91大黄鸭

A woman who grew up near Princeton has received an answer to a letter she wrote 鈥� 31 years after she stuffed it in a bottle, and tossed it into a creek.

Amanda Hope said she was shocked when she was contacted through Facebook last Saturday, telling her the note was discovered in Washington State.

鈥淚鈥檝e heard about people finding messages in bottles and tracking the writers down, but never thought I鈥檇 be one of those people,鈥� she told The Spotlight.

鈥淚 really wish I had been a little more profound, but I never expected my little glass pop bottle to travel so far.鈥�

Hope was 14, living on a farm on Summers Creek Road. Today she lives in 91大黄鸭 and works for Interior Health.

It was July 5, 1989, and Hope wanted to see if one of her friends, living downstream, would find her floating message.

鈥淚 honestly didn鈥檛 think it would get past the beaver pond.鈥�

Now it appears the bottle reached the Similkameen River, and then the Okanagan River and the Columbia River, before ending up in Washington, after travelling at least 300 kilometres.

It was found by a young tug boat operator, who was clearing debris from Azwell Dam, 60 miles north of Wenatchee. He gave the bottle to his mother, and she employed some neat detective work to track down Hope.

The note is worn and illegible in parts, however, the readable sections brought back sweet memories for the writer.

鈥淗i there, I see you鈥檝e found this bottle. Well if your 鈥�this is Mandy. If you know Star, tell her you found my 鈥�Summers Creek Rd. It鈥檚 July 5th, 1989. I鈥檓 sending 鈥�journey by the first bridge. If your Michelle Webster 鈥�her to say hi to 鈥淓rnie.鈥�

鈥淚f your Robert Brown鈥� know him, tell him the girl he makes eat hay says 鈥�someday. And hi. If your Shane Gallagher, or know him鈥� for the buck. I told you I was getting off at your bus stop鈥�feel honoured to find this, whoever you are. I鈥檇 love to find a bottle. Well, I鈥檒l be going. This may not get far because of the beaver dams, but all the people I鈥檝e mentioned live along the creek. And if you are the Hopes by the highway or the Gillards, hi鈥�stole our last name Hopes. Just kidding. Have a nice day. Mandy.

鈥淧.S. If this is found in the far future, I鈥檒l be鈥� ound soon by one of the mentioned above, I鈥檒l be just鈥�let me know. Phone me or tell me when you see me.鈥�

Hope said she isn鈥檛 certain what prompted her to write and send the message.

鈥淭he farm was remote, so us kids were always looking for ways to amuse ourselves.鈥�

However, she did admit a fondness for the 1977 Disney animated classic The Rescuers, which features a main character who sends a message for help down the river, in a bottle.

While Hope is delighted with the experience of having someone find her bottle, she said her adult self feels 鈥渂ad about littering鈥�I don鈥檛 throw bottles in streams anymore.鈥�

To report a typo, email:
publisher@similkameenspotlight.com.

andrea.demeer@similkameenspotlight.com
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