Summer Sweetness

When we weren't looking, summer arrived at the river.
The water is warm enough for swimming, the roses are blooming, the bullfrogs are croaking and the painted turtles are sunning themselves on the big white pine that fell into the water a few years ago.
The boys spent most of the weekend waterlogged, cannonballing off the dock, trying out their new wakeboard vests and even swimming all the way across. Sam was mighty proud when he beat both Dave and Angus in his round-trip river swim. Look at the smile on that beautiful face.
The boys had quite a weekend. Not only did they swim the Muskoka channel, they went to their first dance. OK, so Angus has been to school dances before, but neither have been to an "adult" dance. It was Dave's brother Max's 50th birthday surprise party Saturday night. With no babysitter we brought the boys along with us to the Sundridge Legion where they danced almost every dance. Sam showed off his best Saturday Night Fever moves - which looked really amazing when he was boogieing to Crystal Chandelier and other old country 'n western favourites. I've never had so much fun at a dance - I couldn't stop laughing at how cute Gus and Sam were, tearing up the dance floor.
Tonight I found out Angus received 13 nods at the Grade Seven awards ceremony. Three of his honours were provincial. What a little brainiac (must take after his mother!). I am SO proud of him. Congratulations, Gus!
After the phone call, Dave and I finally launched our new boat - well, it's new to us. We bought it for a song from our good friends Lynda & Roger - THANK YOU!
As the sun set in a noisy cacophony of colour we cruised down the river at a genteel pace. We saw a crane take off. A beaver swimming away from us. A baby bunny hopping along the riverbank.
It has been 30 or more years since I travelled northern waters in a boat other than a canoe or an aluminum fishing boat. Tonight I was brought back to summer evenings on Twelve Mile Lake, the quiet rumbling of the motor, cottage lights blinking through the trees, fresh wind in my face, my dad capably handling the wheel.
This is my bliss. This is summer on the Muskoka River.