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The Fertile Lands of Kettle Falls
I Left Sandpoint in my rear view mirror and as I drove away, the energy shifted much like a dark cloud lifting. The heaviness I had been feeling gave way to a lighter, happier feeling.
View from Doug’s Property My next stop was Kettle Falls, Washington where I lived a year after my husband disappeared, back in 2011. Even though I was processing through a lot of emotional and physical pain at this time, as I was also in recovery from Lyme Disease, I experienced the community as being very healing and nurturing. Returning there always reminded me of why I came to live here in the first place. It’s very beautiful, with the Columbia River, Lake Roosevelt running through the area. There is a part of my spirit that always
feels “home” here.I spent two days with a friend who is a bee keeper and lives in the nearby town of Marcus. His place is perched above the river with views of the Columbia filtering through the trees. The weather was perfect and the gardens and orchards were in bloom. It was the heart of summer!
My van was parked in Doug’s driveway under a tree and it was a truly beautiful campsite, with a truly beautiful friend.
Doug is a 67 year old man who bikes some 500 miles at a time in Spain every Winter on trails such as the Camino De Santiago, and some less traveled, less popular trails. He also goes to Bee Keeping events all over the world in places like Ethiopia and Nicaragua. He is a Master bee keeper and has bees located all over the Kettle Falls and Colville area pollinating the orchards and producing an abundance of honey. He grows a beautiful organic garden and cooks the most delicious plant based meals. I always learn a little about Bee Keeping when I am there. It is much more complex then I had realized. Quite an art, actually. I have such a profound respect for the bees.
While in the area, Doug took me to visit a friend of his who produces Hydrosols out of distilled herbs. Hydrosol is the water created from the herbs that are commonly used in skin care products. Essential oils are a bi-product. The day I was there he and his wife were distilling lavender in three very large copper pots and it smelled so wonderful. Their process was very pure and dedicated to a very high-quality product. It was an educational opportunity.
There is a bald Eagle in the center of this tree, to the upper right of the trunk. Can you see it? Next, we went to a very large Game Reserve in the mountains and drove the long gravel road through the most beautiful Country. We didn’t see much game, other than deer, but saw the most beautiful nature, lakes, ponds and valleys. We found a camp spot perched above a lake in the mountains with lush green valleys and tall pine trees and there wasn’t a soul there. There was a bald Eagle perched up on a tree branch next to the lake and as we were observing it, it spread its expansive wings and lifted into the sky, soaring across the valley.
We got a flat tire, driving on all the gravel roads but made it back to town to get it repaired at Les Schwabs. We walked the little town of Colville while waiting for the repair and then headed over to another friends orchard where she was harvesting organic apricots. Kristine was a beautiful young woman of 28 and as vibrant and energetic as anyone I’ve met. She bought the orchard a year ago without any real knowledge or experience, but a strong passion to learn. The orchard didn’t have working irrigation and hadn’t been watered in years. Upon purchasing the orchard Kristine contacted Doug to see if he would bring some bees out to the orchard. This was part of Doug’s business as the bees pollinate the orchard helping it to produce an abundant crop. She then asked Doug if he would mentor her in the art of bee keeping. With the bees, and hand watering, the crops were thriving. She had apricots, peaches, cherries, pears and apples, but it was apricot season and the apricots were delicious. I got to take some with me. As we were there, U-pick customers stopped by filling their bags for fifty cents a pound. Kristine and her Mom were busily picking apricots for the Saturday markets the following day. What beautiful, ambitious people. I really enjoyed meeting them.
Lake Roosevelt / Columbia River One thing I long ago realized about the Kettle Falls area. The world could go to hell in a handbasket and these people would not only survive but likely thrive. They were hard workers and produced a lot of food and products. It was an amazing experience to be here again, to visit old and new friends and enjoy the harvest.
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Welcome to Sandpoint
I found my way to Sandpoint, Idaho, one of my favorite places in the world, with tall mountains and a very large deep water lake that makes me think more of a Bay than a lake. Some of the best hiking is in this area with tall pine forests and beautiful expansive views of Lake Ponderay. I was hiking between 5.5 and 6 miles a day, sometimes straight up hill.
I’ve lived near Sandpoint for many years and in some ways it is “like home” to me but it also brings up a lot of emotional energy that is coming to the surface to be healed and released. I was very near old memories and wounds and yet I was drawn here for a reason. To heal! Ironically, I have an appointment with my Lyme Disease Doctor while here. He specializes in the alternative diagnosis and treatment of Lyme Disease and was my “miracle doctor” when I was in the worse pain of my life. Now and then I have relapses and he helps me kick the healing back in.A series of events led me to delve a little deeper into my own emotional ups and downs and a deeper understanding of myself. I knew that this trip/journey was a spiritual journey for my own growth and expansion, but I wasn’t sure what I needed to expand in myself. Life seemed to bring a lot of lessons that had me learning how to roll with the punches and accept whatever happens on an external level. But my journey was becoming much less “external” and much more “internal” as the time passed by.
