Island Life

We took the grandsons camping and paddling on an island. This was their first time camping together with us, but without the parents. It was also their first time paddling boats alone. We pretty much gave them their own tent and gear and simply steered while they found their own rhythm in the woods. Huge, huge success. They know...

You lead, we'll follow.


Really, do boys in the woods need much more than binoculars and slingshots?


Spencer certainly found his own creative way of doing things. More and more I find he marches to his own beat in life.


Critters and things of interest were everywhere. They made a game of finding what there was to see if only they looked closely and carefully.


No cuts or stitches, but that may be because I said his mother may never let him go with me again if I brought him back with stitches. That's not true, but he was extra careful in learning to whittle with my knife.


Here we go...


One of the many things that intrigued them about paddling was how deep into the wetlands they could get. It's impossible to walk out to where we paddled, but a motor boat can't get this close to shore either. It's also one of the things I've always loved about paddling.


Yeah, it didn't work out too well to have both the boys in the inflatable when they didn't know what they were doing. I gave Konner my boat and jumped in with Spencer. Konner paddled like he had been doing it all his life. I see a new boat in my future.


Ha ha...he sits like he's been paddling all his life. All kicked back and relaxing.


Relaxing in the shade and protection of the island. We floated for quite awhile and I never heard anyone say, "I'm bored," because they weren't.


Awwww....look at that.


You can get so close to the wildlife when you're paddling.


No, we were not harrassing the Loon. He, yes, it's a male, was doing what he's supposed to do and that's to draw our attention to him while he leads us away from the female on the nest. We're well aware of what he's doing and we played along. He would let us get real close as he preened and splashed around, and then he would dive under the water and come up far enough away that we had to paddle to catch up. After leading us sufficiently far away, he dove and we didn't see him again. That is, until we looked behind and found him way back by the nest again. Clever trick isn't it?



Dusk on the water. The lighting at this time of day always amazes me.


The day is done, everyone is fed and happy, the mosquitos are out in force and the boys retire to the safety of their tent for a rousing game of Skip-Bo before sleep calls them too strongly. Life is great on an island.