Laughing Out Loud

Today has been a fun and exciting day!
My cousin Katie came down for a visit today, and she's staying for a week or so. Our adventures started not too long after she arrived at the lake house.

First, we had to knock down a birds' nest some titmice have been building on the rafters of the deck roof. They've built a nest there before, which we knocked over, once the young birds had grown and gone. Then they just kept building and we kept knocking them down. I really wish that they would build in a tree! I feel so bad, but my grandmother would rather we knock the nest down so that the birds' little gifts aren't strewn about the deck. I saved the nest and took some pictures of it down by our log pile. It really is a beautiful nest. It's such a shame to take it down, really it is.
I wish I had pictures of my cousin and I taking the nest down though. First we got the tall ladder out of the garage so that I could climb up to make sure there were no eggs in the nest. In the process I squished a rather large spider and it's guts somehow spewed 3 feet through the air and onto my arm! Ewwww! Then me trying to save the nest while balancing on the ladder was quite a sight. But I have the end picture to show for it.

Next, Katie and I decided to play cards down on the pontoon boat.
We were in the middle of an exciting game of Pounce when the wind picked up and started blowing cards right off of the table! My 4 of diamonds became airborne and sailed right over the side of the boat and into the water. Kat and I jumped up to try to see where it landed. Low and behold, though the card had landed flat on the water, it began sinking slowly to the bottom. Katie grabbed a paddle to try and fish it out with, but to no avail. It had sunk too far down. I volunteered to go into the water and try to feel around the lake bottom with my feet for our card (for it was one from our favorite playing deck) but alas, I could not find it! Katie came in to help, but even our combined efforts could not bring out beloved card back to us.

Overall it was a day of laughs and fun here at Atwood Lake. I've included a few pictures I took while down on the pontoon boat today.



Partly cloudy but blue skies.










A daisy and a little friend.












Sailing.

Uh Burn!

I took the title of this post from That 70s Show. That show is hilarious! However, popcorn machines are not so hilarious. The machine at work burned me, twice this week. Both times it was the hot oil from the kettle that got me. Ouch! If the burns scar, I can add those scars to the one on my arm that I got from baking cookies! I love how all of my burns are from making food.

Speaking of cookies, I had the pleasure of baking some today. Chocolate chip. Mmmmm.
I love to bake! Cookies are my favorite, but I love banana bread, cakes, muffins, and brownies as well. My favorite are a Buttermilk Teacake cookie. The recipe has been passed down from my great grandma, and probably from generations before that. I've posted a picture of some of these delightful cookies that I baked earlier this summer. Half the fun of baking these cookies is decorating them afterward. Mmmm, I wish I had some right now!

Some First Reflections

There's been so much since I last posted. I'll try to post more often so as to not forget any interesting thoughts or experiences I might have.

I got my camera charger from home the other day. Now I can finally start taking some new pictures! There were so many moments I wanted that camera this week. A high jet contrail turned to rainbow colors from the sun's bright rays. The glowing embers of a bonfire. The nesting ospreys at one corner of the lake, the fledglings flapping their wings, preparing to take off for the first time....and so many other moments.

One of the biggest events of the week was the two and a half day visit I received from my cousin and his new girlfriend, along with my aunt and my uncle. Early one morning we took the speed boat out to one of the little side, shallow branches of the lake to look for turtles. Often you'll find them sunning themselves on the fallen trees and branches that stretch out from the shoreline. We only saw two that morning. One was but a baby and his little head bobbing around in the water made me smile. I wish I had a picture, but alas, I didn't yet have my camera battery charger.

I loved the lake that quiet morning. I listened to the kingfishers chattering and darting about the trees. I watched the water ripple and swirl as my cousin stirred the water softly with the boat paddle. I do wish I had a picture to commemorate the moment. I've posted a picture of the speedboat, sitting quietly by our dock, to make up for it.

I love this boat. We've had it for years, since my own dad was in high school at least, himself working at the Lodge (the hotel I work at). We tube, wake board, and water ski behind it (well, I just tube). It's perfect for a spin around the lake with my sister and my cousin, Kat, heading for the waves, sometimes hitting them just to send the bow into the air and then splash back down into the water. The spray explodes around us, tickling our faces and sending giggles and shouts of delight splashing out of our mouths.

The Beginning

Hello and welcome to my blog about my summer at Atwood :) The posts will be reflections on my new and interesting summer experience, much like the reflections off the lake in this photo.

There's a lake, a cabin, boats, beautiful scenery, a fun summer job at a nearby hotel, and visits from friends and family.
Hopefully the blog will be full of pictures as well a thoughts, just as soon as I find my camera battery charger!

The summer is already a month and a half underway, but there's still more to come...



PS. Why is the blog named "Atwood Strawberry"? One - it's named after the beautiful little wild strawberries that sprinkle the forest ground around the cabin. I just love these little strawberries! Two - I'm fair skinned (thank you Irish ancestors) and in the first few weeks here, I became a bit of a strawberry color myself. So I am, in a way, an Atwood Strawberry this summer.