Update From the Lake

Oh my this has been a relaxing week. Many naps have been taken, many long hours sitting staring at the water while the kids either nap or run around like maniacs. A few minor things to report:

1) Today Bella asked “Why is it called November? Why not YES-vember?”

2) Isaac has taken to calling me “Jimmy”. Not Daddy any more. I hear “JIIIIMMMY!” from the bedroom when he’s up from his nap. “JIMMY!” with upstretched arms wanting a ride. It’s hard to accept this complete lack of respect, but coming from the little guy, it seems ok.

3) Bella has been pretending to be a Dog a fair amount up here – she calls herself “Sparky” and Isaac has been walking her around the yard. When she’s being Sparky, he calls her Sparky. When she’s Bella, he calls her Bella. He’s very up on the Role Playing.

4) Lilli had researched the horse riding ranches up here and decided on one… that turned out to be a 75 minute drive each way. I decided to be the hero and drove her up there, where she had a great 90 minute ride: She had a 14 year old girl trail guide who took her on a ride through forest, field, and river with lots of galloping: It was a dream come true for her.

As I waited for her on the farm, I got to know the Emu, Donkey, pet Horse, Calves, Goats, Chickens, Kittens, Llama, Peacocks, Ducks, and Geese that roamed the area. The Gander decided that I was perhaps something of a threat, and spent a bit of time chasing me around.

On the rides, Lilli and I had long random conversations in which I learned a great deal about Vampires (a pet topic of hers), she learned a little Japanese, and we both laughed at roadside signs for the “Bump and Putt”, “Whimsical Unicorn”, and “ANNU BOGO” (Still don’t REALLY know what that meant – perhaps “Annual Buy One Get One Free Sale”, only in Klingon.)

5) Bella has been collecting small glass/ceramic animals – one a day. We gave her an allowance, and PapaBam have been further funding the endeavor. She started with the rodents (mouse, ferret, squirrel), which made me very happy. The dogs have been added as the week has progressed. She looks very “important” with her small purse with her money and her judicious selection of JUST the right small animal for today.

6) And clarification on why there aren’t any Russian Speakers: It IS the economy, but it has more to do with the fact that the US dollar is in the toilet: Students from overseas can make a lot more money staying overseas – It simply isn’t very lucrative for them to come here! Yay US Economy! USA USA NUMBER ONE!

7) Finally, it’s fun to see family resemblance at play in the larger groups at the resort: There is one “Grandpa” I see who bears a striking resemblance to Mark Lenard’s “Sarek” from Star Trek – very Mediterranean looking with dark eyes and magnificently arched eyebrows. And looking at the table of 16 people, you see those eyes and eyebrows spread amongst the next two generations – a couple of daughters, and a smattering of grandkids.

Just one more day up here - Hard to believe it’ll be a week. For the record, yes I did check the blackberry a few times a day, but for very good business reasons. And yes there were a couple of calls I had to make. But 99% of the time has been pure vacationland, and it has been wonderful. It’ll be nice to be back in my home zone again, however!