August 10-12, 2026 (Mon.-Wed.) – Critters, Crashes & Falls.

/ Ailments, Critters, Othello, Palouse Falls, Sunrises, Sunsets, Washington, Waterfall / By

August 10, 2026 (Mon.) - Critters.

Not much on the agenda today beyond unfinished chores and a whole lot of relaxing.

 

Lynn was up just before 7 a.m. Another nice morning — 66° with “moderate” air quality (AQI 75). She enjoyed her coffee as the sun lifted over the water, joined by a tiny green moth perched on her chair. Surprisingly beautiful, even for a bug.

 

Kirk surfaced around 9 a.m. and made breakfast in the RV. His main goals for the day: investigate the lingering water leak from a few days ago and double‑check our TT‑Leavenworth reservation, since the email didn’t match what we booked (amps, FHU, the usual mysteries). A quick phone call to TT (Thousand Trails) and all was good. Full hook-ups, 50 amp – all confirmed.

 

By 11:30, Kirk was outside clearing out the storage bay to hunt down the leak. The sun was out and the temperature climbing — 83° and warming fast. By noon he was finished… with the bay clean‑out, not the leak. Breaktime. Also known as naptime.

 

We had a late lunch in the RV around 1:30, post‑nap. The rest of the afternoon drifted by quietly — relaxing, blogging, chores, the usual slow‑day rhythm.

 

Just after 5 p.m., Kirk decided it was time to tackle the water leak again — naturally at the hottest part of the day. It was 90° out and he was working in a small confined space. I’m convinced he enjoys the torture of working in the heat. During his investigation he found another mouse, this one long gone and stuck to one of the glue traps. Most likely a stowaway from Pinedale, Wyoming last month. But at least he finally found the leak that tripped the alarm. Thankfully it was small and easy to fix.

 

Dinner was at The Beach House again. It’s nice having an on‑site restaurant on days when we’re just hanging out. We rode the e‑bikes over since it’s a bit of a walk — grateful for the wheels. Kirk ordered a steak, Lynn a burger. Both were just okay. We returned to the RV in time for another beautiful sunset and sat outside until the mosquitos chased us back indoors.

 

A slow, easy day… until 1 a.m., when Kirk was jolted awake by what sounded like a thump or footsteps on the gravel outside. So up he got — dressed, shoes on, out into the night. The culprit? The outdoor trash‑can lid flapping in the wind. Mystery solved!

 

An overall slow and quiet day. Not many pics today.

 

Weather – High 92*, Low 64*. Winds 7-10/18 mph. No rain. Slightly humid.

Traffic – None. Didn’t go anywhere.

Food – Nothing to report.

Notable – Dead mouse in the storage bay. Sunset.

Screen time – The Westies (series).

August 11, 2026 (Tue.) - Crashes.

Not much on the agenda today either. With the smoke and heat hanging over everything, there wasn’t much we wanted to do — but after yesterday’s chores, we had a few errands that couldn’t wait.

 

Lynn was up just before 7 a.m. By the time she finished her coffee outside and watched the sun rise, it was already too hot for a morning walk. Kirk was up just before 9 a.m., thanks to the loud people outside making sure no one slept in.

 

The rest of the morning was quiet: a light breakfast in the RV, Lynn tackling health tasks for her mom and a few lingering chores. By late morning we headed into Moses Lake to run errands — car wash, hardware store, groceries, and the bank. Kirk needed hardware to finish fixing the leak and wanted to stock up on more mouse traps, just in case.

 

By 12:30 p.m. we were at Lowe’s gathering supplies and picked up a few ears of corn from the stand outside — $1 per ear and worth every penny. After shopping, we stopped at Mom & Pop’s Diner for lunch. Kirk’s burger was very good; Lynn’s pulled‑pork sandwich… not so much. Next door to the diner was a German sausage store so of course we had to stop in and pick up a few brats and bacon.

 

By 2:30 p.m. we were back at the RV with hardware, groceries, a clean truck — and the realization that we forgot the bank entirely. Since everywhere around here charges 4% for credit‑card usage, we’ve been trying to use cash. Oops.

 

By 3:30 p.m. it was nap time. Lynn overslept — a full 2½‑hour nap — and woke up groggy, but at least Kirk already had dinner grilling: beef kabobs (pre‑marinated from Safeway) and the corn from outside Lowe’s. The corn was excellent — fresh, sweet, and easily the best part of the meal.

 

At 7:45 p.m., Kirk wanted ice cream. Off we went to the on‑site store on the e‑bikes. This is where Lynn crashed — literally. She hit a pocket of deep gravel leaving the site, the bike refused to cooperate, and down she went, the bike landing on top of her. A few scrapes on her left arm and leg, but miraculously the Costco leggings survived without a tear! As with any good fall, she got back up and kept going, even while thinking, “this is why I don’t ride a bike”. With Kirk’s constant encouragement — “you’ll only get better if you try” echoing in her head — she pushed on. This makes crash number three under his watch, LOL. Despite the tumble, we made it to the store, got ice cream (because ice cream fixes everything), and headed back. Cleaning the scrapes afterward burned, but again… ice cream fixes everything.

