Moscow, Spokane, Walla Walla, and Pasco

       I think most trips begin with mixed emotions, and this one was no different.  I was so anxious, I woke up at 5am on the Monday of my departure and couldn’t go back to sleep so I settled for a cup of coffee and a gym run, then I was off!  Sad, excited, nervous, hesitant, fearful, joyful, and celebratory as I left McCall it was all very overwhelming but soon forgotten because the smoke on the drive to Moscow was so thick I could smell it and it made my eyes water.  I was afraid the road might suddenly be closed because the fire was so close, but I learned from the flagger woman in Riggins all the smoke was coming from somewhere over by Lucile….where ever that is…and I got through with no problems.

       Upon arriving in my stomping grounds, I did a little reliving my college days for the next 24 hours, where I met up with some of my sorority friends Megan and Meredith.   Both on the verge of graduating, and ready to be out of school we chatted it up while giving Charlie a tour of the campus and ate lunch at the Moscow Co-Op.  It was fun to see again and I was reminded how pretty Moscow is in the fall.  I later met up my friend Jack who graciously allowed me to crash at his place for the night where we made quesadillas at 11pm and visited while I admired his bachelor pad ;)                                                                                  Yup, sounds like college!  The next morning I woke the poor guy up way to early and drug him to coffee at my favorite cafe on earth (Bucers) where I enjoyed a latte and a warm bran muffin before zipping off to Spokane, WA. 

       The seemingly large homeless population, graffiti, and paint peeled building rightfully earn the city its nickname, Spocompton.  I would not say Spokane is a lovely place in any sense of the word, but one of my best and oldest friends, Kyler, was recently promoted at work and relocated to the scrubby Washington city, so the company was greatly enjoyed and the town endured. We went for a long run along the Centennial Trail which goes some 40 miles all the way to Cour ‘d Lane and along the river.  Although we did not go the full length (obviously!) we did manage to get our hands on some of the best pizza ever at a little place called “The Flying Goat”.  They do deliciously unique thin crust pizza that is just right size to split and the outside seating is excellent due to the large fireplace in the middle of the patio. 

       I was able to meet an old college friend for lunch on Wednesday who is now a 5^th grade teacher at a nearby private school. Such a grown up job!!! And it fits her like a glove so it was great to catch up after so much time!

       Sadly the drive to Walla Walla was not quite as smooth as the previous legs.  I quickly discovered that I am not good with on-ramps, off-ramps, and freeway junctions.  I can’t seem to speed up or slow down fast enough and jam the gears in poor Stella until she screams while much honking ensues.  Luckily no accidents resulted dues to my lack of driving experience, but many glares were cast in my direction.  In my defense, a person could almost drive down Main St. McCall with their eyes closes and no harm would come to them…it’s a bit different out here in the real world… 

       Arriving in Walla Walla was a bit of a shock.  I drove through 3 hours of scabland and wind farms before I checked my GPS to see how close I was.  It says I will arrive at my destination in approximately 10 minutes.  Oh no!!! That can’t be right! I am in the middle of nowhere! Did I enter the wrong address?! How can this lovely town that I’ve heard so much about possibly be here?!  Sure enough, 10 minutes later Walla Walla rises out of the nothing and within seconds I am driving through the lush green campus of Whitman College wondering who the hell would have put this stunning town all the way out here.  I met my darling cousin Robbie for lunch at a sandwich place called Graze.  Packed with boys from fraternity rush, it was a tiny bustling place downtown serving enormous-wiches for far too cheap and complementing its local grounded feel with recycled paper liners and wicker chairs.  It was right up my alley and the jalapenos on my veggie torta burned my lips for the next two hours.  It was perfect.  After lunch Robbie gave Charlie and I a tour of his fraternity house Tao Kappa Epsilon after which we left him to study for his upcoming calculus test while Charlie and I wandered the all over the campus and up main street.  It is a marvelously laid out campus with spectacular vegetation and water works.  Some hipster with a milk crate strapped to his bike stopped me on the street and said Charlie and I get the award for best dressed in town (not in a creepy way mind you).  I laughed and said that I quite the compliment since I made my dress and he said to keep up the good work and pedaled away.  So dear guy on the bike, even if you are totally full of baloney, thank you.  You made my afternoon.

