to do that.  It takes me at least 45 minutes to get it done and there's too many other things to do.  With a few of the large-flowered types it really is essential, and I try to get those done, but in my garden there are many flower buds withering in the sun and summer breezes.  I'm actually looking forward to the season ending.  The daylilies are great in covering wide expanses of the border but it's time to rethink how I am going to redo the garden - the time has come to redesign the borders!

When Summer Came to Canada

 On Friday, as Dave and I drove back to Kaslo from Rossland it seemed as if summer was finally in full swing out here in the Southern Interior.  There were boats on the lake, people water skiing, a full regatta of sails out here on Kootenay Lake (unusual for here) and bikes on the roads.  We aren't jazz fans so decided to skip over to the Slocan Valley for a paddle and a night at Wee Sandy Beach.  Even it was "busy", if you can say 4 tents is busy.  Had a lovely evening paddle and a good return trip - we beat the crowds lining up with their big motors to take off for the day from the public dock in New Denver.    We finished up our "holiday" by picking a few containers of huckleberries on the Rossiter Creek FS Road.  Yup, I think summer is here.