It definitely started feeling like we were really on summer
holidays today when we didn’t need to get up; rush around; and head off to
school while Rowen’s parents still needed to go to work.
Not getting to see Dad before he left for Crystal Springs
felt strange too, but he probably appreciated the night off from kids as much
as it looked like Mom did this morning.
Let’s leave that thought there and move along.
Rowen and I wandered over to my house when her parents left
for the computer store; while Patrick and Scott were set free to hang out with
their buddies and play all day. We had a
little visit with Mom, Ethan, and Ehlana while Mom was mostly waiting for
Alicia and Violet to get there; and she gave us approval for a picnic lunch at
the park with Ethan and Ehlana. Violet
and Alicia both joined us at nearly the same time; and Rowen and I stayed for a
little sleepover chat with Violet before hopping on our bikes and heading out
for a little ride. We went over to the
new section of town for a quick construction site tour first, and then our next
stop was a short visit at Michael’s house.
He was doing yard work by then with Jacob and Jake, so we
only interrupted their work for a few minutes to see if he was interested in
joining us for the picnic at the park; play time with Ethan and Ehlana; and
some trail riding in the afternoon. Going
with us for the picnic was tentative, depending on whether his chores were done
by then, but he was definitely in for the afternoon biking. While Michael went back to work, Rowen and I
took an extra few minutes to visit with Miranda and Rebecca, and then we moved
on to check out the lab construction site before deciding to bike out along
river road and do a tour that took us around a big loop North and then West
back to Quarry Road.
We were back in town in time to pack our picnic lunch, hook
up the trailer to my bike, and take Ethan and Ehlana for a little ride around
town before going on to the park playground.
Michael met up with us there by shortly before noon; and he joined in to
play for a while too before we stopped for lunch. I think what I liked most about hanging out
with Michael today was the fact that even though it feels like everything has
changed between us; we just had fun playing together like always too. There wasn’t one single moment between us
today that could be considered romantic, but we all had a blast; and I always
love watching him with Ethan and Ehlana.
There was a little more playground action after we finished
eating, and then we wrapped up our play time with Ethan and Ehlana with an
Emporium ice cream run before taking them home again. I put their trailer away, and then Michael,
Rowen, and I headed back over to the park – and into the tweeird zone.
Yep, it was afternoon play time for a lot of kids, tweens,
and teens; and the gang that Michael and Tim normally hung out with in their
spare time was there. Tim broke ranks to
intercept us so he could mostly talk with Michael, and though he didn’t notice
the effect doing that had on Nora; he didn’t have any doubt how she felt about
it when he told her that he wanted to hit the trails with us after finding out
what we were going to be doing. The plan
for excluding Michael from their group until he came to his senses was still in
effect; and Nora did not want Tim messing that up by hanging out with his best
friend.
Tim has often shown more talent for staying out of trouble
with his girlfriend compared to the other guys; and can usually charm his way
back into Nora’s good graces whenever he needs to do that; but today he decided
that he was willing to take the hit so he could spend an hour or two doing
something that he knew Nora didn’t like doing anyway. Last I heard, he was still in the doghouse,
and would be in even more trouble whenever Nora finds out about our tentative
plans for tomorrow.
Michael would have understood if Tim had stayed with Nora
and the rest of our friends; but he was glad to have him along too; and all
four of us enjoyed riding the trails together.
The trails that were still fairly muddy from the weekend rain weren’t
being used much by anyone except us; but we had to wait in line whenever we
were riding the most popular trails.
Rowen and I have done a lot of riding every summer since I moved here, but
we both really love being able to keep up with the teens this year – and even
be better than a lot of them despite still being shorter. We wouldn’t have even tried the more
difficult jump trails a year ago with our smaller bikes – even though most of the
guys our age did and mostly survived to brag about it.