       After Walla Walla we piled in the car and were off to Pasco, WA to visit my old friend Katherine, who lives in the cutest house I’ve ever seen with her two roommates.  Her and her friend are in the process of starting a tween clothing line called William and Leora (hope I spelled that right) and are creating their first collection as we speak.  I got a sneak peek and of coarse all that I saw was adorable.  Way to go girl!!!
       While waiting for her to get off work on Thursday I found a hot yoga studio downtown and took my first class ever.  Let me tell you, when they say “hot yoga”, they’re not kidding.  The room is heated up to some ungodly temperature and the instructor leads the class through 26 postures designed to open and cleanse every muscle, joint, and organ in the body.  Sounds a bit hoakey? It could be.  All I know is that I was so sweaty all I could think about was not getting it in my eyes and mouth.  But I did feel very good after a shower and food so maybe it does work.  Who would’ve thought.  Anywho after a jog along the river the next morning Katherine helped me reorganize my trunk and I was off to Seattle! 

Last Entry from McCall!!!

        Oh Boy!! Well the time for departure is drawing near...too near! The car is packed  and Charlie is ready.                                                  

                                                          I've taken care of all my business and done all my preparation shopping.  I've said my good byes multiple times and taken two car loads to the thrift so I guess that means I'm ready right....I hope so....

         Australian Aborigional tribes have a tradition called a "walkabout".  The idea behind it is that a boy leaves the tribe for a time and returns a man.  He follows the footsteps of his ancestors and “finds himself” on his own in the outback.  The other day this term, walkabout, was tugged out of the dungeons of my memory (probably from my middle school world history class) by my stepfather John. He had casually refered to my road trip as “my walkabout”.  I thought it was silly because I am not a young man nor do I intend to retrace the footsteps of anyone I know, but the more I thought about it, the more the term really grew on me.  I realized even though I intend to enjoy myself and have a lovely time, there will be difficulties along the way.  I may get lost or in a bind or breakdown or a million other things, but I suppose that is why they call it an adventure!  

        By nowI seem to have gone through all the stages: excited, anxious, fearful, nervous etc… Here I sit the night before totally terrified, thinking to myself, “Why am I doing this? I must be loosing my mind. This is one of the worst ideas I’ve ever had! I’ll probably be home penniless and homesick in a week!”  This is the part of me that fears change coming out.  It’s nagging but part of the process all the same i suppose, while at the same time my careless side is saying, “Oh please!!! This is so not that big of deal! People drive everyday. Don’t be such a worrier; this is gunna be great!”  And so goes the argument…..ummmm…..self, could you please make up your mind? Like soon?!

            My wonderful friends threw me a going away party last Sunday and I was a real hoot. They brought a huge platter of sushi (which we devoured) to a pick-nick area near town and  Katie made me a cake! The evening was full of much eating and laughter, after which Charlie was exhausted! I will miss my lake and summer fun but am trying to remind myself that winter is not as much fun haha so I won’t miss it as much. 

And so my “walkabout” finally begins.....

Stanley, Gardening, and Road Tripping!!

        Well, I apologize for being so terribly overdue on my latest entry and I’m sure you all have just been dying to know what is happening in the magically mysterious and murderously melancholy life of Madison MacNichol!! Haha just kidding everything has just been so hectic I haven’t even had time to sleep properly much less write! But we just can’t have that, and as we know time is always made for the things that matter.  Prepare yourselves for a painfully long and dull account of  my life’s latest details ;).  

       So here I sit in the very late afternoon in Stanley, Idaho on the porch at the ranch while Grandfather reads The Economist, madly typing away before my free time gets bulldozed by supper.  I was able to get out of McCall for a few days for my yearly trip to this part of my grand state and have enjoyed it immensely.  There has been much walking, running, hiking, photo taking, chatting, laughing, and eating (naturally).  

       Charlie and I went for a hike up Williams Creek which was very lovely but I was terrified the whole time I would meet a bear, which I never did thank goodness! The little one hiked the whole way and chased at least 87 squirrels after which he was so exhausted he could barely keep his eyes open poor guy.   

       One afternoon Neil and I rented a paddle boat at Redfish Lake and had ourselves a nice little lunch on the water. 

