First Fall at Hill's

Our usual visit to Hill's has always taken place in February, this year was different.

The Last President's

We arrived at about 1:15 PM and the cabin was warm and cozy. Usually we have to start a fire in the fireplace and wait as the combination of baseboard heat and the fire gets the room up to a comfortable temperature, but not this year.  I carry the massive load of items from the truck and Linda gets us settled in for the three days. 

Our truck was packed with everything you might need for a weekend in the snow.  Snowshoes, cameras, clothing, computers, tablets, table games, food and of course great quantities of drink filled the cab.  A large cooler rode in the back filled with refrigerator items. In all when we got all settled it took about a half hour.

Raina and Dean arrived at about 2:00 PM, they had about the same amount of necessities as we did, it took them less time to pack it in with the four of us laboring on it.

Bridget and Dennis arrived at about 4:00 PM; we all agreed that they had made great time.  Every year Bridget and Dennis are the last to arrive, it’s a tradition.

The sky was blue and we had a beautiful view of the Selkirk Mountains reflecting in the rippled waters of Priest Lake.  The mountain peaks appeared and disappeared as the clouds socked around them.  We were able to get some great photos as the sun set and the sky faded to dark.

Raina made dinner as the rest of us played with our electronics and talked about the happenings of the past year.  I mention the electronics because this year we had brought with us to the cabin, smart phones, Mac tablets, Droid tablets, laptops, point and shoot cameras, point and shoot DSLRs, Garmen GPS units and a solar panel to charge them.   We were so tech-ed out that we really didn’t need to talk to each other the entire weekend.

Dennis and I had brought the same new cameras, so we played with them all the time trying to figure out the settings and buttons.  Bridget either had a iPad or her Mac laptop opened as she chatted.  Raina, Dean and Linda kept us grounded and only used the technology if they had a question that could be Googled or viewed on a map. 

We had a great time reminiscing past visits and catching up with the past year.  Raina made dinner, tacos and such.  After dinner Dennis and Dean brought out the maps and scanned them reliving past camps and hunts.  The rest of us played a table game called Qwirkle, it was a fun evening.

Morning came and went quickly.  The weather had changed and we were seeing a bit of snow out the window.  At about noon talk turned to the Gonzaga game and everyone but Dennis walked up to the main lodge and commandeered front row seats.  The game was good and the Zags won, the broadcast was a bit odd because the sound was 4 seconds in front of the action.  You would hear a whistle and then 4 seconds later see the foul.

After the game we hiked back to the cabin and settled in for the evening.  Bridget had given Dennis instructions on putting the meal together and so when we returned she only had to do a few final touches and put it in the oven.  She had prepared a Greek shrimp recipe that she served over rice.  It was phenomenal!

After dinner everyone gathered at the table and Bridget readied the second annual Tim Tam Slam dessert.  If you want to know more about this experience, check out last year’s event.  Once everyone had slammed, or watched a slam, we played an all-inclusive game of Qwirkle.  The evening ended and everyone retired as the fire burned down to embers.

Morning came and we all started discussing next year’s events.  With Linda retiring the events of the past will no longer need to happen as they did in the past.  Her teaching required that we travel and such when she had a day off or a break from school.  Net year we will be able to go any time we want.

Another factor involved is that we will be in Mexico next year during these dates.  We decided that we still want to meet up at Hill’s but changed the date to late October.  After almost 20 years of going to a cabin somewhere on President’s day this will be our last winter gathering.  It is sad and exciting at the same time.  Until next October!  



This Sucks

Tim Tam Slam… ever done one? You need several items to make it happen:  hot coffee or chocolate, frozen Tim Tams, and someone who can connect to the internet to find directions and videos is mandatory.  It was our annual President’s Day weekend trip to Hill’s Resort and the usual suspects arrived.  Rania and Dean had the fire started and the cabin warm when we joined them a 1:30 PM.  Bridget and Dennis were a bit farther behind, but they joined us by 7:30 PM.

The Tim Tam thing came up when Bridget announced that she had brought some Tim Tam cookies that she had bought in Canada.  It seems that these sweet treats have found their niche via a cult-like following.  We gathered around the kitchen table as Bridget researched the techniques involved in doing a slam correctly. 

