Two little boys and a big lake

... one last splash of water on Richard's face before leaving for Calgary ...
a cherry tree droops in the foreground

Before they left for home, Richard, Michael and Alice strolled down to the beach for one last good-bye to the water while Miranda did that one last run through the house to see what else should go in the car, but hadn’t made it there.

I followed them soon with my camera and Laynie, Landon and Piper came along as well.

... hurrying, hurrying, hurrying ...
... these boots were made for walking ...

Each time I am down there, I am wishing I had a long pole to stick in the ground so that I can tie the cherry tree to it and let that leading branch stretch upward.

But the pole would have to be nine feet tall now, the tree has grown so much.

Of course the morning sun was flashing on the water and the shadows in the long ripples of the water make it look as though there are striations along the surface of it.

"Look, our shadows walked into the water!"

The two little boys started out in their rain boots.

They don’t have the sense yet, that it is OK to kick off the boots and run for the water.

In fact, they haven’t learned how to find the good sticks to beat the water with, nor do they know that they can pick up any rock on the beach and give it a toss. They spend a lot of time looking for just the right rock.

... a good stone found underwater ...

They are the perfect example of side by side play. When one of them begins a task, the other tries to follow, but by the time they get set up, the first one has gone on to some other important job that can only happen down by the water.
David Camps Johnson has given Michael some t-shirts that are too small for him. They are too small by 2 sizes for David, and too big for Michael by 2 sizes. The gap makes it look like Michael is wearing a knee length tunic with shoulder seams that droop well over the cap of his arm.

I am growing into my cousin David's shirt.

Laynie has brought snacks.

Apples for the boys and girls.

That first bite into the apple, the breaking of the skin is still a major task for the boys and they wish that their parents would help out, but Richard and Laynie coach the boys to try hard. Independence comes in such short steps.

... hey, there is a red ant here ...  red ants are dangerous ...

The water is high, just barely going down now after the spring run off.

I don’t know why it seems like a miracle that it is so clear, since I get that feeling every year, but there it was again for me, the miracle of that beautiful clear water.

The gift of life: water.

Arta