Memorial Day Weekend

Hey y'all. How was your weekend?

We didn't do a whole lot, this weekend. Just hung out at the lake and enjoyed the beautiful day, Saturday. Cliff took L&S on a kayak picnic. I have been working in the yard so much, that I took the day to do some cooking. Someone sent Cliff home from work with a bag full of fresh squash and my neighbor, Doris, gave me a bunch of blueberries. I had bought the ingredients to make home-made bread a couple of weeks ago. So, this was my day to whip up something delicious. I made a squash casserole, a blueberry crisp, and home-made bread. The bread recipe was easy and turned out deliciously. It was just a little time consuming, though. After it had risen, I kneaded the dough for like 10 minutes. I thought, "this is a good way to build up some biceps, triceps, and pectoral muscles." Getting a workout in, while making bread.....score!  No wonder our pioneers were strong and strapping women. I'm going to do that again.

Sunday, we woke up to rain. I didn't mind, it cooled us off and it was needed. We decided that a rainy day was a good day to take L&S to a movie. So Sunday afternoon, we took them to see Jungle Book. They enjoyed it. It was a cute movie and the message of love of family, loyalty and friendship was a great one. Even so, Cliff and I just about fell asleep during parts of it.

Monday, Memorial Day, the lake was busy with a plethora of boating activities. We were invited to our friends, across the lake, for a BBQ. Cliff and the children paddled their kayaks across. I just drove. Ha! Later, after Emily came to pick the children up, Cliff and I kayaked for a little while. Most of the boats had left, just a few fishers remained. It was quiet, relaxing and peaceful.

Well, I've got to get cranking. I have a whole lot of work to do in the yard. I'm still working on the flagstone path around the garden. Hope to finish it up this week. 

Hope your weekend was equally as relaxing and peaceful.

Laurie

 

Kayaking The Saluda

We went kayaking down the Saluda river last weekend. Cliff and I had already checked out the river a couple of weekends before.  It's shallow for the most part and has some rocky shoals, which makes little tiny rapids. We call them rapids, but really they were just glorified ripples. This would be a great place to bring Lidia and Sawyer for a long kayak trip. Although we would only paddle about 7 miles, that's a long kayak trip for the kids. The trip would take us close to 3 hours to complete. 

We got up Saturday morning and put the kayaks in the lake, right in front of the house. In order to get across the dam, we paddled to a mandatory portage area, took the kayaks out of the water and carried them up a hill........

 ....then down a hill.

 Sawyer decided this was the best way to get down.

And then, down a road that came out on the other side of the dam. 

 We were able to get right to the water's edge with no problems. 

 And then, we set sail.

At first we thought this was a train trestle, but after passing beneath it we decided it couldn't be. It's too narrow. Maybe it's just for foot traffic.

First rapids of the day. Lidia and Sawyer were nervous at first, but paddled through it like pros. After that, they were excited and looking for more.

 Here's another. There were about 4 or 5 areas in the river like this. 

To put things into perspective....that log above Cliff and Sawyer came to rest there during that awful flood we had last fall.

  When Sawyer got tired, Cliff towed him.

It was a great day on the river. Although the trip was a little long, we were moving with the flow of the river and the weather was beautiful. Lidia and Sawyer did great. I want to do this trip again in the fall, when the leaves change colors.

 Talk to y'all soon,

Laurie

The Ugly Cry

Sawyer was baptized, Sunday. 

I almost did the ugly cry. I was trembling inside and had to hold my hand over my mouth to keep from doing it. We were so proud of him! 

Sawyer and his Aunt Whitney, after church. Sawyer was presented a Bible by the church and he loves it. He has read it everyday since Sunday.

 ***

Lidia and her youth group at church did an interpretive dance depicting the crucifix of Jesus, also on Sunday. 

I almost did the ugly cry. I was trembling inside and had to hold my hand over my mouth to keep from doing it, again. We were so proud of her!

***

 Cliff, Whitney, Sawyer and Lidia kayaking at the lake this weekend.

Lidia can paddle like a pro and she was giving Sawyer a ride. But at some point, Sawyer fell off the back of the boat. He said it took him five minutes to fall off. His legs went straight up and he was trying to balance, but lost the battle. Luckily, he had on his short wet suit. The water was cold.

***

Whitney came home from Colorado for a few days. We were so excited and had a great visit! But, she had to leave to go home yesterday. 

I did the ugly cry!!! I trembled inside and balled like a baby. It never gets easy.

How was your weekend?

Laurie

Lake Greenwood Ferry

Lake Greenwood Ferry System

Open: Weekends

Ferry Time: Sunup - Sundown

Fee: Snacks Will Do

  

 

~*~ Laurie ~*~ 

 

 

GrandNewby Kayakers

I have to tell you...I was a little bit in heaven this weekend. Emily, Lidia and Sawyer came home for my family's reunion on Saturday and afterwards we took Lidia and Sawyer kayaking.

 

Cliff bought Sawyer a kayak last week...he already had one for Lidia. We were so excited for Sawyer to see it and we thought he would be too. But when Emily and the kids got here and we showed it to Sawyer, he was a little apprehensive about showing any excitement of his own. He's the kind of child that if he feels he can't do something really well, then he's hesitant about trying it. I know this and I know that you have to encourage him to try and then give him some time and space to get accustomed to the idea. And sure enough, after awhile, he started sitting on it, then holding the paddle and finally laying down on it. That's all it took. He came up to me and said, "LaLa, I think I'm going to like kayaking."

 

Well, alright then. Let's get our kayaking on.

 

Oyster Landing is a great place to start, if you've never kayaked before. It is a beachy sort of landing on the creeks of Murrells Inlet. It's shallow which makes it ideal for the grandchildren. If they flip the boat, no biggy. They can just hop right back on. And this sort of happened a couple of times. But it was a result of playing fearlessly on the water and just having a plain ole good time. The following pictures tell the tale.      

 

First lessons.....

 

...and a flooded boat landing. It was a really high tide, Saturday.

 

A few instructions....

 

And then we set sail.

 

Look at Lidia....doesn't she look like a pro?

 

Lidia and Sawyer took to kayaking like a duck on water.

 

The wind was blowing and the tide was changing so they had to paddle almost constantly.

The marsh was a good place to rest those weary arms.

 

Sawyer couldn't wait to go back on Sunday.

And this time, he struck out on his own.

 

Nothing to it.....

 

Sunday, the tide was dead low. It was so shallow that

Lidia kept hitting the sand with the paddle.

 

And of course, this is what you do when you get tired of paddling.

 

Or this.....

 

Or this. You go exploring near the marsh and look for crabs and such.

 

But if you're LaLa, you get all excited when you spot this beautiful creature.

I've never seen one before, but learned that it is a Roseate Spoonbill.

 

Her tail feather's are so pretty in pink.

 

And her spoonbill, too.

 

We will certainly be looking forward to more adventures such as this. I love kayaking and now that we can share it with the grandchildren....well, Heaven!!

 

**************

 

Oh, wait!  Before you go, I have to tell you something.....remember my half-marathon? Training has been going pretty well. I am so excited to tell you that yesterday I ran 10 miles and it was awesome! 

 

And the countdown begins....3 and 1/2 weeks until the

2013 Georgetown Bridge to Bridge Half-Marathon. I'm on my way!

 

Talk soon,

Laurie