Peachy’s Nautical Adventure

Now that the cold weather has asserted its intention to stay, I find that I am missing the warm days of summer. Gone are the days of throwing on a pair of sandals and heading outdoors. Now getting ready to go out is a process involving boots, sweaters, hats, mittens, and winter coats. It’s quite the ordeal.

When I start to feel the winter blues, I look back on the summer I’ve had and the memories I made with mommy and daddy. Today I want to share with you another instalment of “things I did this summer” to bring a bit of sunshine into your day. This time I want to tell you about my adventures at sea.

It was a warm and clear morning when mommy got me out of bed early, stuffed into a clean diaper and change of clothes, and bundled into the waiting car with my bottle of milk. That’s not how most mornings go and I was somewhat surprised while I drank my milk on the go. A short while later I found myself at a coffee shop trying to eat an early breakfast while watching mommy and daddy discuss what they may have forgotten to pack over coffee and sandwiches.

Soon we were on the road again and I knew it would be a long trip when daddy strapped my tablet to the seat and mommy turned on my favourite show. Too excited to sleep, I happily watched my show while the car sped along the highway. About an hour later the car began to slow down and shortly afterwards we pulled into a gravel parking lot. I was ready to get out, stretch my legs, and explore.

I was very surprised to find that my grandma and grandpa were waiting for me to emerge from the car. Of course there was a big fuss made over me and lots of hugs and attention lavished upon me. That’s just the way it is when grandparents are around. I generally don’t mind but this time the attention was keeping me from exploring my strange surroundings.

I soon managed to wiggle free and set off to investigate everything I could get my hands on. Mommy didn’t let me stray far from her but I soon discovered a huge pool of water nearby. I desperately wanted to dunk my hands in there but mommy wouldn’t let me get close enough and I had to settle for nothing more than a good look.

While mommy worked hard to stop me from exploring too much, everyone else was busy carrying things, talking, and making a great deal of noise around me. It was somewhat distracting and I didn’t get that much exploring done before mommy stuffed me into a strange vest and fastened a hat on my head. I wasn’t a big fan of the vest as it was very bulky and made sitting cumbersome.

I didn’t have much time to object the existence of the vest before mommy brought me over to a wooden walkway that she called a dock. Soon we were standing next to a very peculiar vehicle that seemed to be bobbing on the surface of the water. Mommy called it a boat as she lifted me over the edge of the dock and into daddy’s waiting arms.

I sat with daddy in the front seat and soon the boat began to glide away from the dock. We proceeded slowly along the pool of water and from inside the boat I noticed that the edge of the water was surrounded by trees. A couple of minutes later the pool opened up into a larger body of water where the trees were much further away. Mommy said we were on a lake and that the boat would take us across the water to our destination.

Once we were on the open water the boat picked up speed and we flew along while I looked out the window in amazement. I wanted to get a better look around me and I insisted that I stand in front of daddy instead of sitting on his lap. It was a much bumpier ride than in our car and I was thankful that daddy kept his hands around me to help keep me on my feet. I was still in awe when the boat began to slow down and creep along towards a large clump of trees.

The boat stopped and I was once again hoisted over the edge into a pair of waiting arms. Before I knew it my feet were back on solid ground again and the dreaded vest was finally removed. With only a quick look around me I knew we were in a forest but unlike all other forests I had seen, this one had no trails or paths, only trees, grass, and bushes.

Mommy insisted that I hold her hand the entire time, but I still managed to do a bit of looking around while everyone else took our cargo out of the boat and set up a sitting area among the trees. Next the coolers came out and lunch preparations were underway. Soon we were all sitting around having a well-earned meal.

Even though I was anxious to resume my exploring, I was hungry after all of the morning’s activities and I did take a small break for a bit of food. After a refreshing drink of water I was ready to get back to the business of having adventures. Since we were surrounded by water, mommy didn’t think it was safe for me to explore on my own but luckily there were four people there that took turns trying to keep up with me.

I ran around in circles and tugged on the arm of the adult designated to keep me safe at the time. I saw birds perched in trees and squirrels that chattered away at each other. There were many small objects on the ground for me to pick up and examine. I climbed over rocks and fallen trees. I tried to get my hands in the water but that was a bust so I gave up on the idea. There were plenty of other things to explore.

Once all of the adults were thoroughly exhausted from trying to keep up with me, we packed up our stuff and got back into the boat. I didn’t object to leaving and I was even patient with the horrible vest that was once again strapped to me. I like the boat and I was looking forward to going for another ride on the water.

The second time around was just as amazing as the first. This time I was slightly less shocked at the experience and this allowed me to absorb more of what I was seeing. The water splashed around us and the trees on the shores appeared to speed by. Most of the boat was covered but the sections that were open let a refreshing and misty breeze to come in.

Much too soon we were back at the dock where we started our adventure and the commotion of getting all of our stuff transferred back into our car began once more. While that was happening I explored and played with a dog that belonged to one of the other boats. It was a very friendly dog and we had a lot of fun together.

Once all our gear was packed into the car, it was time to go. Since dinnertime was approaching, instead of beginning our long drive home, we went to my grandparents’ house which was only a few minutes away. I played while dinner was prepared and by the time it was ready I had a good appetite.

After dinner there was a bit more time for play and then it was time to hit the road and head home. I had a pretty exciting day and I made no objection to being strapped into my car seat. I didn’t even need the tablet and I was happy to sleep the entire way home. Even though it was exhausting, I had a great day.