We are inching closer to another dash out the door for a van trip to North Carolina, a bicycle trip this time. Meanwhile, before the food prep and packing commences, I have been savoring a week at home. Celebrations have centered around this little one’s birthday. She just turned two. Of course, being two means two birthday parties, one at her house hosted by her parents, and one at our house with her Uncle Lee who blew in from San Francisco for the occasion. The party at our house included ice cream cake, which was a big hit. She has discovered that she can lick the sugary goodness off her plate, just like her kitty, Izzie.
We had a lot of fun celebrating her and yes, we recognize perfection when we see it. The pictures below from this week’s “Mondays with Grandpa and Beverly” bring to mind the word rockstar…. oh, that hair!
After a partying kind of weekend, this happened on Monday when we picked up a new-old kayak for me. To date, I have only dabbled in kayaking, renting one several times a summer for two or three years. These limited kayak excursions involved a couple of friends from high school, and when one friend moved out of town, the kayaking excursions ceased. I have spent several summers now, wistful for kayak adventures but unwilling to shell out the dollars to buy one.
The path to a kayak ownership began on Sunday, when we drove to Tellico to pick up a cargo rack from our soon to be Port Ludlow friends. They had this kayak still hanging around their now empty house along with two others. Bob and BJ had already transported seven kayaks to Washington and of the three still remaining, one, not in the best shape, was too long for a novice and one was too short. This little tan kayak caught my eye immediately and felt right.
With a little “sales talk” about steerage and speed, Bob convinced me that I needed this kayak. The 10′ Old Town boat, designed and purchased for fishing, will have a new non fishing life with me on the river near my house. I have convinced myself that with its wider cockpit, the kayak will be stable for solo paddling until my husband decides he might want to spend some summer mornings on the water too.
So, Monday we grabbed the van and drove back to their house to pick up the kayak. I am pretty excited about the paddling possibilities, when the weather warms up and the wind dies down. Oh, there is also the required life jacket to purchase. BTW, the van is perfect as a kayak transporter, as long as I don’t need access to the beds or bathroom.
Finally, I have been sketching the roses and iris I cut from the yard, in my little sketchbook. I am not a natural talent, and I don’t practice nearly enough, but I do enjoy the process. Unfortunately, while my desire would be to do casual, loose sketches, my mind craves detail. As a result, my brain sends me back again and again to add a line here, change a line there and maybe add or erase a little shading. I can’t seem to turn it off. That said, I am still working on this sketch….
