John and Carolyn

John cheeses for the camera while mom looks on.

Cousins Playing Frisbee

Emmalee and Drew toss a giant frisbee.

Trickling Water

Water trickling over the rocks on a trail at Shades State Park

Waterfall

John hikes at Shades State Park

The Bridge

Lack of planning on your part should not constitute a loss of sanity on my part!

Just the latest technique I'm employing to manage unrealistic demands upon my time at work. I've capped the number of hours I'm available for meetings. We'll see how long this goes before somebody cries "Foul!"

Tadpole

Almost impossible to see, the kids caught tiny Tadpoles. they also caught tiny frogs the size of your smallest fingernail. there were hundreds of tadpoles in various stages of development, swimming in a puddle in the shallows of Sugar Creek.

Hiking

John hikes through the ravines at Shades state park.

Philosophical Question . . .

If a wildflower blooms in the forest and there is no one there to smell it, does it still smell sweet?

Summer Sunday

A sunday afternoon hike in Shades State Park.

It's a myth that Indiana has no beautiful scenery. It does -- but you have to know where to look.

Much of the beauty is underground, or beneath ground level.

John and Emmalee prepare to descend into a limestone ravine.

It's difficult to capture via camera the scale ... the majestic trees towering above rivers which have etched themselves 40 feet deep beneath the floor of the forest.

These aren't caves ... although there are caves nearby. These are underground rivers which have had their ceiling collapse. The stream babbles along the broken rocks on the floor of the former cavern. Emmalee poses with her walking stick.

Some sort of flowering fungus ... as delicate as a flower. Unfortunately the camera did not capture it well.

Brother and sister posing on a fallen log across the stream.

Brother and sister enjoying the view.

Classic Bert & Ernie from Sesame Street

I love this clip from youtube.

Meet the Yip Yips

Splash Time

Drew takes the giant sea turtle by the nape of the neck and rides out into the surf.

Mother and son head into the gentle waves.

Emmalee drifts contentedly....

.... and then rides the waves to the shore.

Sand Sculptures By Emmalee

John gave us the idea with his enormous "Sand Octopus" sculpture, so Emmalee and Daddy started making "Sand Dolphins".

Summer Days

Emmalee wraps herself in a towel after a swim in the lake.

Jaden smiles for the camera. Cool shades!

Jaden plays in the sand on the shores of Lake Michigan.

Sand Sculptures By John

First Glimpse

The first glimpse of the lake as you walk toward it through the trees is always a magical thing.

Flying downhill

It's hard work to climb the dune, but rewarding to sail down it again, running as fast as legs can carry us. Emmalee demonstrates the proper technique. i paused one second to snap the photo and was instantly a mile behind her.

Cousins

Emmalee and Drew play frisbee at the camp site.

Not A Sand Castle, This Is A Sand Creature

Look at what I made!

Crazy Hair!

Teddy feels the wind in his hair as he rides with his second cousins, John and Emmalee, and his brother Ben in the RV. They rode with us back home from the family reunion in Ohio.

Just a random parking lot find on a sunny day.

Land Yacht

We traded in our pop-up trailer for a Class C Motorhome. We'll take it on its inaugural run next weekend. With a pop-up, breaking camp was a three hour job. With this, we're hoping for fifteen minutes.

Front view

Crow's nest

Emmalee surveys from atop the ladder on the camper.

New driveway ornament.

Lunch Date

Daddy-daughter date at Hardee's. Rode the bikes to church. after church, daddy and Emmalee went on a little ride together - just the two of us.

Modes of transportation. Carolyn and the kids arrived at the campgrounds early and set up. i rode my bike down to join them after work on friday.

Sunset In The Trees

The setting sun pierces the canopy of leaves and lights up the path for our evening walk.