Sailing Away

Damon's been working on a new project, and it required the purchase of a remote-controlled sailboat.  Yes, required. I try not to get in the way. He does dishes. He bakes bread. He comes home from work at a very decent hour. And, as he reminds me, he "could be out drinking in some bar." So, if he wants to buy a sailboat every once in awhile, I'll be supportive.* 

The first Saturday in November was a lovely day with a light breeze, so he found a local park with a lake and we sent the boat out on its maiden McMillan voyage. (Maiden for McMillans since it is a used boat.)

Everyone got a turn steering.

We liked chasing the ducks.

After my turn (no photo of Mom, of course), I enjoyed sitting on a blanket on the shore, but the kids started wading in that chilly water. Adah didn't stop until she had built a little stick-and-rock fortress and was wet up to her bum.

Gunnar was pretty well soaked up to his waist, I believe. 

I don't know when I'll finally learn that if we go visit a body of water, my children WILL get wet. I should just bring extra clothes, no matter how cold it is or what other activities are on the agenda. They'll get wet.  I wasn't too happy about it, but they didn't mind, so I guess I shouldn't have either. I'm trying to mellow out and go with the flow...of water.

*If you really want to know more about Damon's latest endeavor, email or call him and ask about the Kinticky Project.

Gently Down the Stream

On June 12 our county had it's annual "13+ Miles of Garage Sales" event. It started out as just a 13-mile stretch but once some of the other communities caught on more and more people choose the same weekend to have their sales. I set out with Gunnar and Holly to see what treasures I could find. Within the first hour I telephoned Damon to tell him about the rowboat I'd seen. He was so excited that he immediately got the girls in the truck and drove down to meet me at the sale. I do mean immediately; the girls were still in their pajamas!

So...here's the lovely aluminum rowboat we purchased for the bargain price of $80.

"A rowboat?" you ask. "Why?" Well, for awhile now we've been talking about getting some kind of watercraft. We have lots of places for boating around here and thought it would be a good form of recreation to pick up. An $80 investment seemed like a good way to start. The boat isn't gorgeous or in the best shape, but at this low price we can get a feel for how much we'll actually use a boat and if there's another kind we'd rather have. It seemed like a good way to...get our feet wet. (Pun intended.)

A week after buying the boat we set out on our first excursion. At the garage sale, Damon and I agreed we would only buy the boat if the two of us could lift into the back of the truck without a third party. It's pretty hefty, but we can do it. We went to a nearby place called Northwestern Lake. It's a small reservoir that is the ending spot for local river rafting excursions, so we had a bit of company, despite the seeming solitude of our launch.

Gunnar and Holly were both asleep in the car, so Damon took Adah and Maggie out for the boat's maiden voyage while I stayed on shore to keep an eye on the 2 little ones.

Damon rowed in college, so he really knew what he was doing.

The girls took a turn while Damon relaxed. They managed pretty well.

I, on the other hand, was not so successful when I took my turn at the oars. It was a very windy day and we were blown into some debris. My brain was not meant for propelling myself backwards and I just couldn't seem to get arms and oars coordinated in the direction I wanted to go. When we eventually got close enough to the shore, Damon had to climb in and row us back to the dock! Maybe I need a canoe instead. For me, the rowboat is still on trial.