Nine years ago today, Bjørn and Inger met, and according to Bjørn, it was love at first sight. So today, they celebrated their anniversary. It couldn’t have started out in a better place, that’s for sure. The day was warm right from the get-go and it took no time at all before all the Norskies were in the lake, splashing around to cool off. Bjørn and Tobias even washed their hair and took a bath in nature, with all of us looking on (they kept their clothes on, however.) We lingered a bit this morning as it was hard to pack up and leave the campsite. Kory and Bjørn enjoyed their morning cup of coffee in the shade of a tree (see photo), and we all enjoyed watching the activity in the campground. One guy drove around in a motorized vehicle that was made up of two coolers – he sat on one and had a spare in the back. Too funny. There were many dogs for Kaleb to pet and a lot of park to explore, but we had a lot of driving ahead of us, so we had to depart. The drive was so scenic, however, that the time went by rather quickly (see other photo).
In all my years living in Washington State, I have never been to Dry Falls. I’ve heard of it and know people who have gone there, but today was the first day for me. It was spectacular. I don’t think Kory had ever been there before either, and it was quite the sight to see. At the end of the last ice age, it was the world’s largest water fall, but when all the ice melted, it just dried up, so now it’s a big hole in the ground in a very hot and desolate place (see photo). I love seeing new places. We also stopped at Soap Lake, but it seems the “soap” has all dried up, too. Years ago I was there and the bubbles were everywhere, but today – nothing.
The kids did well in the motor home again today. It’s so much more comfortable than riding in our van. We never once had to make a “potty stop,” as the on-board bathroom was used by every kid we had, all the while we were cruising on down the road. Legally, I suppose, they should have had their seatbelts on at all times, but the toilet didn’t come with a seatbelt attachment, so I guess we broke the law. No one got hurt except me. I went into the bathroom to wash my hands and lost my balance as we went around a corner. My foot jammed into the base of the toilet and I’m sure I broke two toes, as they swelled up and turned black soon afterwards. The throbbing pain put a damper on the rest of my day, but otherwise, all went well.
Bjørn and Inger own a condo in Turkey, so they are more than familiar with “Turkish delight,” a special candy made from fruit and some kind of gelatin, so we had to stop in Cashmere to take the tour of the Aplets and Cotlets factory. I’ve stopped there many times and never made it in time for a tour, but today was our lucky day. The factory was open so I finally got to go into the kitchen and see how they make that yummy stuff (see photo). It was the sweetest stop we made all day.
Our only real goal today though was to stop off in the little “Swiss village” of Leavenworth (see photo) to ride the bumper boats, but I guess the economic crisis has taken its toll on little tourist towns in our nation. We were all sad to discover the boat place had shut down. It was a hot day and we were all looking forward to a water fight, but we had ice cream instead and shopped around a little before heading out of town. They had some fun metal signs in one of the stores and I bought one that says, “I understand the concept of cooking and cleaning, but not as it applies to me.” Bjørn bought one that says, “Of course I love you. Now bring me a beer.” I think it was Bjørn’s anniversary present to himself. He bought it only after buying Inger an angel, as she surely is one.
The day was long, but good. We got back after dark. Tobias was happy we stopped to have Mexican food for dinner before driving home. The twins didn’t fight once today, until we got to our place. They are too cute, those boys, even when they are fighting. The Norwegian word for “yes” is “ja,” but they always say, “Yeps.” Hearing it come from their tiny little voices makes me smile every time. It’s a good word. I think I’ll use it.
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