ABANDON HOPE ALL YE WHO ENTER HERE. Or did the sign say “Welcome to
Spokane”? It didn’t matter. After a month of avoiding cities of any kind I suddenly found myself in a 31’ motor home trying to maneuver the city streets of Spokane in cold rain and late afternoon traffic. Suddenly there was the ugliness that makes cities such places of hell for me. Every corner had gangs of people just hanging about looking either predatory or hopeless. The trash spilling over curbs and alleys; the traffic and noise; the visual blowout of billboards, signs, directions, advertising until the eye assault starts the brain Novocain just to cope. I’m surprised that there are not bodies in the streets of people who just gave up under the horror and simply up and died where they were standing.
I was very glad to get through the short distance we traveled through Idaho. Coeur d’Alene--a town I had looked forward to seeing--struck a sort of preternatural horror in me. The steep-forested sides of the Rockies were dark and cloud-covered. We had rain and some snow at the higher mountain passes. Forests are nearly as frightening as cities. The green was a dark green, a menacing green that challenged light. And if I strained to peer behind the front row of trees next to the highway all I could make out was more trees in continually darkening rows. The canyon walls got so high and so close together--it felt as if we were going to be swallowed by some huge set of jaws with many-faceted rows of pine trees for teeth. Then, suddenly--there it was. A huge lake. On both sides of the highway. Dark, deep endless water with wind-whipped whitecaps lapping at the road. Now the life-squeezing claustrophobia of the woods and clouds was supplemented by huge bodies of water on all sides. As if breathing weren’t hard enough already from the new pneumonia, this was too much. Grab the inhaler! Puff, inhale and hold! Do it again!!! And from this trauma we emerged into the morass of Spokane. No, it was not a good day.
We drove an additional three hours just to avoid having to backtrack through our mistakes in going through Spokane. We drove on roads that were nothing more than farm roads. We drove through places where the towns didn’t exist anymore! The clouds did start to break up. Eventually even the wretched forest disappeared. Then finally we were able to say we were out in the open! The sun was shining. Wheat was being harvested by kindly-looking old men on big tractors. It was finally safe to stop and approach the natives and find out where we were.
We stopped in a small town called Creston. We saw all these Rvs parked in an open field and centered around a log cabin building with a small bell. We thought it was an RV park and we were ready to end the day. The sign that greeted us said MATTHEW 6:33. Hmmmmm--odd sort of KOA. It turns out it was the GOSPEL COWBOY RV CAMP--ALL WELCOME. The same people have been having this camp for 22 years. People come in their Rvs, bring their horses and enjoy great rides mixed with Bible study and Cowboy Church. We were welcomed to attend during the next 3 days. As much as I was ready to chuck everything over in favor of staying, we knew we had obligations to meet in central Washington and no time to 
participate. That would have been one gathering I know I would never have forgotten.
We finally did find a place to spend the night just south of Coulee. The RV camp is called Sun Lakes State Park and RV Resort and it’s wonderful. It’s like being back on the desert only we’re down in a steep-walled canyon--a minature Grand Canyon-- with a wonderful reservoir, golf course, parks, great camping sites and peace and quiet. The sun is warm and benevolent, the sky is blue and it is easier to breathe free aga
in. The trees are placed at non-threatening, decent intervals to provide shade and not terror. Byrdie has enjoyed a great swim and we are using the day to rest, do laundry and heal. Tomorrow we meet more family in Ellensburg, Washington. 
Spokane”? It didn’t matter. After a month of avoiding cities of any kind I suddenly found myself in a 31’ motor home trying to maneuver the city streets of Spokane in cold rain and late afternoon traffic. Suddenly there was the ugliness that makes cities such places of hell for me. Every corner had gangs of people just hanging about looking either predatory or hopeless. The trash spilling over curbs and alleys; the traffic and noise; the visual blowout of billboards, signs, directions, advertising until the eye assault starts the brain Novocain just to cope. I’m surprised that there are not bodies in the streets of people who just gave up under the horror and simply up and died where they were standing.I was very glad to get through the short distance we traveled through Idaho. Coeur d’Alene--a town I had looked forward to seeing--struck a sort of preternatural horror in me. The steep-forested sides of the Rockies were dark and cloud-covered. We had rain and some snow at the higher mountain passes. Forests are nearly as frightening as cities. The green was a dark green, a menacing green that challenged light. And if I strained to peer behind the front row of trees next to the highway all I could make out was more trees in continually darkening rows. The canyon walls got so high and so close together--it felt as if we were going to be swallowed by some huge set of jaws with many-faceted rows of pine trees for teeth. Then, suddenly--there it was. A huge lake. On both sides of the highway. Dark, deep endless water with wind-whipped whitecaps lapping at the road. Now the life-squeezing claustrophobia of the woods and clouds was supplemented by huge bodies of water on all sides. As if breathing weren’t hard enough already from the new pneumonia, this was too much. Grab the inhaler! Puff, inhale and hold! Do it again!!! And from this trauma we emerged into the morass of Spokane. No, it was not a good day.
We drove an additional three hours just to avoid having to backtrack through our mistakes in going through Spokane. We drove on roads that were nothing more than farm roads. We drove through places where the towns didn’t exist anymore! The clouds did start to break up. Eventually even the wretched forest disappeared. Then finally we were able to say we were out in the open! The sun was shining. Wheat was being harvested by kindly-looking old men on big tractors. It was finally safe to stop and approach the natives and find out where we were.
We stopped in a small town called Creston. We saw all these Rvs parked in an open field and centered around a log cabin building with a small bell. We thought it was an RV park and we were ready to end the day. The sign that greeted us said MATTHEW 6:33. Hmmmmm--odd sort of KOA. It turns out it was the GOSPEL COWBOY RV CAMP--ALL WELCOME. The same people have been having this camp for 22 years. People come in their Rvs, bring their horses and enjoy great rides mixed with Bible study and Cowboy Church. We were welcomed to attend during the next 3 days. As much as I was ready to chuck everything over in favor of staying, we knew we had obligations to meet in central Washington and no time to 
participate. That would have been one gathering I know I would never have forgotten.We finally did find a place to spend the night just south of Coulee. The RV camp is called Sun Lakes State Park and RV Resort and it’s wonderful. It’s like being back on the desert only we’re down in a steep-walled canyon--a minature Grand Canyon-- with a wonderful reservoir, golf course, parks, great camping sites and peace and quiet. The sun is warm and benevolent, the sky is blue and it is easier to breathe free aga
in. The trees are placed at non-threatening, decent intervals to provide shade and not terror. Byrdie has enjoyed a great swim and we are using the day to rest, do laundry and heal. Tomorrow we meet more family in Ellensburg, Washington. 
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