Tuesday September 16: I wake up, no longer in Canada, with a headache and the bothersome pounding in my eardrum. Although I seldom do it, I take an aspirin and fortunately feel fine the rest of the day.
I walk down to the shore of the lake and take a few photos. After breakfast we head to Metaline Falls, which I thought was a falls on the Pend Oreille River. Turns out it is a town named after the falls that were covered when a dam was built there. So, for the third time I am rooked out of taking photos of waterfalls on this trip. Oh well. We go to the Visitors’ Center, which is an attractive once-a- boxcar building sitting on a great lawn with trees and flowers all around.
We read about the history of the area, which is quite interesting.
On the way back to the campground, we stop at the Mill Pond Historical Site on Sullivan Creek and look at the kiosks. There are many photos of the area showing the dam that was built on Sullivan Creek, forming a large mill pond and another dam built at the outlet of Sullivan Lake, raising the level of the water by 40 feet.
The spillway below us is quite a dramatic falls, and although not natural, it is the closest I’m getting to a big waterfall to photograph on this trip.
Back at camp, I sit in the shade with Clifford, playing the flute while he reads. As the shadows grow longer, I build a campfire and write in my journal by the warmth of the flames. We make nachos for dinner using the last of the ingredients, and the cooler is almost empty. Good timing, as we will be home tomorrow.
Wednesday September 17: We’ve enjoyed our brief stay here by Sullivan Lake, but pack up after breakfast and head south and then east on I-90, arriving home by late afternoon.
It was a great trip; I am grateful that we had the opportunity to visit Canada, and I look forward to exploring more of that beautiful country next summer.