Cow Point

Last evening, Middle Sister and I kayaked from my house to the mouth of Queens Creek.

On the left as you're leaving the creek is a splotch of beach known as Cow Point. It's privately owned, but on Sunday afternoons many boaters take advantage of the convergence of shallow and deep waters to back their boats up to the small sandy beach and relax in the sunshine.

Cow Point 

Across from Cow Point

My arms were sore at this point.  I don't have much upper body strength, and whatever I did have was recovering from a ropes obstacle course Daughter and I conquered during last week's vacation.

Middle Sister

Although Baby Sis and my parents were unable to join us for last week's vacation, Middle Sister, Daughter, Son and I enjoyed ourselves.  Son could only come for a few nights due to his job at Merroir, but we managed to thoroughly relax and eat well.

Now it's back to the normal routine of commutes and long work days.

It's hard to believe July is almost over.  One blink and Daughter will be in her senior year applying to college.

*Sigh.*

To read about a childhood adventure at Cow Point, click here.

New Point Light

These are different angles of the beautiful New Point lighthouse, taken from the boat ride I took last Sunday with my friends Glenda and Billy.

This will be the last post until I return from vacation, which we eagerly depart for this Saturday.

For more information on our lighthouse, click here or here .

Have a great weekend and a great next week.

I sure intend to!

Washed Up

This basket was washed up on Aarons Beach a few weeks ago.  These always remind me of picking daffodils as a child.  We'd go through the fields picking up the bunches and placing them in these baskets--which were then submerged in metal buckets of water in the dark, cool barn before the flowers were packed up and shipped off in large cardboard boxes to commercial markets.

Most people around here associate them with fresh seafood, too.

Unrelated to anything thus far, my surgery took longer than I anticipated to recover from. I was expecting to trot back in to work on Monday after a follow-up visit with the surgeon, but he actually wanted me out another whole week. I was lethargic and just generally weak.  No appetite, no strength, nothing.  Nada. Since this is the busy season at work, and we're already short-staffed as it is,  however, I chose to ignore the surgeon's advice compromise and have been going in to work half days.  I race home early and take two-hour naps.

But finally today I'm feeling a little stronger. And I'm eating a little bit.

If I can survive next week, which is our absolute busiest at work, the following week I'll be on a much-anticipated vacation.

I can't wait.

I hope all is well in your world.

Back

Once upon a time, a family from Mathews descended upon a pool, and life was not just good, it was grand.

SUNbreros were the norm.

(Sombreros were too.)

CB Daughter

The break from Life--and a pool in the back yard--invited smiles.

CB Son

The crazy-good Thai restaurant we hit in the throes of Seafood City 

on the way down also elicited some smiles. 

I'm not kidding, folks.  The best Thai food I've had in my life (thus  far) was somewhere 

on the Outer Banks on the way to our destination..  The two below can vouch for it.  

But back to the pool. 

My seventy-ish parents also loved the pool.  If I didn't know better, I'd say they were five going on eight.

Years old.

This is why I love our vacations together.

Ages go out the door.

(And roles are happily possibly reversed. Possibly. Happily.)

Our favorite people Baby Sis and Dino joined in the fun again this year.

Dino cooked us some some incredible dinners.

Baby Sis and he kept us thoroughly entertained.

With games called Bullsh** and just general conversation.

It's really hard to be around either one of them and not laugh at anything they say. 

For any reason.

At any time.

Of the day or night.

They just make us all laugh.

(Thank you, Baby Sis and Dino.)

We missed Middle Sister, whose birthday occurred during our vacation.

We skyped or I-somethinged or called her to make she knew sure we were thinking of her.

If I haven't mentioned it, and even if I did it's worth mentioning again....we all thoroughly enjoyed the pool.

C B Father

One in our midst is leaving the fold for college in a few weeks.  

He's definitely ready to go.

He also definitely enjoyed this vacation.

Another in our midst is not a huge fan of the heat and sun, but she was a trooper.

(And she starts cross country and in-car driver's ed today. Speaking of Back to Reality.)

As for me, I thoroughly enjoyed myself.

But we all did.

L to R,  Baby Sis, Dino, Wild on Waverly Lane/CB Mother, CB Father, Daughter and Son

Although we all missed Middle Sis, we were able to make another set of memories for the crazy patchwork quilt that is our life.

I'm eternally grateful for that quilt and for each individual panel that makes up our life.


I love vacation week, and I love my family.

Vacation

Queens Creek Sunrise

I am ecstatic and elated  to announce that this blog and its owner are officially on a much-anticipated and much-needed  vacation. 

Have a wonderful week.

I know I plan to.

Sailboat

The shot above, taken from Aarons Beach, includes a sailboat skimming the bay way off in the distance.

Below is a closer shot.

Below, when I try to get closer, it appears that the water and the boat are headed clear out of the left side of the picture.  That's because my camera's excellent zoom really requires a tripod, which I've never purchased.  (I never purchased those photography lessons either, even though it was declared a New Year's Resolution back in 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012.) And sometimes I'm so focused on keeping the camera steady enough to use the zoom that I forget to pay attention to the overall shot itself.

This exciting commentary is brought to you courtesy of three days left before vacation! and way too much to get done before we leave.

I hope your week is moving along as smoothly as this sailboat.  Only without the slant in that last shot.

Birds II

Here are more shots of birds congregating on the pilings just off Aarons Beach.

After a busy weekend that included a beachside seafood and music festival and way too much fun, I'm headed into one of the busiest weeks at work, a week that will culminate in next Saturday's much-anticipated departure for my summer vacation in Avon, NC.

I'd love it if this week would fly by and next week would move at a snail's pace, but unfortunately I don't control such things.

There are a million things to get done around the house as well, not easy to accomplish during the busiest week at work.

I just have to keep focused on the good part--departing on Saturday morning.

Bring it on.

Birds

These Aarons Beach birds were taking in the sights and just generally enjoying life last week when I took these pictures.

Much like these birds,  I'll be taking in the sights and enjoying some down time near the water this weekend. My friend Angie has invited me to a function involving music, food and frivolity along the York River at a benefit for the local fire department.

In other very exciting news, my beach vacation starts a week from Saturday.

Life is good.

Have a great weekend.