We rose early this morning and began a great day of reminiscing. I ran out after breakfast and rented a walker so mother would feel more sure of her footing. Then we headed up to Lake Chelan to see the old family cabin. Great Grandpa Trapp bought the place back in the 50s before Lake Chelan became a recreation and winery hotspot. At the time it didn’t even have water or electricity. My mother’s cousins own the place now, and have made some nice improvements. It looks a little small between the large lake houses that have been built around it, but fond memories still remain. I remember coming up here as a kid and jumping off the dock into the freezing glacier fed lake water. The lake is beautiful any time of the year. The water is crystal clear and you could see the tree stump and all the rocks on bottom of the lake. Like yesterday mother pointed out the places she and her sisters, brother, and cousins used to go to on their weekend trips to the lake.

Lake Chelan is about 25 miles north of Orondo, the town in which my mother was raised. A lot has changed along that stretch of the Columbia river including the way orchards are planted and fruit is harvested. This valley is nicknamed the apple capital of the world. While the thousands of acres of orchards still exist, the way they grow the trees is very different. They all seem to be split and grow along X shaped frames. I guess this increases the yield and makes them easier to pick from. It sure seemed strange though. The river itself is a beauty to behold. This morning it reflected everything like a mirror.

The Orondo Cemetery is the final resting place for the two preceding generations of my mother’s family. Great grandpa and grandma Trapp and their four children, including grandpa, are all buried here.

We paid our respects and headed farther into town. Orondo is a long and narrow town. The town stretches for about 5 to 10 miles the length of the river. However, the distance between the river and the mountains can be as little as 20 feet up to about a half mile.  Our next stop was in the center of this long town at my uncle’s truck shop.

My uncle Larry owns a trucking service. His dozen trucks transport produce all throughout the state. He’s been in the trucking business since he bought his first truck in 1969. As we visited for the next hour I found this man to be a virtual encyclopedia of every house and resident in the tiny burg of Orondo.  For the most part, I just sat and listened to the siblings reminisce about people and places.

There’s something about your brother or your sister, that you kind of just pick up where you left off. It was fun to watch. Continuing our drive down memory lane, we passed the house my grandparents lived in after their original house was torn down.  Across from the house still stands the old packing shed great grandpa Trapp owned and where the extended family worked during the 1940’s and 1950’s.

Heading back into Wenatchee, we stopped for lunch at the Panda Express before heading over to visit grandma. Grandma has a spacious corner room in her assisted living facility. The place is beautifully decorated and really makes the residents feel at home. We introduced ourselves, and though I don’t think she knew exactly who we were, I think she knew we were family. I showed her pictures of the kids, and especially of Elizabeth and Amelia. She even laughed at some funny remarks I made. I guess we tired her out because she fell asleep. We left knowing we’d see her again tomorrow.

With nothing more on our agenda we headed back to the hotel. It was too early to go to dinner, so I decided to take a few hours and see Ohme Gardens. For many years visiting the Columbia River valley I’d seen signs and brochures about these gardens. I knew this would be a perfect opportunity.  I dropped mother off at the hotel and headed out on my adventure which I will describe in my next entry- The Terror of Ohme Gardens.

“Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all.” – Helen Keller