Stages of Life

Campmeeting

My parents were faithful Campmeeting goers. From the time I was about 5 years old, I can remember attending Alberta Campmeeting and staying in Maple Hall on the CUC Campus.

Then I remember my first Campmeeting in British Columbia. I was all excited my mom had told me that we were going to BC Campmeeting and we would be staying in a tent.

When we got there after about a 6 hour drive over the big mountains, it appeared that the reservations had gotten mixed up, and there really was no tent for us. My dad was upset, and said we were going home. My mom and I were very disappointed, and I think I started to cry. Before he turned the car around mom asked him to at least let us go to the bathroom. So away we went.

While in the Bathroom, God arranged a meeting of my mom and a long time friend by the name of Hazel. When our story of disappointment and immediate return home spilled out Hazel's gift of hospitality came through, and she took us to her cabin, where her family of 6 was staying. I can remember re-arrangements taking place, and we had a place to sleep for the weekend, and then went home as planned.

After that there were many Campmeetings that we attended sometimes living in a conference tent, with a wooden floor, other times bringing our own tent, two different models over the years. Then my dad got a tent trailer which he towed over those same mountains for many years, until he no longer was able to do it.

As for Hector and I we missed the first Campmeeting of our married life because Ronald and Royce were born just at that time. But from then on we were at Campmeeting. That is where they celebrated most of their birthdays. Below you can see them at their 1st Birthday, at Camp Hope!!!



By 1990, we had a 1967 travel trailer which was in good shape, except it was very heavy, and we over heated a number of vehicles towing it down there year after year.


Then we graduated to this truck and camper. We already had an old school bus in our yard with the intentions of transforming it into a "motorhome", but when Hector found this combination we used it for one year, then he sold it. But it turned out that we didn't get the money, and had to go to court to get it back, so in the end we really bought it twice!!


Then the next year we did take the bus down. we never really did get it fixed up, but we moved our bed into it, and some kind of a sofa, and at least that year while it was raining and muddy the whole time, we were up off the ground, warm and day. But that traveled to slow for Hector, so before the next Campmeeting someone came along and wanted to know if it was for sale, and that was gone too.


Somewhere along the way we rebuilt a tent trailer (No Picture). I just happened to have some "RED" nylon tent material that I had gotten on sale. I totally sewed the tent, and we used the cushions from the old travel trailer, and took that for a couple years. In 2004, we were only there for a short time before we left for Europe so again we just took the tent trailer down, and left it there, Ronald managed to get it brought home after Campmeeting, because that too had overheated our vehicle going there.

By Campmeeting 1996, we had this 1986 motorhome, and have been taking it to campmeeting ever since.


Well except for this year. We were only able to be there for Friday and Saturday night. There was to much work to do at home, and my mom wasn't able to go, so we didn't want her to feel like she had missed out on so much, so we skipped the week too.
The car was so small, that I took a sheet to put on the ground, no carpet or tarp. I took 2 TV trays, and had planned to take 2 chairs, but Hector sent them with a friend who forgot them at home in his garage, he loaned us 2 chairs on Sabbath afternoon. No fridge, and only a small bag cooler and the ice was gone by Sabbath morning. We ate very simple, Hector's brother brought a camp stove for Sabbath, and joined us. Oh well, it was fun anyway!! Guess we will see what next year brings.

Back to Saipan

Now she really leaves.
We had a hard time letting her go back
to Saipan for a second year,
and especially seeing she had already
been gone from home for 2 weeks
before she actually left the continent.

We are still driving Mai-rhea's little car,
and it can make a return trip to Seattle
on 50.00 of gas, so we made arrangements
to meet in Seattle on Tuesday July 24th.

It was a beautiful day,
and a beautiful drive to Seattle.

From Kelowna towards the
"Coast" or the "Lower Mainland"
as we call the south western section
British Columbia
we have a challenging mountain
pass to cross.

On either end we have a steep 20+ km
climb which causes distress to travelers,
this is evident by the many patches
of burned hard top
where somebody's vehicle overheated
to the melt down point.

As Hector did the driving,
I managed to capture some terrific pictures;
which I will share with you here.
Two Smoking Volcanos ........... ... not really,
just strategically placed clouds.



The "Rock Climbers Delight"

A view on the downward slope,
of the tunnels which keep the road clear
from avalanche in the winter time,
and the valley beyond.

Just before crossing the boarder
we met up with Mai-Rhea's
precious little cousin Elisa,
and took her us with us to see Mai-Rhea,
she had missed Mai two weeks earlier
when we stayed at her house
for 1/2 the night.

We had reserved a campsite,
south east of Seattle
and that is where Mai & Jere met us,

we had a nice afternoon and evening,
we took a hike down to the river ....

Here we go,
Hector can always come up with
some kind of competition,
so this is the great
"who can cross the river first - -
without getting wet"
competition.


Elisa wasn't up for competition,
so we stayed on the bank
and cheered the rest on.

A few nature shots,
God gives us so much
to appreciate.




Well,
after the hike we caught 3 monkey's
remembering to...

Hear no evil,
See no evil,
and
Speak no evil!!

Oops!
Elisa got a prickle off the ferns,
and our little
"Miss Teacher"
came to the rescue.

Didn't take her long to recover,
and proceed to have fun!!

After a questionably good night of sleep
(our air mattress needed re-pumping
at 3 am)

We started out on the way to the Airport,
(about 30 miles from the campsite),
we were looking for a
"Good" place to have breakfast.

A Denny's would have been acceptable,
but we found nothing
until we actually arrived at the Renton Mall,
where some guys told us that
there was a Denny's "over there".

We looked "over there"
but never did find it.
Partly because we were afraid
to end up on some freeway
that might take us miles away.

Finally at 10 am the Quizno's opened
and we ate breakfast there.

Sure taught me that it is better
to take food from home,
and not count on "eating out".

After Quizno's we had promised Mai
that we would find a Baskin Robins.

She still feels cheated that
Hector Royce and I
had Ice Cream in Italy
while she was still in France,
and it never worked out
for her to have Italian Ice Cream later.

She says we always do the
"fun stuff"
when she isn't along.

So I had done the internet
thing and found that Baskin Robins
was right at the Renton Mall,
(which is very close to the Seattle Airport).

So we finished our Breakfast with
Ice Cream.

Yumm...

It's always a good thing
to choose your ice cream
by the color that it
is going to make your tongue.


And don't forget to compare tongue's!!

The well wishers party at the Airport.


What Love!!




And she's gone!!!!!!!!!!