We were on the trails for nearly an hour and a half, and
then we went back to Michael’s house; though Rowen and I went back to my house
to change into swimsuits before jumping into the river and floating downriver
to where Michael and Tim were already swimming.
The swim was to cool off and get rid of some of the mud and dirt we’d
picked up on the trails; but we ended up floating around and playing for nearly
another hour before Rowen and I needed to get home to help Mom with Ethan and
Ehlana after Alicia was done work for the day.
Dillon, Jake, and Stephanie were working the dinner shift at
the Inn to help out with some schedule juggling for the week, so Violet was
with us for dinner; and she and Mom cooked while Rowen and I played with Ethan
and Ehlana. I loved getting to have a
nice long chat with Violet while we ate – even if that did give everyone else a
chance to tease me some more about Michael.
We didn’t escape helping with the clean-up; but since we’d gone with an
easy-dinner, that didn’t take long.
Ethan and Ehlana wanted to go to the park after that; and we
soon found out that Tim really was in the doghouse – Nora hadn’t even come to
watch his practice and hang out with him for the evening. He seemed to be surviving remarkably well;
and the Wranglers looked like they were having a pretty good practice – at
least from what I saw during the five minutes or so Ethan needed to be there
for before running off to the playground.
We’d only been at the park for a half hour when it started
looking like we had more rain moving in; and I felt the need to get home
instead of risking another wet-shirt encounter with Michael. Since I was still wearing the same swimsuit
he’d seen me in earlier under my shorts and tee, that’s fairly ridiculous; but
that didn’t change how I felt – and neither did having Rowen laugh at me about
it.
By the time we got home, Aunt Leanne and Uncle Adam were
over for a visit; and Mom was doing a little Magi baby empathy lesson with
them. We all sat in on the rest of that
lesson; and then Rowen and I were set free to play again.
Don’t laugh; but we went for a swim. We’d gone outside when it looked like the
rain had stopped; heard Michael and Tim playing in the river again; and decided
to go swimming with them again. If Rowen
wasn’t currently enjoying some Jacuzzi time in my tub; she’d be laughing at me
again. Yes, you’ve probably guessed that
it started raining again – pouring to be accurate.
Miranda, Jacob, and Rebecca thought it was just as funny
when they met us out on their back porch with big beach towels. Rowen and I both got the personal towel wrap
help from Miranda, but I got the bonus hug and a bit of teasing about getting caught
in the rain – especially when the little downpour only lasted another few
minutes before letting up again. I feel
so much better that I wasn’t caught with my bikini showing through a wet shirt
and shorts – and walking home wearing beach towels that probably made Rowen and
I look like we weren’t wearing anything else at all must have looked much
classier!
Aunt Leanne had fun with that too when we got back home, but
she and Uncle Adam didn’t stay much longer before deciding to take advantage of
a break in the rain to get home without having their own wet t-shirt
contest. I’m not going to write about
any of the parting comments that went along with that thought. When they left, I won the first Jacuzzi time
slot, and went to have my bath while Rowen helped Mom with getting Ethan and
Ehlana ready for bed. Dillon came over
in time for the bedtime snack, so we all joined in for that; and after getting
the twins tucked in for the night, Rowen and I came upstairs again. She’s been in the tub for a bit over a half
hour; and I’ve just been getting my nightly computing out of the way so I won’t
have to do that when we’re ready to start our bedtime movie.
As I mentioned earlier, we’ve made tentative plans with
Michael and Tim for tomorrow. If the
weather cooperates, we’re going to go for a bike ride; have a picnic lunch at
the caves; and then go for a longer ride in the afternoon. Tim is going to invite Nora too, but none of
us expect her to want to go along; which is why I think Tim will be in bigger
trouble if we do get to go for the ride.
My last weather check is looking okay, but there is some chance we could
get rained on – or rained out.
Anyway, I don’t have anything else to report for today, and
I should go get everything ready for our movie now, so...
...until next time, this is Magi Master Cassie Proctor;
logging out!
