Welcome back to Twinlow Camp. We had a great week here at camp this past week. The camp staff hosted a group of pre-schoolers for the first half of the week, then a family camp for the second half. The pre-schoolers were 5 and 6 year olds. They seemed to have lots of fun. I know that they really enjoyed staying up late for the fire side singings. Up until 10PM. They left on Wednesday morning, then the families came in for a two day camp. The families experienced the 4th of July at Twin Lake. We had an old fashion 4th of July cookout with hamburgers, potato salad, cookies, and watermelon. Later on in the evening we were entertained with fireworks presented by all the residents that live along the lake shore. There were fireworks coming from everywhere along the shore. Sometimes there were only a couple displays at a time, other times it looked like everybody was shooting off their fireworks at the same time.
O yeah, we did get some work done this week too. We took of Thursday, but worked on Friday to put in our four day work week. Tom and I continued working on replacing windows, Evelyn stayed with updating signs, and Sharon just rested most of the time. Sharon fell on her knee last Friday. Tom is a retired medical doctor, so he checked out Sharon's knee. He said that it would be okay, but to rest it for a few days. She is still getting a little pain from it, but it is doing much better.
Sharon and I did do a little sightseeing around the area on the 4th. We went to Wallace, Idaho, an old silver mining town. Actually it used to be one of the largest producers of silver in the country. We also stopped at an old mission on our way back to Twinlow.
Evelyn enjoyed do some work outside in the hot weather, 99 on Monday, we had at the beginning of the week. She had pressure washed this deck the week before, allowed it to dry good over the weekend, and is putting a coat of sealer stain on it . It came out looking very good.
Tom and I continued working on replacing windows. Here is the first of four windows that we will have to do while working on a scaffold. Not my favorite thing to do, but got to get the job done. We at least were able to get on and off the scaffold without climbing up the side, we climbed over the deck rail.
Doing a little final alignment of the trim before I nail it down. We were fortunate to be working in the shade on Monday and Tuesday mornings. The temperature set some new records for this area.
As the sun started to move and hit the front of the house, Tom and I were able to move down below the deck and replace a window there. It was well shaded, and at ground level. It was nice getting down off of the scaffold for awhile. This took the less time of any to finish.
On Wednesday, with the first of the scaffold windows done, we moved over to the next one. The scaffolding had to be moved, but with the help of some of the camp staff we were able to pick it up and move it without taking it apart and reassembling it. This is what we started with.
We had to climb up this scaffold to get to our work position. Many of you know that climbing ladders is not one of my favorite things.
But as you can see, I did. That is me on the left. We had to remove old siding along with the old window. We were able to take the old window out and into the house to get it down to the ground. We brought the new window out through the window space. A lot easier that trying to lift it up on a rope.
The new window in place. Now onto the next one on Friday. Tomorrow is July 4th, we will take it off and resume our work on Friday.
What a way to start a wonderful 4th of July. The first thing that I see in the morning is Old Glory waving beautifully with a cross just above it on the other side of the lake. One Nation Under God!
I turned around and saw another good sight, our homes on wheels getting a good sunning early in the morning. The black coach is Tom and Evelyn's, the silver one is ours.
I walked down to the lake to sit along the shore for a little while. It was going to be a beautiful day.
Sharon and I went to Wallace, Idaho later in the morning. We got there in time to walk around the town for a little while before lunch. The town burned down in the late 1800's. All of the buildings were built from wood so it burned pretty quickly. The city officials mandated that all new buildings would be built from brick. Very nice looking town.
We had lunch outside at this bar and grill. Lunch was pretty good, but the atmosphere was even better. Lot's of friendly people out for the day. I was a little disappointed though when I saw the young man at the BBQ grill light up brick charcoal with lighter fluid. Wanted to go tell him how to start a good fire with lump charcoal and fire starters. Burns longer and hotter without the lighter fluid flavor added. He put some good looking ribs on it after just a few minutes. Frank, my son-in-law, could teach him a thing or two about cooking ribs.
We decided to take a tour of an old silver mine in the area. The first Sharon found at the mine were chipmunks eating seeds. She probably enjoyed that more than the mine tour.
We had to wear hard hats for the tour. I wondered why that was necessary since we weren't going to be doing any mining. I quickly found out that the miners must have been much shorter than I am. Clunk, clunk, was a sound I heard several times as I tried to duck the overhanging rock.
Our guide, Prince Albert, is showing us how this mine was laid out. It went down to 6000' below the ground level. There were many different levels, and several elevator shafts to lower the miners to their assigned work areas.
Sharon and I have toured mines of different types before, but none that had working tools. Here Prince Albert is demonstrating a drill that was used to drill holes for explosives. It really worked, and made a very loud noise.
After leaving Wallace, and on our way back to Twinlow, we stopped at an old mission. The mission is now a state park, Old Mission State Park. Yeah, really, that's what it is call. The mission was built by Jesuit Priest in the mid 1800's to administer aid, comfort, and religious services to the Indians, travelers, hunters, and miners in the area. The building on the left was the mission parish house. It was built by the priest. At one time it was much closer to the church, but as it became in bad repair it was moved to prevent the church from burning if the house caught fire. The church is sitting on it's original site.
The plague below tells a little about the mission.
After many years of restoration you can see the church in it's original state. All of the statues and other icons are original from the early years. I could imagine the church filled with Indians, hunters, miners, and others that were seeking comfort on a Sunday morning.
Later in the evening, after a 4th of July cookout, the camp director sitting at the helm, took some of us out on the lake to watch the fireworks displays. We are on the camp pontoon boat.
Sharon and I are bundled up for the cool temperature on the lake. It was really nice being out on the lake and not bothered by those pesky little mosquitoes.
The fireworks were all done by residents that live along the lake. They did a really good job.
The show went on for about two hours. Even longer by what we could hear after we went back to our RV.
We went back to installing new windows on Friday. We had to completely tear down the scaffolding to move it this time. We put up a second set of supports so all we have to do is slide the floor boards over for the next, and last window.
We have completed putting in the new window and I am getting ready to caulk around the edges.
Doing the caulking. Takes a lot of caulk for each window to make sure it is sealed good.
Well that is the end of this week. Plan on taking some more sightseeing time of the area this weekend. Hope to see some more of the beauty of the Idaho panhandle.
I'll be seeing you all through my blog later next week. Hope you have enjoyed this past week with us and come back next week.
Have a great week, and remember,
God Loves You All
Gary
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