Monday, June 15, 2015

Cold Camping and sinking paddle boats

A cold Friday in May our family decided to go out to Lake Frederick to camp and swim. The water and air were very cold but somehow the kids still got inside the water and we're having a great time.
None of them had brought their towels down by the beach and so Brecon tried to cover himself with sand to warm up. You can see Ariel sitting on the bench with her two babies all bundled up, it was a chilly and cold evening.
Apparently we were the first ones to try to use the paddle boats and canoes for the season. All the kids got on with Spencer paddling, and it soon became evident that the paddle boat was sinking lower and lower in the water. Luckily they weren't  too far out into the lake, and the kids  jumped off near the dock to climb to safety. When they jumped off the boat began to lean forward, the pontoons filling up more and more with water and tipping like the Titanic in an upward and downward fashion. Brielle was still sitting there with Spencer in the front and she did not like the way things were looking. They jumped off into the water for safety, but the paddleboat continue to tip up and then was beginning to tip down toward them. It was like watching a boat sink in slow-motion (but I wasn't there to see it). They got out of the way before it tipped all the way over, it was moving slow enough.
This is what I saw when I got back from the bathroom. Spencer in the water pulling the paddleboat up onto shore and Ben staying nice and dry on the dock. After draining out the water it was clear that there were no plugs in any of the pontoons or paddleboats, thus the sinking. The kids ran to the shower to get warm and we started a fire near our campsite. But it was such a cold and breezy night that even the fire could not get us warm enough no matter how close we sat.
You can see how cold Spencer looks, but he wouldn't change out of his wet clothes! We had tin foil dinners and chili for dinner, campfire style (some blackened pieces in the food)

The next day after a morning rain, the sun shone and it was much warmer. The kids had so much fun swimming and playing in the boats. We were the only ones there and loved our own private lake and beach!
Brecon and Connor got into the row boat and looked like two little pirates out on the open water. They went around in circles for the most part, but that was half the fun in watching them. 
Our little topless sun bathing beauty enjoying the beach and sun!
Been rigged up some plugs out of some pine cones  and the boys were able to ride on the paddleboat together. We really did have such a great time in the beach and on the water! 

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