Max Has a (Girl) Friend!
We loved this campground so much that we decided to stay an extra day! We woke up and got some work done while the boys slept in. Max woke up and played with his trains and cars in the dirt, occasionally taking a small bowl down to the river so he could haul water up to the lake for the little “town” he was building. At 2:00 p.m., I decided I was tired of working on a Sunday and we donned our river clothes and grabbed the innertubes. We stopped at the campground store to purchase a waterproof disposable camera.
We then walked down the path and got into the river. The water sure seemed colder than the previous day! I helped Max get situated in his innertube and I gritted my teeth and sat down in my innertube next to his. We let the river’s current take us and it pulled us to the right side of some big rocks. Almost instantly, I felt a big rock hit my butt. And then another, and another. We’d run aground on a big pile of jagged stones! Max laughed as we wriggled and swayed and we were soon moving again in the current.
Oddly enough, it seemed we were moving slower than the day before. And slower.. And slower… My brain was sorting through the puzzle and it was then that I noticed a steady stream of bubbles gurgling up from the right side of my innertube. I had a flat tire!
We were almost to the bend in the river where the RV was so I told Max to hold on while I paddled my slowly sinking ship to the right, pulling his healthy bobbing one behind me. We made it to shore and I untied my now flat innertube from Max’s. While Max threw pebbles into the current, I climbed up the river bank and presented the pile of sad plastic to an amused Richard. Luckily, we still had the extra two innertubes we’d purchased the previous day. I blew one of those up, climbed back down the riverbank, and joined Max once again. We shoved off and the trip down the river was as fun, as beautiful, and as refreshing as it had been the day before. And, I took lots of pictures of Max. He was having so much fun that I thought it might be fun to write a short children’s book about his river adventures, and publish it with the photos. Maybe I can get it done by his birthday next month.
Max wanted Richard to take him the next time so we stopped by the RV. Richard put on his suit headed out with Max. Mason and I were on their heels, intending to follow them while they tubed, walking down the road that paralleled the river. We parted near the entry point as Mason and I ducked down a path into the woods where we’d have a great view of them coming down the rapids. Mason and I then waited, and waited, and waited. Had they already gone past us? No, I didn’t think so. Several minutes later, I heard something and looked behind us. Richard and Max were walking on the road, back toward the RV. Mason and I climbed back up the path (well, I climbed while Mason hung on for dear life), and asked what had happened. Turns out our little innertubes were a bit small for a grown man. Richard had sat in his and instantly flipped over backwards. Dang! A perfect photographic moment down the drain! Literally!! It was then that Richard showed me the scrape on his right shin. A bit of blood was dripping down and I felt a little bad for laughing.
Anyway, so we switched kids again. Richard returned to the RV with Mason to look for bandages while Max and I went back to the river again. We had a great time again…until we hit a big rock and I spilled out of my innertube. Max seemed very worried, but I was able to stand up in the current and get back on board. I later realized I had a small scrape on my right shin, too, just like Richard’s! Now we match… By the way, that’s Richard’s hairy leg above, not mine!
After we finished, Max wanted to go to the pool. We took Mason with us so Richard could take a nap. Mason didn’t want to get in past his knees, which means he stayed on the top step, just bending over and splashing with his hands. He then wanted to roam, so I followed him around the pool while he walked up to people, smiled, and then tried to take their shoes, towels, or whatever else they had lying on the ground by their chairs. Max was entertaining himself by jumping off the steps over and over again, probably 100 times or more. I knew he’d be sleepy come bedtime!
A little while later, a little girl and her parents arrived. The girl had on floaties like Max, so I figured they were about the same age. While she was taking her shoes off, Mason toddled up to her and grabbed one of her floaties. She smiled at him. I asked her what her name was. It was Angela! I told her that was a very good name. I then introduced her to Max and they played together the rest of the time we were at the pool. They had a great time and Max was thrilled to have a new friend!
I talked to her parents and we discovered they were camping only three spots down from us. Her dad is a marine and her mom is originally from Panama, where she was a dentist. They now live in upstate New York. They invited us over for s’mores that evening and we enthusiastically accepted. We left and went back to the RV, intending to visit the diamond mine across the street. But, we then learned it was already closed for the day. So, we got a little work done and then Richard cooked us hotdogs and hamburgers on the grill for dinner.
Angela showed up at our door and Max disappeared with her, though we could still see him through the RV windows. Awhile later, they both came back to tell us it was s’more time. We had a wonderful evening getting acquainted with Angela’s parents! They are very nice people and we’re hoping to see them again soon as they live near one of our favorite campgrounds in Lake George, NY. At bedtime, Max was very, very sad and cranky. We figured out it was because he didn’t want to leave Angela the next day. 
This morning, we got up early, packed, and went over to say goodbye to our new friends. Max was very sad and shy, but he gave Angela two hugs. We exchanged emails and mailing addresses and said our goodbyes.
As I’m typing, we’re about 45 minutes outside of Pennsylvania. I drove the first 150 miles this morning and Richard is taking the second shift. We just paid a $29 toll to the state of New York. Ug. Today is a work day so, while we do have to work several hours tonight, I’m going to try to find time to at least take Max to the pool this evening. Um, I think Richard just hit a bird. That, or it was the biggest butterfly I’ve ever seen…
More tomorrow!