Summer at Last

Our sunsets have come back, finally, after a long winter and spring of ice blue skies.

Our skiff rides made their way back as well.

During a spell of amazing weather we decided to boat out across the channel and just spend the day having fun on the beach and the water.

Blue, blue, blue.

We pulled up onto the shore of long rocky beach, and proceeded to unpack the skiff.

Yikes - Scary.

FYI - this is the "what to do when cornered by a bear and the skiff has drifted away and everyone else in the family has longer legs than you, face"

We had a rock tossing contest to see who could land a small rock on the target rock without it bouncing off. Paul got a little aggressive. But Jo won.

After a lunch of bugs and sand mixed with a little tuna-fish, crackers and fruit, all of the girls wanted to walk along the beach while the boys skiffed along the shore.

The Easy Part...

Somebody isn't too fond of his life-jacket.

The Harder (but much more fun) Part.

Emma decided she'd had enough walking and joined the crew in the skiff while Paul took her place on the shore.

Something about this picture gives me the feeling that Someone is about to get wet -I wonder who...

And she didn't even let me count to 3.

I wonder what she's thinking right about... now.

This is the precise second where someone from the boat is supposed to scream: Shark!

And the hero returned triumphant! You're amazing Emma. :)

Meanwhile, the rest of us are scaling sheer cliffs, mere footholds away from tumbling jaggedly to a watery grave.

Oh how very brave we are!

Fortunately none of us fell into the perilous waters below - But something else did!:

Noooooo!


And while I rushed down the barnacly bank to scour the foreboding, murky reef for my pour sunglasses, Mom held my camera and laughed at me from her high and dry perch.

(and now I must stop and confess. To make the pictures of our beach story flow - was I really cheesy enough to take a picture of my sunglasses in a staged fall later when we got home? Yes, I must admit I am, for even I don't have reflexes quick enough to snap a photo of the unexpected downward flight of my unreliable shades)

But escape they did not! They had fallen an arm and shoulder length down into the water and had snagged on a piece of seaweed almost shrouding them from view.
I somehow managed to pull them out - and they are surviving still- lying on the desk beside me.

Ah- what a satisfying end to such an adventurous story!

So, until our next escapade. Enjoy this lovely summer while it lasts!