This is the view from the front of Jackie's beautiful house (below) where I was privileged to stay during my vacation high in the mountains in the Northeast corner of Washington.
This is the view from the front of Jackie's beautiful house (below) where I was privileged to stay during my vacation high in the mountains in the Northeast corner of Washington.
My first day there I enjoyed a hike to the top of the neighboring mountain to view an eagle's nest. Here's my hiking companions - left to right it's Jeremiah, Carrie Lyn, myself and Jasmine [inset]. Several of their dogs accompanied us, the one behind me is JJ, a very large Rotweiller.
Here was the object of our hike - an eagle's nest high atop a dead pine tree.
The next day we went crystal digging near Bodie Mountain. Here's the view from that site - looking toward Seattle. Click the "Crystals Excavation" link below to see the details of our crystal dig and a close-up of the excavated crystals.
Crystals Excavation
At the end of the day we enjoyed a legendary barbeque prepared by my hosts, Sam and Merrie Jo, assisted by daughter, Toni and niece, Lisa. Left to right at the counter are Chris, Toni, Merrie Jo and Tyrone (Carrie's oldest son). Relaxing after dinner on the front porch are Toni, Lisa and Sam with Rex looking for leftovers.
The following day we drove through beautiful green mountains to Swan Lake. The Novikoff men - Jim, Chris & Sam - relaxed in the shade with a view of the lake while I had enjoyed the swimming area with Jasmine, Jeremiah and Shayla. 
On the following day, we took the "Green Boat" (that's Jim & Sam reconnecting the boat to Sam's truck) 
out on nearby Lake Curlew.
We cruised past an island with an eagle's nest at the top of the tallest pine with several very noisy inhabitants in it. You can see the nest with a parent hovering above it, and the head of one of the babies, or the other parent, poking above the nest on the right.
On my last day of vacation, Jim & I drove up to Canada, less than 20 miles away. We stopped to enjoy this beautiful clear stream and mountain scenery on the way. We visited Grand Forks, B.C., and enjoyed Borsch soup at one of the several restaurants that cater to the large population of Russian descent.
It was with reluctance that I took leave of this beautiful place. The memories I'll keep with me always.
