Memorial Day Weekend Down by the Bay

I feel so very blessed to have a family outpost in the Northern Neck of Virginia on the Chesapeake Bay to call a weekend home every now and then. The summers I’ve spent there with family and friends for the past four or five years have been rich with joy and an occasional sunburn. So it was nothing short of fitting to kick off the summer at the Rivah.

I only had my camera out for one day, but with Jessie’s help, we documented Sunday pretty well.

We tend to make a waterfront camp by the dock in front of the house.

Some awesome people, keeping cool with a beverage. Hugh got that hat for $5 from Eastern Market a few summers ago… I just use sunscreen.

We had two unplanned but totally welcome visitors show up Saturday evening. We had to cram a whole weekend’s worth of fun into Sunday for Jessie and Troy, so we took a spin on the jet skis, did some swimming and jumping off the dock, and took them for a thrill ride on the tube.

Jessie was grinning this big her whole time on the tube, because I’m that good of a driver.

It looks like Mom took some pictures, too. I’m going to need to see those pictures, Mom!

The adults hung out on the boat, where the radio was turned up.

Harry was a trooper, hanging out with us old folk while Dylan was MIA for a while. Hey Harry!

Troy did some serious kayaking — you’re making wake in a no-wake zone, Troy!

I didn’t get Saturday night’s seafood fest on camera, but it was epic. Mom and Dad went to a local shop and picked up tuna steaks, shrimp, scallops, mahi mahi and oysters and I made pasta salad and cole slaw. De-lish.

I also don’t have action shots of the skiing that happened Saturday — Clayton is always the most fun to watch, especially when he asks to be towed back sans skis. I got up on my first try and Dylan took me for  a quick ride out of the cove, across the channel and back again. Since my back was already sore after that, I quit while I was ahead and let Hugh take a turn (he also did great).

Foot note: my back was still sore from skiing when Hugh talked me into the 10K. Something must be off kilter in my brain.

I probably need more vacation.

I’m Not Like a Regular Mom

I’m a cool mom!

Actually, I’m a cool Aunt Lauren who has been a cool babysitter for the past few days while my furry nephew’s mom has been out of town.

Dexter’s adventures this weekend have been non-stop.

All I can really say is I envy his constant energy.

He makes me feel old.

And slow.

Especially during his pre-bridal shower stunt, which I will have to save for tomorrow since I haven’t told his mom about it yet.

I’m trying not to hold a grudge.

You know, since I’m the cool aunt and all.

And he is pretty cute.

And he likes me.

Adventures in a Big Kid’s Toy Store

How do you reward yourself for spending a day checking things off the to-do and errands lists?

Old Navy shorts

flip-flops

new dress

shoes to match new dress

work shirts

look for sunglasses

You save the best errand for last.

Oh, we have a bat grip and a kickball on the list?

Guess we have to go to Dick’s… what a shame…

After playing with — and ultimately walking away from — every single beach toy in the store (there’s still time before July to come back), I was pretty pumped to find myself a new kickball.

Then we perused the kayaks and canoes, day dreaming about being able to afford two and subsequently being able to take them out on the water every day.

How far away is retirement?

In the camping and hunting section I found a chair I could really use on the beach this year.

This chair is awesome for two reasons: you can’t see that I’m in it and it provides personal shade from the sun. I would never get another sunburn.

And last but not least, I’m putting this floating cooler on my to-buy list for another weekend. It looks like a fishing bobber and it holds 12 cans with ice.

That’s a nice little personal supply of Diet Coke while I’m spending whole days floating in a raft near our dock.

Mermaid Spotting at a Roadside Spectacle and Slice of Classic Americana

Yes it’s taken me five days to write about mermaids.

The parents and I hopped a flight to Florida last weekend to see Amanda (my cousin? godsister? parents’ friends’ daughter? debate continues) graduate from the University of Florida. On our little drive from Tampa to Ocala, we stopped to see the Weeki Wachee Mermaids.

I was skeptical from the moment we started discussing it. A mermaid show? Mermaids? Okay, Dad, let’s go see those mermaids.

We parked in the conspicuously empty parking lot on the side of the road, indicated only by a small sign. The ticket counter, though set up to corral long lines, was vacant except for the one person in the window who took our money.

The mermaid sightings began early.

I was convinced we were in the middle of a horror movie and looked over my shoulder as we ventured through the gates and into the park. This egret seems normal, I thought.

Yes he was normal enough to get spooked by the sound of my camera’s shutter. Sigh of relief.

We made it to the park just in time for the 2 p.m. showing of Fish Tales, which was not the marquee show The Little Mermaid. I clung to Mom’s side and we walked down a ramp to the underwater theater for the show, the reason we stopped at this tourist trap.

We found a seat in the bleachers facing the wall of an aquarium. After an introductory video about the history of the mermaids (trained to breath and perform under water by a former Navy SEAL) and the town of Weeki Wachee Springs (whose mayor is a former mermaid), the curtains went up and we were staring at 16 feet of clear natural spring water, fish and turtles included.

And then this happened.

Those are women. Wearing mermaid fins of some kind. Swimming around with turtles and fish. They breathe using air hoses and swim dance in a synchronized routine to music which they can apparently hear under the water. Such a spectacle.

The kicker, though, was their finale. It was a patriotic number performed in red, white and blue outfits to Lee Greenwood’s “Proud to be an American.”

I can’t make this stuff up.

The blue hairs in the crowd really enjoyed the closing number and stood applauding for a while as Dad and I hurried outside to get a photo op with a mermaid.

Mom couldn’t back up far enough to get her tail in the picture, but she had one don’t worry.

After the excitement of meeting a mermaid in real life, we wandered through the park to see what else it had to offer. There was a boat ride on the springs, a wildlife show and a few dining establishments, but all I saw were peacocks.

Everywhere.

They were on low branches and high branches, walking through the grass and following me down the sidewalk.

On our way out we were getting slightly delirious from all the fun.

If you’re near Ocala, Florida, do yourself a favor and visit the mermaids at Weeki Wachee Springs. It was really, really worth it.