Sun and Slides

Our next adventure took us to play in one of our most favorite parks where play structures and hiking trails give way to natural water slides.  The scenery is quite serene and the fun is simply waiting to be had.  We put on our wet clothes and water shoes (necessary for slippery rocks), packed up towels, water guns, inner tubes, and cooler full of drinks and snacks, and set our for the hour long drive.  We discovered this place late last summer and only the little ones and I were able to experience it.  At the time, John was still an ankle invalid and journeying out was not an option and the older boys were working so they missed out too.  This time, the weather allowed for us to venture out on a day that the older boys were not working (John still stayed home, but this time it was to work and keep the hounds).  The older boys were happy to go--they saw pictures last year and were a bit jealous.  :-)

When we arrived there was only one other family there but soon they left and we had the whole watery playground to ourselves.  The kids had a blast climbing up and sliding down the falls, sun tanning on the rocks, playing water gun wars, and simply floating in the inner tubes.  So much enjoyment!  

Tanning rock

The bigger the kid, the higher the falls

Tanning and tubes

Water gun wars

The day was getting long, and I was moderating sun intake (especially after my severe burn at the beach) so I was suggesting that we wrap up soon when the outing had an unhappy surprise.  At the bottom of a slide, Sonja and Riley were discussing their run when Sonja noticed that a snake was hitchhiking on her lap!  Of course, it freaked her out and she flipped out of her tube which sent her underwater.  Though she freaked out, the snake did not respond in kind and thankfully it swam away without further incident.  Sonja was a bit water logged and unhappy, but overall she was fine.  Thanks to Jozsef for wading out to check on her and bringing her in.  Jozsef then had his own snake encounter when he was returning and a snake was swimming towards him.  It was all good until the snake dove down and went out of sight.  Jozsef hustled back to shore and made it safely.  The outing was officially over.  

Though the close encounter was undesirable, the snakes were not surprising.  With the extra wet and hot summer, the reptiles were flourishing, and we had already identified one curled up under a log.  We just did not anticipate the swimming and diving snakes.  We tried to identify the kinds of snakes we encountered (two different, if not three) but to no avail.  In any case, another adventure is in the books, and dare I say, the kids are self reportedly looking forward to regular, non-adventurous outings.  We can try--but as the old saying goes, adventure is just around the corner!  ;-) 

Wild Animal Expo

 After the beach, the adventures just kept rolling in...there was the botanical garden trip that ended up in a downpour of rain

and the horses in the forest that got away from their owners and they met us in the park, but that didn't deter us from wanting to experience--I mean what is life if you're just couching it? So when we heard that a Wild Animal Expo was happening in town, we were sure to pack up early and head out to attend.  Though a storm was brewing, we had decided that some was better than none and we would just go and stay until the event was rained out.  However, much to our delight, the storm skirted us and never rained on our parade so we spent the entire day meeting animals and learning new things about them.  

The day began with a dog show, but not like a "who's the best looking dog" show, it was more of a demonstration of skill. The handler was showing us what her flushing and retrieving dogs could do.  She even used a real pigeon for her dog to catch and retrieve (that offended a lot of audience members but it was really a great display of skill in both dog and trainer).  We were able to have some Q & A time with the trainer, which seemed to inspire us al to do more with our hounds.  We also were able to visit each of her eight dogs present--they were all so cute and sweet!  

After the dog show was a reptile show filled with snakes, turtles, and toads.  After presenting facts about the animals from stage, the presenters invited the kids and families to go inside and have some close up visits with creatures they had on hand.  We saw armadillos, hedgehogs, a macaw, ducks, spiders, snakes--just to name a few. Then we cruised by the mobile bass tank and took in fishing lessons.   Riley was delighted! 

The bird show was next--actually is was more of a raptor display.  The handler had owls, falcons, eagles, vultures even to educate us on and show off.  At the end of the show, we even had the opportunity to hold an Eurasian Eagle Owl--such a thrill! 

One of my favorite shows was the Dock Dog trials.  Dogs came to see who could jump the highest and the farthest over a pool of water.  The stunts these dogs could pull was impressive!  The record for vertical height, we learned, is eight feet ten inches.  While we were there, the best jump we saw was four feet 10 inches by a Whippet--whoo doggie! 

In between shows we took time to rest from the heat, rehydrate, play a little corn hole, and tour RVs and Jeeps, and enjoy fair type foods (think funnel cake).  

Pretty soon, the day was closing in on dinner time and it was time to load up and head home.  Though there was a medical emergency while we were there, we had no part in it and the police and EMTs were quick to assist.  Happily, we just got to have fun.  :-) 

Discovering Adventure

 

Summer is for fun and relaxation, so with the days of summer quickly streaking by, we decided that we needed to practice some carpe diem and make the most of every opportunity we could catch.  So when the rain let up (it's been an unusually wet summer) we packed up to spend the day at the beach.  The weather was perfect and the beach was lightly attended (it helps that we went after school started in the public sector).  

We had a great time catching sun with great tunes, food (we packed a lunch), metal detecting (we had minimal finds), swimming, castle building, and general sand play.  

But time flies when you're having fun and Hannah was beginning to look red so I announced that it was time to pack up and head home.  With all of our belongings in the car, we began to take turns getting out of our wet clothes before the drive home.  While I was waiting on the kids, that's when the real adventure began.  Now, generally speaking, when someone excitedly recruits for an adventure, the reference is in regard to great fun.  What Connor aptly discovered in his dictionary perusing is that adventure has less to do with fun and more to do with danger. 

ad·ven·ture

/adˈven(t)SHər,ədˈven(t)SHər/

Learn to pronounce

noun

1. an unusual and exciting, typically hazardous, experience or activity.

With that definition in mind, the kids determined that our plain beach day turned into a true adventure when an elderly lady haphazardly drove (and I use the term drove lightly) into the parking lot and was obviously distressed.  The next two and a half hours found us in the parking lot under the blazing sun, assisting this woman (and her dog) in receiving medical help. 

I must say, the kids were stellar in patience and pitching in where they could while I rounded up adequate assistance from the police and  EMTs as well as a couple of locals (they graciously chose to foster the dog while it's owner spent time in the hospital).  Thankfully, Miss Francis was attended to just in time (she had been living in her car and was not taking her meds for days so she was in rather serious condition by the time we met her) and though I received a sun burn unlike I've ever experienced, I would not have passed up the opportunity to be the hands and feet of God to her.  We will not soon forget Miss Francis though we'll probably never know any more of her story that what we took part in that day.  

God appointments.  They always seem to surprise me, and they always put tears in my eyes--happy and/or sad.  How great He is to let us be part of His work.  Though we probably won't make it back to the beach this summer, we are happy to have had that day kick off our adventures.  :-)