Memorial Day at the Camp

Memorial Day is traditionally our weekend to open the Lake Champlain camp. There's storm shutters to remove, grass to mow, floors to sweep, and the dock to scrub, but with 8 or so family members the chores don't cut into the weekend fun too much.

There always seems to be at least one person crazy enough to jump in the water and earn the dubious honor of "first in the lake" for the season. The water is about 50 degrees, which sounds tolerable, but isn't. Wearing next to nothing in 50 degree ambient air temperature and jumping in a 50 degree lake are on two entirely different planes of cosmic experience! The first is sort of like, ooh, this is a little chilly, better put on a sweater. Jumping in the lake at this time of year knocks the breath out of you, and you come up gasping and sputtering in a panic to reach the ladder. This year, Uncle Preston won the title (along with Timber), though I think Aiden would have joined him if he was allowed. He spent all weekend begging to splash on the dock, which was about 4 inches underwater and looked to him like a giant lake-sized puddle.

Uncle Preston sraping all the algae off the dock. Thanks to Sarah and Aunt Chris for many of these photos!!

On Sunday we helped Sarah and Joe move from their house in Winooski. They have been living in Rhode Island for awhile now, but their house in VT just sold, so we packed up a giant U-Haul with all their stuff that hadn't already been moved. In the afternoon the ice-cream man chimed his way down the street a few times, so we had to take advantage. I think he was happy to have the our business, since he wasn't drumming up much interest otherwise. Would you let your kid take candies and frozen sweets from a stranger named Mr. Ding-a-ling?!

My parents' Golden Comet chickens are getting pretty gawky as they grow and molt their feathers. We've all lost track of which one is which at this point!