Morning tea and what sounded at first like a huge clap of thunder was how we started the day today. It didn't take more than a few seconds to realize that no clap of thunder could last that long! It was a slide! A massive chunk of the mountain coming down toward the town! The rumbling just kept on and on. We all ran outside to see if any of it was visible but the cloud was too low on the mountain so we had to let our hearing paint the picture for us. Fortunately there was no damage or injuries, although a house on the corner of town ended up with a slightly smaller yard at the end of it all!
With the mountains so close and all around us it is easy to imagine what it must be like to live here year round. Rock slides are common and avalanches during the winter months even more so. Experiencing the slide up close and personal was another first for both Lynda and I so once again....the list of 'extras' we are checking off during this trip continues to grow.
After the slide, Lynda and I took Jota (Mitch and Viri's dog who has transitioned from the streets of Mexico to northern BC with no ill effects) for a walk past some of the historic sites and into the downtown where we had a great breakfast at a really great place called Toastworks. The restaurant is filled to overflowing with a huge collection of antiques. Not only were there literally hundreds of items...they were all in excellent condition! There were toasters and coffee makers, heaters and earthenware, a paper bag dispenser that holds bags of all sizes, and even one of those belted machines that women used to use to shake/vibrate off their butt fat! Honestly you have to see it to appreciate the place. It was like a museum and a restaurant all in one. It was a great stop and the food was excellent too!
The place was packed so we had lots of time to appreciate some of the displays while we were waiting for a table. When a table finally came available it turned out to be large enough for five seats
and since the group waiting behind us was a group of three...it seemed only right to ask them to join
us - which they did.
Our new friends, Bill, Alexandria, and Torey were visiting from Prince Rupert for a
couple of days. Bill and Torey are civil engineers and Alex (Bill's wife) is part of a marketing team for a large bio medical company whose work is mainly in developing nations as their focus is Tuberculosis. Chatting over breakfast gave us an opportunity to learn some new things, share some information, and do a little promotion for Really Good F Words once again. It's really a treat for me to see how receptive people are to talking about my book. Their first comment is always that they love the title - whew!
After a long and leisurely morning strolling around town (no rain again today!) and hanging around the restaurant we headed back to Mitch and Viri's at exactly the same time as Mitch was taking some chicken out of a rotisserie he had them roasting in. The house smelled amazing and even though it
hadn't been long since breakfast...there was no way either of us could turn down a drumstick-they
were delish!
People here know how to take advantage of good weather and so we were off again. This time we were headed for a nearby lake that locals refer to as Bear Lake due to the large number of bear who call it home. We had the bear spray just in case but...none came round during our time there so all was good. Mitch had brought his canoe along so he and Lynda paddled around in the sunshine. It was a gorgeous little lake and a really popular spot with locals. While we were there at least 6 other vehicles either left or arrived. Everyone knows everyone here and we were reminded of that when one of the vehicles that arrived was driven by GE woman who had served Lynda and I breakfast at Toastworks this morning. She recognized us too so it was further evidence of just how small the town is. I'm sure living in a place where everyone knows your business must wear a little thin but for the little I've seen it is also really nice that everyone knows one another and takes the time to say hi and chat. It feels a little like a step back in time to a simpler lifestyle.
We knew it was time to call it a day when the first few drops of rain began to fall. It had been another fantastic day and we had enjoyed the good weather so much in this beautiful little place that feels a lot like a mountaintop lake even though it is at sea level. It's nestled right into nature with mountains running up right from its shores so it gives the illusion of being high in the mountains.
Shandy (Viri's friend) and I caught a ride back into town with Neil and his daughter (another resident) while Mitch, Viri and Lynda came back in Mitch's truck. Having a truck is great but a challenge when there are just three seats and four or, as was the case today, five people.
Tonight was movie and pizza night and we were all ready to snuggle down on the couch after our day of fresh air and adventure.
Till tomorrow,
L & L
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