Oblah di, Oblah dah, Life Goes On...

We all went back to the lake last weekend for one last bittersweet trip of the year. The "campground" where the "house" is closes down for the winter, shuts the water off in the bathhouses, and except for a few dedicated and slightly insane people who enjoy roughing it, it will be pretty much abandoned until spring. As much as we knew the weather was supposed to be beautiful, we needed the trip for closure and, I hope, healing. Some random images from the weekend...Andrew concentrates on trying to master the monkey bars after breakfast Saturday morning. A local church sponsors a "make a donation" breakfast once a month, and they have a great playground.We had gone on a slightly wild goose chase after breakfast to find a large thermos. Although it was beautiful, it wasn't quite beer drinking weather, so hot cider with spiced rum sounded like a great idea. The chase was well worth it. Andrew enjoyed his cider plain.James spent some time at the helm both days. I think I'm the only one that doesn't like to drive the boat. I'm perfectly content to ride.Saturday night called for another bonfire, mostly because we had promised Andrew s'mores. By the way, if you haven't tried microwave s'mores, they're just as good.Andrew waiting patiently for the short ride down to the dock on Sunday morning. He's wearing his "captain's" hat that he has to wear for at least part of every boat ride. He insisted on taking Grandma's hat (she got a white one when Dad bought her the boat for her birthday) with us on the ride both days because, "She can't go with us on the boat anymore." The day was perfect, except for one thing. I was missing Edna terribly, and I think Andrew was too. Andrew was disappointed that the Smith Mountain Dock marina store was closed. They sell popcorn there to feed to these monstrous "pet" carp. Feeding the fish is one of Andrew's favorite activities, and luckily, we had some Little Debbie crackers on board. It turns out that the fish like them just as much as popcorn. My sisters and my dad in a thoughtful moment...



...and some pictures of the beauty of the day, which somehow just made my heart ache more.

We survived another weekend at the lake!

With the Kia loaded and fully fueled, we made the trek to Smith Mountain Lake. I am going to try to keep the travelogue tight this go-round.

We arrived Friday afternoon and headed to Grandma and Grandpop's dock. The dock is deep inside a cove - you can watch the activity come and go into the main channel but feel very safe swimming in it. The good news was the fish and turtles managed not to nibble too much off us. Leigh Ann, Tam, and I did some swimming, floating, and beverage consumption while Grandma watched all the mayhem. Andrew and Grandpop were working on a very big project.

They were working on catching dinner. Okay, they didn't have that kind of luck, but the little fish around the dock were happy to be part of the "Andrew Lake Entertainment" experience.

Saturday was spent at the state park. Andrew built a "swimming pool" (a hole) with Grandpop. He also spent plenty of time swimming with Daddy, Mommy, and Aunt Leigh Ann. He is working on holding his breath and I think he'll have the hang of it soon. The state park beach was a little more crowded than our last few visits, but this being a Saturday in August, it wasn't all that bad. In addition to our own fun, we were able to watch the local police boat pull over a SeaDoo driver for getting too close to the swimming area. We also had a boat that was WAY too big for these waters try to dock at the state park docks. There had been a drowning a few days ago, so the staff was a little hesitant to open portions of the swimming area. Before Tam had an opportunity to light into the staff for having three guards at the main chair but no one on the wing chairs, a life guard appeared as if on cue. Saturday was a good day!

Our traditional Sunday boat ride had two new components this week. First, Andrew rode up in the bow seating. He sat with me for a while and then moved on to Leigh Ann. He really enjoyed the waves and the wind in his face. He might just turn into a real sailor. The other change-up was Grandpop offering the helm to Tam. She did a fine job of handling the "Red Cedar" (Dad's boat). Andrew also took a turn at the wheel.

One bonus on this trip was our new preferred route through the mountains. I will tell that tale and share the pics during a mid-week post. ---J

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