Charlie was skeptical but I convinced him to get on board with bits of ham from our lunch. Then that evening Grandfather read to us after dinner.                    It reminded me of how in must have been in Little House on the Prairie or back when he was younger and made me wish it was still a regular occurrence.  He read the poem "Dangerous Dan McGrew" (….and there he lay dead and pumped full of lead, the Dangerous Dan McGrew….) which is a gruesome tale of a ruffian shot in a bar over a prostitute. lol I really enjoyed it. 

       Also probably one of the most exciting aspects of the trip was Little Miss. Carter!  My cousins new baby and the newest edition to the family and cute as a button.  Hard to believe but she only cried a little when I got to hold her.  She is the best behaved baby I have ever encountered (granted I haven't encountered many) and I cannot wait until she is old enough to call me Auntie Madi and I can teach her dirty words in Spanish! hehe just kidding Sara…kinda…;)  

       Neil and Steve have been feverishly rebuilding the boys cabin at the ranch to make it into Doug’s Cabin and they have really just done a fabulous job! Uncle Roland pitched in to get it all done in time and here are the boys having a celebratory beer in front of the finished product.  It looks great and I an very excited to see what it looks like when all the furniture is moved in! Nice job boys! You are the bomb(s)! :D  

       After Stanley I spend a day in Hailey/ Ketchum, Idaho shopping with Mom, eating the yummiest food imaginable and visiting with my Aunt Kelly and Uncle Mike who live there.  Here are the three of us girls having dinner at CK's.  YUM!!! 

        All this traveling and family visiting really got me thinking about how lucky I am to be part of such a wonderful family and a beautiful place.  I believe in every person’s blood there runs a bit of soil.  A bit of earth that reminds them where they are from and of those who love them.  This bit of soil plays a role in their lives however small and no matter how far they wander from it.  Some may deny it, or miss it, or fear it, or fear for it but regardless it will continue to flow within them until the end of time.  This is where my soil comes from.  It is dark and healthy and strong like the people it produces and it never ever ceases to amaze with all its bounty.  From it grow the great Rocky Mountains, pines as far as the eyes can see, and a plethora of wildlife. This is my Father’s and my Grandfather’s land and if I can get out of my own way long enough to listen, I can hear it speaking to me through the birds and the wind and the river.  I am of this land.  Good bye 'till next summer Stanley....

      Also, it was my birthday on the 11^th of this month and to celebrate Mom and I took the kayaks out on the river with the pups.                                          Being the thoughtful overprotective mother that she is, she went out and bought all the dogs life vests in case of a Chihuahua overboard incident.  Naturally Charlie bailed off the front of the kayak not ten feet from the shore and lucky for me those vests have a nifty handle on the back for easy retrieval.  It was a blast and even though Charlie was embarrassed to wear such a silly thing in public everyone we met thought he was a stud muffin.   I personally think it's more of a moral hazard really, I mean what’s to stop him falling in if he knows for certain he won’t drown? :P 

       Anywho after kayaking we went out for sushi and called it a day.  It was delightful. Thanks Mama for taking time off to spend my special day in style, love you!  

       On a side note my garden is doing wonderfully!  Look how much is has grown! We had a few casualties in the beginning but now all is going strong.  I even got my first harvest of spinach and swiss chard the other day and it tasted heavenly!  Also upon closer examination I noted two of the tiniest zucchinis you ever saw and very adorable infant head of broccoli!  Soon I expect I’ll be eating more veggies than my fridge can hold!  

       OK now for the big moment you've all been waiting for! Below are the dates I will be visiting everyone on my road trip! Yahoo!!! Finally!!  I tried to make it as accurate as possible but for those of you back East keep in mind I may, in reality, be late by or early by a day or two due to unforeseen circumstances (aka life). :D haha If anyone has and questions, comments, feedback, suggestions, or whatever just email or facebook me.  I picked Fall for my road tripping season not only because it is my all time favorite season but also because I figured most people would be at home then, but I for some reason you will be away when I am planning on coming or don't want me to come please also let me know that ;) Also please let me know if I will be able to stay with you or if I should get a hotel. No worries about entertaining me if you have work and such I don't want anyone stressing about having visitors I just want to see all your beautiful faces for as much time as you can spare!  Also I am going to have a traveling companion between Seattle and New Orleans so if your stop is somewhere in between there will be two of us.

