Slept until I woke up, got ready for the day, took pictures of my host before she had to leave and I prepared the car for takeoff.  While I was packing my car a lady across the street came over to talk to “the traveling lady”.  We introduced ourselves and she asked me to come over to her house.  I asked when and she said now.  Oh, I told her that I needed to finish loading my car and then I would be over.  That was my first delay in leaving.  My host had already left for the day so I closed up the house and went to Kirsti’s house.

I met Kirsti’s husband Wes.  Both Kirsti and Wes are Finnish.  I think I got that right.  Walking up the path to their cottage by the river was like walking into a fairy tale.  Roses were blooming, flowers climbing trellises, wicker furniture on the front porch, and a story book doll house to walk into.  Both Wes and Kirsti were delightful to talk to.  I would have enjoyed getting to know them better also.  They invited me to come back and stay at their cottage and bring Dave with me.  You never know, it could happen!  I don’t know if any of you know about or buy Nestle Bottled Water but it comes from the same spring that they drink from in Hope, BC.  She gave me a glass of water from the tap and it was the purist and most delicious water I have ever had from a tap. My interlude with Kirsti and Wes was my first delay in getting to my next destination before dark.  But I was certainly enjoying the present.  I asked for their wisdom.  Here is wisdom from Wes: “Be honest and work hard.  Wake up early and start working.  It is my pride to do the best.”  Here is Kirsti’s wisdom:  “Do the best job you can do regardless what you do.  Do the extra mile.” 

I wanted to go down to the river and pick up rocks for my grandson Zacharia but the river was running fierce and high and I could not walk at water’s edge to do so.  They let me to a beach a little further away.  I followed them in my car and stopped there and sorted through river rocks to find just the right ones to bring home.  That was my second time delay for the day.

Ruth, my host had told me about a location I might like to see.  And she was right.  I did want to see it.  So I followed my nose and it took me to the Othello Tunnels.  In 1890 the railway was being built in Canada and these are tunnels blasted through mountains so the rail cars could go through the mountain.  They are over a river, probably the Fraser River that ran in front of Ruth’s house and behind Kirsti’s house.   The sights and sounds were spectacular.  It was amazing to know that those tunnels had been constructed over 125 years ago and were still intact.  They were dark and in some places very mucky and slushy from the dripping water seeping through the rock cracks.  I must thank my husband for his wisdom in packing a flashlight for me.  I took it with me and it came in very handy.  It would have been difficult to maneuver on the uneven ground without them.  The hike lasted about 1 and a half hours but well worth it.  My shoes will never be the same however.  That was delay number three!

On the way back down the mountain Bossy took me on a shortcut to get to Highway 3  that would take me to Christina Lake.  I saw a sign that said “Lookout point for The Hope Slide” and my car just went there lickity split.  The Hope Slide happened on January 9, 1965.  An earthquake happened at the same time the mountain side slid down so thus the cause was given to the earthquake.  Four people were in the area at the time and all were killed, two whose bodies were never recovered.  It was a massive slide and actually moved a lake higher up a mountainside. I don’t quite understand it all but I still wanted to see it.  I’ll put some photos in the blog if they turned out.    That was delay number four for me.  And of course I met people to talk to while there.  And thus, delay number four had taken its course.

Headed out again.  Ended up being behind a huge truck with two trailers.  It was slow going for quite some time until we came to a place to pass.  Remember, I am traveling on some serious mountain roads.  Delay number five.

Now I am driving and driving and driving and my eyelids are becoming very heavy indeed.  I can’t take a chance of nodding off for even one second on roads like that.  Actually I try to never do it even on straight flat roads.  So, I looked for a big pull off place and did just that.  I put the front window shield in to block out the sun and cuddled up with my pillow and my fluffy coat and slept for about 30 minutes. Delay number six was well worth it!

After that quickie I was perfectly fine until just right now and it is already 1:36 a.m. the next day and I’m still here typing.  I already needed to have a potty stop before the nap and when I woke up it was even more urgent.  The highways I traveled on were beautiful highways, wide, smooth, curvey and easy to maneuver but nothing is really easy when your bladder is popping.  The next town was 36 miles away which translates into about 1 hour of driving time.  I looked for a nice wide turn off and you got it!  I did my part for the water shortage and watered a bit of the ground.  So now the whole world (or at least those reading the blog) knows about my indiscretion.  That was delay number seven but it was a short delay and oh so worth!  By the time I got to the next town I had to go again.   So from that point on I stopped at EVERY LITTLE TOWN I CAME TO JUST IN CASE!

The beauty of my surroundings were incredibe.  It was one of those breathtaking days.  How do I describe being INSIDE A FOREST?  Not just walking in one but being IN IT AND ON IT AND UNDER IT.  The mountains were incredible and made me feel so small and so insignificant.  It was as if I was alone in a wonderland and I didn’t care if I ever came out.  I did not want it to end.  The only thing that would have made it better is if I had been a passenger so I could have actually looked with intensity at all that there was to see.  The shadows and lights as the sun began to set were but puppets to the size of the mountains.  At one moment it seemed as if it was getting dark and the next moment the bright sun was shining and the entire sky was lit up.  I was going up and up and up and then down and down and down and around and around and around and then below me as far as the eye could see was a small city set in the midst of acres of agriculture land, green and lighted from a sun that was unable to touch some parts of the mountains.  The town clustered around the banks of both sides of a large irregular long lake or a River.  You’ll have to look it up if you are interested.  The name of the city is OSOYOOS bc  This mysterious city was way down below me on the floor of a high desert.  Most the roofs were bright red.  It would have made a great picture but it just wasn’t the time for me to whip out my red camera and start shooting photos while going around the mountain bends.  It didn’t take too long to ascent into this magical land to find that all the architecture was of Spanish design, thus the red tiled roofs.  Of course I had to stop again.  Short delay (won’t count this one).

I drove and drove and I drove and I drove and then saw a fruit stand.  Yumm…Maybe they had some cherries.  I stopped, they did have cherries and peaches and nectarines and bananas and blackberry jam and I bought some of each.  There was a lot they had that I didn’t buy.  Another delay but they did have a bathroom so that was two for the price of one.

I finally got to the last little town before my destination and I had to go to the bathroom so bad that I first got gas, only to find out that they didn’t have a rest room.  It was getting dark and and it was Sunday night in a small town and not much of anything was open.  Even the fast food places were closed.  I stopped at a hotel and they didn’t have a public restroom.  I finally found a gas station with outdoor access doors.  I walk into the station and the girl holds out the key without me saying anything.  It must have been my grimace.  Relief was just a key away!

And then I find the street of my destination in the next town and it is dark.  First time I’ve driven to my destination in the dark and it was only for about 20 minutes but it was really dark on those back roads.  I had my flashlight handy from my walk through the tunnels in the morning morning so I finally found my place by using my flashlight to shine on the houses and read the numbers.  I made it safe.  Actually, I wasn’t harried, frustrated, or even perturbed at myself.  What happened, happened.  I felt worse about my hosts worrying about my arrival time.  They were very nice and welcoming and that made me feel a bit better.  I was worried they might have closed shop by the time I arrived.  I decided I wanted to get my blogs caught up tonight and sleep in late in the morning and then go exploring.  I only have one full day here and then a long day to get to Couer d’Alene, Idaho on Tuesday.

Too late to proof read.  I will send a few pictures which I just found out cost $1.30 each to send because I am out of the country.  I might just send 3.  That is going to be a hard choice because I have so many interesting places I’ve been today.

Good night!