Parties at the Bay

Hi, everyone!

Summertime is when we have parties at the bay! Fourth of July is a big national party that starts a day ahead for us! Uncle Steven’s family came out to stay over.

Uncle Steven launched the Waveblaster jet ski and rode it back to our dock. Aunt Kara and I helped get it out of the water on to its stand.

After dark, we were all back out on the dock to watch fireworks! Sodus Point always has their display on July 3, and they launch from the channel pier. We can see straight down the bay with nothing between us and the fireworks but water! Because of the distance, we hear the explosions after the light has faded out.

The next morning, we had our first waffle breakfast on the porch for the year! After breakfast I spent some time with my friend Panda, and we both hung out with James and Thomas before they got dressed for the day. Guess what? There were four more baby birds in the nest in the bend of the gutter downspout!

After James got dressed, he went kayaking with Grandma! They paddled across the bay to Clark Creek. The water hyacinths were blooming, and so were the buttonbushes and water lilies!

Uncle Steven’s family went back to town the afternoon of July 4th, but Grandma and Grandpa and I stayed at the bay. On Saturday, Uncle Steven had invited the other young families from our church to come out to the bay to go tubing. Aunt Kara brought cousins William and Mady to help out! Thomas pitched his birthday present tent at the far edge of the grassy knoll. Everybody did a practice tubing run before lunch and checked out the electronics in the loft. After lunch, when my friends Veronica and Doug arrived, we had a thunderstorm! Then the rain ended and the first official tubing run started.

When everybody arrived, there were a LOT of shoes by the door! After everybody went tubing, there were lots of life jackets and beach towels to dry on the deck railing! Uncle Steven grilled hamburgers and hot dogs for dinner, then we all had s’mores! My friends Smith and Stella got their marshmallows toasted perfectly!

Sunday after the young families party was a quiet day! James and his iPad needed some rest! After Uncle Steven’s family went back into town, Grandma and Grandpa took me to the Point to watch sunset. It was a pretty one!

Last Saturday, we had another tubing party! James’ birthday was in May, but he wanted to celebrate with his school friends when the weather was better for water sports! Some of his friends had never been tubing, so Uncle Steven and James told them what they needed to know before anybody went out. The group split into foursomes, with half tubing while the other half played in the water. I helped Aunt Kara lifeguard the non-tubers while they waited for their tubing run!

After everybody had a chance to go tubing, we had snacks on the deck. Grandma made nachos after all the salsa and popcorn were gone! Then there was time for electronics and a Monopoly game before dinner. I helped Aunt Kara split the wood for a s’mores fire!

There was a final tubing run, then last-minute s’mores before Aunt Kara drove all the guests home. I got to the Point to see another sunset!

Yesterday was family tubing time! Grandma and I observed so James and Thomas could go tubing together. Thomas went solo first, then James. Then they went together and showed off their “no hands” balance tricks!

After tubing, it was time for James and Thomas to pack up and head back to town. Thomas stopped to make a cat sculpture out of clay from the lake bed.

So far, the weekend weather hasn’t ruined any of our parties. I hope that continues, because Grandma and Uncle Steven have more summer parties planned!

Love,

Lion-san