20/31 - Two Days

The Baines reunion was held at Echo Lake from the 25th July to the 2nd August 2010.

First let me say that I heard the following comment a few times, "The only way this reunion could be better would be if Nathan and Darwin were here.".  (Although later in the week Edward changed to "The only way this reunion could be better would be if Jacqueline would make stuffed mushrooms.").  On the last day Jeremy questioned, "What could we do to get Nathan and Darwin here?".

Julie, Kennedy, Jackson and Mickey were already down at the lake.  Edward and family arrived on Saturday the 24th, Sue-anne and all arrived on the 25th, and Jeremy, Bob and Anne arrived on the 28th.  Sue-anne's family left on the 31st and Edward's left on the 1st of August, thus 20 out of the 31 were together two days.

Following are a few pictures taken as we went over the Going to the Sun road.

Because they are rebuilding the road we had two waits to go over the one-lane parts.

Some of the activities were:  Boating

Skiing

Mickey and Langley

and Tubing.

Bridge Jumping

One of the activities that turned out to be very popular was bridge jumping from the bridge over the Swan River.

Wild Horse Island

Saturday morning after a couple of rounds of skiing, a storm blew in and chased everyone inside.  Sue-anne and family packed up and headed back to Taber.  It stormed again around noon.  After lunch the sun came out and it was decided that we would boat down the Flathead River and across the Flathead Lake to Wild Horse Island.

Wild Horse Island is an island in the middle of the Flathead lake (the largest fresh water lake in the US west of the Great Lakes).  At one time the island was farmed, but now it is a State Park.  Apparently there are three wild horses that live on the island and also mule deer and mountain sheep (or goats)?

We pulled the boats to Fisherman's Bridge and put them in the water and started down the river.

 Bridge Over the Flathead River

Jacqueline, Edward, Austen, Erica and Miranda

Sailboat on Flathead Lake

We reached Wild Horse Island and anchored in Skeeko bay.

A 1911 Homestead on the Island - the Homesteader and his Son and Grandchildren - just the right size for the family

The water was beautiful and clear.  We didn't stay long on the Island because we knew a storm was supposed to come in in the early evening.  It took an hour to boat between the island and the bridge.

Bentley, Jackson, Julie (drying her shorts which were wet from wading to shore), Erica, & Kennedy

It was still clear when we left the island.

It didn't stay clear for very long.  A storm came over the mountain and we raced it down the lake.  About the time it caught up with us it moved over to the east so we followed the west coast all the way to the river.  It was sunny when we got to the river and Austen water skiied down the river to the ramp.

We were home getting supper when the storm hit Echo.  Those are hailstones in the grass!

Swan River

On Sunday evening we took a walk along the Swan River.  The river was smooth as glass.

We walked down to the dam across the river.  After the dam the water was no longer smooth.

We watched an osprey sitting in a tree watching the river.  Suddenly it dove straight into the water.  The prey must have been a slippery fish because the bird came up empty handed.  There was a young osprey sitting in a nearby nest that kept peeking out.

Jewell Basin

After water skiing on Monday, Jeremy, Julie, Mickey, Bob and I drove to Jewell Basin.  It started out as a warm afternoon.  I didn't get a longways up the trail; Bob went much further.  The others went all the way to the top.

View from near the top.  Echo Lake and Flathead Lake way down below.

It was raining by the time everyone got back down.  

We went out to Topo Cantina for Mexican food for supper.  On the way home the sun looked bright orange (from the forest fire smoke).  I tried to get a picture of it but the orange wouldn't show up.

Coming Back to Lethbridge

We left Echo Lake this morning and drove through the clouds over the pass.  It wasn't too bad when we left.

It was starting to get foggy.

Here we are lined up to go through the construction in the fog.

Bob was happy that the Model T Club had a tour over the pass.  This one came from Missouri.

Family Home Evening

Yesterday afternoon Bob and I met my sister, Joan and her two granddaughters Lisa and Amy Bezzant in Taber.  Then we left to go to Brooks.  I feel lucky to be here.  We were driving down highway 36 and there was a pickup in front of us.  In front of the pickup was a tractor (or some vehicle) pulling a baler.  We came to a straight stretch where we could pass and Joan moved out to pass and we got even with the truck when suddenly the vehicle pulling the baler made a u turn without signalling.  Joan braked but couldn't stop in time, and luckily the truck slowed down and gave Joan a tiny bit of room to get between the truck and the baler and we got by on the shoulder.  I didn't even have time to panic. I just looked at the baler and thought, "This is it." 

We got to Brooks and visited my aunt, Elsie, and then we went to Donald and Diane's for a barbecue and pool party.

MyBrother, Donald Barbecuing  Hamburgers

Amy and Lisa in the Pool

Enjoying the Hamburgers

We left Taber sometime after 10 p.m. and all the way to Lethbridge we were treated to a lightning display - both sheet lightning and streak lightning.  When we got home the thunder began and then the rain.  I tried to get a picture of the lightning, but my camera was too slow.  However, I got the results of the lightning as it lit up our back yard at 11:30 p.m.