I haven’t had any further issues with my van since leaving Colorado. That was the first phase of my journey where there were a lot of external challenges. Ironically even as I was leaving Colorado, I lost my credit card at a gas station. I was hesitant to report it missing at first, thinking it might show up somewhere in my van, but it never did. I had this card attached to all the auto deductions for my business, and it would be a pain to replace, especially while traveling. Eventually I found my card. It wasn’t in my van. It was with someone who was planning on having a spending spree in Vegas. Fortunately, I get notified by email whenever there is a purchase on my card and I happened to be Online when the notification came in, so I immediately reported the card stolen and it closed my account down. Another “out there” experience.
The external issues began falling away and in its place the deeper emotional healing was on the table. As I walked miles in nature, everything would just flood to the surface and I experienced a lot of emotional highs and lows. I ended up having a psychic reading from a psychic medium who was visiting the area for a day. One of the first things he told me was that my deceased Father was a powerful guide in my life and traveling right along with me. His was the loudest voice of all my guides as he had an important message for me. The message had to do with some choices I needed to make for my well-being and highest good at this time. Ironically I had already made “the right choice” and my Father’s words were validation that I was listening.The psychic was actually very accurate and described my Father’s appearance and his approximate age, his love for water and even the way he died. My father also wanted me to know that he had a sense of adventure like I do.
Since this phase of my journey took me deeper into loneliness and a feeling of isolation, knowing I had an invisible traveling companion was helpful. The other validation I received in the reading was that this journey was indeed for my spiritual growth and there was a lot of emotional healing happening. There always seems to be a lot of emotional healing on the table. It has been my life path to embrace healing and to facilitate it. I learned long ago that a therapist can only take a client as deep as he/she has gone herself. The more we are able to face our own core wounds and develop the awareness of what lies deep beneath the surface, the more we can “see” the wounds in others and help them to heal.
As I travel around, camping in various campgrounds, I am constantly exposed to families, couples, and groups of friends, and it makes me feel more a lonely wanderer without a tribe. Most of the time, other than my contact with clients, I spend long hours in the world within, listening to the voices in my head and riding the various waves of emotion that stem from complete “awe” of the beauty that surrounds me, to deep sadness connected to my own isolation.
I picture myself as a monk on a mountain, just sitting in solitude for days, weeks, months and facing the inner demons that find fault with my existence. I suppose it is also like the story of Jesus in the desert, confronting Satan. When we spend a lot of time alone and in isolation, the dark forces see an opening, a weakness that it thinks it can exploit. That voice sometimes tries to convince me that my life isn’t worth living; it has no real purpose, and nobody really loves me or cares about me. I am truly alone!Sometimes it is a choice that I find myself alone in the world. I enjoy long periods of reflection and solitude. But sometimes those long periods seem to extend into eternity and I begin to feel I am an alien. I don’t belong here. I’m not like the “others.” There is no place I really fit in. I’m an outcast.
The one thing I have learned in life that is quite profound is….wherever I go, I’m still here. There is no reason to believe this reality will ever change. Whether I am in this physical body or floating somewhere beyond it, I’m still here! I still exist. The healing journey I am on urges me to find a deeper peace within myself and to foster a deeper sense of love and forgiveness for those who have rejected, hurt and betrayed me. Everybody is doing the best they can, with the level of awareness they are in. The more we face our darkness, the more light that surrounds us. Some people are attracted to the light, others fear it because it exposes the darkness within the Self.
In many ways I have felt more invisible on this leg of the journey. I fly under the radar and feel that I am rarely noticed at all. I’ve even noticed the friends who were contacting me on a consistent basis suddenly dropped out. Not just one friend; all of them. It became very quiet on the inside, although I was surrounded by a lot of activity. I spend my time in campgrounds where everyone is chopping wood, carrying water, busy as beavers going about their business of boating, swimming with the kids, barbecuing and taking their day trips. I am but another camper going about my business. And it may also be, that the deeper I go 
into my personal reflection, the less I notice them. I hear the sounds of boats on the water, children laughing and screaming, the pitter patter of feet, air mattresses being inflated, and vehicles coming and going. I smell the coffee, the fire, and the barbecue. I am aware of life going on around me. But I don’t pay much attention to it.In Colorado there was a lot more human connection. I made friends and enjoyed time with people along the way. I had a feeling of being more “visible” and embraced. But it was time to go. I felt it.
