Day 12: Canada Day: How to Salvage a Boat for Two Beer

Canada Day means that out come the flags, T-shirts, tattoos and the day is spent in all manor of water craft on the lake.

Jeff entertained us with his inflatable paddle board balancing acts of wonder.

Micha, Calvin and Jordan paddled to the far end of the lake to salvage a small sunken row boat.  Jordan insisted on swimming back while towing the boat the entire way.  That was a REALLY long swim!

Now that the boat was salvaged, what to do with it?!  Well, put it by the side of the road of course.  It was gone in a jiffy and the new 'owner' pulled two beer out from behind the seat.  Nice!

Even Bailey gets decorated. 

Summer marking stops for no one.  Everyone gets an A today! OK, maybe not. 

Jordan and his 'find'. 

More games. . . .

SUP with Jeff. 

The Party Dock is departing right on schedule.  Jeff is learning with Calvin how to roll the kayak. 

Calvin is checking out the local slime. 

We get a really good look at the beaver this evening as he hops out to groom himself on a log. 

More baseball up on the sewer field. 

Day 11: Talent Show and Anniversary Potluck - Really, we are keeping it simple this year!

This year Mom and Dad celebrate 52 years of marriage. Wow!

Every year we say, "This year, we are going to keep it simple."  Yeah, that never happens. . . ..

Mom secretly makes extra dishes and Dad takes an early morning walk to pick wild flowers to fashion into two amazing bouquets. Cream puffs of amazing proportions are whipped up, potatoes peeled and the list goes on.

The 6th Annual Talent Show was a roaring success.  Acts included:

• 'Oh Canada' sung by Emma and Jackson. 
• 'As Time Goes By' sung by Ty's Great-Grandpa. 
• Grandma Loenen shows the bears and sweaters she knits for children in third-world countries
• Grandpa Loenen demonstrates how to be Superman with a talk and demonstration of his wooden pulleys that he made for the Lady Jayne (wooden sailboat). 
• Marianne and myself presented the "Sister Act: A Day in the Life of Hotel Lake".  Shaelynn and Yvette were our 'arms'.  
• Kestrel shares an amazing mental math trick followed by the now famous disappearing watermelon trick.  She cuts up a watermelon and everyone lines up for a piece and voila, the watermelon has disappeared!

Anniversary Preparations:

Notice the amazing anti-tip vase holding devices of wonder!

This picture deserves a slow look.  I see the canoe under sheets, the steam box for bending
wood complete with an electric kettle underneath, and one of the new dining room chairs in progress  . .... 

This card game went on all afternoon!

Hmm, need a little practice on your entries, Jeff. 

Jordan and Roger trying get Ike into the water. 

The party dock has an early departure because
today, we are busy!!

The 6th Annual Talent Show: 

'As Time Goes By' sung by Ty's Great-Grandpa.

Part of the audience

The Disappearing Watermelon trick. 

Pulley power!

Name flags are written for our personal cream puffs. 

Mom takes a break to watch World Cup soccer!

 Potluck time:

Roger is BBQ-ing yummy delights!

Dad leads us in prayer. 

Day 10: Good-bye Windsurfer, hello Rum Cake!

It is with great anticipation that I greet each morning because the camp is blissfully still and quiet.

We are blessed with yet another unseasonally hot, dry day.  Perfect for playing in the water.

Grandma (My Mom) fills all of the hallow legs with an evening dessert of ice cream and freshly baked Rum Cake.

Like fishing for minnows, climbing the tree is also a dying
pass-time for the boys and their camp friends. 

A trip to the rope swing, anyone?

Micha's old windsurfer has been stripped of its fittings and cut up.
Time to bring it away to the dump. This board was a source of much
entertainment as we watched the guys struggle with it over the years. 

Rum Cake!

Day 9: Grandma's Muffins, Rope Swing, and Board Games

So, I left everyone hanging by not updating the blog.  Sorry :).

Coffee mornings by the still lake. 

Sadly, fishing for minnow's on Jenny's dock is no longer a main attraction for the boys. They are getting older :(. 

We rescued this June Bug that was floating on by. ..  .looking rather drowny. 

Tristan hanging out and reading some Archie comics. 

Grandma brings muffins!

Epic round of the Game of Life.

All aboard to paddle to the rope swing. 

The 6th Annual Talent Show is a go!