Lake Girls. Lake Time.

Lake Girls. Lake Trip.

This weekend marks our first lake trip of the year. Our first official trip of summer, not that summer is here yet (but you know what I mean). Now that Momma and Staci are both living in Fayetteville, we are much closer to Lake Norfork. And we can go for long weekends. That was practically impossible to do when we lived in Texas.

So we’ll kick off lake season the way we did when we were all living together on the farm, when Staci and I were kids, before college and marriage and family and careers. We’ll spend the weekend doing many of those same things we always do when we go to the lake. Lake girls are like that.

• Early morning will mean coffee on the porch as the mist lifts from the cove. We will do lots of reading. Memorial Day weekend is the official kickoff of summer reading. Of course, it will be difficult to concentrate at first, with the lake calling, the mourning doves cooing, a boat trolling along the shore. All these things compete with words on the page, no matter how compelling the story.
• We will pack the cooler with sandwiches and fruit and carrot sticks and cucumber slices and water and other beverages. There will be a sack or two of chips, too. Salt and sun go together quite nicely.
• We’ll load up High Cotton and drive over to Cranfield Marina to get our first bag of ice, our first tank of gas. Even though she’s a newish boat, we will all say a silent prayer to the lake gods that her motor will turn over every single time because that’s how we are conditioned. How many times have we been stranded on the lake with boat trouble from our old boat? Of course, there’s no other place we’d rather be stranded than on the lake.
• We will ride over to the cliffs and to “our” cove where Nana and Papa once owned a house and dock. We’ll go to Sand Island even though it’s underwater. See the dam. Swim in all our favorite places.
• One night, we’ll eat at Fred’s Fish House. Maybe we’ll grill burgers. For sure we’ll cut a watermelon into chunks and feast on it all weekend. There will be marshmallows roasted over a fire. Is it too soon for lightning bugs? I’ll let you know.
• After more reading, lots of laughter, maybe a bottle of wine enjoyed while the sun burns low, sleep will be sound and deep. As it should be.
• When we leave, our hearts will slump a little as we to say farewell until next time. And I can help but wonder how many next times we have together. Because that’s how life works.

Lake DNA

I believe lake water runs through our veins.

Lake DNA. Is that a thing?

Regardless, Lake Norfork, I’ve loved you for a long, long time.

Check out these old lake pictures I found when I was home on the farm a few weeks ago. Farm and Lake. These are my places and the places of my people.

Nana and Papa Creecy.

Norfork Dam and Bridge

Daddy standing. Note the names of the boat is Miss Talya. ❤

Daddy and Me.

I don’t know who this bathing beauty is, but what a classic picture!

Bull Shoals.

Swim at your own risk.

Lake Girls On Sand Island. (Staci & Me with Barbara McMinn Thompson)

Slowing Down

I appreciate the familiarity of the lake. Consistency. Routine. Quiet. These are precious commodities we easily take for granted during our everyday busyness. This year, what do you say we concentrate on slowing down and carrying lake time with us all through the summer?

Grace Grits and Gardening
Farm. Food. Garden. Life.