You take a frozen Tim Tam and bite off the two opposite ends.  With a hot steaming cup of coffee sitting in front of you, you grasp the Tim Tam and bite off a bit from each end, and then suck the coffee through the entire cookie.  As the coffee filters through the cookie, it melts the caramel candy in the middle.  As you continue to suck, the hot liquid moves through the chocolate.  It all collapses and you stuff the remaining candy into your mouth.

Bridget was the first to test the slam and was very successful.  My slam was a bit of a failure.  I didn’t fill the coffee cup full enough and when I reached in to suck I dropped the cookie into the hot liquid.  Everything immediately turned to mush and I was forced to fling the cookie into my mouth without the coffee nudge.

My Tim Tam Slam was a complete failure, but the the cookie was excellent and I was able to drink my coffee without spilling down my front.

During the weekend we talked and laughed and on Saturday actually got outside and did some snowshoeing.  We had about three inches of fresh snow on the trail that was groomed for cross country skiing and snowshoeing, which made the event quite fun.

Later that evening after the Gonzaga basketball team lost, we had a wonderful dinner prepared by Bridget. 

Snowshoeing fun on the ski trails at Hill's.

Dinner and Red Solo Cups!

Side note:

On Sunday morning a parade of guys marched past our cabin.  Each one had a mask of determination across their face. The march was the result of a combination of alcohol and machismo.

They gathered on the dock, counted to three and jumped in the freezing cold water.  It took only seconds and they were out and running back to the warmth of their cabin.  Wish I could have had the foresight to sneak over to their living quarters and lock their doors! 

Is it Sixteen Years?

Another year and yet another Hill's Resort gathering has passed, but the memories and photos will now live on in our blogs, photo galleries and hazy memories. It was another great year with abundant food and lots of laughs. The weather was superior with sunshine each day. We couldn't have asked for a more perfect weekend.

It all started Friday with a clear sky drive up to Priest Lake. Linda and I left early enough to get up to the cabin before folks arrived. We like to get the wood in and a fire started so that the place is warm when the rest of the crowd gathers.

We unpacked the truck and as Linda was putting things away, I filled the wood rack. Raina and Dean arrived just as Linda was starting the fire which signaled the start of laughing and of course drinking.

Bridget and Dennis had been in contact and we knew that they would show up sometime between our arrival and the end of the weekend. They were on Hill time and no one can ever predict their actual appearance time.

The fire was going strong when the phone rang signaling that Bridget and Dennis were either lost or had actually found their way to the resort and couldn't remember which cabin we always stay in. It turned out to be the latter and within minutes they appeared at the door.

With the cabin warm and everyone present we settled in picking up where we left off last year, laughing and teasing each other. Bridget set upon the task of preparing dinner as the rest of the grouped drank margaritas, wine and a couple beers.

The dinner was outrageous! She fixed a Greek salad and some other Greek type main dish that centered around shrimp that we tossed over rice. We ate facossa bread with the meal and when we were all finished she brought out the most gorgeous home made apple pie any of us had ever seen. This pie was beyond belief. Thick light brown crust covering layer upon layer of apples baked so nicely that they still were just a wee bit firm when bitten. Then to top it off they added vanilla ice cream, we were in hog heaven.

After we licked our plates clean, Bridget broke out one of her new games. I am not sure what it was called, but it was based on identifying shapes on cards that, when put together, fulfilled a set of criteria that Bridget had interpreted and written on four, very small and delicately fashioned paper towel pieces. These intricate criteria sheets became the focus of much of our teasing for the rest of our stay during the weekend. It was so Bridget.

We played several rounds of the game and each time a sequence of cards was produced, Bridget would make sure that the three cards met her set of rules, matching each paper rule sheet to the cards every time they were displayed. This went on until everyone was exhausted and we all wandered off to bed.

Saturday morning arrived with blue skies and cold sharp winds. We ate breakfast and then loaded up our snowshoes for a hike around the local golf course. We took two rigs and proceeded to circle the golf course several times looking for a place to park and embark on our trek. Finally we stopped on the side of the street, parked and donned our snowshoes, we walked the exterior of the golf course playing like children as we went. It was a very fun adventure.

We returned home and had a bit of free time before the Gonzaga basketball game. When tip off arrived we loaded into the rigs again and drove the three blocks to the restaurant and bar at the main lodge. The girls smuggled their margaritas and popcorn into the bar where we watched the Bulldogs smother the Dons in an exciting yet one sided game.

