Week of Fun (part 2)

We took our stay-cation on the road to Grandma and Grandpa's house the past couple of days to have some new outdoor adventures.

First, there was kayaking! Eli had an absolute blast boating, wading, and crawdad catching (no crawdads were harmed or even actually caught, mind you) in the icy waters of Little River. I had a fair amount of nostalgia because I waded these particular waters myself many times as a child.
Ezra passed on the water adventures in favor of some giggle time with Grandma.
Next, while Chris was enjoying a solitary paddle down the New, Eli and I went on a hike above the grandparents' house. Big rocks, wet weather springs, soft moss, and fresh-smelling ferns are just as much fun as they used to be when I was little. Eli had a good time and walked up and down the mountain like a trooper though he was a bit disgruntled by all the sticks laying in the way and held my hand for fear of rolling down the hill.
This burl is bigger than my head - whatever a burl is....
An evening picnic on Granddaddy's Mountain (no, not Grandfather Mtn, but my Granddaddy's down at the farm) was lovely for us adults, Ezra found the cool fresh air just right for sleeping, but Eli felt the place lacked in amenities (ie. stuff to get into).
Our adventures were capped off by a camping trip. The chilly weather kept Ezra (and by association myself) indoors, but Chris valiantly attempted to get Eli to lay down and sleep in the tent. The excitement was just too much for him, though, and I think the photo below was the only time he came near the bed. They eventually came inside and Eli went to sleep in the crib, all before 10:00pm. Oh, well, it wouldn't be an adventure without some ups and downs.