Virginia Vacation

We just got back from vacation at our friends' pond house. They have graciously offered it to my extended family for the past few years since we can't quite bring ourselves to go to the Outer Banks of NC without Jack. I also used their home as a writer's retreat when I started Rare Bird. Remember when I broke Tim's car on the way to their house and had to pee in a cup?

My brother and his family couldn't make it, so there were only 5 of us this year. Margaret and I decided to liven things up with theme nights at dinnertime!

Our themes were:
Movie Night
Glow Stick Night
Fiesta
Luau
Game Night

For movie night, we watched Spiderman while eating theater-sized boxes of candy Whoppers, Milk Duds, Skittles, and Starburst.

Glow night meant filling water bottles with glowsticks to make bowling pins, and setting up a mini bowling alley in the dark. The funniest part was when I accidentally pegged Tim in the nuts. Seems no vacation is complete without a little crotch humor or flatulence. Fortunately, we had both.

For fiesta night we used props for a mini photo booth, and did salsa roulette. Tim whipped up different salsas (hot, mild, peach, barbecue sauce, and grape jelly. We spun the salsa wheel to see who could guess the flavors.

We also shook our maracas every time someone said the word hot.

For the luau, we wore leis, and ate seafood and pineapple out on the deck.

For game night, we dusted off Pictionary, one of my all-time favorites.

While out fishing with Margaret, my niece, and Shadow, Tim got stung by a wasp. Although his hand swelled up like crazy, we were glad he was the victim, not one of the girls, because we never would have heard the end of it. Every time they saw a HOUSE FLY after Tim got stung, they freaked the freak out.

(That is one huge hand, Tim!)

One of the craziest parts of the week was when Shadow, seeing Tim paddle away in a kayak without her, went soaring off the dock after him to avoid eternal separation. Fortunately, we were able to lift her into the kayak and she had a great ride. If you have a labrador who just loves, loves, loves her special person, you will have no trouble picturing this scenario.

(A very wet Shadow, hitching a ride with her Alpha dog)

So, we had theme nights, watched a lot of TV, played 4-square, paddle boarded, kayaked, did a puzzle, saw bald eagles, and fished. Oh, and Tim and my sister went running while I slept in.

Boy, I love vacation!

(She was a pro!)

(When I tried to paddle board in a dress, got attacked by horse flies, ran into a branch in the water and fell in)