Park, Restaurant, and Vacation Pictures in In the Meadow

Last night after summer camp we sat on the porch and read. I love sitting on the porch in the summer. I feel like I am watching the world go by. Tonight we went to the park. This is a very popular park. There is usually a group of adults playing basketball. There is a hiking path and playground.

This afternoon I had lunch with my mom at the Olive Garden. I had the lasagna and soup. We went to the restaurant in Niagara Falls. Monday is a holiday in Canada and there were a lot of people at the restaurant. Afterward we went to the state park by Niagara Falls. It was a nice day.

I know I am lucky to still have my mom, and I try to enjoy the time I have with her. In one sense I can tell her what I am feeling and she is very understanding. If I am feeling sad or worried about something, I can talk to my mom about it. She is a retired nurse and this is one of her strengths. She makes me feel understood and valued. I've never really consulted her about decisions I make though. If I tell my mom that I am thinking about doing something, she will insist that I follow through with it. This could be something life-altering or what I am having for dinner. This is good because I tend to procrastinate and she is encouraging me to follow through with things. But I usually don't tell her about something unless I am absolutely sure I am going to do it. I know she cares about me, but sometimes I just want to discuss an idea without being pressured to act on it.

Here are some pictures from our vacation in Maine. This is the dock leading out to the water. We spent a lot of time here. We went fishing in the evenings from the dock. There were several days when there was a strong current in the lake. The area to the left of the dock provided a nice sheltered swimming area for the kids. Timmy and Kayla are twelve but are still a little bit young for their age. I try to protect them as much as possible.

This is a view of the bottom of the lake. We wore water shoes, but the rocks are fairly smooth and you can swim without them.

A view of the water. The lake is much bigger than it looks.

This is the Boy Scout Camp in the middle of the lake.

The people who own the cabin added these chairs this year. I loved them and spent a lot of time sitting there.

This is such a cool tree. It's looking a little thin on top, though. Hopefully it bounces back.

We did most of our fishing as it was getting dark, and didn't get that many good pictures. Here are some.

In the evenings the Boy Scouts would have a campfire. We could hear them cheering while we were fishing.

Well that is it for now. I will post some pictures of the side outings we took.