"...But Don't Go Near the Water!"

We went to Stone Mountain today. Yesterday, K. was upset that our swimming outing didn't include a picnic, so I promised her we would go out again today and do it up right. I baked nice oatmeal-buttermilk bread for sandwiches, made chocolate chip cookies, and we made it over to the park in time for a late-ish lunch. Which, of course, K. didn't eat any of.

There were two other families there, and the kids had fun playing. I had brought a book, and, since Ed was watching the kids, I found a nice rock where I could sit and read and soak my legs in the cold water. It was really quite idyllic (relatively speaking). I've been looking forward to reading E.M. Delafield's Diary of a Provincial Lady, and our library got it in for me yesterday (through ILL). It is nice light reading, a good "stream book," but my eyes were suddenly caught by something moving in the water right next to my leg. A Very Large, fat brown Snake was swimming right next to me, apparently considering whether it might want to climb up and read with me. I Screamed and Leaped shamelessly, moving faster than I've moved in a good long time, much to the amusement of the two fathers who were reclining in their canvas fold up chairs a little farther downstream. Ed was very sympathetic, though, and, in fact, only Didn't insist that we pack up our children and hightail it home because the two men reassured us that it was "just an old water snake" and they'd seen it last week. The children contintued to play for another half hour or so, but my serene enjoyment was badly set back. My performance, though, did provide great entertainment, and the two gentlemen were very happily describing my leaps and screams to their returned wives when we left. The Provincial Lady is now quite wet and wrinkled, and I am not at all sure how I am going to get her into a respectable condition to return to the library.

The children's Bible School had its final night tonight, with singing performances, awards, and make-your-own sundaes with (really excellent!) homemade ice cream. Both T. and K. did the motions in their songs, and T. showed surprisingly good coordination. It was a great evening!

**The reason the children have sort of "glazed" expressions (aside from the red eye) is that they are looking at a movie screen in the back of the room to see what motions they are supposed to be doing. They have Not been turned into zombies.