Once the game was over we drove the three blocks back to our cabin and settled down to have a great taco dinner provided by Raina and Dean. It was late by this time so we ate and teased Bridget until we were ready for bed.

Morning came quickly and everyone was eager to pack up and get on the road. Raina and Dean headed up to Bonners to visit Raina's family. Linda and I drove back to Post Falls where we unloaded and then reloaded the truck so that Linda could drive down to Moscow to visit her Mom and Dad. Bridget and Dennis were lounging in the cabin when we left, once again on Hill time.

President's Day at Hill's Resort

As we drove home on Monday, I asked Linda how many times we had gotten together on the President’s Day weekend. She couldn’t answer me. It all started way back when at the Western Pleasures Guest Ranch; four couples, two cabins and a lot of food and drink. That was well over fifteen years ago. Some of the faces have changed; I think Linda and I are the only originals. Rob and Julia Caldwell would have been in this group also, but Rob didn’t join us this year. The original participants that returned this year were, Julia Caldwell, Raina Weyen, Linda and I. Over the years we have added Riana’s husband Dean, Bridget Hill and Dennis Schotzko, which rounded out the group for this year’s stay.

The events for this year were way different from our last Hills Resort adventure. The weather was totally opposite the weather last year. Just check out the blog post from that trip and you will see about three feet of snow on the ground, bright sunny skies and a bunch of folks snowshoeing. This year there was no snow and lots of rain. We did have a few hours of blue sky on Saturday afternoon when we arrived, but that was short lived.

This gathering was a food fest like all the rest of the times we have met. As noted events go, everything took place indoors beside the crackling fire. The first evening was filled with catching up. We found out that we were in the presents of the Kendrick Women’s Garden Club President. Raina had clawed her way to the top of that highly competitive club. Gaining that new social status had opened many doors among Kendrick’s blue bloods and Raina taken advantage of this to its fullest. She went on telling stories of High Teas and even explained all the nuances involved in how to make the proper cup of tea. We learned that all tea comes from the same plant. I was plum befuddled to think that it would take a huge plant to produce all the tea in the world. Imagine how back woods I felt when Raina said “not a single plant, a single species”; I had to go look up species before it was completely clear.

Later after walks and drinks Bridget broke out the guitar and the four beauties sang our favorite songs as we snacked and rested. I made a video that I placed on YouTube, I highly recommend you follow that link and enjoy their sweet sounds.

On Sunday night we played several hundred rounds of a game called Buzz Word. My take on the game was that you have this contraption that gives you a word or set of words, and you have to tell a story that explains the word without using the word so that others can figure out the given word from your story. I felt that the more details in your story the better chance that my team would get the correct word. It worked great; I felt that my team won the most rounds.

It was a great fun filled weekend and we really enjoyed seeing everyone. Next year I hope to be able to bring a Karaoke machine up so that we can get some video to black mail the ladies with. It is always nice to have something to hold over on them when you want to go fishing.

#236

The view from the front window doesn't change much from one year to the next, maybe this year the lake is frozen more, but that is a subtle difference. The pine and cedar boughs still frame the vista, snow in foreground followed by the white ice covered water, then the islands and finally the Selkirk Mountains. I can't remember how many years we have been coming up to these cabins at Hill's Resort. I'll check last year's blog post when we get reconnected to the web; I think I figured how many times we have been here in that past entry. The point is that even though it has been 365 days since we last looked out these windows, there is so little change, there have been great personal changes in our group and in the world over the last year, but our little cabin retreat has not changed much.

Yes, the couch is new and we have discovered that the pots and pans are different, but let's look at our group and note those changes. Raina has married Dean Weyen and so we are meeting her new husband for the first time. Bridget is dating Dennis so she no longer is the single person in attendance, which to her was always a bit of an issue. Rob and Julia could not attend this year; we'll blame that on Rob's new Magistrate Judge-ship, just because we like to tease him about all the attention he is getting in that new position. Each year this trip brings together a little different group, but each year it is always a fun and relaxing retreat from the February doldrums.

