Rivers and Lakes and Elks, Oh My!

Dear Diary,

Last weekend we went on an adventure to this place called Estes Park.  We took our house on wheels.  I got to put my head out of the window so much of the time.  It was cool and cloudy, so I didn't get sunburnt, but I still got to swim! 

On Friday we went to the river that ran through the campground.  It was peaceful and cold and just the right depth.  Even Echo had fun- though the slippery rocks made it hard for her to walk.  I was a good brother and I didn't pretend to push her in.  Well, I didn't push her in for real either. 

   

The campground was really funny.  The speed limit was 7 1/2 miles per hour and they even labeled their trees!  I was thinking this is so I would I know where to pee.

Friday, after a nice rainy nap, we piled into the truck and drove on some of the most beautiful roads.  Echo didn't want to come, so I got the WHOLE back seat all to myself!  It was AWESOME.  We saw lots of really pretty mountains.  The cold wind in my jowls was the best yet. 

    

THEN - and you won't believe my luck! - we saw these things that Mom says are called Elk.  All I know is that they bellow like one of the horns I see on my Daddy's tv shows.  We were just driving along and all of a sudden my Dad slows down and Mom's got her camera and, so I am all looking around trying to figure out what's going on, when this trumpet blows and all these cars are parked on the side of the road and the next think I know, there's a great big Elk right next to our car.  I wanted to get out and say hi, but the truck is awfully tall and the Elk wasn't very friendly.  It smelled kinda bad too, between you and me.  It honked and me and ran to the other side of the grass.  It was super cool.  I told Echo all about it when I got back to the camper and she was all "shrug, 'big deal, I've seen dozens of Elk'" but then she's like a thousand years old, so of course she's seen stuff.  Whatever.  I thought it was awesome. 

The next day I got to sit in the truck while Mom and Dad played games.  It was only, like 30 yards from our campsite, but Dad felt it was important to drive there.  Then I got a nice tall view.  They played this one game with balls and bent sticks.  Mom was really fun.  She gets a little carried away with that game.  She said it is her favorite and that she plays "mini golf" every year on her birthday.  She whooped up on Dad, totally.  

He totally got revenge after that.  They went and threw metal things at a post.  Mom was a little wild and I thought she might actually hit me while I was sitting in the truck!  Luckily, Dad gave her some schooling and she switched hands and she got a lot better.   Dad is so good at it, she wasn't any competition, but we all had a really good time. 

After that we went to Mary's Lake.  It was small but still really fun.  Dad went fishing and Echo and I played in the water.  Mom read her book and poked around in the beach area and sat in the sun.  Echo swam and I even got her to play with me.  Since we are both a little slow and stiff in the hips right now, we were about even on the playing field.  When it came to leaving, neither of us wanted to go, but then we both fell asleep in the car on way back to camp. 

Our family has the best weekends! I love our family. 

Love, Hank