Republic WA 6/29 - 6/30

On Wed, the 29th, hopped in Smartie to explore up Hwy 21, following the scenic Kettle River flowing north into Canada, approx 25 miles. Drove into and out of the dinky town of Curlew, which took five minutes, as well as several small parks along the way. Stopped at Canadian Border Customs, and then drove three miles into Grand Forks, BC… a small, unimpressive industrial town. Had a cuppa coffee, walked around a bit, but didn’t stay long. No problems crossing back into the USA – show them your passport, driver’s license and answer a bunch of questions. 

A destination stop on the return was Scott Bros Coffee Co, just a few miles inside the US and out in the middle of nowhere. They roast their own beans, and word of mouth has made their coffee very well-known. We each drank a cup and trust me: it’s good stuff, so good we bought two pounds. Rich took time out of his busy day to show us around and to talk about: coffee! Nice, laid-back day – another beautiful drive. Lots of deer live in this corner of Washington – we see big-eared mule deer every day, inc today, some with fawns. We’re always glad to get home safe and sound, with the deer population intact …! Scott Bros website is: www.scottbroscoffee.com

 

Thurs, the 30th, was the day to find fossils. With rock hammers and chisel, we attacked the shale deposits looking for plants, insects and fish that lived nearly 50 million years ago – the Eocene Epoch. Found some, too. Mostly we found impressions of dawn redwood, witch hazel, and twigs. We were allowed to keep six specimens, which we wrapped in newspaper and stored in a safe place in Tergel (be lucky if we ever find ‘em again!). The Stonerose people (a nonprofit organization) keep the rest and distribute them to schools to further educational interests. We sat for hours on the rocks (not easy – most are sharp!) and we had a ball uncovering fossils. At Stonerose - one of the world's 20 best fossil sites of any kind! - they have found some of the oldest and rarest rose family leaves in the world. Fun for all! Visit their site: http://www.stonerosefossil.org/ for more info.

 

Fun day!