So here you go:

Sept. 10- Depart McCall>Moscow to have lunch with Meredith Griffin>Spokane (Kyler Dreyer)

Sept. 12- Arrive in Walla Walla, Washington in time to take Robbie to dinner

Sept. 13- Arrive Seattle, Washington (Mary Hourihan)

Sept. 16-Arrive Portland, Oregon (Carter, Jenny, Jack MacNichol)

Sept. 22-Arrive Corvallis to spend day with Neil then to Eugene, Oregon

Sept. 23-Crater Lake

Sept. 24-Redwoods National Park

Sept. 26-Arrive Danville, California (Foster Family)

Sept. 30-Death Valley National Park

Oct. 2-Grand Canyon National Park

Oct. 5-Arrive Santa Fe

Oct. 8/9-Arrive Galveston, Texas

Oct. 10-Arrive New Orleans (Stephanie Campbell??)

Oct. 14/15/16-Savannah, Georgia and Charleston, South Carolina

Oct. 17-Arrive Jacksonville, North Carolina (Dusty and Nicole Brooks)

Oct. 24-Arrive Richmond, Virginia (Jessica Lewis)

Oct. 27-Arrive Washington DC

Oct. 30-Arrive Essex. Connecticut (Grammy and Grandfather)

Nov. 1-Train to New York City (Sally, Nick, Liz MacNichol)

Nov. 3-Train back to Essex, Connecticut (Grammy and Grandfather)

Nov. 5-Arrive Boston, Massachusetts (Caroline MacNichol and Kasey Olchitree)

Nov. 8-Arrive Portland, Maine (Hailey Johnston) 

**Sara and Steve Wellington, Megan and Kalen Pick, Terri and Roland MacNichol, Patrick Langan, Nicola and Casey McDaniel not to worry you will all be visited on the way back at some future date unfortunately to come see you would take me way out of my way and cost too much but I will make it up to you all I PROMISE!!!! I am deeply sorry :( Forgive me. 

      Whew! That was a lot to cram into one blog post! I am sorry I promise I will never make you all read so much in one sitting again ;) And as usual to end I have a pic of Charlie Bean.  It's not a goofy one this time though, rather I think it's quite breath taking.  I took this on one of our pre-breakfast walks at the ranch.  It was just about to rain on us so the sky looks heavy and thick.  I love this photo.  Hope everyone is doing very well and I look forward to seeing you all soon! Hugs and kisses to all!!! xoxoxo 

What Sizzles Like Summer??!!

       O my gosh well here we are half way through June already!!! I can hardly believe it! Summer is such a bitter-sweet time for us McCallians because we only get three months of lovely weather and most of us spend it working our bums off wishing we could enjoy it.  I do however love the warmth and the birds and all the general goings on around here this time of year.  For instance all the tourists come back (the people watching is spectacular), the ice rink sells home-made chocolate gellato, the lake warms up, and things really pick up at the bakery.  I was so excited because Stacey taught me how to make the perfect pies last week and we have been bustin' 'em out ever since!! Here they are along with some of our other goodies:

                   
Most people lose weight in the summer because of it being bikini season and all, plus the added hours or daylight allow for extra activities...haha not me, and now you know why!! YUM! ;)
      Also tis the season for graduation!!!! Of course as most of you know (because you were here) my little brother Neil graduated high school on the 2nd!! I am so so proud!
 Look how handsome he is in his spiffy red gown!! He has decided to go to Oregon State University in Corvallis, Oregon next year and already has his dorm all picked out.  We had a big graduation party for him and some of his buddies and a whole bunch of family came to town for the festivities.  I was so much fun seeing everyone and celebrating such a milestone with my little (not so much) Spud!!! Congrats dude, you made it!!! :D
       Also a few weekends ago Daddy's memorial was finished and there was a dedication ceremony.  The memorial is super cool with pavers, benches, a dog and person drinking fountain, freshly planted flowers, a clock pole, and a really nice plaque.  It's so great to see he was so loved in the community and I think he would really appreciate it.  Thanks to everyone who pitched in, you did a spectacular job!
 
