So, the album ended up much thicker than I had anticipated. I guess that just means many great memories to browse through!
I have posted the pages below in order as they appear in the album. If they seem too small to see, just click on the image and it will open in a larger window. I have also posted the text so that it is easier to read as well, it just may not coordinate exactly with the order of the pics...anyways, Enjoy!
Travel
The
six-hour road trip was extended by a few extra hours this year. First, I had
the misfortune of experiencing some nasty motion sickness just after passing
through Canmore and not yet reaching Lake Louise. I’m sure it wasn’t due to the
race car mentality with which Sean drives, dodging in an out of speed limit-minding
vehicles, or the twists and turns of the road as it winds around jutting
mountain faces, licking the edges of the cliffs. We had to stop. I got out and
paced, inhaling deeply of the crisp fresh wilderness. Sean and Ashley skipped
rocks in the roadside river, patiently waiting for me to get myself together. I
thought it would be better if I drove, but stopping halfway into the driver’s
seat, I recoiled, knowing I could not do it. My mind was still spinning and the
realization of the looming hours yet ahead overwhelmed me. With a half hour
already wasted, I reluctantly crawled into the passenger seat, shut my eyes and
hung my head as far out the window as possible.
Somewhere
between the roadside river stop and Golden I collected myself, my head now functioning
in tune with the rest of me. Since the semi-final World Cup soccer match was
taking place between Germany and Uruguay today, Golden was an anticipated
destination point. Sean had timed the trip perfectly so that we would arrive in
Golden for lunch precisely at kick-off time. Tipped off by Ross, we found
ourselves a lovely restaurant with both a big screen TV and an outdoor patio
overlooking the valley into Golden. At the commencement of the game, Sean and
Jessica, who followed the World Cup over the past weeks as fervently as her
Dad, moved inside and placed themselves squarely in front of the screen where
they remained for the better part of two hours. Ashley and I ate peacefully
outdoors and then did some exploring. Once Germany secured the third-place
title, we were once again on our way. This time I was driving.
The Town
The historical origins
of Chase, embraced by culture and opportunity, carry the odd spicy story. The
town was named after Whitfield Chase, an American from New York State. After
originally coming to Canada during the 1858 gold rush he settled in the area in
1865. He was the first non-native settler that farmed and raised a family, in
what was then called, The Shuswap Prairie. Whitfield Chase was born in 1820 to
the famous Chase Family. In 1853, after Chase’s sailing partner drowned, he
moved to Victoria, plying his trade as a carpenter. By 1862 Whitfield was
prospecting up the South Thompson River. In the fall of 1864, he returned to
Kamloops and was determined to go farming. Whitfield married a young First
Nations girl. She was the eldest daughter of the Neskonlith Indian Band Chief
Synsetia. Together Elizabeth and Whitfield Chase raised ten children. Although
the community did not exist until more than 10 years after his death, the town
was named in his honor. An American logging company first came to the area in
1907 and purchased what became the original town site from Whitfield’s eldest
son Marcus. They subdivided the land into lots, installed water and electricity
and sold lots to workers and business people. For the location of the mill, the
company leased approximately 70 acres of land from the Chase family. It was not
until incorporation in 1969 that the community began to grow and market itself
to the region and province as a tourist destination. Located on the
Trans-Canada Highway in the Shuswap region of BC, at the confluence of Little
Shuswap Lake and the South Thompson River, approximately 36 miles (58 km)
northeast of Kamloops and 28 miles (45 km) northwest of Salmon Arm, Chase
became known as ‘The Gateway to the Shuswap”.
The
Cabin
In 2009, Sean had a
CFD lieutenant by the name of Ross at Hall 16. He mentioned to Sean
that he had a cabin in the Shuswap that he rented out for a week at a time
throughout the summer. That particular year he had a week in August that he
offered to us for our summer holidays. Up until this time (since Sean had
started on with the fire department), we had not taken summer holidays, so this
was going to be a treat!
Since we had been there last year and truly loved it, we were all excitedly anticipating this year’s trip to Chase, BC! The cabin is actually a mobile home trailer that has been renovated and added onto, but you would not guess that it was so. With a deck on both the front and the back of the cabin, there is always shade, or sun, depending on your preference. The house is located halfway down the property, with only a luscious green lawn space and a deck with Adirondack chairs overlooking the lake separating it from the water’s edge. A set of steps carries you down a level to an ample strip of sand along the water before embarking on the plank that connects you to the private floating dock. Off to one side of the yard is a fantastic outdoor sauna and shower, and surrounding the house is stunning vegetation that can only be sustained in the Shuswap!
