Summer drives up from NYC

It's not really summer in the Adks until my parents arrive for their annual fix...Sheffields have been celebrating summer in the Adirondacks since the end of the last ice-age with paddling trips, cookouts, cold nights, hungry deer-flies, and good dogs...

Our first canoe (and kayak) trip was on Follensby Clear Pond, not too far from the camp they are renting this summer on Upper Saranac Lake...we stayed close to home because the sky was a little threatening, and the breeze a little brisk for a first trip...Muz and D and Maggie-moo make great time in their kevlar canoe...

Gail and Ben always have a great time in Gail's Loon...

Sarah and Cynthia were leaving some serious wake in our huge Penobscot 17 (note the NFA naval vessel identification sticker on the front, this boat comprises 1/3 of the NFA's naval might)...

Brad took to the water as if his last canoe trip wasn't a year ago, and explored ahead and off to the sides, taking advantage of his greater speed...

The next night, Ben had his first ever soccer practice...he had a great time, and has been playing with his soccer ball ever since...here he can be seen standing up to introducing himself to "Coach" and the rest of the team...

He did an awesome job of kicking and running with the ball, but was a little disappointed that nobody kicked his new shin-guards during practice...we all had to test them prior to leaving for the lake clear field (which is also where he will be attending Kindergarten next fall...

There was an amazing rainstorm in the middle of practice, and 1/2 of the team left, but we stuck it out, and were rewarded by some small-group practice and a double rainbow (you can just see the 2nd one over the 1st in this picture)...

I got up early the next morning, with some help from Cedar, and walked down to the swimmin' dock to get a chance to appreciate why the camp is called, "Sunrise"...

Ben tried his hand with a smaller kayak of D's, and had a fun time noodling around a bit...

He's not ready for a trip on his own yet, but he had no trouble handling the paddle...

Ben is gaining confidence (perhaps a bit too much for his father's comfort) in his swimming ability thanks to a new "Spiderman" life-preserver...he swam all the way out to the float all by himself (with me spotting), and then Maggie-moo swam out to make sure that we were all ok...

Ben and I got a "Pirates of the Caribbean" fishing pole the last time we went to Walmart, and we got it out to practice a bit and, who would have guessed, but Ben is a natural...he has had a ton of fun practicing with the rubber casting fish, and has even done some casting with lures (we caught a perch the other day, but he got away)...

Here you can see the master fisherman in PJs, sneaker, fishing hat, and nerd-glasses...ready for a full day of fishing...

Ben and D went out for a paddle in D's Pakboat, a folding/inflatable kayak that fits into a 23 pound dufflebag...they had lots of fun...

Sheffield men taking in some sun and snacks between activities...

A little bit of reading on the couch with D...

We had a campfire the night before Brad and Cynthia and Sarah left, and Ben told a spooky ghost story, complete with hand-gestures...we had S'mores afterwards, and Ben decided that he (like his father) find the sum of all of the ingredients to be less satisfying than the individual components themselves...he likes marshmallows and I like chocolate...we're happy giving the graham crackers to a relief agency...

On the 4th of July, there is a boat parade on Upper Saranac Lake, and there are some truly impressive old wooden motorboats in the line-up...

Ben and Maggie-moo curled up together on the couch watching a little Scooby-Doo before bedtime...

With D and Mommy...

Here's one more Maggie-moo and Ben shot...she snores like the end of the world, but in a good way...