#310 - Feel Like The First Day

I was down to my last bit of cell data last night, which I used to download an episode of Lioness and then post my blog entry to my site.

Putting my phone into airplane mode had the double effect of silencing my phone. I woke at noon, surprised to see I had slept that late, but the fresh cottage air and a dose of too many sleepless nights did their trick.

The main thing was that I felt great and I didn’t have anything due or pending. The only plan was There Is No Plan! And that was a wonderful concept to wake up to.

Robyn was in the kitchen making a batch of pancakes, so I took over to cook mine and a few extras for kidd0 #2, whose nose for food that is already made is well developed. Not to bash kiddo#1’s abilities in this area, she was just slower to punch because she burnt her backside, legs and back yesterday and was finding it more difficult to move. Eventually, she made it down to the table and Robyn had to make another batch.

After breakfast Robyn and the kids headed down to the dock for a swim and some tanning. I joined a little later in the S.S. Woodzo and anchored just off the dock in a warm sunny spot with a nice breeze.

After we were cooled down and feeling refreshed the kids and Robyn painted some glass jars with paint markers while I read The Sand Pebbles. All four of us were gathered around the table under an umbrella enjoying the weather and a little light music.

The three of them went to town on the urgings of Kiddo #2 and I stayed behind to read and relax. I don’t enjoy going into town as often as the rest of them. Once or twice during my stay is good enough.

I took a break from reading to make a turkey sandwich and to grab a fresh Dr. Pepper. I’m finding it a bit difficult to read at the moment. I think I am still too tired to be able to fully concentrate. But I struggled through and it got easier as I went.

I didn’t want to nap today so that I might get back to my regular schedule. When I felt like I needed another break from reading, I walked over and grabbed the kayak from the owner’s place where he stores it. I was planning an evening kayak and I once the boat is on our dock I am more likely to take it out.

And normally I would have had it out on our first day here, but this year I had too much stuff hanging around my neck.

I was still reading when the family returned from town. I played a quick game of chess to keep up with my streak. 197 days in a row. Not too shabby. Luckily, with all the phones switched over to 5G, even with one bar I can still play a game.

Robyn and kiddo#2 made some tacos for dinner. After my chess game end, I headed in for bite to eat. Apparently, everyone had finished already. I guess I was to distracted by my game to notice that dinner was on the table. I ate alone, but it was tasty and more importantly, it was a meal I didn’t have to prepare.

After dinner, I took the kayak out on my first paddle. The lack was very calm except for a boat that started pulling a water skier. The waves it made were fun though.

While paddling I passed a fellow who was swimming along the lake tied to a buoy of some kind. Presumably it let boaters know he was there and acted as an emergency floatation device if he needed it.

Everyone seems to have settled into the cottage life. There isn’t any music playing or screens being watched. The cottage is quiet as people read, do crafts or take naps. Or write silently on their laptop. Is a good time, because it means that people have relaxed. The need to always be doing something is no longer leading the way.

For me, it’s time to make a cup of tea and put my feet up.

I went into our room and played an episode of Star City. I am enjoying that show quite a bit. The Russians are willing to do things the Americans would never do to in the interest of state security. It makes for a more dynamic show. Almost anything can happen and it’s interesting to see one faction of the state trying to control the other. Each one hinders the other.

It makes for good fiction at least.

Robyn made her famous seafood boil for dinner. I had thought we had dinner earlier when we had tacos. But I guess I was wrong!

She puts cut up corn, sweet potato, sausage, clams, scallops, shrimp topped with a butter creole mixture and then bakes it in the oven in toil packets. If it’s too hot in the cottage we do it on the BBQ. Tonight the air was cool enough to bake it in the oven.

It was delicious and a real treat.

Afterwards, I was too stuffed to move.

While the kids went out with flashlights hunting for frogs… yes hunting for frogs. You read that correctly. (Not to kill them but to capture, photograph and release). We put on two episodes of Widow’s Bay, which was a delight. For me, the show just keeps on getting better. The writing is great and there are some great character actors in this show. They’ve really managed to make the island one of the characters too.

This is the episode where things start going off the rails and the fun really starts.

I had a really good day today.

I did plenty of reading, I got to go kayaking, played a game of chess, we ate delicious food and watched some shows to end out the night.

I did the majority of my writing during the day which made finishing up the rest in the evening so much more enjoyable. And I still have a slight surplus of words to put towards my quota.

Today felt like the first real cottage day to me.

Tomorrow, I am hoping to get two kayaks in, one in the morning and one in the evening. I’d like to get a big chunk of Sand Pebbles read and I’d like to get my writing done before the evening by writing in short sessions throughout the day. And if I am feeling a bit adventurous, I might add a scene or two to my science fiction novel I started a while back as a writing assignment.

I think I’ll end the night with another episode of Star City and then call it a night.

Until tomorrow.