Lake Life

The kids were very excited to get on the water any way they could, even if that meant getting IN the water.  While they've all taken swim lessons, the thought of going into water that was 14 feet deep made some of them a little nervous.  Solution?  Life jackets.              

Uncle Ray and Bill also took them tubing.  My neck/back have been giving me trouble, so I sat (or laid) this one out.  J was also not well, so he slept during this adventure.  Three on the tube at a time was apparently not their thing, they much preferred the two at a time gig.                  

While the younger kids got on the tube, G was kickin' it in the boat.  He also found out that he's old enough to get his license to drive a boat, so now he's into that.  Bill looked into it, and apparently the laws are different for alll the different states.  Uncle Ray was saying he thinks the Coast Guard course is recognized nationally, so if he were to take a course, that would be the one.                

Uncle Ray and Aunt Monica took us to the area where the carp congregate.  Because tons of people feed them stale popcorn.  So we did what was expected and fed those carp their old popcorn.  I've never seen carp before.  They're HUGE.  And they look like living vacuum cleaners when they're eating.  It was pretty cool to see.            

There were a ton of floating devices to choose from to get out there on the lake and just hang.  NB and NS got on the tube with paddles, so K decided to take a ride with them.  That didn't last long.                    

Let me tell you, that water is COLD.  Ray said it was about 66, which is a heck of a lot warmer than when the kids went swimming in EC Manning up in Canada, but I froze my butt off.  I got all the way in, head and all, lest you think me a total weenie.  But after I dove under, I got out.  I floated for a bit, but I think dock life is more for me.                  

We got one more boat ride in before our visit was over.  We need a different group shot.