Lake Winnipesaukee

I was flooded with memories from my childhood as I drove down the Merrymount Lake road, came down the steps from the parking area, and walked into "Sunset," the big family house. Everything smelled the same, most things looked the same, my extended family (mom's side) was all there to greet, and a wonderful breeze was coming off the lake. It had been about four years since I was last there, and four years is far too long. Since my last summer there, I have been around the world--to Papua New Guinea, Uganda, Europe, and cross-country USA--and felt like a different person coming back to a very familiar home.

If you looked up "vacation" in a dictionary, I'm pretty sure you would find, tucked somewhere among the boring definitions, something like this: "A state of relaxation, usually involving a lake, many boats, and wonderful family. Days are generally spent sleeping in, listening to loons, sailing many hours, cooking together, running, and reading in rocking chairs on a screened-in porch overlooking the lake."

Some days we sailed for so long that my body kept rocking as I lay in bed, the lapping of waves still echoing in my ears. One of my favorite things is to lie on the decks of Tordzus, our beautiful wooden sailboat, and drag my hand in the cool water. When it gets too hot, I just roll over into the water, grab a line hanging off the stern, and drag behind the boat.

Our last day, we watched a slideshow of some of the pictures we had taken. Here are a few of my favorites...

My family

Mt. Chocorua, first looking up at it, then looking out from the top





On another note, back home in upstate NY, I opened the fridge to find something to eat yesterday. Yogurt sounded good, but when I opened the container, there was a half-frozen road-killed herp (salamander) floating around inside. Ai-ya. Let's just say that I changed my mind about being hungry... Turns out that this little herp is actually quite rare and is now headed for the NY state museum. But wow, I guess I don't have to travel overseas to find weird creatures in the fridge! Only in the Batcheller house...