Summer Vacation, Part 1: Jones Bay...

One of our favorite places to go in the summer is Banks Lake in Eastern Washington.  I love the scab lands, the heat, the canyons, climbing all over rocks, the smell of sage in the hot air and swimming in our favorite swimming spot every evening.

That's Daisy way up there on the rocks.  My favorite thing to do in the evening after we've had dinner, gone swimming and Daniel is in bed is to head out to those rocks and find a nice spot to sit and enjoy the evening breeze, the smell of sage (did I mention I love the smell of sage) and soak in the view.

 

This is the view from my favorite sitting spot.

This is the view looking the other way. 

 

Our home away from home.  Notice all the ropes holding the tent down.  These came in handy for a huge storm that blew through.

 

Daniel working out the call of nature in nature.  :) 

 

Checking out the Grand Coulee Dam.  Daisy taught Daniel to call it the "water wall".  She didn't think he should say that other word. :)

 My father-in-law took me on a canoe paddle the last evening they were there.  

Sunset from the canoe.

 

This is Steamboat Rock.  Notice the dark clouds behind it.  This was the tail end of a massive storm that blew through.  Thankfully we saw it coming, secured everything and headed into town.  Rue, Daniel and Daisy went into Safeway and I stayed in the car.  There was lightening everywhere, the wind was blowing so hard the car was shaking and I don't mean a little bit, it felt like someone was standing on the bumper jumping up and down!  Signs were blowing down the street and I thought for sure there must have been a tornado.  Rue said the clerk in the store said a storm that strong wasn't common.  After things calmed down we headed back to camp and my amazing hubby had secured the tent so well you couldn't even tell a storm had blown through.  

The second night we were there we had a run in with a rattle snake.  The dog was tied up outside the front of the tent with her water and food.  We had just settled down to bed and we heard the loudest rattle I had ever heard.  We both knew right away what it was.  Rue could see it right next to Starbuck's water dish.  Thankfully Starbuck was trying to get away from it and not trying to attack it.  She was pulling on her leash as far as she could.  Rue opened the tent a little bit, quickly unhooked the leash from her collar and pulled her into the tent.  Shortly after that the snake disappeared.  I was picturing it slithering under our tent but it was gone.  

Our in-laws ended up leaving early and we still had 10 days left of vacation.  Since we were only 5 1/2 hours from Rue's aunt and uncle in Kalispell, Montana we decided to give them a call and see if they would like some company.  They were very happy to have us come and visit them.

To be continued...