My Hero

Ben saved the day when he jumped onto land and pulled the boat back to Grandma and Gunker's dock. And he looked good doing it, too.

Three Hour Tour

 What was planned to be a half hour ride in Sweetwater to the other side of the lake turned into a two and a half hour excursion when the engine quit working at the far end of the lake.  Dexy paid very close attention when Gunker checked the motor.

 Dexter suggested, "Maybe we can fix it with some tools," and proceeded to use a screwdriver on the railing. He also said, "Let me see if the problem is at the front of the boat. No, the problem is not at the front of the boat."

 Luckily, we had a lovely breeze that pushed us back towards Grandma and Gunker's side of the lake but Gunker and Daddy had to use a pole and a fishing net to steer us away from the banks along the way. 

Fooled by Fake Fishing

 Both Dexter and My Bologna had no idea that the fishing rod Dexter was using was a kid's toy unable to catch any fish.  Dexter had a ball casting the line and reeling it back in and My Bologna excitedly watched the line come in from the water.

Three Boats

 Within the first 36 hours of being in Mississippi, Dexter rode in a paddleboat powered by Mommy and Daddy's legs, drove "Sweetwater", the pontoon boat, and kayaked with Daddy.

Street Sweeping in Boomland

I was surprised by how much Dexter's "street sweeping" in Boomland looked like ballet moves in photos.

On the Road

 Dexy and My Bologna did a great job on a very long car ride to Mississippi. Dexter mastered eating in the car and making the most of the rest stop.

20 Hours in the Car and 10 Hours in the Air

We managed to blend work and play while traveling this past week:

- Ben, Dexter, My Bologna, and I hit the long road to Mississippi after Ben's church gig last Sunday.

 - We all spent a day and a half with Grandma and Gunker during which time Dexter rode in three different types of boats.

- Ben and I visited with Ben's longstanding childhood friend, Kristi, and her husband, Trent, in Memphis where we enjoyed a leisurely dinner and easy conversation.

- Ben and I flew to Seattle where I conducted a successful 2-day site visit and spent evenings visiting Seattle friends and sites (poor Ben had to survive on vending machine burritos during the days when I was working since we were staying at a dump in a Seattle suburb).

- Dexter and My Bologna had a wonderful time with Grandma and Gunker.  We got a great report on Dexter's behavior and he was excited to tell us all about Chuck-E-Cheese, the Children's Museum, and the Memphis Zoo. We also got a great report on My Bologna who adapted well to the great outdoors and got along well with Drake.

- Ben and I flew back to Mississippi, enjoyed some good BBQ and a restful night's sleep then we drove back to Chicago in time for Ben to make his church gig this Sunday!