Second Cousins on the Beach

I am just going to lick this
to see if it is something I like.

Amir and Richard drove out to the lake late Friday, arriving just at the end of a wonderful storm. I watch the water from the house, trying to coax Michael, at first, to go down and watch the storm at the water’s edge. He would rather get in his pyjamas at that time of night than make the journey.

So the next morning, there was the usual aftermath of a storm: broken branches to be picked up from the lawn and debris to be swept from the porch.

Richard made crepes. I am going to buy another pan so that he can have two going at the same time. He just uses a 12” frying pan and fills is 60% full, letting the batter already in the pan, then cover the other 40 %. I was hoping there would be an easier measurement – something like take 1/3 cup batter and put in pan.

... now my right hand is getting sticky ...

The day was moving on. Amir has never been here in the summer and I thought it was time to move to the lake. I wanted to show him where the red canoe marked “Lot 3” was stored, where its paddles were, as well as which of the two paddleboards to use.

The Johnsons were as fast to leave the house as Amir and I were, so we all ended down at the beach at about the same time. Amir went out in the canoe and the kids played in the kayaks, or at the water’s edge catching minnows.

The more I squish this
the flatter it becomes.

Easier now to hold between my fingers.

At some point Richard pulled the paddleboard down to the water and let Michael take a try. 

My guess would have been that Michael would have many failed attempts getting on, laid on it for a while with his skinny 6 year old body, and then given up.

No.

He put on the leg strap, hoped onto the paddle board, took a paddle and off he went, his father watching him go between the two of the docks -- this year’s measure of how far out children are allowed to paddle.

Seeing Michael eventually test out his own powers by throwing his weight from his left to his right foot and then back again, and then more quickly, was probably my highlight of the day.

But then the day got better. Down to the beach came the Daniel Wood Family, then the Desiree Vaughn Family, then the Adam Wood Family, then the Lurene Bates Family, then the Marcia Bates Family. I am going to try to name all of the children there, so you will know how many second cousins were playing on the beach this morning.

Daniel and Marina Wood Family: Autumn, Owen, Oscar, Reggie, Pepper

Desiree and Brandon Vaughn Family: Aiden, Celeste, Parker, Tanner

Adam and Michelle Wood Family: Sydney, Nora, Maxwell

Lurene Bates and Tim Oldham Family: Kalina and Teresa

Marcia Bates and Art Treleaven Family: Zach, Gabe, Audra

Teague and Cheri Bates: Nathan, Chelsea, and Andrew

And now for my first teeny, tiny bite.

That makes 22 second cousins playing on the beach this morning: ages 22 to 2 years old.

The only casualties were some fishnets, which at first got gaping holes, and finally have the sticks break off of the hoops.

Miranda tells me no problem: fishnets, $1.25 at the Dollar Store.

At one time there was one red canoe in the water, 2 paddle boards, five kayaks, and I am sure I saw Dan Wood push a fishing boat out into the water, but I didn’t see where he went or when he came back.

There were super giant, giant, medium and small water guns in use. Betty had one of the smallest guns. She made it one of the most used, for she spent at least a whole hour on the dock drawing water into its barrel and then shooting out it into the universe. It doesn’t have a long enough stream of water to have ever hit anyone. Someone has a large tin tub at the lake, similar in size to an old wash tub. Water and fish go into that container, a group project, with much discussion around who can pour the water in, how high it can go, and if the fish will be able to swim over the top and get out.

Dave Wood came down to the beach and the men who were at the beach helped him push all of the docks back out into the water after the storm. Richard and Miranda wanted to go up to the house at 11:30 am. I wanted to stay at the beach with the kids. It was one full hour before Betty noticed that her mother was gone. Now that’s having fun at the beach.

On the way up to the house, we waved at Laynie Hicks who was just driving into the property with Landon and Piper. 

More cousins?  More fun.

Arta