What counts in life is not the mere fact we have lived.  It is what difference we have made to the lives of others that will determine the significance of the life we lead.

Nelson Mandela 

Has been an interesting beginning to summer. First an early ending to snow and what usually is called winter. And it has been cooler and rainier than usual it seems. Clouds and rain have been the norm although certainly a few days of wondrous sunshine.

Then Jeanne hit a bollard at the gas station in her beloved 13 year old Volvo, which she loved and had said it would be her last car. Unfortunately the estimates came in at $11000 and $15000. Zounds! Amazing for a 2 mph crash. I guess bumpers are not designed for bumping. It did push the wheel back a little but we drove the totaled car onto the tow truck. Then the search for a new one.

We have always bought our cars from down south, i.e. the lower 48, because prices are ridiculous in Alaska and dealers will not even think of meeting the price even with shipping a car to Alaska. Thus we searched all over the United States, eliminating the east because of salt, and the south because of flooding. We finally settled on a 2023 used Volvo XC 60 what they call a mini hybrid. (Mini hybrid apparently means you do not plug it in and the electric motor helps the gas motor, as opposed to a full hybrid, which plugs in, where the gas motor helps the electric, sort of). And the good part, it was in Portland Oregon which meant relatively close. But the dealer had to have it off their lot within 5 days. The dealer did not make it easy. We have purchased several cars and all were very easy – send us the money and we will send you a car or you can come get it and drive it home. Not this time. Notaries, even fingerprints, wired cash did not give us a warm fuzzy feeling of dealing with them. We almost called it off several times thinking it was scam. All this while Jeanne’s family was with us. We thought of having a friend pick it up at dealer and store it at their house near Portland for a few weeks until the timing would be better, but after the hassle of us buying it, probably would be an even bigger hassle for someone to pick it up. And the rest of summer is busy with ski jumping camp, and more visitors. Timing was and is bad.

Family left Wednesday afternoon and Thursday we were on a plane at 5 am for Portland. We arrived at 11:30 am at the dealer and picked up the car. They were very nice explaining a lot of the whatnot, doodads, bells and whistles on the car. By 12:30 we were on the road.

First visited a friend of mine, from Colorado College which we attended several decades ago. It was a great visit, although sad due to a brain tumor and she is in a nursing home on hospice care nearing the end.

Then on to the friends who had offered to pick up the car and store it for a few weeks. They served us lunch and off we drove north, getting to nearly Seattle.

Friday a breakfast with a friend who had to serve as proxy for all the friends we have in Seattle area. Departed Seattle and made it across the Canadian border easily, apologizing to the border officer for the United States current belligerence. The officer responded with “we will all get through it”. Hopefully getting back into the United States will not be a problem.

The drive up through Skagit valley was incredible. The farmland in the valleys of incredible hills and cliffs with the Fraser river running through it. Then the Thompson river with the high flow of water, made me ponder the huge hydraulics of a big river. Trains ran both sides of river and I measure one parked train at a mile long (1.6 km). Either coal or gravel it seemed.

We left the rainforests of the Pacific Northwest and went into more dry lands of sagebrush and cattle country. Made it to 100mile house where we spent the night and a surprise dinner at the German restaurant which served only kebabs, but very good ones.

Today cruised 450 miles to Hazelton covering a lot of flat ground, with delightful scenery. Always a treat to look out and see the distant horizon beckoning. I seem to never tire of that. “The horizon beckons and I must go” I believe Jack Sparrow said, in Pirates of the Caribbean.

Tonite here in New Hazelton we wanted a beer but only a liquor store and one restaurant, which happened to be a Chinese restaurant. Pilsner beers are not our favorite but that was what we had. Not quite half way, 1050 miles done 1500 to go. (1690 km and 2400 km) I had hoped to be home by Tuesday, now Saturday, don’t think we will make it. Alas, it is a wonderful drive.