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Happy days at the lake, and blissful nights by the fire drinking wine with my new friends while watching the Perseids meteors streak across the skies. Waking, there were pleasant swims in the warm lake, good conversations, and splendid times. When all was done at this amazing place, I carried my bags all the way from the campsite to the dock. I made it in time for the first departure, climbing aboard for the longest free ferry ride in the world, sitting inside on the metallic talons and carved metal osprey benches in the cabin. The views of the steep Kootenay mountains were unreal. Arriving back at Balfour I made a phone connect with AG, then waited for the bus into Nelson; still reading, and winding back along the forested lake shore to the hillside face of of the town. I hung out downtown until AG arrived, who greeted me as I loitered outside by the charging cellphone. After a couple of errands and a coffee, AG, her mom, and I were all off in the car headed down to the US border on a hot day. They chatted as I sat in the back, looking out at the landscape as we rolled on. At the border we were selected for a search and interview, and passed with flying colors. We even got a look at the Colville and other Columbia River dams which I’d heard so much about from reading Cadillac Desert, A River Lost, and the orca and salmon recovery plans. I was surprised at the beauty and serenity of the area, despite the silent killing done by these valued yet costly structures. Finally reaching the grid in Spokane, we crossed over the bridge for a good view of the river and downtown, continuing on to GEG airport. There, I was reeling a bit from an unexpected change in plans: my next host’s home was suddenly in quarantine, so I would have to shoot from the hip now. AG rallied to take an earlier flight home – I followed her but was intercepted by security as she continued on through the gate. Realizing that I didn’t want to push my luck with homeland forces, I turned back to the counter alone and checked in with my newly-revised alibi.