                                                   
       Speaking of flowers and lovely things, another wonderful aspect of summer is the greenery!! Everything is so alive and lush this time of year that it inspired me to create some of my own.  So I planted a vegetable garden!! From left to right I have zucchini, cucumber, cauliflower, broccoli, red onion, swiss chard, beets, spinach, bell peppers, and habanero peppers OH MY!!!  So we will see how it goes and if I have a green thumb or not! I also planted a small herb garden for the kitchen so I can have fresh seasonings!  
                                                                  
       Also, last but certainly not least, I  started my CNA class this past week!  For those of  you who don't know, CNA stands for Certified Nursing Assistant.  Will I be a nurse someday? Who knows!... but I figure this is a good way to test the waters.  I have to wear maroon scrubs and sit in a classroom for 12 hours/week all summer but by the end I will CPR certified as well as able to work in a hospital helping make sick people better, which sounds pretty darn cool if you ask me! I am less than excited to have homework and lectures again, but so far it is super interesting and I am enjoying it immensely! This is the book we are using for class (just for a visual).

       Well I think that covers about everything....Life is getting crazy hectic with all that's happening around here but everything is going really well and road trip planning is underway!  I will try to get dates of when I am coming your way to everyone pretty soon so be on the look out!  Of course I will end with an ADORABLE pic of Charlie Bean:  
                               We went for a bike ride and a friend took this photo for me.  He loves riding in the basket and gets so excited when I tell him we're going for a ride! ;) Hope everyone is well! Hugs and kisses to all!  "Till next time!! xoxoxo
Side Note: if anyone ever gets a spare moment I would love it if you shot me a quick email to update me on how your lives are going!!! 

Puppies, Prom, and Potatoes!!!

       Can I just start this entry by saying I love my friends and family?!  For some reason this month has just been filled with moments that make me realize what wonderful people I am surrounded by!  So YEY for fabulous friends and lovely family members! OK, lets start with my most recent achievement: I ran a half marathon!! Yahoo!!!! (I hope that didn't sound too self congratulating but I am super proud) Every year The Y in Boise hosts the Famous Idaho Potato Marathon/Half/10K/5K and I got to sneak away from work for the weekend to participate with over 3000 other runners in the event.  For those of you who don't know, a half marathon is 13.1 miles and for those of you who have never run one, I HIGHLY recommend it!  It was a beautiful day (seriously I could not have asked for more perfect weather) and the event was organized super well down to the last detail.  I finished 874th with a time of 2 hours 12 minutes.  For some perspective that is over an hour behind the winner!  Holy smokes!  Their feet must truly have wings.  It was so inspiring to run with so many people!!! It made me realize that bizillions of other men and women are as crazy as me to want to spend their sunny Saturday testing if they can push their body to the edge and when they do be so happy they could burst!!! Haha so anywho up top is me nervous, excited, and unsure before the event, and below is me exhausted and ready to vomit in that garbage can behind me afterward.  It was a good day indeed.  
     


  Next on the agenda is Neil's Senior Prom!!! Awwww doesn't he look so handsome?!  I was such a proud sissy.  He actually cut his afro off and now, I must admit, looks like quite the little stud-muffin ;) Sadly I didn't get to go take pictures myself of Neil and his beautiful date (Ashley Davis was her name) because I was doing this.....

Ahhh yes, not my finest moment, but definitely one of the most fun.  Confused?  Let me explain.  I found out a few weeks before Neil's prom that my favorite restaurant in town (Ruperts) was doing a "prom date" special.  A tasty three course meal at a great deal for prom couples only!!! Well I wanted in on that for sure so I asked the chef if I dressed in a prom dress and got a date if we could have the discount too and he agreed (I think he thought I was kidding).  So I gathered the girls who gathered their old high school prom dresses and off we went!  We had a great dinner together on the lake (even though we were a bit embarrassed) after which we all agreed this was better than our actual prom because we got to drink champagne with our meal!  

       Now for some puppy talk! Everyone meet Savanna Sue!!! This is Moms new baby chihuahua!  When I moved out and took Charlie I think Mom went through chihuahua withdrawals because it wasn't long before she started talking about getting one of her own.  She decided it was a good birthday present for herself and went online to the breeder where I got Charlie and three weeks later here is Savanna! She is such a little midget!       So there is Charlie on the left, Nikko (Mom's other dog) on the right, and the new baby in the middle.  She is very sweet and playful and gets along with Nikko very well.  Charlie was kind of a bully to her at first but I think he is coming around.  Of coarse no one is as special to me as my Charlie Brown ;) but Savanna Sue is adorable and quite the charmer!  

       Well I know this was kind of a short post but in this case less is better! So I will end in the usual way with my photo of the month of Charlie  He wanted to make sure I had packed everything I needed for my race and to make sure he did not get left behind!  Hope everyone is well! XOXOXO