Night Reflection (290/366)

TIME: 9:08 pm

PLACE: Germantown, IL
SUBJECT: Germantown Lake Park

*~*~*

HH and I met some friends for supper this evening in Centralia.

We drove in the Miata with the top down on the way there - it was slightly chilly, but we had the heater on and the sun was out so it wasn't too bad.

We had to put the top up on the way back - it was much colder.

We pass through Germantown on the way there and back.

The Lake Park looks pretty at night.

Ornament (144/365)

TIME:  1:49 PM
PLACE: End of the bike trail, South Side Park
SUBJECT:  Christmas ornament

James and I joined my dad on the bike trail today.
Damn. I’m out of shape.
But I did it – 15.5 miles!

Polar Plunge (059/365)

“Scalded cats fear even cold water.”
Thomas Fuller (British Clergyman and Writer,1608-1661)

TIME:  9:52 AM – 1:39 PM
PLACE: Carlyle Lake, Carlyle Illinois
SUBJECT: 2014 Special Olympics Polar Plunge

My employer was one of the sponsors of the 2015 Special Olympics Polar Plunge.
I took the plunge last year.
This year, I just donated time and money.
I was one of the volunteers who verified funds during registration.
It was very cold.


This heater was very popular in the tent.


The boat ramp was a tad icy,


Since there was so much ice on the lake today, they had the plungers only go into the water about up to their knees.
The search and dive rescue team guys were in the water the whole time as a safety precaution.
I hope their suits worked.

Rorschach Test (275/365)

“But my dear man, reality is only a Rorschach ink-blot, you know.”

Alan Watts (American Writer, Thinker and Interpreter of Zen Buddhism, 1915-1973)

TIME:  9:51 AM
PLACE:  County Park
SUBJECT:  Tree branch in lake & its reflection

We dropped the kids off at Sunday School, then HH and I played hooky.  We went out to eat breakfast, then stopped by a county park for some picture taking before we had to pick them up from class.  Later this afternoon - after MB’s soccer game and a parish Wurstmart early supper - HH and I abandoned left the kids in DQ’s capable hands and went to see a movie (What’s Your Number).  I don’t think we went to the movie theater by ourselves since December 2009.  Yes, we were selfish parents today.

Summer Afternoon (219/365)

“Summer afternoon - summer afternoon; to me those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language.”

Henry James (1843-1916), U.S. author. Quoted in A Backward Glance, ch. 10, Edith Wharton (1934). Remark during "one perfect afternoon we spent at Bodiam" (Bodiam Castle, Kent, England).

TIME:  1:57 to 2:20 PM
PLACE:  American Legion Post
SUBJECT:  The kids and a dragonfly

MB’s Boy Scout troop had a “Day At The Lake” get together.  The kids and I went, while HH stayed home to deal with the plumbing.  Of course, SD and MB went straight into the lake.  DQ, although she wore a swim suit, did not want to go in, because she just showered and did not want to smell like lake water.  That’s a 13-year old girl for you.  Of course, her brother took that as a challenge and dragged her into the water anyway.  That’s a 12-year old brother for you. 

Lake Edge (195/365)

“It is not so much for its beauty that the forest makes a claim upon men's hearts, as for that subtle something, that quality of air that emanation from old trees, that so wonderfully changes and renews a weary spirit.”

Robert Louis Stevenson (Scottish Essayist, Poet and Author of fiction and travel books, 1850-1894)

TIME:  5:56 PM
PLACE:  Boy Scout Camp
SUBJECT:  Lake edge view at MB’s campsite

It was Parent’s night at MonkeyBoy’s Boy Scout Camp this evening.  The HandsomeHusband and I drove out to the campsite to eat dinner and to see how MB is holding up on his week away from home.  He’s hanging in there, although he did ask if we could come back tomorrow to take him home.  Nope, we told him, he’s paid up until Saturday morning and we’re going to get our money’s worth.

Which Way Is Up? (184/365)

“The eye sees not itself
But by reflection.”
 
William Shakespeare (1564-1616), British dramatist, poet. Brutus, in Julius Caesar, act 1, sc. 2, l. 52-3.

TIME:  9:30 AM
PLACE:  Foley Park
SUBJECT:  Lake shoreline

StellaDella wanted to go fishing this weekend, so HandsomeHusband bought her a fishing pole and this morning, MonkeyBoy and I went with them to fish.  It. was. hot.  And as you can see, the lake was extremely still.  I didn’t think it would be a good morning for fishing and it wasn’t.  They had a few nibbles, but no bites.  SD was upset that we didn’t catch anything, but we told her that she would go again.  She asked if we could go again tomorrow.  Not that soon sweetie.
~*~*~
Did you guess correctly?  The bottom picture is right-side up.

Scout Camp (190/365)

 
“A lot of parents pack up their troubles and send them off to summer camp.”