 

The rest of the evening was spent relaxing and watching The Huntsman, which was just okay. Of course, Lynn’s unlucky streak continued: when she went to shower, the water pressure had dropped again. Kirk’s quick fix — disconnecting part of the water system — brought the pressure back, but it’ll need a deeper look later.

 

A productive day, but one that didn’t end so well for Lynn. Kirk joked that we’ll have two e‑bikes for sale soon… but no, we’re not getting rid of them (this is already round two of e‑bike ownership). Ride and learn. Now she knows to avoid deep gravel.

 

And with the heat, errands, a bike crash, and one more water‑pressure mystery, the day finally wound down in its own chaotic, memorable way.

 

Weather – High 90*, Low 64*. Winds 7-10/16 mph. No rain, no humidity.

Traffic – None.

Food – Excellent fresh corn bought from a stand outside of Lowe’s.

Notable – Lynn’s bike crash.

August 12, 2026 (Wed.) - Falls.

The plan today was to explore something — anything! We leave tomorrow, and after a few slow, smoky, hot days, we were determined to find something to do. Nothing too strenuous, though; Lynn’s left leg was still protesting yesterday’s bike crash.

 

Lynn was up at 6:30 to a golden sunrise over the water, enjoying her coffee outside. The peaceful quiet didn’t last long. A woman walked by talking loudly on her speakerphone while walking her dog. Why people feel the need to use speakerphone and shout before 7 a.m. is a mystery. AirPods (or any other earbuds) exist. They work beautifully. Fortunately, a chilly wind kicked up and sent Lynn inside. It was only 62°, but it felt cold. At least the air quality was “moderate” (AQI 67). Good thing she went in — by 7:45 a loud excavator was digging up dirt right outside the campsite.

 

Kirk was up around 9. After a quick breakfast, we headed out around 11 to explore. First stop: Royal City, a nearby town we hadn’t visited yet. It’s about 30 minutes southwest of MarDon Resort. We drove the entire town in about three minutes. There wasn’t much there. We stopped for gas and moved on.

 

We ended up in Othello for lunch at Ironworks Café — mostly sandwiches. Lynn had a chicken wrap, Kirk a Greek pita. Both were okay, more veggies than meat. Lynn’s son called during lunch, so most of the meal was spent chatting quietly on AirPods.

 

Lynn found a waterfall to check out — Palouse Falls, Washington’s Official State Waterfall. It’s about an hour southeast of Othello, but at least it was something to see. Of course, our GPS decided to take us on a “shortcut” down gravel roads. So much for Kirk’s truck wash yesterday. A few miles (less than 10 minutes) of dusty nothingness later, the gravel road finally met up with the paved highway we could have taken. The shortcut saved us… two, maybe three, miles. The scenery along the way was striking, though: one side of the road blackened and scarred from fire, the other side bright with golden fields. A dramatic contrast. We reached Palouse Falls around 2 p.m., definitely in the middle of nowhere. Thankfully, a few scattered signs reassured us we were on the right path. The road leading to Palouse Falls State Park was gravel, so shortcut or not, the truck was destined to get dirty again. The entrance booth was unmanned, so it was the honor system to pay the $10 Discovery Pass fee at the kiosk.

 

Palouse Falls is a ~200‑foot waterfall in a basalt canyon carved by Ice Age floods — the last active waterfall remaining from the Missoula Floods 12,000–15,000 years ago. In 2014 it became Washington’s official waterfall thanks to a group of elementary school kids who noticed the state had a tree, bird, flower, gem, and even a dance… but no waterfall. They researched, wrote letters, and proposed Palouse Falls to the legislature. A state senator sponsored the bill, and it passed. A perfect example of kids noticing something adults overlooked.

 

The falls were beautiful — a dramatic drop into a carved canyon with interesting rock formations all around. The overlook is an easy walk from the parking lot. The lower area was closed, and since it was mid‑afternoon and hot, we didn’t linger long. We did spot a cute little mammal (marmot? squirrel?) hiding in the picnic‑area BBQ pits. Our route home (outside of the State Park) was entirely paved — no gravel shortcuts through the hills. Kirk’s truck wash was officially pointless; the truck was coated in dust again.

 

We were back at the RV by 4:30 after a quick gas stop at the Potholes General Store to top off. Ready to hit the road with a full tank tomorrow.

 

The rest of the evening was spent reviewing photos, having dinner in the RV, and relaxing. Lynn’s knee was throbbing, and her leg and elbow were still sore. The bruises are shaping up to be a lovely shade. LOL.

 

A simple day of exploring, dust, waterfalls, and one more reminder that gravel roads — and bike crashes — always leave their mark. 

 

Weather – High 88*, Low 62*. Winds 5-13/22 mph. No rain. No humidity.

Traffic – None.

Food – Nothing to report.

Notable – Palouse Falls.