X-Men
Hostage is a mutant creation filled with fear, self-loathing, guilt and death-wishing.
-- Brian Keenan
Saturday, July 15, 2000
One year ago: Forums
Three years ago: To See the Summer Sky
Jack had mentioned before I came for the weekend, that we'd probably have another expedition to the Colossus in Canada, to see X-Men. Luckily that plan was ok by me. We caravaned across the border at Lynden, again meeting in the parking lot at the MacDonalds there. We got some food and ate it while standing in the parking lot.
After we crossed the border, we told Jack's daughter H---- to keep her eyes peeled (a charming old expression, yes?) for the flying saucer. This puzzled her mightily, since we hadn't told her that there was such a craft used as the focal point of the theater complex. She was suitably impressed when she saw it gleaming in the sky.
Oops! The Imax film we wanted to see (it featured the Cirque du Soleil) had been taken off. We'd checked the website, but it hadn't been updated, the weasels! Rats! and the replacement film about Michael Jordan didn't really interest us.
So we changed our plans, and went to see the X-Men at twelve fifteen. Our friend Jacqueline had mentioned that she might show up to join us at three fifteen, but that statement didn't really increase the odds of her appearing, so we didn't wait.
X-Men was good! But I'm surprised by the level of popularity it's achieved at the box office. I'm not familiar with the comic books in detail, but I know the basics. I wonder, was I prejudiced by other reviewers who didn't care for the focus on Rogue (Anna Paquin)? I did find her voice rather whiny, but her naïveté made for a good contrast when she met up with Wolverine. For a while it looked like an episode from Northern Exposure! The movie is certainly worth seeing.
For what to do next, we didn't have many good choices without the Imax film. But we all wanted to see something else to make the journey worthwhile (and the restaurant wasn't open yet). So we saw -- Chicken Run, again! It does hold up well. The projector lightbulb went out at a climactic sequence at the end, but after I ran out and passed the word, they got it fixed in about a minute. I've learned that it doesn't pay to wait for someone else to do this (and the theater staff might not notice for a long time). People just sit there, wondering what's happening. And they usually can't rewind the movie to what you've missed!
When we emerged from Chicken Run, the bar/restaurant finally was open! (We'd thought there wasn't much chance of this, because the sign had said "Open at 6" and it was only four thirty or so.) It's a cool upper level in the center of the main atrium. We got snacks and beverages. The nachos and the potato skins were entirely too much alike, since the cheese, salsa, and sour cream were identical. There weren't bacon pieces in the nachos and there wasn't guacamole on the potatoes, and the corn chips and potatoes did differ, at least.
The Jack's Hard Lemonade in Canada is much tastier than that sold in the US, in case you didn't know. It's vodka-based rather than a malt beverage. (but I didn't taste it myself).
* * * * * * * *
When we drove off, Jack decided to do some more river scouting. (We hoped no one would wait for us at the MacDonalds where we'd met that morning!) We'd covered the South Fork of the Nooksack last weekend, so this week Jack wanted to do the North Fork. So instead of taking the exit that would lead us to the Lynden border crossing, we kept on the highway and headed east. Jack has a good map of British Columbia now, so I was able to direct him.
We drove to the border at Sumas, a very tiny town. Abbotsford is the larger city, on the Canadian side. There was some backup crossing to the US side, though. I like driving down all the country roads, seeing the farms and fields. We were crossing to the northeast side of the mountain there, where we'd driven when we went up to Silver Lake last year. There are properties up there that make Jack's mouth water! So pretty and remote.
Turns out that some of the places north of Kendall have a reputation as the most crime-ridden, nastiest part of Whatcom County. Jack found that out when he'd been out looking at some places for sale up there, last year. Land is cheap, so some folks of limited income and limited sense live there, mostly occupying themselves with working off the books, drinking, and fighting. No, thanks!
We went through Maple Falls, Warnick, and Glacier, the towns along the North Fork. Each town is smaller than the last, as we followed the Mount Baker Highway up and up. We did spot several possible places for river access. Jack was sure we'd found them all, since they matched up with the ones in the guidebook. At Glacier there was a country store, so we stopped. H--- begged for ice cream, and Jack responded with "You have your own money to spend, if you want some." We asked at the counter about put-in spots, and the girl said there was a place up the road a few miles, across the street from a National Forest campground.
We found the spot and parked. There was a set of stairs leading down to the area under the bridge, and we speculated that rafters might simply slide their rafts down the railings on either side. Wow! We were in a definite white-water area, in deep forest. Jack estimated the rapids would rate at about 4 or above. The pale celadon green of the water was beautiful. We walked up a trail a short distance. Jack and H--- were ahead of me, when I stopped at an information sign about the ecology of the area. When I caught up, Jack said, "Did you see those guys bathing in the stream?" But I hadn't. How unobservant of me! Their presense was why Jack had hurried his daughter along, but I hadn't even noticed them. Jack teased me about standing there staring at naked guys.
On our way back to the car, we noticed a box that held a sign-in notebook. The Forest Service is asking folks to fill it in when they are rafting or kayaking, so they can monitor river use levels. There were many entries for a company called RiverRiders. They might be good folks to sign up for a guided raft trip with! Jack said he didn't want to take that stretch of the Nooksack without experienced people with him, and I agree.
Jack wanted to get to Nooksack Falls, which was even further up the road. On the map, it showed an unpaved road splitting off, and there did seem to be a sign, so we bumped our way down to the end, and parked. Of course, the people we'd been following, who'd annoyed Jack by neither going fast enough, nor pulling over to let him pass, were headed to the same place. Fortunately no fight broke out.
You could tell that, though beautiful, this was a fairly dangerous place! There were fences, and multiple signs warning of slippery rock, "do not proceed", and so on. But we did manage to walk around to the best viewing spot, and the early evening light was gorgeous. This is a spot where the river falls over a cliff, and there is a promontory directly in front of the cliff, so you can view the falls right in front of you. The cliffs make it too dangerous to get down to the bottom.
I hung back when Jack took H--- slightly downstream (beyond where the fence ended) and down the rocks. I started wondering if any of the other visitors had a cell phone. I was grateful and relieved when both of them reappeared and we walked back up. The Falls are worth seeing (but don't do any crazy stunts like falling over the edge)!
* * * * * * * *
We were heading back down the road when Jack pulled over quickly in the hamlet of Glacier. He'd spotted a van with the River Riders logo on it, and hoped to find some of the people who'd been in it, to ask them about the company's offerings. Sure enough, some guys were just getting out. They seemed a bit taken aback, but they and Jack were soon engaged in a lively discussion about when the trips were happening, and could we get in on one, and Jack has a raft himself but wants to learn about the upper North Fork. A lucky meeting!
Jack's friend Jim Kling had mentioned that he'd had a good dinner at the Deming Steakhouse, so that's where we stopped to eat on our way home. The meat was good, but the rest of the meal left a lot to be desired. Oh, well, we were hungry, so we ate.
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