Dog Days of Summer

Lanci and Luke will go through a month of depression when we return home from the lake. They have as much fun (and relaxation) at the lake as we do. 

When the boys are down playing in the lake, the dogs sit on the deck with sad puppy dog faces, longing to be down there with them. 

When only one dog is down in the water, the other one sits up on the deck and 'cries.' 

When one of the boys calls to let them out of the house, they get so excited they nearly break through the screen doors. Once the door is opened, all we can see is one brownish-orange and one black STREAK bolting toward the lake. 

They love the water; dunking their heads under water to find big rocks, chasing the boys, swimming behind the paddle boat, and (their favorite thing) walking over to 'say Hello' to Gama (who is quietly reading & sunbathing) then proceding to shake sand and water off ALL OVER HER. 

4th of July in DC

I had the opportunity to teach at Gallaudet in D.C. again this summer. Toward the end of my stay, mom and the boys flew out to spend the Fourth of July weekend with me. Al surprised us by flying out too. 

When mom and the boys arrived, we drove straight to Gravelly Park to see the airplanes fly overhead. They were so close, it felt like we could reach out and touch them. 

We spent the morning of the 4th at Mount Vernon (15 miles outside of D.C. up the Potomac River, just south of Alexandria, Virginia) where we gained a new respect for George Washington's brilliance and humility. It was hard to believe we were standing in the same home, on the same land, where the our first President (who preferred to be remembered as a farmer) was born, lived and died. 

We returned to D.C., made our way downtown where we 'copped a squat,' on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, and waited for HOURS to see the fireworks (it rained at least three times). At last, we cheered and "Ooo"ed and "Ahh"ed as the bright, booming blasts lit up the sky above the Washington Monument. 

We had a rental card for the weekend, but we had fun using the great D.C. Metro (rail) as well. We visited all the typical tourist attractions, the White House, the Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials, the Vietnam 'Wall', the National Cathedral, and Arlington National Cemetery. There was so much to see and learn at Arlington. I've been twice now and I'd still love to go back. While the fact that Arlington is an active cemetery (holding 25-30 funerals everyday) is humbling, the land and the lore still hold so much wonder. 

On Sunday, mom and I got up early to shop at the famous Easter Market (est. 1873) and Georgetown while Al took the boys to the National Air and Space Museum and the Smithsonian Folk Life Festival. The boys said they could have stayed in the Air & Space Museum all day. 

Our celebrated our last evening together with a big meal Washington D.C.'s award winning Legal Seafood in Chinatown. Logan and Grayson both ordered Alaskan King Crab Legs and savored every bite. By the time we got back to the Carlin Hall (Gally dorm) each evening, we were pooped! We packed everything we could into the long weekend and will treaure our memories of the Fourth of July in our nations capital. 

The Fisherman

Logan has always enjoyed fishing. Last summer, the day he had been waiting for finally arrived. He was able to remove the inches of dust covering his great-grandfather's 1962 5 & 1/2 horse motor and drive his own boat. His interest in fishing progressed to a new level that day. He has since had some of his fish mounted (ick) and has learned the 'clean' them by himself (eww). He can sit in his aluminum boat and fish for HOURS! We know Grandpa Lindau is smiling. 

July at the Lake

Welcome! 

This is Sand Lake at about 8:30 pm. The little waves are from Logan's boat returning after an evening of fishing. On the deck of the lakehouse, there is a wooden plaque that reads,  

'If you're lucky enough to live at the lake, 

you're lucky enough!'  

That about sums it up for us in the summer. 

Much more to come!