Raymond Duncan

TIME:  5:18 & 6:13 PM
PLACE:  Boy Scout Camp
SUBJECT:  MonkeyBoy at his tent and the Lake

Well, he survived the week.  And it wasn’t until Thursday night that he was homesick enough to have to borrow a leader’s cell phone and call home.  Tonight was Family Night ~ I ended up going by myself and was able to spend some time alone with my boy.  He said he had a good time while at camp ~ he swam, canoed, did archery, rifle shooting, kayaking and earned several merit badges.  We had the option of taking our camper home this evening.  To avoid driving back tomorrow (and due to the number of things we have going on Saturday morning), MB ended up coming home with me tonight after the ceremonial campfire ended ~ around 9:45pm.  He was so tired.  He told me that he didn’t sleep well all week; he kept waking up at night because he wasn’t in his bed and missed me and HH.  He quickly fell asleep in the car, but woke up when I pulled into Mickey D’s for some ice cream.  After eating said dairy dessert, he went back to sleep and slept until we arrived home.  He stumbled out of the Jeep, retrieved his pillow from the back and went straight upstairs to his bed.  Unpacking will have to wait until tomorrow.

Catch Of The Day (182/365)

 
“everything
was rainbow, rainbow, rainbow!
And I let the fish go.”
 
Elizabeth Bishop (1911-1979), U.S. poet. The Fish (l. 74-76). . . The Complete Poems, 1927-1979 [Elizabeth Bishop]. (1983) Farrar, Straus and Giroux.

TIME:  8:40 PM
PLACE:  S. 11th Street
SUBJECT:  Large mouth bass

MonkeyBoy’s baseball team had a team party this evening hosted by one of the boy’s parents at their house.  They had a trampoline, a pool and a lake for the boys and their siblings to jump on, swim in and fish.  StellaDella took advantage of all three.  I helped her fish and even did a little fishing myself.  We tight lined, using a rubber worm on a hook and a small weight.  After about 15 minutes of casting, I ended up hooking this bass.  SD was originally holding it by the pole for a photo, but it broke the line and I had to scrambled to grab him before he flopped off the dock.  After re-catching him, I quickly held him out with my left hand and snapped the photo with my right; then SD helped me release him back into the lake.

Gone Fishin’ (178/365)

 
“The charm of fishing is that it is the pursuit of what is elusive but attainable, a perpetual series of occasions for hope.”

John Buchan (Scottish Statesman and Writer best known for his swift-paced adventure stories. 1875-1940)

TIME:  5:17 PM
PLACE:  Bunker Hill, IL
SUBJECT:  DramaQueen

StellaDella had her last T-ball game of the season this afternoon and when they were finished we headed out to my brother-in-law’s for his granddaughter’s high school graduation party (HandsomeHusband’s grandniece).  They have a lake that was well stocked with fish and very generously lent the kids fishing poles and let them try their luck.  SD was in heaven and MonkeyBoy enjoyed himself too.  At first DQ didn’t want to fish, but changed her mind and joined in after her sister caught a blue gill, or as SD called it, “A blue-gi-oh” (not to be confused with Yu-gi-oh).  I even got a nice smile from DQ as she was fishing – shocking.  SD caught one more “blue-gi-oh” and while DQ and MB each had plenty of nibbles, they did not catch any fish.  Maybe next time.

Dragon Boat Races (157/365)

 
From yonder o'er
The high seas, fast encroaching:
Here Come The Dragons.

Jess C. Scott, Viking Longship, Dragonsinn, 12 Dec 2007/6 Jun. 2009, <http://www.dragonsinn.net/Poetry/haiku.htm>

TIME:  10:09 AM
PLACE:  Creve Coeur Lake, St. Louis MO
SUBJECT:  Racing Dragon Boats and StellaDella

Well, I survived the races today!  We were losers...4th place in the second to last consolation division to be exact!  But it was a good time, the weather was beautiful, the kids behaved and I'm not too sore.  I've posted more pictures at my other blog if you have a hankering to see more from the day.  Now it's late and I'm off to bed!

Boating Weather (154/365)

 
Wild Nights - Wild Nights!
Were I with thee
Wild Nights should be
Our luxury!

Futile - the Winds -
To a Heart in port -
Done with the Compass -
Done with the Chart!

Rowing in Eden -
Ah, the Sea!
Might I but moor -
Tonight - With Thee!

Emily Dickinson (1830-1886), U.S. poet. Wild Nights!—Wild Nights!, The Complete Poems of Emily Dickinson. Thomas H. Johnson, ed. (1960) Little, Brown

TIME: 6:20 PM
PLACE:  Creve Coeur Lake
SUBJECT:  Moored dragon boat

Back in 2007, I participated in a Dragon Boat Race with my dad and his company.  Last year, we (HandsomeHusband, the kids and I) were on vacation in San Francisco and I could not share in the race day experience.  This year, Dad roped called me into service again.  Tonight was our team training exercise.  It lasted for about an hour.  I had forgotten how physically challenging it is to paddle in a 400 meter (1/4 mile) race.  I am quite certain that my arms, shoulders and whole body will be hurting tomorrow.  Hopefully, I will be recovered by race day on Saturday.