Vision Mountain, Tum Tum, Washington

I've been very lucky this summer. I've been able to meet the coolest people, it has cost me very little because I've been doing work exchanges (gluing kiln bricks in Oregon, painting a fence on Vancouver Island, and caretaking peoples pets here), and I have learned so much about so many different things. Definitely one of the best summers I've ever had. I fell in love with Jacksonville, Oregon, but I've also fallen in love with Vision Mountain. Above is Francesca and Sky sitting on top of Vision Mountain looking out over Long Lake, created when they dammed up the Spokane River. Vision Mountain is where Sun Bear, a Native American teacher and healer, used live and teach and is a very special, spiritual place. The people here are the friendliest, most spiritual and special people. Most of the women are healers - nurses and masseuses, and I've yet to meet anyone with mental problems. Everyone has been generous, friendly and outgoing.



Here are some more photos from the same hike when Francesca was showing me around Vision Mountain. Above is the profile of the Granmother Rock. Below is the Granfather Rock that looks just like a giant lizard, including a long curving tail (not shown) and below that is the Buddhist stupa that was installed many years ago and kept up by Francesca, then a photo of Long Lake.







Another day Francesca took me to downtown Spokane to show me around and I took a gondola ride over the electric plant dam where I took the photo below.



When you drive down from Vision Mountain, about half a mile away is another dam (lots of dams here) and a resident osprey nest. Although it is very dry here, there is no shortage of water.





Below are photos of a neighbor, Ed, with Chief Red Cloud his horse and the sign I carved for him with his horse's name to hang over his stall, the cabin I'm living in (surrounded with lots of wild rose bushes now covered with rose hips), and a shot I took of my friend Liz and her daughter Nattie.







I was able to finish carving an owl that a friend of Francesca's (Niki) ordered as a gift for a friend when Liz asked me to do a carving demonstration at the local Arboretum when she was teaching her outdoor class to the cutest bunch of kids I ever saw.



Below is Sapa and Sky after a long day at the vet for their annual physical exam. They grew up together so often hang out together.



I wasn't able to photograph my favorite sightings: twice an osprey has flown over my truck carrying a fish, something I've only seen on television before. Also seen around here are moose, bears, coyotes, and mountain cats - but not by me yet. I've just seen deer and little critters. I've gotten several carving jobs so that when I finally head south to California I won't return broke. Francesca (in whose guest cabin I've been living) read my book and gave me great feedback on how to lay it out. John has given me a copy of his Microsoft Publisher program so I can actually do it. A local dentist fixed my sore tooth and may be doing a trade with me for more work. Liz and Sue have had me over for dinner. Anne, a professional television news cameraperson spent a day show me how she would shoot a video project I'm working on and how to sequence the shots. My friend Fran has renewed my AAA gold card again so I don't have to worry if I break down within 100 miles from a gas station - and life is good. Thanks everybody!!!