Kids went kayaking today. Sal led them. Imagine a mother with day-old ducklings…….only real ducklings are better at what they have to do than this group. These guys are all over the place! Eric could go backwards but, for the life of him, couldn’t reverse the arm action so as to go forward. He’d stop, look at the paddle, look at the water and then…..(while everyone shouted instructions)….stroked backwards! Did this for five minutes straight as he backed up in a circle towards the beach he left from. It was hilarious!

Well, maybe you had to be there.

Eventually, everyone got sorted out and proceeded in a fashion around the point and over to the bluff at the same pace as Fiddich and Megan swimming alongside. In fact, Fid was about mid-pack most of the time. The pace was not quick. Nor straight. But they got there. Distance: one kilometer.

Then Meg had decided she had had enough and gave the ‘help-me sign’ to Sally who responded as instructed and put the sopping wet princess on her lap as she and the Asian gaggle slowly turned for home. As adventures go, this wasn’t. But the kids had fun and thought that they could add ‘kayaking’ along with ‘lumberjack’ to their résume.

I may refuse to be a reference.

I have no idea why this amuses me so much. Every time, too. Go figure.

Hazel’s making dinner. “Is it Chinese?” I ask.

“Of course! I am Chinese so whatever I cook is Chinese!”

Can’t argue with that logic. But it reminds me of a weird fact. If you cook Chinese food as Sal and I have done on several occasions, it tastes good and it even has an Asian ‘influence’ to it. But it doesn’t taste Chinese. If, on the other hand one of my Chinese friends makes a gweilo meal (say, Spaghetti or a lamb roast) it still, somehow, tastes a bit Chinese. How is that possible?

Anyway, everyone is settling in. Showers are all falling within the one-pump rule. Dogs are happy. Sal is a going concern. Outdoor skills are improving. Kinda. A bit, anyway.

Oh yeah……..the ‘sleep thing’? Everyone slept in even longer today. And Eddy is asleep as I write (kayaking and chopping is soooooo hard). It’s only 5:00 pm! We are corrupting the Chinese work ethic as best we can.