HiHium Lake 2018, The Motley Crew in Hot Water (Again)

Leaving the extremely fun Casne/Strauss wedding weekend in Seattle was difficult (primarily because we were all a bit challenged to get up and moving from our digs at the Westin. But instead of staying another evening and then facing Monday morning Seattle auto-destruct, Jay & Leslie opted to travel with us North of Seattle on Sunday to beat the traffic. It wasn’t very far on the map, but it proved more of a challenge than any of us would admit...that’s where the now outdated saying “pictures don’t lie” might have been somewhat damning. But as we all now know any of these pictures from Marysville Costco or waiting for our room to be cleaned so we could throw all our crap in and get it messy again, could be digitally altered.  (Although I’m not sure if technically you can digitally alter the foot, toes on the foot yes, but the foot?)

The Costco couch and stuffed animal displays were irresistible
as was the back seat of the Subaru for Leslie while we waited
for our room to be made ready for us...it was a long day!

The four travel pigs watched with jowls agape as dessert was prepped

So, once we piled more food and adult beverages from Kamloops into our vehicles and then finished the last hour and a half drive to the cabin, it was all about getting the wood fired oven (The Big O) going and getting martinis prepared. Lots of exquisite dining planned for this week. Layne had pre-made some beef bourguignon and some cheesy polenta for our first night into the cabin, plus dessert was a blueberry cornbread! Living off the grid at HiHium Lake is pretty rough! I got the fire going in The Big O and pretty soon we were baking the polenta and heating up the fancy named beef stew. Hendricks martinis set the mood and dinner was served with excellent Italian wine. In fact, the entire week we dedicated ourselves to decimating the Hendricks gin and fine Italian wine supply in the British Columbia outback. Our travel pigs all watched with glee as the blueberry cornbread was put together for the oven bake...sorry, none was left for you pigs!

I got Chef Bill (my sourdough) going and started the baguette supply chain. Second day at HiHium I put two plain baguettes and two craisin filled baguettes on the dinner table. We filled the wood fired aluminum hot tub and got it fired up & heating as soon as possible the second day. Takes a long time to heat 400-500 gallons of water when you don’t keep the fire stoked because of the distractions of having to stop for beer (or a martini), or a round of story telling and laughter, or a fishing expedition, or just a plain old attack of lazy, but then we’re older and have no supervisor (other than the ladies who kept trying valiantly to keep making progress on meals & projects for the week).

The new entrance to the compost pit dug by our friendly bear, plus some
other "signs" we found around the cabin

Last year Jim hired a little backhoe to dig a new outhouse and compost pit. The old outhouse structure simply got moved over the new pit and we lined the compost pit with plastic and put a piece of plywood over the top. Three days into our trip this year, apparently a bear found our compost simple irresistible and dug in through one side. There had been a large fire in the area last year and we think that the little “island” spared from the devastation around the cabin (Thank you, Canadian Firemen!), concentrated a lot of wildlife into this fairly small oasis. We saw some pretty big bear tracks and deposits...glad not to see any whistles or empty pepper spray containers in the deposits. We all were very diligent keeping food waste carefully contained or burned in the wood fired stove that heated our water for the cabin (and to make its occupants more able to stand each other during close seating at mealtimes).

Jim, Jay, and Sam got in a lot of fishing...some dry and some pretty wet fishing on the lake, but every time they came back with big smiles, fish stories, and empty beer cans. I understand that adds up to success when you’re fishing...but then I was enjoying my beer in the cabin with four lovely ladies, where it was warm and dry (perspective, it’s all about perspective). During breaks in the meal preps, jigsaw puzzles were high on the list of entertainment as were rounds of Susan’s favorite card game Got-It (a gin rummy variation).

Clockwise from top left: Jay, Sam, & Jim returning from a rainy fishing trip, Jay & Leslie
making a stone path between the house stairs and the hot tub deck entry, Susan & Layne
putting together a jig saw puzzle, and the boys showing they could fish in good weather too

Tuna fish & avocado salad for lunch with a pineapple upside
down cake created for dinner that evening...yumm!

Layne & Susan had coordinated and worked out menus for the week, Leslie, Martha, and I tried to help wherever and whenever we could. Lots of roasted vegetables, beautifully laid out appetizer trays, awesome main courses, extraordinary wines, fancy desserts, and then the next morning full breakfasts with plenty of fruit, eggs, bacon, & fried potatoes. The pineapple upside down cake done in an iron skillet was a big success.

Clockwise from top left: Craisin & pecan baguette, whole wheat,
CCRAP loaf (Craisin, cinnamon, raisin, apricot, & pecan)
plain & craisin baguettes with a stenciled whole wheat

Jim & Susan usually were the ones peeling and prepping the fruit since they both tended to be up early and looking for jobs to do. I just tried to keep out of the way and made sure nobody was without bread.






The hot tub was well used, The Big O was constantly being stuffed with things to bake or heat, the bear kept his/her distance from all the noise, all of us gained weight, and no liquor was left untouched or appreciated. This was a special trip for all of us. Although August 2018 was Susan’s last trip with the Motley Crew, she will always be in our hearts and minds as will the sound of her hearty laugh and the memory of her quick & warming smile.

Even though I was taking the picture, my spirit  (and wine) was in the tub with my friends  The Motley Crew!

Even though the evidence of the 2017 fires in British Columbia was very visible, it was cheering to see the flowers that had erupted in the newly opened fields and meadows (even if it was Fireweed!)

One third of the luggage stacked and ready to go; Kubota loaded up with
Casnes & Graybills and of course Jim driving. Plenty of Fireweed in the burnt areas.