Yohoho and a bottle of sunscreen!

Arrgghh matey!
Thar be a Nor'Western blowin' on our quarter! Hoist the sails and make ready!! Put yer backs into it ye scurvy dogs!!
The sailboat has gathered too much dust and Ben has yet to go on a powered ride in the inflatable, so we decided to go exploring. The result is that we have a new favorite lake to sail on (in the State of California).

Union Valley Reservoir is just a few hours from Mountain Ranch. We had never been there before, so this sailing adventure was taking us into uncharted territory. How would the roads be, would the lake have any hazards (remember Clinton Lake?), would the winds blow favorably, will Thomas be able to text, oh and by the way, how are the camp sites?
***
What about that enormous lake on the right side of the picture? Wouldn't that have been a better destination? Yes and no. That's Lake Tahoe. We originally wanted to go there until it was discovered that Tahoe does not allow two-stroke motors in their waters. Our boat has a two-stroke motor, bummer.
***
The day got off to a very slow start thanks to a last minute crisis involving one of Ben's work projects, so we didn't leave home until well into the afternoon. The Hectors pride ourselves on our itinerary free vacations, so this wasn't a big deal. Ben bought dinner at the In-N-Out on Hwy 50 as a way of thanking us for helping him with the project. The reason there aren't any pictures of us setting up camp is because it was PITCH BLACK by the time we got to (the prophetically named) Sunset Campground. Thomas is to be congratulated for negotiating the too narrow, too crooked roads at the campground with our 60' long rig. He didn't add a single scar to the many gnarled trees that tightly bordered our route. Nick and I escorted him in with flashlights, but Thomas could only rely on my voice to back the rig into our invisible camp sight.

The temperatures were pretty good and the mosquitoes weren't too bad, so the boys flopped on the mat that night. There is, unfortunately, one thing that the darkness couldn't hide. That would be the outhouse that just happened to be a short distance away on the up-wind side of our camp site. Attendance in the campground was sparse and we found a new site for our second night's stay.

Morning chores at the Hector household include washing up, even when we are on vacation. Houston, we have a problem.

The journey of a thousand pancakes begins with a single, small step.

Nick is more awake than he looks; after all, he's holding a knife. Those of you who know Nick are aware that this is one of his favorite things to do. For those of you that do not know Nick, don't worry, he's harmless.

Ben checks the lake after breakfast. The winds are calm. That is fairly normal for a California morning so no one is surprised by Ben's findings. Let's look for other ways to occupy ourselves until conditions improve.

Hopscotch, Sara style.

Jonathan doesn't want to miss a single breeze, and so he works valiantly to make sure everything is ready to go. Hey Mrs. H., this kinda looks like a variation on you Pictionary drawing!! Would this be a water craft carrier??

Still no wind, how about some backgammon?

Okay, here come the afternoon breezes, right on schedule. it's time to splash the boat. There is a fine line between backing up too little and too much. This is another driving skill that Thomas has mastered. If Nick and I let go of the lines, Jonathan will suddenly be promoted to Captain.

Ben finally gets a taste of what the inflatable has to offer. Yahooo!!

²⁹ So He said, “Come.” And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. ³⁰ But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!”
Matthew 14:29-30

Matthew (no relation to the verse) is an excellent sea hand. "Prepare to come about"!

A mighty fine day of sailing, says the Captain!

Ben is happiest when his little friends, the golden hexagons, come to visit.

We are on "Port tack", it is our job to yield to another sailboat. Fortunately, there weren't any. The lake was ours for the taking.

The Lady of the Lake (a.k.a. Sara) rises out of the water to provide Nick with a sword with which to slice his melon. Okay, I totally made that up. Work with me here, this is supposed to be entertaining.

We sailed and we sailed until our bellies wouldn't let us sail any more. As evening approached we beached the boats near our (new) campsite for a splendid evening meal, a campfire and a good night's rest.

The ducks heard the dinner bell and were quite bold in their search for a hand out. Finding none, they were just as quick to press on to investigate our neighbors.

Today's youth are conditioned to solve modern problems with ease. Ancient dilemmas sometimes require a little more effort to resolve. Breaking up fallen limbs for a campfire is an excellent example of how we have failed to instruct the next generation.

After his body weight failed to break the limb, Ben got the bright idea to wedge it between two trees. Puuushhh!

Puuulll!

Grunt, snort, heave and sweat, all to no avail. Who needs a campfire now that we are over-heated from exertion?

Neanderthal Ben discovers a stone age solution for a stone age problem. Somethings gotta give!!

Cowabunga!!
Success. Me Tarzan, you Jane!!

Dinner is done, the fire is ready to light, Pops is fading fast. Matthew makes one last check of the boat before darkness falls.

Good morning!! Breakfast and devotions are done, this would be a good time for Nertz.

We have decided that two nights and a full day of sailing are enough. Because this was an observance of Nick's birthday he is given an extra vote on the day's agenda. He votes for an air conditioned movie theater. Moved and seconded, all in favor? Weigh anchor!!
Houston, we have a second problem. The inflatable refuses to start. And the solution is...

Sing with me, folks!! Row, row, row your inflatable, half way across the lake. Terribly, terribly, terribly sore, life is but a dream. We offered to tow him behind the sailboat, but he said something about exercise and getting back to nature. I think that log splitting operation did something to his head.

Someone once said that no kid remembers their best day of watching television. You don't have to go sailing to have a wonderful family adventure, but you have to do something! What can your family do that you will never forget?

be safe,
Hec @ 19