When I first arrived in Sandpoint, I took my van to a car-wash to clean the pitch that fell from the pine trees I was camped under in Whitefish. I was busy washing my van, trying to get the pitch off when a large truck with a boat attached pulled up behind me, waiting for me to finish. When I realized that I hadn’t pushed the right button for the soap, I went and flipped the switch and started scrubbing the area’s that had the pitch with the brush, and the man in the truck yelled out at me “Are you going around again?” I was a bit oblivious to his obvious distress that he was going to have to wait a little longer. I explained that I had pitch on my van and was trying to wash it off, it would be a few more minutes. He angrily jumped back in his truck, backed up and screeched out of the car-wash. Welcome to Sandpoint!
Several times I was returning to my Van and putting things away, getting food out, or whatever and someone pulled up behind me asking me “are you leaving?” Innocent question, I know, but when I explained that I would be a while, I often had the same reaction…”I wish she would just leave!” It was an opportunity for me to NOT take on other people’s intensity. Sandpoint is crazy busy in the summer. With that comes a certain amount of traffic, waiting, parking issues and difficulty finding a campsite. I got lucky with the campsite.
Each area that I travel to has different experiences and lessons to learn. Sandpoint has been the most emotionally challenging for me, so far. Perhaps it is the memories attached with this area, or perhaps it is the accumulation of over six weeks on the road living in my minivan; my little sleeping pod on wheels. But I will be leaving soon, over the Mountains to another place, other experiences. I will be visiting friends and family. That will be a nice break in the isolation.
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Eating on the Road
Eating out of the back of my Van is actually a pretty great way to travel. Since I don’t eat the Standard American Diet, I can’t eat at the majority of restaurants. I’m always on the lookout for restaurants that have “vegan options” for when I feel like a change, and I have found them everywhere I go.On the most part I keep my mini fridge stocked with fruits, vegetables, hummus, vegan cheese, almond or soy milk, and some dark chocolate for good measure. I have a dry cooler with my crackers, granola, coffee, tea, and a few other items.
Lately I have become aware that my kitchen setup is a source of entertainment at parks, visitors centers, rest stops and parking lots. I get out of my van as the back hatch auto lifts up, and I walk back and pull out my dish drawer, grab a bowl and spoon, pour some granola, slice up a banana, open my fridge and grab the blueberries and almond milk and add them, and then put them back in the fridge and proceed to eat my granola while passer byers are waving at me with a smile.
Often I just grab an apple or a bag of grapes and keep it simple. Sometimes I am in the mood to cook and other times I just eat fruit or vegan cheese and crackers (not so healthy a choice) or throw together a hummus wrap, which is a favorite quick food for traveling.
Today after a long hike, I pulled into a camp spot and threw together a hummus wrap with hummus, red pepper, vegan cheese, and a ton of arugula. Simple, but good.When I feel I want something really hardy I will make the a quinoa stir fry, potatoes and veggies, or something with beans, but I don’t feel the need to eat something that substantial on a daily basis.
I’m a big believer in fruit. I haven’t always been, because there has been so much negative press around fruit and what it does to our blood sugar. There are enough studies that show fruit is one of the most perfect foods for humans. It is very quick to digest, and it is a high-quality fuel for our bodies. What I have learned is that fruit, on the most part should be eaten alone and not with fat, because it is the fat that slows down the metabolism of the sugars from the fruit. On a food combining note, the fruit will also ferment in your stomach if it is sitting upon a heavy, fatty meal.
Although I love the combinations of fruits and nuts, it’s not ideal. Not together. It’s better to have them as separate meals. This way the body can fully utilize the sugars from the fruit for fuel without the fat from the nuts interfering with its digestion.
I do still add granola to my fruit, rather than fruit to my granola. But I know its not the best way to eat my fruit. But these are the kinds of compromises I make while traveling. I never eat granola at home. It just worked its way into my life during this trip, starting with a bag of home made granola from the Taos Farmers Market and is so satisfying to have with fruit for breakfast. It makes the fruit go so much further and I can hike for hours afterwards and feel very energetic. I think this is what is important; to feel that our food gives us the energy we need.
When They Have Vegan Cheesecake, I say YES!
I did a google search for Vegan Options in Sandpoint, Idaho and there wasn’t a lot there. I used to know of a Café, but believe it closed down. As I was walking down main street, I ran right into a Café that said “Vegan Cheesecake.” I was hungry and looking to have lunch. I ducked in and found that I was in a primarily Vegan Café. I was in heaven. I had their Greek Wrap and then went for a hike. But I had to come back later for the Vegan Cheesecake; because when they have Vegan Cheesecake, I say YES! KALE YES! -
A Down Day!
