Six months on top of Mt. Spokane

Remember this fun pic taken back on December 11, 2016?  This was Jeff's maiden voyage of skinning up and then skiing down Mt. Spokane.  This was also the day that he lost his wedding ring while taking off his skins at the top of the climb.  He didn't realize he'd lost it until he was on the drive home, and he was sick about it!  Since that day, he's been planning to return in the spring--metal detector in hand--to search for the ring.  But he and I both knew to find a ring at the top of Mt. Spokane was literally like a needle in a haystack.

Grandma Bonnie was kind enough to let Jeff borrow G'pa Lorne's wedding ring while he was pining away for his original ring.  Finally in late May, I went to Pounders to get a new back for my earrings and I inquired about getting a new ring.  Prices had gone up since I bought Jeff's ring in 2005--holy!--so I told Brock's mom about the lost ring on Mt. Spokane and told her I may be back in to replace it.  I couldn't bite the bullet just yet!

Later that same week, I got a text picture from Jeff while I was at work:

"I FOUND IT!!!!" 

I had forgotten that Jeff had the afternoon off and he didn't tell me that he was going to hunt for his ring.  But when I got this text I called him--"Wahoooo! I found it!" was all I heard before he cut out as he was running back down the mountain.

This was the view...and these were the rocks that bedded his ring all winter.

Needless to say, we immediately went back to Pounders to get his ring resized.  (TWO sizes smaller!) Brock's mom couldn't believe the story, nor could I.  That ring has been in a swimming pool drain, lost in the backyard while putting up Christmas lights, through the stove in Dad and Ben's shop, and now it's hibernated the winter on top of Mt. Spokane.