Squinting Through the Dog Day Rays

 
The summer is quickly fleeting as we start to gather our school supplies, new shoes and pack a little extra fun into the few days remaining.  Our old rubber tramping friend called for a meeting at the Zipping Pippin, and we could not refuse.  It was his first time and the kids hate to miss ridding the wooden coaster.  We had three quick rides to get our blood moving on Saturday morning, well Merrick and my blood.  Sophia had already went for a run.  We then headed down town to see the Tall Ships.  The great sail clothed beasts were surrounded by a flotilla of kayaks swarming the river for an upclose look at these simple machines.  It was still not even noon and with the sun high in the sky and driving into our eyes we swung by another friends house to help him unload his moving truck of furniture and legos.  The kids were great helpers hauling the lighter boxes and totes and freeing up us adults to move the furniture.  We made it home in time for a brief rest and then cleaned the house for grill out with yet another old family of friends.  busy day indeed.  The kids splashed in the pool and tossed water balloons with occasional breaks to warm up reptiallian style on the over heated drive way.  The night was not late but the day was certainly full enough to completely satiate us.  With the new morning sun peaking through the windows we decided that we would load up the canoe and head out to a small inland lake for a little bobber fishing.  The kids caught some small blue gills and I had a long-distance release on a large mouth bass.  The final count was Merrick 2 and Sophia 1.  The breeze was blowing towards the landing so after we were fished out and our gear unloaded I let the kids take the canoe back out by themselves.  The handeled the 17 foot aluminum lady with great precision and I found myself smiling at them from the dock in the midday sun.  Our ride home required us to turn around and go back to a thrift sale that we almost passed, and lucky we did.  Sophia's eye was immediately drawn to a couple of porcelian dolls.  The man said they were his aunt's dolls and she had collected them her whole life until her death at 98.  He also said because Sophia was the only one to show in interest in the dolls all summer that she could have them.  With the new dolls under our arms and a few other treasures that we could not pass up we loaded up the car and started heading for home yet again, but it was a short trip and we were soon detoured by the custard shop and creamy heath flavor of the day.  The rest of the day is going to be filled with those quotidian tasks of domesticated life and Sophia has a friend on the way over to spend the night.  We have a few days left before the smells of new pencils and old desks fill our noses and we are busy making plans to keep them filled as well.