Maximizing summer, Part 2: The Beach

It was the first heat wave of the summer, and the MannBowles were all crabby. Nothing to do but drop everything and drive to the beach, just me and Anneke. Dave was so sad he missed it, I was like, let's just do it again! so the next day all three of us headed back for more. Despite the misty weather in the photos it actually cleared up and felt like Southern California. Anneke spent the day learning to walk in the sand and emitting the chortle she reserves for only the newest, most exciting of situations.

Cherries!

Sand!

Maximizing summer, part 1: camping

My friend Brad lists his google chat status as "maximizing summer." I see that and feel wistful. Are we maximizing summer? Perhaps if you have to ask that, you're not. Perhaps my idea of maximizing summer involves paddling through class 3 and 4 rapids with no other care in the world beyond keeping your beer in the boat (and preserving life and limb). We have enjoyed some lovely summer days, though. We've sipped lots of sweet tea. We've done cannon balls in the pool. I've spent afternoons in my swimsuit and we've sent Anneke to bed "pool clean." I've baited a hook with a cricket and fished with a cane pole. I swam in a lake at midnight until I was scared away by phantom copperheads.

Okay, I feel better now.

In fact, I have been too busy doing summer things to blog, so I will recap. Behold our first camping trip, which took place over a cool, damp weekend in June at Metzler Park in Clackamas County:

Tent antics

The raincoat we hastily purchased on the way to the campground.

A walk/crawl in the woods

Sniff. We'll camp together again soon, Mcmillers!

Hopefully by the end of the summer we will have greased a watermelon and thrown it in the pool, with a prize to whomever can catch it. Stay tuned!

Anneke's rose

Here is the rose we planted when Anneke was born, Variegata de Bologna (sp?). It bloomed for the first time this year. It smells wonderful. Anneke will have to report on how it tastes.

Mustin Lake, Camden, Arkansas

I spend a lot of time swooning over the natural beauty up here in the Pacific Northwest, but I gotta say, Oregon, South Arkansas is giving you a run for the money in this instance. This is certainly one of the loveliest places I've ever been.