Maiden Voyage

My parents live on a beautiful lake, but they don't often get a chance to do more than look at it. They are extremely busy, and there's little time for fishing in their schedule. So, I was excited to see signs that this pattern could change. What changed? Well, for my dad's birthday in July, my mom got him a boat. It's a beauty.















When we were down in Georgia for a recent visit, we decided to head down to the lake to celebrate the first time that this craft would make it into the water.














Ella and I watched excitedly as the men prepared to set sail...














James grabbed a life vest and a paddle...














...and then he and Dad headed for the water.














The lake is pretty low right now because of the heat and lack of rain during the summer months, but it is still so pretty.














Dad held it steady while James climbed aboard.




























and then James held it steady so that Dad could jump in...














...but the lake was so shallow that Dad had to walk out into the water for a bit to make sure they didn't get stuck!














Finally, they were off! James looked back for the camera.




























They told me that the water was extremely warm, like bathwater...sorta strange.











































After a good trip across the lake, they headed back in, because the sun was setting. They had to carry the boat up onto the shore, and they tipped it upside down so that it wouldn't hold rain water.




























Maybe next time, I can go for a boat ride, too.