Kallispell and Ashley Lake, Montana

The next day Mark showed me around the area and we went to look at the school he worked in til his recent retirement (his wife was librarian there). The janitor was in so we got to look inside. I was interested to hear how they financed extensions by setting up a financial bond, essentially borrowing money and paying it off over time. Most of the school funding is raised locally through things like property taxes. None of it looked tacked on and there were no portacabins!

They had opted for big corridor spaces and partitions that slide up into the ceiling so that classes could break out into the central spaces (which also doubled as extra eating space at lunch time) but it seems that this has fallen out of favour as an approach.

The school has grown massively in recent years as more and more people are moving to the area. This of course has meant more development and house prices being beyond a lot of local working people. They have also found it hard to get support staff when wages haven't kept up with those in other types of work.

The various areas of the school had been given thematic names, this was the library and the toilets were labelled relief!

And this is the principal's office - no hiding away for the headteacher!

Next we headed out along an unsealed road to the family get away on Ashley Lake. Check out the view from the upper deck. The family built the 'cabin' back in the 1980s but prices have skyrocketed here with a basic cabin going for $800,000 recently!

There are houses all along the shore. The lake itself is at about 3,500 ft. So a bit cooler than down in the valley and none of the humidity I experienced back east. 

They have a boat and a dock. The water was very pleasant. Perfect for cooling off and for all the grandkids to play in. Of course we got to go out for a spin and a tow on the inflatable.

That's me clinging on with a couple of the kids

Walking here is tricky unless you are on a public path. There are No Trespassing and Private Property signs everywhere. However I was shown a track that took me to the top of the hill with great views. Saw lots of butterflies. 

Road end signs

Huckleberry scone

I didn't know that no-one has managed to cultivate huckleberries so you have to go out and collect them! This lovely confection was made by Mark's daughter-in-law Kate.