Kayaking

Last year Brittany (an experienced kayaker) and I took advantage of the free Kayaking experience that is offered every Friday in the summer at the next state park, Refugio. It was fun to go out to the ocean kelp beds and skim along in the kayak. However, getting into the kayak is the most challenging and just as I got ready to climb in, a wave knocked me over.

When the day came for Harry and Brooke to do their kayaking last summer, they had canceled the kayaking. Today Brooke and Harry went out and did well; it was Harry's first time, but Brooke even goes to kayaking camp in 2 weeks as well as the previous 2 summers for a week. They did well as did the other two double kayakers but one of the five or six single kayakers became seasick so the instructor had to bring her back. (one of our rangers also went along so the others were not left alone) Just as H&B came in, a wave came from behind and dumped them as they were about to get out but neither one got their face or hat wet so they did better than me.

While they were on the ocean, I sat under the shade of a palm tree and began reading Brooke's chosen book from her summer reading list for 7th grade English class, "Sophie's World--a novel about the history of philosophy". It is fascinating for I have never had a philosophy class and this novel with a young woman as the main character is fun following the plot as well as getting a taste of philosophy. Brooke has my love of reading so she is reading right now--having beaten me in Spinner and Mexican Train. She expects to finish the 513 page book in one week--and she probably will!

Renee will bring Brittany out for a quick supper of hot dogs and smores and to pick up Brooke this evening. Renee and next door neighbor, Denise, are putting on a fondue dinner party tomorrow in the Renee's back yard as a fundraiser for Brooke's school. Meantime Sara and Kevin are putting on their summer party for friends tomorrow night also. It will involve a treasure hunt (for the adults) planned by Sara.

Electricity can save lives

Only the camp hosts have electric and other hook-ups at this state park. Last week, we had a knock on the door and the man in the nearest campsite to us said his mother was with them, was on oxygen 24 hrs a day, and the small generator they had brought was blowing its circuit. We called ranger who OK'd the neighbors running a cord from their site across their site and ours to plug in to outside of our rig. Shortly after that, fortunately, we took our golf cart, which was plugged into other half of outside outlet, down to other host as we were off duty the next day. We then continued to watch "The Rookie" on our new DVD and Harry put popcorn into microwave. It was about 11 pm and another knock on door and he stepped out to hear the man better, who was telling him he needed about 5 minutes of electricity. A minute later the microwave timer (set for 5 minutes) went off and I came to and opened microwave as smoke poured out and engulfed RV as I opened all windows and fans (doing some choking). Carried bag of popcorn outside and learned that man had come because 12 year old in their group was in midst of asthma seizure so mom and child came. Harry pulled up chair for child and gear was attached while the man and mother and we had a good visit on our outside steps as smoke cleared out of RV. Mother later whispered to Harry that the man was a dr so guess we had the right person there.
We told the mom to bring the boy and equipment over and plug in whenever she wanted. As I went out next morn to prepare to go to SBarb for day, she was unplugging again and had gone over to meet the folks who had oxygen plugged in. This position has just enough variety to keep it from being boring! Anita