It’s time for a “Down Day,” a day where I take a break from the world of adventure, sit by the lake in my beach chair, and watch the boats and the trains go by.I find myself starring out over so many vista’s; lakes, rivers, waterfalls, mountains and canyons. I feel blessed to have this opportunity; to be in so many different places and see so many different faces; to enter these different worlds; to check in with my inner landscape and see what, if anything, is obstructing the beauty.
I get so very clear, what I like and what I don’t. I can learn to “embrace it all” but I don’t have to like it!
Matt Kahn, a favorite spiritual teacher says “Whatever Arises, Love That!” I’m not sure I can love whatever arises, but I can learn to embrace it and accept it. The loud rumble of the train at 3am, for example. I don’t know that I can “love that” but I can accept it as part of my experience here. The State Park is next to the tracks. So it is!
I also didn’t “love” tons of traffic at Glacier National Park, where every available spot is occupied, every place I go; where the trails are so congested, I spend more time dodging people than appreciating the beauty. And, after a two mile hike up hill, I arrive at a beautiful, pristine lake, in the mountains, only to find it looks more like a tourist beach in the City with families from Japan, India, Germany, France and all across the U.S.. It was a great cultural experience, for sure, but not really what I was looking for in a forest hike. The contrast makes me appreciate all the 
beautiful, quiet hikes I’ve enjoyed in solitude.I don’t have to “like” every experience, but, I can learn more about myself through them, and I migrate towards the experience I truly love.
Sometimes it is good to have a day of inactivity. It was a good day!
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Independence in Whitefish
It was perfect to arrive in Whitefish, Montana for the fourth of July, right after a big rain. Everything was fresh and clean and there wasn’t the concern about having fireworks they had in the Southwest.
My fourth of July was a great day. The weather cleared up overnight and we had a beautiful sunny day. I drove along Lake Whitefish to explore and found myself at a trailhead towards the end of the lake. Everyday is always a little bit better after having had a hike so I assembled my pack, grabbed my walking stick and headed out on the trail. There were a group of three women hiking right n front of me at a good pace and I just followed along. Soon they invited me to join them and we struck up a conversation, finding we had a lot in common in the area of exploring self love and spirituality.
We walked the two and a half miles to a beautiful little mountain lake and rested a while before making the trek back. It was such a nice surprise to meet these beautiful women and spend this time with them. Meeting new friends along the way is always a highlight of the journeyWhen I returned to camp, I cooked up some stir fry and quinoa for dinner and decided I would go to the City Park, on the lake, for the fireworks. The City had closed down several roads leading to the park and encouraged people to bike or walk. I got there early enough to find a place to park a few blocks away. I grabbed my low rise folding chair and walked the half mile to the beach. I positioned myself near the musician that was setting up to play and settled in for a long night of waiting for dark.
I realized this was probably the first time I have ever gone to a fireworks show alone. Yet on my “flying solo” journey I am doing most everything alone, most the time. I am always grateful for those moments where I connect with others, but the greatest goal is to connect with myself.I reached out to a friend in Bellingham whom I spent the fourth of July with two years ago, and told her I was thinking about her. She said she was thinking about me too. She was my host for the airbnb I rented for five weeks a couple years back and we became great friends. I told her I hoped to make it her way this summer and would love to see her. It was nice to connect.
After the fireworks, everyone from the beach got up and headed out to find their vehicles. It was good the roads were closed to traffic because the crowds took up the whole road moving out of there. I knew it would be gridlock traffic trying to get out, so when I got to my van, I crawled into the back, fired up my hotspot and watched a Matt Kahn video. It was a long video, over an hour, and by the time I was nearing the end, the traffic had completely cleared out. I drove back to camp, ten minutes away with barely a soul on the road. It was after midnight and I was grateful to crawl back in my cozy van bed and call it a night.Quinoa Stir Fry
Another quick, easy, healthy Recipe by Kaleah
For this dish, I just cut up some sweet potatoes, red onions, and mini bell peppers. I sauteed the sweet potatoes until soft and added in the onions and peppers. Meanwhile I cooked up a batch of quinoa on the other burner. I added tamari, turmeric, chipoltle seasoning, and pepper. I added the cooked veggies over the quinoa and “dinner is served.” Prep time, about twenty minutes, as the taters and quinoa both take about twenty minutes to cook.Keep in mind that I use what I have. If I had zucchini and mushrooms, I would have added them as well. Any veggies you like can be added. The next day I had some broccoli and mushrooms, so I used the leftover quinoa and cooked up red onions, peppers, broccoli and mushrooms. Another awesome meal.
