My family has a pretty long history with lake living. My mom's growing up years were spent having a lakehouse/cabin/completely rustic building in Alabama where she, her parents and her 4 siblings could play. In fact, the first place they had was SO secluded, she says they had to get there by boat ONLY. As in no car access ... wow! By the time my dad joined the scene, he was introduced headlong into lake living with her rowdy family. As in, nearly drowned in his first 'game' of king of the hill. In the lake. With the hill being represented by a large inner tube. I'm not quite sure if he's stopped having nightmares about that yet. Hopefully so ... he loves my mom's family.
Anyway, for MY growing up years, we had a place on Lake Hartwell (located on the Georgia/South Carolina border). Lots of great memories are back there ... learning to ski at 5 ... weekend parties with friends from home ... visits there with my grandparents ... blackberry picking on the dirt roads around the trailer ... cowering underneath the dash of the boat as we rushed back to the dock midst a thunderstorm or 2 ... late night games of Rook (which my dad was infamous for cheating in) ... and so and so on. Sadly, Mom and Dad sold that place when I headed to college in 1991. It was a very wise decision ... we were located in a cove that just wouldn't stay full ... both Tamara and I were entering new seasons that didn't allow a lot of time to spend there ... etc. etc. etc.
Well, I'm VERY pleased to announce that WE ARE BACK!! Mom and Dad have purchased a place on Lake Lanier and it is FAN-TASTIC! We inaugurated it Memorial Day weekend and look forward to many fun weekends, weekdays, week-long adventures there. This is the official introduction to what my mom has affectionately named 'Riverhaven' ...
Lake Living Lesson #1: buying a lot is all about, well, the lot ... not the house, not the yard, but the lot ... as in, how deep is the water? how often does it go dry? where is the Corps line? (you can't do anything without permission of the Corps of Engineers - basically the owners of the lake - for anything below the Corps line) You get the picture ...
well, they have what I think is the PERFECT lot!
***I now realize that this lot thing is so important that I have not even taken 1 single picture of the house, which is fabulous as well ... oh well, remember the lot is the most critical thing in lake living ... ***
Not too steep or long to get to the water, plenty deep off the dock, Corps line is in the water ... EXCELLENT! (and the view off the back deck is superb)
Here's the boys on the first boat ride of the season ... this would be my parent's 1984 ski boat that is truly in mint condition, due to my dad's slightly OCD ways ... so thankful they've kept it during our lake hiatus!
The boys sitting in the newly assembled swing (way to go Dad!!) ... they were watching the neighbors get their Waverunner out ...
Blaine-o ... loving it!
An afternoon lake siesta ... ideal ...
Jacob ... whom I affectionately call a 'puddle duck' ... who affectionately calls himself a
'peddle duck' ...
This is a neighbor's dock ... and my CRAZY 13 year old nephew, Micah, jumping off the top ... my sister swears that the synapses in a boy's brain don't connect until after 20 ... definitely proven here ... except I kinda want to do it ... I'm 37 - does that say anything about my synapses? What are synapses anyway??!!
Riding the Waverunner with Blaine-o ... the cove they are in is pretty secluded and quiet most days ... makes for a much more comfortable (and fast) Waverunner ride!
Dad pulling Micah & Jarrett on the tube ... to hear them tell of the ride, it's legendary ... with parts about being thrown FEET into the air, flipping over, and such ... I think it actually was pretty calm ... but I'll let them live their dream ... :)
J-man taking a break on the dock ...
Lena Raechel catching a break on the 'island' float ...
Of course, all new places come with work ... here is my dad (the quintessential manager - ALWAYS), my BIL Rob, his brother Chris and Mr. Wonderful himself ... trying to get a pin back in the hinge on the dock before major disaster occurs ... seriously, the gangplank under water is no joking matter!
MORE LATER ... LOTS MORE!
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ReplyDeleteLove it!! I think your dad's OCD is a bit more than slight. He and I both think it should be called CDO so that it will be in alphabetical order. Looking forward to hanging out there real soon. (Some how I got logged in as Karrie and that is why the first comment is deleted!!)
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