Sunday, August 03, 2008

And the calendar turns to August...

With August staring us straight in the face, we decided to log some time at Dad and Edna's place on Smith Mountain Lake. I took a few days off from work (Isn't that what vacation days are for?) and we loaded up on Wednesday afternoon. The main reason we went on Wednesday instead of Thursday was Tam's sister Anna was going to be on hand. Anna attends VCU and spends 98.7% of her time in the metro Richmond area, so this was a bonus.

If there is one place besides the beach that Andrew has logged a ton of time this summer, it is behind the wheel of a golf cart. As soon as we arrived, he was trying to talk anyone and everyone into taking him for a ride. Grandpop was happy to oblige as long as there was photographic evidence!



After dinner and light conversation with the crew (which included a special guest - Leigh Ann's friend Kristi), it was time for the Big A to get some shut-eye. With Andrew sleeping, the cards came out and the dinner table turned into the beverage center. A deck of cards materialized and drinking games were played. While we aren't huge fans of the featured games, it was nice to sit out under the stars, kibbitz with everyone, and enjoy good times!

Thursday's weather was dicey, but we made the trek over to Smith Mountain Lake State Park to enjoy the beach. The current lake level (low) combined with the gentle slope of the beach make this the perfect place to take Andrew to swim. The clouds began to roll in and it started to rain. Edna, Leigh Ann and Kristi took shelter under the covered seating area behind the beach. Tam was a trooper and sat in her chair as the rain alternated between mist, drizzle, and steady light drops. Andrew and I were having a ball in the water. He loved watching the rain drops hit the lake. Okay, I have to admit I thought it was pretty cool, too. The rain began to get steady, so we went up to the shelter to have lunch. With the rain settling in, we managed to score rain checks for another day of free swimming!

Friday's weather was much better! The big buzz around the state park was that Governor Tim Kaine was going to be attending a ceremony on site. Having never met a governor, I wasn't going to let this chance go by. While we swam and played, I kept one eye on the shelter. After we had some lunch, the crowd began to thicken and I went to join them. While I was waiting, a reporter from the Smith Mountain Eagle interviewed me concerning Governor Kaine's possible next job as the Democratic candidate for Vice President. Check the Eagle website soon for my answer! The punchline to my half-hour of hovering was that the governor's helicopter had trouble and he bowed out of the proceedings. Oh, well, the blog gets enough traffic without politicos coming to steal a picture. Andrew had a big day already, but there was more to come.

As you can see by the next two pictures, Andrew had a HUGE time onboard Grandpop's boat. It was a lovely evening with fairly calm waters, very little boat traffic, not a cloud in the sky - the perfect mix! It got even better when Grandpop turned the helm over to the Big A!





















Aunt Leigh Ann was not to be outdone by her dad. YES, this is Andrew driving the SeaDoo.











With such a big weekend, you would think we would have rested...but no, Saturday evening back in town sent us up to Bridgewater for our friend Jon's birthday party. Not only did Andrew play piano with Jacquie, but he met a real fireman (Jon's next door neighbor) who let Andrew try on one of his helmets.









With so much to recap, my fingers are worn out and I am glad we decided to stay home today. Thanks to everyone who made this week one of the best of the summer! ---J

1 comment:

Shakespere said...

Hi. I enjoyed reading your blog. Thanks

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