Mornings
Peaceful
early mornings were my favorite, when everything was quiet and still. Except
for the rustling of the leaves in the breeze… and the twitter of birds… and the
lapping of the lake water along the shoreline… and the neighbour a few houses
down who was mowing his lawn before the heat of the day set in… and the
mosquito buzzing around my ear… and the train rumbling by. Before anyone else was
up, I enjoyed going for a run or doing yoga on the end of the wharf while the
fishing boats head out for an early morning catch or walking through the
tranquil park on the water’s edge or reading on the dock as it rocked in the
gentle waves. Sometimes I would sit and think and ponder life or just be still.
But always I was happy.
One
morning I ran all the way to Safety Mart. We were out of milk and yogurt and
when we stopped at 8pm the previous night, the store was already closed. So at
8am, I decided to take my morning run all the way to the grocery store for the
needed items. It killed me though, to have to walk all the way back instead of
being able to run!
Betty’s
Books
Vacations
are the perfect excuse to read, although our family rarely needs any excuse to
read. Even Ashley bought herself two car magazines to read on the trip! Chase
is home to Betty’s Used Books, which we discovered during our stay last summer.
After stopping in to purchase a few new good reads, we tossed the books in the
back seat and head out on the highway to Kamloops. A sudden squeak from Jessica
revealed an unwanted bug in her territory. Grabbing the first thing she saw
(the book I had just bought), she smacked it and proceeded to dump it out the
window using my book. Since we were going down the highway, I jokingly
remarked, “Don’t throw the book out the window!” In the few seconds that
followed, she indeed dropped the book out the window and we all watched
astounded as the newly purchased book fluttered and flopped along the centerline
of the highway. We did go back to rescue the book, and tucked another little
‘Jessica story’ away for the future.
Water
The temperature of the lake was severely chilly. Fortunately the days were so hot that we would sit in the sun until we could not stand the heat anymore before gathering up the courage to jump in. The initial shock was staggering and if you had enough will power, you could stay in a few short minutes but by then you would already be feeling quite numb. The best part was then crawling out of the shivery lake and lying on the dock where the sun’s heat would quickly dry you, all the while warming your soul. We visited our friends one evening, the Brady’s who were at the next lake over from us, and their lake was considerably warmer, allowing us to jump in over and over or tread water for an extended period of time. We were a bit jealous.
Regardless of the
temperature, we entertained ourselves well in and around the water. There was a
blue paddleboat that the girls ventured out on several times. It seems that
they were out there for hours, giggling, chatting and probably solving the
world’s problems before returning to shore. It was heartwarming to see them out
there getting along. Of course, we swam a little. And then there were the
challenges of who could jump the highest, the farthest, make the best move in
the air. One afternoon, we looked out to see a whole line of geese swimming by!
Truly memorable.
Safety
Mart
Being
small, Chase has one main grocery store, peculiarly named Safety Mart. It is
part of our daily ritual to visit Safety Mart and pick out the necessary items
to whip up a tasty supper. This year, when we arrived, we were pleasantly
surprised to find that it had undergone some enhancing. It was here that I
discovered the most delicious non-fat plain yogurt by Liberte that I have ever
tasted. I had been looking for Greek yogurt and this one was labeled
Mediterranee, so I figured it was the next best thing and it surely was. Every
morning I looked forward to having it on my oatmeal. I also used it as sour
cream on our BBQ’d potatoes and as a dressing for salads. Very tasty!
I
don’t know what it is about Safety Mart, but we all look forward to visiting it
when the need arises. Perhaps it is the small-town feel of it, or the friendly
cashiers who curiously ask where we are from. Or perhaps it is the hope of
finding some new treasure that we have not come across in our own large chain
grocery store.
Dollar
Store
One
of the first visits once settled in Chase, along with Safety Mart, was the
Dollar Store. The girls wanted to pick up some sparklers for our evenings by
the fire. I went looking for a notebook journal like the one I had found here
last year as well as some painting supplies, which I thought the girls and I
could sit and muck around with at some point. Sean, thinking he had forgotten
to pack his sunglasses, searched the rack of cheap sunglasses for a pair to
tide him over for the week. Well, the girls got a kick out of the pair that he
chose. They had pistols on the side arms, but as an indicator of their quality,
they faced in opposite directions! Nevertheless, Sean wore them proudly all
week, and then when packing up to leave at the end of the week he unearthed his
$200 pair!
