Fourth of July

I worked late Friday and then both Saturday and today. I didn't have to- all the other interns had stuff they wanted to do and I didn't have anything planned so said I'd cover the visitor's center. Basically I was being unnecessarily and obnoxiously noble- judge away. Anywho, when I got out of the visitor's center yesterday I went home, drank some chocolate soy milk, grabbed my camera and kayaking equipment, and headed down to the lake.

It took me a long time to get to the cottage with the kayaking racks (you caught the part where I grabbed my camera,yes?)... evening light turns what is always lovely into captivating beauty, and there are few things more beautiful than a lake at sunset. I got there eventually, though, and slipped Chad's kayak into the lake (it's a Perception, like mine, but much better balanced. I have an awesome boss!) and paddled into the wind... and. It's been a long time since I paddled into a sunset like that...so glorious! When I'd gone far enough I just stopped paddling and let the wind push me back to shore as I watched the light fade and the birds dart and swoop over the water. It was very difficult to convince myself I had to climb out of the boat and head off to the fireworks.

The Institute is our neighbor (where the Huycks lived, while this is where their mill was), and every year they host a fireworks show for the community. It was the usual rural fireworks gig- everyone on blankets and beach chairs and kayaking pfds (well, maybe that was just me) on one side, men with torches and exciting explosives on the other. There were lots of children running around beforehand with patriotic glow sticks, throwing and whirling and making their own version of a light show... we were given glow sticks as well, though I'm the only one of the three of us (me, one of the other research interns, and our current resident artist) who threw hers in the air. The show itself was pretty good, and we managed to get out of the traffic jam afterwards without too much of a hassle.

So there you have it. Not as exciting as the thunderstorm story (did I mention how horrendously cold I was during that misadventure?) but there you are.