The Last Weekend of the Season

Friday, we picked up my friend Beverly and her friend, Jerry, who were in Plain for a John Wayne Trail Ride weekend campout with their horses.  They visited with us over dinner at our place.  When we returned to the campout, Sedona, Beverly's horse, was outside the corral. She had rolled under the electric fence, not once, but twice!  She did stay close by but Beverly had to convince her to get up and get back inside the fence.

Bear scat? Coyote?  Seen in the campground while picking up litter.

Stage coach leaving the school in Plain. (John Wayne Trail group)

Happy hour at our campsite. The wood pile is what has been left in
campsites during the burn ban.  It gets stored in our site.

Friday afternoon, we looked out across the campground and saw 7
deer on their way back apparently from the lake.  With fewer campers,
we have seen more deer but not typically in the afternoon.

The deer blend in pretty well with the surroundings.

Mule deer-the ears give them away.

When there aren't any campers coming in, we prune the vine maples.  Over the
Summer, they grow rapidly squeezing in on the tent sites and driveways.

In Plain, there is the town donkey who is stabled across from the Plain
Hardware Store and Espresso bar.  We hear he is at least 30 years old
and then some.

A rare afternoon when the lake is flat calm.

Beverly and Sedona.

The covered wagon by the road to greet the John Wayne riders.  Mom
and Dad in the seat.

Potluck dinner with good friends on Saturday night.

We loaned out an old hatchet to a group of guys who didn't bring one to
cut kindling. They made good use of it to the point of snapping the handle right
off when they hit a huge knot.

On Sunday, I had a couple of hours to spend paddling on the lake.  Next
year, I'm going to put in at Glacier View campground, 5 miles up the lake,
and paddle back to the Park.

Sunday evening was a perfect time for a beach fire.

Ahhhhhh.  When we arrived in August, the sun set directly over
Sonny's head.  Now, it is behind the mountains on the left.

Sunset.  The night sky was clear with thousands of stars.

Art work on a stump in #12.

Can't resist capturing the bright colors.

One last trip to Leavenworth for coffee and to donate all the change and
toys left behind in campsites.

59er Diner front door.  Our eggbeaters were still frozen so we drove
out to Cole's Corner for breakfast on Tuesday

My kayak is staying at a friend's house till we get back over
there to pick it up in a few weeks.