Friday
Ma and Pa packed up the camper (not the motor home) and Nathan hung behind to do a phone interview. It was a nice day. We swung by Silverdale for some shopping. Barnes and Noble did not have Scott Pilgrim volume 6! But World Market did have McVitie's chocolate biscuits. A family favorite. Then we were on the road.
Ben was already at Pulali when we arrived. I quickly put on a swimsuit and joined him on the beach while the sun still shone on the beach. The parents joined us eventually. I forget if I swam or not. I probably did... Nathan and Rubie arrived with Carlo and Joy (Rubie's niece and nephew). Dinner was ravioli and watermelon and water which Nathan spilled over half the table in his efforts to pour it for people. I beat Carlo and Nate at games of Battleship. We had s'mores and lit some fireworks when the sun went down. It was nice.
Saturday
Breakfast was hash browns. Mmmm! Lunch was hot dogs. Hans arrived early. We lugged kayaks down and went for a hike. Rubie, Mom, Ben, Nate and I went for a hike that is. It was a steep hill down to a river off the camp grounds nearby. Then we trekked on down along the river, and hoofed and wheezed our way back up. When we got back to Pulali, Brynne, Averie, and Averie's friend Tony were there. It wasn't a day for swimming, but people paddled around in the many kayaks (Brynne brought her new ones) and the mini sailboat. I went out for a bit but the wind wasn't making me comfortable. I stopped by Kirie's and we talked a little bit.
Dinner was a feast! Salmon! Chicken! Watermelon! Beet salad! Carrot spice cake! Veggies! And so much more! Brynne is a top chef and Dad a great griller. I came from Kirie's after the burger course. Which was probably good as I wasn't full by the time the gourmet salmon was put on the table. Linda Harris was also there. Jeanette and Liam arrived. It was lovely. Everyone was crowded on the deck of Grandma and Grandpa's house. Mmm. So good. Dessert was amazing as well. I felt stuffed three times over, and for some reason I decided badminton was a good idea.
Brynne, Nate, Ben, Averie, Tony, Carlo, Joy, Rubie and I all wandered over to the badminton net Mom, Dad and I had set up earlier on the drainage field. It took a lot of rope tying and scheming to get the net up but it was a good field. Badminton is a great game. Doesn't take a lot of skill or strength. We all maneuvered the field after the sizable meal. Nathan was agile. Joy won a prize for her skill. Then Celia peer pressured us into dusk swimming. Not all of us, just the crazy ones.
Nate, Ben, Averie, Tony, Dad, Brynne, Mom and I all threw on swimsuits to join Celia in the water. In fact it was Nathan and Ben who were first in. I bounded in not wanting to suffer slow adjustment to the cold. Nathan was first to dive under, I was second, and Ben a close third. This was the same order we arrived at the raft. I regretted more the exercise with my full stomach than the chill of the canal. Mom and Celia hooted but came in, as did Tony and Averie. Dad made a lap to the raft, jumped in, and called it good and headed back to shore. Brynne came out to the otter poop stained floaty in good time as well. Swimming is great once you warm up. We jumped and dove and swam around, but eventually all went back in to change and dry off. A fire on the beach was started and we roasted s'mores as it got dark. People retired to bed one by one. And at 10:30ish we all went back to our respective sleeping spaces.
A day well spent.
Sunday
Breakfast was a large pile of small pancakes. The first round of people gobbled them down and filled up, and a second round came in to take their place. A hike was organized and I opted out, only to find that when mom said everyone was going, she meant everyone. So I wittled away a couple hours listening to Sookie Stackhouse and glueing googly eyes on things. People returned and leftovers made for a delicious lunch. Then Brynne, Tony, and Averie packed up and left. Nate and Rubie and Carlo and Joy had left for home instead of hiking (or maybe on top of, I don't know). Hans and Ben left. Ma and Pa started packing up. I hung out with Celia and we chatted. By the time I returned almost all our stuff was packed up and it was time to depart. It was a nice, no traffic ride back (getting to Pulali was plagued by a big line of cars at the bridge). Holly the dog was very glad to see us. We had left the camper at Pulali, separated from the truck.
And leaving out a lot of little details, that was my weekend. It was nice. Pretty soon I'll be packing and then heading down to Portland to start my new apartment life with Kristen.
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