We started gathering at about 1:00 PM. Linda and I checked into the Resort and as we loaded up to go to the cabin we ran into Raina and Dean. They traveled up from Kendrick, leaving at 5:00 AM. As they walked to the cabin we drove the truck over and parked to unload. The next half hour was filled with a flurry of activity. We started the fire in the fireplace, organized the food, settled into the rooms and of course started drinking. We received a call from Bridget and within an hour and a half Dennis had escorted Bridget to Hill's without getting her usual speeding ticket.
As the light of the day turned to dark, we sat in the warmth of the cabin and proceeded to get to know our new friends. Bridget cooked a wonderful Greek shrimp dinner which she served with a green salad and foccocia bread. Toasts were made and we laughed and talked.

At 8:00 PM I walked to the bar and watched the Zags game. Sitting in a bar, sober, with a bunch of drunken people around you is a very interesting thing to do. The straight shots that some folks can consume is somewhat unnerving. The only thing I hoped was that they were staying at the resort and not driving on the highways. Gonzaga was winning, but I left at half time because they were not playing well. It seems that the Zags just can't get it together this year and dominate; they just squeak by.

Back at the cabin we all talked till about 9:30 PM and then, one at a time turned in and went to bed.

Reversing the pattern from the previous night we all woke up. We ate breakfast and put on our hiking gear. We snowshoed for about an hour, hiking over the frozen lake and then returning via a lakeside hiking trail. We were out hiking for about two hours and when we returned we ate and most of us took naps. Our dinner was prepared by Raina, we had enchiladas and salad. It was "gooder" because we cooked it with the top cracked open a bit.

After the great meal we sat around the fire place talking and laughing. It was a lot of fun getting to know everyone. We stayed up just a bit longer than the previous night.

Monday morning everyone was up and packing very early. Raina and Dean left first and headed to Sandpoint to visit Raina's sister. We got our truck loaded and left about an hour later. Bridget and Dennis were headed to Sandpoint also, but since we left before them their departure time is a mystery. I think Linda is planning next year's visit already. I'm sure she has secured our cabin; it wouldn't be the same if we didn't get #236.

"That's when I came to love the Badger."

I doubt that when Presidents Day was established, it was established so that we could gather together, eat, drink and talk about how our President is not very bright. Well that is what we did up a Hills Resort on Priest Lake. Saturday morning Linda and I loaded up the truck and drove up to Hills. We arrived at about noon and had a fire going, warming the cabin, in about fifteen minutes. I filled the wood bin and by the time we had settled in, Rania and Terry arrived. Shortly there after their phone rang and Bridget checked in, followed by a call from Julia and Rob. It looks like everyone is going to make it for the weekend.

The first order of business was booze. Linda tossed together Margaritas using tequila, beer, lime aid and a dash of Grand Marnier. So let the party begin! Rob and Julia arrived just a bit after Bridget and things started to roll. Raina placed the dinner in the oven and we whipped up another batch of blender magic. There is warmth a log fire provides, our new cabin was set up differently from the past cabins and we all agreed that it was more comfortable.

The enchilada dinner was fantastic and when we pushed away from the table everyone was full. We cleared the table and got ready for a hard fought game of liars dice. Bridget brought the dice and taught everyone the rules of play. I had an advantage over everyone due to my nightly games that were played on a trip down the Grand Canyon. As we shook and played, we all found out who the liars were. It came down to WSU vs. Idaho, one on one. Julia and I shook our final die. It couldn’t have worked out better for me, I rolled the wild card single. Julia had to make the call and when she did it left me with the win. It was a lot of fun. A late desert of cheese cake was served. We dribbled chocolate and berry juice over the top and gobbled it down. We were all tired and everyone started turning in just after 9:00 PM.

One by one we started getting up; the smell of coffee filled the cabin. Bridget started making breakfast. Canadian bacon, pancakes, and eggs were on the menu and no one hesitated to partake. As soon as we finished eating and cleaned up everyone started getting ready to go snowshoeing. We loaded up the truck and Bridget’s car and drove out to the road leading to the Beaver Creek campground. It was quiet when we arrived and we put on our gear. As soon as we were ready to leave about fourteen snowmobiles pulled up and filled the air with exhaust and broke the quiet of the morning with the screams engines.

The machines left the area and we snow shoed for about an hour. The path we took lead off the road and we ran across some deer. I had forgotten the camera on the fender of the truck and had to split from the group to pick it up

before some one came along and took it. The rest of the group kept hiking and circled around through the trees and back to the road. We met up and continued for another half hour and then returned to the vehicles and drove back to Nordmen where we bought some ice cream.

Back at the cabin Julia started making her chili and we all settled in for some nice well deserved naps.