Fields
Only
small towns have a Fields store and Chase is no exception. There are always
treasures to be found at a steal of a price. One afternoon, we were out on a
walk and decided to visit Fields. Jess and I were walking a little ahead of the
other two and at one point we looked back and they had crossed over the tracks,
hoping to take a shortcut and beat us to the store. Not to be outdone, Jess and
I also crossed the tracks a little further up and found a path that climbed the
hill leading directly up to Fields. We were delighted to find that Ash and Dad
had not arrived yet, knowing that they thought they were going to be so smart
and beat us there. Well, you should have seen their faces when they walked in
and Jess and I were waiting for them…beat at their own game!
Among
the goodies that we purchased were tasty ‘chalk’ candies (powdered candy-coated
licorice bits), pedicure lotion packs (Sean figured I would succumb to his
begging), and Airwalk shoes for Ashley. She duped her dad on this one, leaving
him to believe that they were only $10, when in fact they were $40! She sure
loves them though.
Roadside
Market
On the second last day of our stay in Chase last year, we discovered a quaint little roadside market just a little ways out of town along the highway. This year we made an early visit to see what it had to offer. We were delighted to find organic veggies, some tasty cheese, organic coffee, organic pancake mix and syrup and homemade pie! We made a few more visits there throughout the week for spelt bread, veggies, pemmican (a paste of dried and pounded meat mixed with berries and other ingredients made by the Indians), and a special visit for ice cream one night.
In
chatting with the girl behind the counter, we discovered that the place was run
by a group of young people. Across the road was a farm where they all stayed
and were supporting their friend whose parents had divorced and he did not want
to see the farm go to ruin. They all helped to run the farm and this little
market business. It seemed to be sort of like a hippie colony. Interesting!
Train
Several times a day the train rumbles through Chase, only a few meters down the road from where the cabin is situated. The first warning signs would ring out as several toots of the sharp whistle, alerting pedestrians and drivers of its eminent arrival. Being out-of-towners, this only drew us towards the tracks, seeing it as an invitation rather than a warning. Of course Sean read this as a challenge and upon hearing the whistle of the approaching train hopped onto the tracks to experience the thrill of beating the beast. Not far behind Daddy was Ashley, heart pounding so loudly it could be heard above the roar of the looming vessel. I could not watch.
Long
before the train became visible, its rhythmic beat was already stamping its
pattern in my ears. Shoosh-shoosh-clink! Shoosh-shoosh-clink! Mixing with the
drone of the powerful machine was the occasional shriek of metal on metal as if
needing to further establish its own majestic power.
Airstream Trailer
Boldness is something that I lack sometimes. I wish I had gathered enough while in Chase to approach the owners of this adorable Airstream trailer. We noticed it last year and Sean and I began to dream (okay, maybe more me than him) about how perfect this tiny trailer would be for us. I fantasized so much, that I had it decorated in my mind before the week was over.
It seemed to be abandoned in the side yard of this house along one of the streets that we drove on several times a day. There was tall grass growing up around it on all sides. I peeked inside the windows while on a walk at one point, and it was very dated and falling apart on the inside. It obviously hadn’t been used in some time. One evening as we drove by, I said to Sean that he should just go up to their door and offer them $500 for it – we would probably be doing them a favor! He agreed it would be perfect, but wasn’t about to impose. So, we left it there when our week in Chase came to an end last year. Several times since then it crossed my mind…was it still there, did the owners have any intention to use it, had it been attended to, had anyone bought it?
Well, this year, to my
delight, it was still resting in the same neglected way that we had left it a
year ago. I was now thoroughly convinced that it must be a sign that it was
meant for us! We absolutely need to gather the courage to knock on the owner’s door
and inquire. A few days into our week in Chase, however, the grass around the
trailer was mowed. Later, I saw a lady inside the trailer sweeping it out, and
my heart sank. All hopes dashed, I continued to eye it each and every time we
passed by, but now knowing that it was not going to return with us again this
year.
Games
On
the chillier days, we played games. There was a shelf in Jessica’s room that
housed several choices, which we were game to try (pun intended)! Ash and I
worked away on the puzzle of boats with brilliantly colored sails. Jess and I
had a game of Scrabble one afternoon…and who won, Jess? We all played Yahtzee a
few times, with everyone having to ‘scratch their Yahtzee’ except for Mama who
got a Yahtzee in the very first game! Since we had a set of dice, there were
several games of Pig that ensued at various locations…at the table, outside on
the picnic table, and in ‘the chairs’.
