Now we Need a Beaver Float Plane!

October 19, 2006

If we are going to go any further west we will need a deHaviland Beaver as today we have made it to Seattle. In one measly sentence I have whisked away mile after mile of incredibly immense and breathtaking beauty, the enormity of it beyond imagination. I kept wishing I was in a sports car with the top down so that I could snap more photos as I had become more and more the contortionist attempting to capture, from the truck window, in pixels, at least a taste of what my senses were taking in. In my book it could be considered a Federal offense to travel so quickly through such country without being required to stop at least every mile to slowly take in and photograph the details of the scenery. I am not one to easily panic. In fast, I usually become more, rather than less, focused in a tense situation. But take my camera away and I feel as though my heart rate doubles!

Back in Salt Lake City we spent quality time with my brother and his family. It was there that my oldest son, Tom, joined with us to drive the last leg of the westward trek. Tom brought with him a series of geology books that I had sent to him which we read to one another as we traversed what is called the Columbia Plateau, the Palouse and eventually the Cascades.There are two ways one can travel across this most fascinating landscape. One, in total awe and ignorance. Or two, in total awe and with knowledge. Having insatiable appetites for geological knowledge, Tom and I each took turns reading aloud to Lee and to one another from The Roadside Geology of Idaho and The Roadside Geology of Washington. These books relate that there are a series of hot spots, some ancient and some current, marching in an arc from Crater Lake in California, northeast to Yellowstone in Idaho . Yellowstone is still hot and bubbling while the others are dormant. Over a few billion years there were multiple lava flows which covered thousands of acres of the northwest with layers of black basalt lava. These were obvious from the highway. There were also a series of ice dams formed during glacial periods which held billions of cubic miles of water. Picture that - one cubic mile is alot of water!! Imagine millions of cubic miles of water! Periodically these dams would break loose and the water would flood entire portions of the northeastern state of Washington carving vast river beds which exposed layers of basalt , also still visible today. So as we drove for three days we were like sleuths, looking for evidence of long ago events and finding exciting evidence of their existence. You must be able to imagine the excitement in the truck as we spotted this and that and then paged through our books to reread the words. Craters of the Moon National Monument was a particular thrill as we were able to actually walk through lava fields still black and twisted with tunnels and cinder cones. A day later, as Tom and I walked high on the bluffs of the Snake River, we could again see layers of old lava flows . Yes, we qualified as official nut cases but, boy, were we happy nuts:)

One of the many joys of having Tom along was that we could take long walks after Lee had fallen asleep. Tom also relieved me of my part of the driving and he drove some mighty challenging stretches of highway. Lee particularly enjoyed having another man along - someone to joke with and philosophize with as I made dinner. And what a joy for me- making nice dinners for "my men" while listening to their deep man voices talking about the day. Our favorite meal was seared tuna steaks, asparagus with lemon , Caesar salad and chocolate cake with ice cream for dessert. Tom is 42. It has been years since he has been a boy and lived under the same roof with me. Any mother will appreciate how warm the cockles of my heart were to have my first born son back at my table again. Peach, blueberry and banana pancakes for breakfast might tell you how I overindulged the two out of three men I love most in the world. Son Pete was back home in Michigan.

Having reached Seattle, Tom rejoined his family and Lee and I are camped under the towering Douglas Firs at close-by Flowing Lake Park. When we began this journey, it was Lee's desire to see, to sit with, to talk with, to hug my family one more time. Today we will travel by float plane, a deHavilland Beaver, to Salt Spring Island, the island in British Columbia where my mother and father live. To reach the home of my parents was Lee's primary goal in making this trip. Having traveled this far, I am well aware of the fatigue that sweeps over him and makes me appreciate the determination he has had to travel so far. While it was my desire to show him some of the beautiful sights in our country I am aware that misses many of them as his fatigue renders him helpless to do anything but sleep. But he musters energy to visit with our family. This is what matters to him and this is what we're doing. As our final destination becomes a reality, tiny thoughts creep into our heads of going home. While home is a comfortable place, it is also a return to the realities of cancer and for that reason we never want this journey to end. It's hard to think about ending this escape, but we will face that one day at a time as we have faced the other challenges.

How could I, a mere woman, forget that wonderful computer chip which Lee had installed in the truck back in Fort Collins which gives him his second greatest thrill - listening to the throaty roar of his Dodge as it passes other vehicles grinding up the steep grades of the mountains? :) Not only must one drive that six speed stick shift monster but now there is a little do--hicky on the dash where I have to monitor EGT, boost, and all manner of other manly things. And if one exceeds the limits it sends off an alarm that sounds like the cops are on your heels. It's a guy thing!! Oh, and another thing for you men. Tom spotted a car , guess it was a Porsche something- or -other, that rung his bell. Checking it out on the internet he told me the sale price was $480,000. As it passed us going down a long 6 percent grade it must have been exceeding 100mph. Guy thrills.

We hope each and every one of you is safe and at peace and enjoying your day.

Love,

Nancy and Lee