Joey-Natalie-Slade-Naomi

Camping on Lake Murray SC

Joey and I decided to campout last night and it was gorgeous here in the south carolina forest! Of course it is no Uinta mountain camping, but we had the crisp cool air and roasted marshmellows to make smores with samoa cookies. We picked up a wood pallet behind a grocery store and joey tore it apart with the hitch. What a mountain man! Then we camped out in the Ol' Worthen Van. We were quite cozy. Infact, Joey drifted into sleep talking at the end of his sentence saying, "Natalie you just let me know if you need anything in the middle of the night and I'll get it for you, even if its a $350 dress." We laughed forever.

"Beautiful Like the Darkness Between Fireflies"

Every evening on Richmond's boulevard, our front yard, between the hours of 7:oopm & 8:30pm, the sidewalks are filled with the magical glow of fireflies. There are so many that it is almost as if walking in a fairy-tale. Joey and I try to go on a walk every night at this time and we just watch and enjoy the glow. It is fascinating. I feel like a child again. Last night we were sitting on the couch and Joey caught my eyes following a flying bug. Joey assured me it was just a moth, when suddenly it lit up and glowed! It was a firefly in our house! It must be good luck.

WHALES!

I love whales. Why? Christmas 2006 we woke up to sunshine and glassy water on the west side of Maui. I don't even remember opening presents that morning. We were out on the boat as a family and ready for a Christmas packed with tropical adventure. I was wakeboarding when I noticed that everyone on the boat had become disinterested in me and were anxiously looking to my left. They signaled that they were going to drop me. I thought I was left for the sharks and was less than calm until finally they turned to pick me up. It was a family of whales they had spotted. We watched as they sun bathed on the surface, a mother, a calf, and an escort. I think it was my dad who jumped in the water first. Then several of my siblings followed with their snorkles and soon the adrenaline was pumping as we were swimming with the whales! We were screaming and scared and so excited. I have never experienced anything more thrilling. The calf kept trying to swim closer to us, and he was easily bigger than a car! At one point the escort was about 30 feet under us and we starred him in the eye. You could see every detail. Breathless is the only word to describe it.

Joey-Natalie-Slade-Naomi

2 comments:

Family and Friends