Fun on Two Continents

 We were lounging around relaxing when Nikki called to see if we wanted to lounge around and relax on a boat!  Yes, we did.  It was perfect, too, because East Canyon Reservoir is just past Porterville, where I had been wanting to go to see family graves.  We had a gorgeous afternoon with a bunch of gorgeous kids.

 Cade and Austin are excellent water skiiers!  Nikki and Clint are even more impressive.  Wow!

 Hey, aren't those babies too young to drive the boat?  They don't think so.

I love the action going on in the rear-view mirror.

The kids gave the thumbs-up sign for "faster!" as they bounced along in the wake.

 I wasn't able to find the cemetery on the way to the lake, so I looked for it on the way home.  Driving winding country roads in the gold light with sleeping children all worn out by sun and water.  Heaven.

Meanwhile, Golda and Ruby were at a goat farm in Peronne, France.  What a contrast!  Similar in some ways, though, as they have seen many churches like the one I snapped a pic of in Porterville.  Churches, livestock, rolling hills.  Utah is almost just like Southern France, right?

Anyway...

Last night, I had a terrible dream that Ruby came home early from her trip.  When I travel, I always have these nightmares where I accidentally came home early, and it's going to be really expensive to get back to the trip I'm supposed to be on.  So I had that same dream about Ruby.  I was relieved when I woke up, that we wouldn't have to figure out a way to get her back where she belongs, which today happened to be a medieval town in southern Burgundy. 

I talked to them today as they were waiting for dinnertime.  They had been to a goat farm to see how goat cheese is made.  The cheeses were beautiful, encased in local wildflowers and herbs, but the farm was "goaty," in Ruby's words.  There was a three-legged cat, and the goats' eyes were freaky.  They got a kick out of baby goats trying to ram each other on their spindly newborn legs.

Genevieve took them to visit a medieval city, which was fascinating.  They took their goat cheeses to a party at a relative's chateau atop a hill.  Golda described it as "vineyards to the left and vineyards to the right."  They went swimming down the lane at another place which seemed to be a friend's home.  They eat fruit off the trees in the orchard outside the back door, they have long, slow lunches outside with ever-changing cast of characters.  Uncles, cousins, sisters-in-law, friends...

Whenever I think of our daughters being characters in these picturesque and idyllic scenes, a little glissando of happiness runs up my spine.  I love to imagine what they are seeing and experiencing.  I told them about my dream and said, "You're not thinking of changing your airline tickets, are you?" 

Ruby replied, "I would only change my airline tickets to stay longer."  The only tickets they have thought of messing with were their train tickets from Lille to Lyon.  It about killed them that the train stopped right in the heart of Paris!  They seriously considered hopping off the train and spending a day in Paris.  They had it all planned out.  "Oops!  We got off the train at the wrong stop!  It looks like there's another train we can catch tomorrow!  Don't worry!"

I wouldn't have blamed them one bit, except that their hosts would have been worried.  I said, "We'll just have to go back.  Golda, do you ever want to go back to Europe again?"

"Duh." 

That's an answer I like!  Sweet dreams, girls!