One
evening, the four of us sat to a game of Pictionary, which resulted in a lot of
laughter. Jess and Mom took on Ash and Dad. Sadly for Ash, Daddy is not an
artist. There was many a moment where we were in peals of laughter looking at
Dad’s drawings and trying to interpret them, understanding why Ash could not
guess his word. The favorite was his drawing of a swordfish! Meanwhile, Jess
and I followed similar lines of thought and dominated in the game – twice!
Nevertheless, we all enjoyed ourselves.
Outdoor
Shower
Out in the yard stands a cedar structure which looks very much like something you would find in Switzerland. On one end, there is a door to a sauna. On the other end there is an open air shower. I have never experienced something so refreshing. With the trees swaying overhead, enveloped in the smell of cedar and the sun streaming across my body, I was in heaven. It truly was a delightful experience that I welcomed after being sweating from the sun and smelling of lake water.
The
girls both enjoyed showering outdoors too. They could often be seen sneaking
from the shower back into the house wrapped only in a towel and streaming with
water. Nowhere but Chase do we get this experience!
The
Chairs
Out on a wooden deck at the end of the lawn are four of the most comfortable Adirondack chairs for guests to enjoy. Perched at the edge of the water, they make for a most stunning scene at any given point in the day. You can be sure that I photographed them often, trying to capture the mood of time spent there.
When we arrived to
begin our week in Chase, we stopped to pick up pizza uptown and immediately
head out with the boxes of steaming supper to the chairs. Here, with this
ritual, we mark the beginning of our summer vacation. Throughout the week we
found ourselves gravitating to these chairs over and over. We sunned ourselves
in them and then pulled them into the shade when we’d had too much sun. We sat
in them to play games around the matching side tables. We ate various meals
sitting in the chairs. We enjoyed the breeze off the lake from these chairs
when the air became hot and muggy. We read our books and magazines here. We
laughed here. We watched each other swim or go paddle boating from here. We ate
spits here and let the shells fly. We drew up these chairs around the fire (and
then were afraid errant sparks would hit them and we did not want to damage
them in any way, so found plastic chairs the following nights). I ate breakfast
here waiting for the rest of the family to awake. I used them for stretching
upon returning from a morning run. We lined them up and we spread them all
around as our needs dictated. If ever we purchase our own cabin some day, we
will invest in these wonderful Adirondack chairs for ourselves!
Geocaching
Worn out from the sun
one afternoon, Sean and Ash researched and downloaded some geocaches and we set
out on a little adventure. We crossed over the bridge on the edge of town and
head into a Provincial Park area. There, we attempted four geocaches and were
successful at three. The first took us beside a different lake hidden off the
beaten path, where we found the cache in a hollow log. The second took us along
the cutline where enormous power lines towered over us. Ash and I stopped
beside a cooling little creek to take a few pictures and discovered an adorable
froggie! The next cache stumped us. The GPS was telling us to head off the road
(which meant on foot) even though there was nothing but dense bush, so we gave
up on that one after a futile attempt. The last one we came upon purely by
accident, it just showed up on our GPS, so we followed it. It turned out to be
on a narrow winding path that seemed to go on forever. It started beeping as we
neared a huge fallen tree along the road. Sure enough, the cache was hidden
just under the log. A few of us (unnamed) took this opportunity to relieve
ourselves in the great outdoors! All of our adventures that day will be
remembered as pleasant as the beauty of nature is what geocaching is really all
about!
Salmon
Arm Day
Seeking a different pace, we decided one day to do some touring. I really wanted to visit some of the antique shops that I had seen signs for, so our first stop was in Sorrento, the next town to Chase, heading towards Salmon Arm. I spied an antique shop right on the highway and ventured inside. It was delightful, full of so many treasures that I left behind, except for one perfect silver bracelet with an oval decoration and unique clasp. I don’t know how old it was, but I only paid $10 for it and was pleased as punch!
We stopped at another antique shop further along the highway, but left with nothing. The gentleman inside, however, talked our ears off! He had an old record player and a couple of boxes of records. He teased the girls about not knowing what it was! We listened to some of his records and several of his stories before escaping. All in all, it was harmless, but unfruitful!
From there, we head into Salmon Arm for lunch and found a cute little deli where we ordered the tastiest sandwiches and soup. On our way out, there was a girl buying THE CUTEST bike at the shop next door. It made me think how perfect Salmon Arm would be for a bike, but not so much in Calgary! Imagine me riding my bike to school over the Glenmore Reservoir!!
We walked around after lunch to some of the shops in this one trendy area. I ended up in a dollar store-type store and found these interesting black sandals, all covered in Indian beading with gold and silver sparkles. Knowing we are watching our money right now, I walked away without them (only to try to return and purchase them on our way home, but the store was closed)!
