|| July 31 ||
Findings: Rotsee pool
Food: Hotdogs on a stick, roast on grill
Emma and Kaleo swim at the Rotsee pool a lot. A sloping, grassy knoll enters into a small roped area for kids. Out in the middle of the lake is an area designated for adults to swim laps. This was our first visit to the Rotsee pool but we returned several more times on the trip. By the second to last visit, Johanna had worked up the confidence to swim out to the diving platform that is barely visible in the background of the picture below. She had been watching Alek swim out and jump off the diving board and really wanted to try it herself. She achieved her goal of swimming out there and back (with me swimming by her side but not helping her) but she didn't make the leap off the board. Next year.
Emma and Kaleo swim laps in the lake. Since swimming is the only, and I mean ONLY, thing I was once able to do better than Emma, I figured I could swim laps no problem. Plus there is a beam in the water at one end, a buoy rope at the other, and the shore really isn't far. What could go wrong? I didn't anticipate having a mid-lap panic attack even though Emma warned me. There is some sort of optical illusion in the lake and as I swam my first lap, the other end never got any closer. Of course I didn't pace myself right either so I was totally spent before I was even half-way across. I looked back to see if I could return to where I started, but that also looked more than half-way. Optical illusions in both directions. I had to switch to side-stroke and back float and did finally complete the lap. I did two more somewhat successfully but had to bail half-way through the 4th. The goal was 6 laps. Next year.
Back at the farmhouse, the girls played outside. Jeanne is very adventurous and tough. Johanna loved trying to wrestle and man-handle her, but typically a reversal occurred and Johanna would be Jeanne-handled . That is Jeanne below with her cute betty boop face and favorite outfit.
Kaleo and Emma had purchased part of a cow just before we arrived. We ate cuts from it several times and it was delicious. On this night, Kaleo built a fire for cooking hotdogs on sticks and a roast from the cow. In the photo below there is a cut of beef cooking for the grown ups. Unfortunately you can't see the beef or the neat camping grill it is cooking on. Maybe if you squint.
If you click on a picture, it gets big and then you can see, for instance, the beef and the grill. This is the best grill for outdoor cooking whether you are camping or not and it packs flat so if you come visit me make sure to take one home.
ReplyDeleteAnne is probably still better than I am at swimming, I just had an unfair advantage because of months of training. If it had been a race, Anne would have surely won. Also, Anne's statement, "Since swimming is the only, and I mean ONLY, thing I was once able to do better than Emma" is kind but false. I watch her teaching Johanna things, like Cat's Cradle or backgammon, and remember Anne teaching me the exact same things the exact same way when I was a little girl. ( She never taught me how to win at backgammon, anyone who plays her knows she keeps that secret to herself. ) So, Anne was and still is a good big sister who taught and continues to teach me everything she knows.
ReplyDeleteEmma, your depiction of your sister as yours teacher is very sweet. Especially in a world where so many siblings are rivals. Love uncle K
ReplyDelete