Our Traditional August Outing

Late in August, just before school starts, my daughter comes over to our house to go canoeing with her kids.  It's tradition.  We get the canoe out and connect the trailer to the car or truck.  This year we took the car.  We found life jackets for everyone.  We have to get new ones before next year.  The boys are growing so much, they will need an adult size before too long.  Princeton has a boat launch in a city park less than a mile from our house.  When we drove into the park, there was a couple fishing nearby.  They had just caught a walleye.  That surprised me.  I thought all anyone caught in the Fox River were Catfish.

They unloaded the canoe and put it into the water.  Notice I said "they" because it's kind of heavy so I took pictures instead.  No one noticed that I didn't help.

Poor Sam was stuck with the orange floatation device because we didn't have a vest to fit him and Jack was poured into his little vest.  The boys have had swimming lessons and are pretty comfortable in the water, but by the looks of that water, I wouldn't want to fall in it or eat the walleye I saw that couple catch.

They are off.  Sam in front, Jack on the floor, Sarah and Mike.

After they left, I drove the car with the empty trailer to the next boat launch down the road.  After I got there, I just sat by myself and relaxed.  It was so beautiful and peaceful.   I took pictures of the minnows swimming near the shore.  I took pictures of the foliage and some frogs.

If you look carefully, there are little minnows swimming around.

Wild grapes and green acorns in the Oak tree.  I could see the green casings on the ground.  Something, probably squirrels, are eating them before they are ripe.

Then there are lots and lots of frogs jumping all around.  These frogs blend in with the grass and can't be seen until they jump.






Pretty soon I could hear voices.  I could hear them a long time before I could see them.  They were chattering about what they were seeing.  I couldn't hear what they were saying, but I could hear the excitement in their voices.

 

Taking a little break before the final push.  Can you see Jack peeking around Sam?

 

 Sam finally spotted me, he was afraid they paddled past the landing point. 

The little trip is over.  Time to pack up the canoe and head home.  The boys couldn't wait to tell me about the Bald Eagle they saw.  It was sitting on a branch a short distance from them.  Then when it took off it was huge.  Jack said it's wing span was wider than Papa is tall.  Mike and I are going to make the trip again soon.  I hope I can get some photos of that eagle.  I was so jealous.

Fun Times and More Good Memories