I’m sitting in the car waiting for my rider and rower to arrive. Eric is our Grand Canyon trip leader now that Lynn cannot go. She fell skiing and broke her hip. Ugh.

Eric and I will share a boat. I hope to row more on this trip than i did the last time down. Time to put on my big girl pants. 😎

The day started well, with a run along the Columbia River. Great rivers…..a nice thought to ponder.

We are flying out of Spokane. That way, i return just in time to meet Ephraim and move N243CM to Arlington.

Eric has arrived! We’re off.

Things get worse, and then, they get better. I stayed overnight in Seattle and had a backpack full of my favorite clothes and jewelry stolen. Ugh. Meaningless to the person(s) who stole, and quite meaningful to me. Another painful lesson. One we all know, yet sometimes forget.

Attending Taylor and Allyssa’s wedding was a joy. Hanging out with Dru and Wendy (parents of Taylor), a gift.

Now I’m staying at my Dads place, getting ready to head down the Grand Canyon for three weeks.

While here, I’ve been able to sneak in a mountain bike ride

And an amazing day of skiing…..in a cape, just for giggles.

I’m off to the river Friday and will be out of communication for 21 days. Can’t wait.

Trying to absorb and learn from everything that has happened in the past week is beyond painful. Writing this post hurts too, and my hope is that it helps me sort through the mess.

I found out that Ray is a criminal He milked me for money, then held my plane hostage until I paid. I had a verbal estimate only – (I know, how stupid am I)? He did everything he could to add, add, and add to that estimate – and then when I said I had lost trust in him, and that I was taking the plane, he really upped the charges. I could pay or sue him. I decided that getting a lawyer would cost more, so I paid up, got my stuff and now I’m trying to find a way to move forward.

My life has been so privledged. I have been married for most of my adult life. Never did I fully appreciate all the perks of being a married woman. Married women hold a very different status than widows. Until now, I did not know this. Until now, I didn’t really understand.

What I DO know now is that I am a big, fat, target. There are people who prey on situations like mine: single, some money in the bank, and trusting. Throw in an airplane with an emotional attachment and Ka-Ching$!

Trusting people is my first instinct. They seem nice, legitimate, and I proceed. I live up to my end of the deal, and they are just finding a way to get my money into their bank account. I trust = I’m screwed, I’m out the money, and I need to move on. Bruised, battered and belittled.

Yes, it hurts bad. The feeling of being stupid is not one that I am very familiar. I don’t want to become familiar with this place – I refuse! Learning from this and never leaving myself open for it to happen again is what I can do to restore my self-trust. I’m not going to dwell in a pity party. I’m going to move forward stronger, resiliant and wise.

I think of how Scott would respond to this situation. He would be mighty disappointed in me. It would hurt him to see me hurt. He did, many times say, “….and I love you anyway” – which he would now too. Knowing this will help me put the pain behind me. Love wins.

I woke up this morning in an adorable yurt near Sandpoint Idaho. After a press of coffee, it was still too early for skiing to be good, so I went for a run through the neighborhood. The growth in Sandpoint is stunning,

After my run, I packed up and headed to Schweitzer. The sun was beaming. Schweitzer is a huge area! I always confuse it with Whitefish, and just didn’t remember it so large. I skied until the snow was slushy and then headed back toward Chewelah.

The drive was lovely, mainly following Priest River. I had not driven this route before, which made it doubly fun.

The drive took me over a pass on Chewelah Mtn, which is the home of 49 degrees North. I couldn’t help but stop for a quick skin to the top and ski down.

It was the best run of the day! Nicely rounding out my Triple Play Day.