On our way into Salmon
Arm, we spotted a market, which we determined to stop at to buy some goodies on
our way out of town. It was fabulous, so full of locally grown produce and
cases of meats and pies and fruit drinks. We stocked up on items for the remainder
of our days in Chase before crossing over to the spot where Sean had spied a
sign advertising ‘the greatest ice cream’. The girls and I marveled at the girl
behind the counter. When she turned to fetch the cones, we were dazzled by her
tremendously long braid, which reached well past her bottom!
Fires
In
the evenings, the pesky mosquitoes that had been working up an appetite all day
long were released into the air. To ward off their nastiness, the fire was lit
and we assembled as close as the smoke and heat allowed us. Of course there was
the ritualistic roasting of marshmallows that ultimately turned into sticky
sugary S’mores, which delighted the whole family. And what better time to light
sparklers and have fun drawing zippy shapes in the air? Last year in August
when we were here, there had been a multitude of forest fires all over BC and
therefore there was a fire ban over the whole province. As a result, we missed
out on this experience, so this year is was a welcomed and much enjoyed treat.
Braids
Throughout the week, if there was one phrase that I heard repeatedly it was, “Mom, will you braid my hair?” Both of the girls wanted their hair to be braided after showering. This kept their hair off their necks in the heat, it was easy to swim with and sleep in, and when it dried it made the nicest waves. Knowing that there would not be many more such requests in the future, I gladly obliged.
Vegetation
British Columbia has the best weather for growing an assortment of plants, shrubs and trees. All around us were the most colorful and vibrant flowers of types I had never seen before, or that we surely could not grow in Calgary. Most days I would walk around the cabin, or while on my morning runs and marvel at the growth all around. I always inhaled deeply and smiled. It was just too bad that I could not package them all up and take them home!
Golf
Just a few streets over from the cabin there is a golf course. Being small town, a round of golf was fairly cheap. Last year, because the weather was a little cooler most of the week, we golfed several times. But this year we had hot sunny days, which kept us closer to the water. We did, however, golf one morning and took Ashley with us. By our second last hole, the heat was quite unbearable. Ashley was even overcome by mild sunstroke! In any case, we enjoyed our only game of the week.
Cartwheels
One evening, while
around the fire pit, Jessica decided that she wanted to perfect a cartwheel. I
tried to coach her from my comfortable seat near the fire, but I could tell
that she needed to see how it was done! So this old gal got up and whipped off
a few near perfect cartwheels as examples. Even Sean remarked on my form and my
age (of course)! Having determination, Jess kept practicing throughout the week
and by golly, she improved greatly and almost looked as good as her mother!
Trip
Home
After experiencing that bout of motion sickness on the way out, I was not going to take any chances on the way home. I drove the whole way. Six and a half hours winding through the trees and mountains. The views were stunning and I was mesmerized by the varying shades of green and blue. Ross had phoned out to the cabin and informed us that we could stay an extra day if we would like, and of course we did, but this meant driving home on the highway along with every other traveler who had to be home on Sunday to start back to work on Monday.
The roads were busy to say the least. Most of the time, we followed one another in a long slow line behind some camper or trailer or big truck just waiting for the passing lane to arrive and the opportunity to make it a few notches further than the next guy. I let them all go. And several minutes later, I would find myself closing in on the same vehicle that had frantically passed me a little while back.
After delaying our departure from Chase as long as possible, we drove straight through for the entire trip. No overnight rest stop like last year. We did, however, make a few needed stops for bathroom visits and to get gas. We stopped in Revelstoke for some wraps for lunch. At one point, we stopped at The Spiral Tunnels, just to get out and move around. It is an interesting series of tunnels in a spiral, which allow the trains to climb the mountains without having to go straight up and risk disaster. Peeking through the trees, the tunnels can be seen in the distance, along with several signs, which tell stories of the history of the tunnels and a few tragedies.
My passengers were
quiet for the most part. Sean read his book for the majority of the trip. The
girls, having exhausted their supply of movies and tired of reading, began to
complain of carsickness themselves. I was empathetic. We opened the windows, handed
out Advil and drank cool water. This is the least favorite part of our holiday
to Chase – the distance. Reaching Calgary some six and a half hours later, I
vowed we would not do that again. If we visit Chase again in the future, we
must plan to break up the hours in the car by stopping somewhere overnight. End
of story!
So there it is! It feels so good to have this book complete. We will enjoy it for years to come I am sure! I hope you enjoyed it too!
