A Pleasant Trip to Camp

Had a very nice weekend at camp with Nana and Grandad. It started out in a very exciting way. We drove up Sat morning/afternoon, and started getting texts from M&D about a heavy storm which was moving through. The next thing we knew, they were reporting that the power was out and so many trees were down that the road was impassable. Due to the rapid response and hard work of the utility men, Cottage Rd was cleared just as we reached Colton, and we were able to get through. In the meantime we'd devised backup plans entailing multiple canoe trips to ferry us from the state park. 

Turns out the brief storm included a microburst strong enough to shear off the tops of pine trees, uproot trees, tip over a shed and toss a pontoon boat dozens of feet. Pretty impressive to see.

No one was hurt. Furthermore, we happened to have planned a grilled dinner which required no power! The electricity came back on before bedtime, a relief to all. 

Sunday was cool (high around 60) and drizzly, but that didn't stop Sam and Josh and me from hiking the Beaver Pond trail and playing around at the state park beach. Other highlights from the weekend included M&D treating us to lunch at Jake's in Hannawah Falls, a Scrabble game in which Sam devastated us, and a pleasant hike on the Stone Valley trail with Josh on Monday morning. (Unfortunately, Sam couldn't come because he was at home being sick with a migraine. We finally managed to get him into the van where he lay like a limp dishrag during the drive home.)

Microburst photos 

(courtesy of one of the firemen clearing the road)

These are the sheared trees

The tossed pontoon boat

Sunday Lunch at Jake's

The waitress, blurred in the background, is a Clarkson bio student from Boston doing summer research. Dad mentioned he'd done grad work in Boston. She asked where--MIT--and she replied, "so you must be wicked smart." :-)

Back at camp...

Grandad gave Josh a new book!

State Park

New bridge!

Foggy day

Stone Valley Trail

Josh was captivated by the tadpoles in the puddles in the rocks

Back at camp again...

Josh is always in motion

Sam, mid-migraine, but mustering a smile for his Scrabble win

Fun and terrifying

Okay, not everything in this post fits the title. That's a description of our recent trip to Seabreeze amusement park with our good friends Lanse and Jess and their son Wesley, who were in town visiting from South Carolina. 

First, a few random photos to catch you up...

This was the red velvet cake Susan made for Lanse and Jess' visit. Turns out it's a breakfast food as well as a dessert!

Sam, sporting some delicious empanadas made by Susan

Susan thought it would be nice to have an informal, post-church family photo. This one was taken at the annual church picnic, also the last day prior to our pastor's departure.

This one's a little further back--Josh playing with a toad he found on a hot Saturday in the creek.

Two days before seeing L&J I took the boys mini golfing.

This is another week prior--Mom and Dad giddy at making their escape from Casa Tim & Susan :-)

The sandbox has seen a lot of use so far this summer

Seabreeze Amusement Park

The fun part is obvious. It was sunny and warm, but still pleasant. It was the 5th of July, so the park was emptier than usual, and the lines minimal. Sam's now happy to ride any of the rides, and therein comes the terror, as he invited me to ride them with him. Several are nauseating--the ones involving spinning. Those I avoided. But that left two truly terrifying ones: the Whirlwind, and the Screaming Eagle. The Whirlwind is a roller coaster where the car can spin freely. The SE is like a vicious, giant metal arm spinning you around vertically, so you are at times 60 feet in the air, upside-down. The WW was scary the first time. The SE was horrifying. But then after that, the WW was a pleasant walk in the park. All my adrenaline had been used up.

Josh preferred the simpler rides, actually riding fewer than last year. He especially like the planes, which he rode almost a dozen times. 

Wesley was a big fan of the water rides, which he and Sam did for much of the afternoon. It was a delight to see L&J&W, and the park was a great way to do it. :-)

Lanse and Jess chilling in the shade

The afore-mentioned plane ride. The rider can pull a stick forward or backward, making the plane rise or fall.

My nemesis, the Screaming Eagle. 

The boys enjoying slushies at the end of the afternoon. We arrived at 11:30 and left about 6 hours later, hot and tired and happy.

A shot from the train ride.

Josh, befriending two girls on the tortoises

Josh and Wesley on the planes again. Wesley liked more things than Sam, but wasn't quite 88". Wesley's a big fan of the water rides and he and Sam went off with Susan and L&D for the better part of the afternoon to enjoy those.

The night before: Lanse has taken up the penny whistle and we were comparing tunes and instruments.

This one just lifts you up and down. Comparatively pleasant.

Sam and Wesley at the water park portion of Sneezebreeze.

My feet are the ones dangling on the lower right, in the middle; Sam's are are on the right.

One last piece of miscellany: We received as a gift a Venus fly trap from Aunt Carolyn when she stayed over on her way up to camp! We've been having fun giving in the occasional fly. The leafy jaws close right up when it gets one. Amazing!