Travels with Cory

 

Lake Pend Oreille, have I ever mentioned in my 76 years how beautiful you are????

Cory Moon Cookman, skipper of The Blue Heron houseboat on Lake Pend Oreille. 

Story telling on The Blue Heron with Bill, Chris and Cory. 

Bud and Betty Moon went on their first date to Pearl Island on Lake Pend Oreille near Hope. 

It was supposed to be a picnic lunch.  

All Betty brought was olives. 

Fast forward a few decades when their six children had grown. 

Bud saw an ad in the Nickel's Worth for a used houseboat. 

Knowing his daughter Cory's interest, he immediately called her and said, "Let's go look at it."

The boat needed a lot of work, but Bud and a family friend were willing to take on the project. 

Fast forward some more. 

These days Bud is gone, but his legacy is alive and well in the tales told whenever Cory invites folks to take a cruise on The Blue Heron, docked at Hope. 

Yesterday afternoon Bill and I heard a good amount of rich and colorful Moon family lore throughout our ride from Kramer's Marina to Pearl Island and back. 

We also enjoyed lively and nostalgic visiting over a lunch prepared by Cory's older sister Chris. 

The views of our gorgeous Lake Pend Oreille were a bit subdued by smoke but not enough for us to remain in awe of what a great natural treasure we can enjoy whenever we choose every single day of our lives. 

Our trip yesterday followed a two-week Blue Heron experience for Cory and her classmates who come to visit every summer from Nebraska.

Our experience was relaxing and memorable as we all shared stories of our own lifetime adventures and treasured family stories on and around Lake Pend Oreille.

Besides its obvious pleasure, our voyage to Pearl Island had a purpose. 

Cory would like to see an outdoor bathroom installed and maintained on Pearl Island.

 Each year, the island receives numerous day visits from other boats filled with people throughout the summer and early fall months. 

To put it bluntly, we learned that Pearl Island has been trashed by its human visitors, worse some times than others.  

We also learned that Cory does whatever she can do to clean up the messes every time she visits Pearl Island. 

Yesterday's cruise marked the third time in a couple of weeks for her to visit the island.  Each time she picks up garbage and hauls it away in her houseboat.  

It didn't take very long or very many steps for me to walk one of the many trails from our beach spot and personally witness and document her concerns for this otherwise pristine piece of forested and rocky land on the big lake.  

I discovered yesterday, just a few feet from the shoreline, that some visitors are hardly subtle (you'll see in the pictures) about using areas on the island to relieve themselves. 

For sure, an outdoor john on the island could probably minimize the trash. Maybe some civic group could take up this cause. 

In the meantime, Pearl Island is a beautiful spot in the midst of more beauty.  

Seems like if people go there to enjoy the beauty, they could also do their part to keep it that way by leaving no trace of their visit. 

Though it should be a no-brainer, this video gives some sensible guidelines for visits to such places. 

Bill and I really appreciated our trip with Capt. Cory, as we called her, and her sis Chris.  

It was a memorable and fun afternoon. 

Thanks, Ladies. 

Moon family members enjoy collecting fun rocks from their boat travels on Lake Pend Oreille.