Jamie's Perfect 10: can't say enough

When I was a kid, my mom would take my brothers and me just a few miles away to "the Lake" for a day. We would meet her sisters and their kids for an afternoon of summer fun. Moms would lay out in bikinis they wouldn't be caught dead in anywhere else, and kids would spend hours (without sunscreen) splashing in the lake, and building sandcastles till our hearts content. I can still smell the water in my nose, and remember the brown green color when I'd open my eyes under water...expecting I might actually find some treasure, or be able to see anything at all.
Back then (30 or more years ago) I wouldn't tell a soul that we were spending a day at Lake Loramie. It seemed dirty, and smelly, and the beach was full of goose poop. Seriously gross. But it was a summer day we loved and lived for, and the moms were thrilled that us kids were entertained nearby as they chatted and sunbathed their cares away. Of course we'd always pack a picnic lunch, and plan for an ice cream stop at the Tastee treat as we headed back into town. Some of my favorite childhood memories.

Now, though. My goodness. This place is so nice and clean. And I hate to keep the fact that we've been going there forever a secret. Thanks to the amazing volunteers and employees at the state park campground...this place is immaculate. The beach appears to be combed daily, the grass neatly mowed, trashcans always lined with fresh bags and not overflowing, shelters and restrooms are clean. Its a place to be very proud of, and at a time when many other lakes in the state are battling the blue-green algae, Lake Loramie remains safe for swimming.

Anyways, I took the kids out last Sunday...John was covering some hours for a coworker who wanted to be at his daughters dance recital. Typically we always pack a picnic lunch, but this time we only went for a couple hours in the afternoon. It was simpler not to have to pack a cooler. We just grabbed some towels and a bag of sandtoys and off we went. I parked my beach chair right on the water's edge in the sand, and only sat for a few minutes before I was pulled into the castle building/moat digging/child burying in the sand extravaganza. We all had a ball!

Little Annie scooted happily around in the sand...cheesing it up nicely.

Frank and his cup of "treasures;" a few shells and other oddly interesting items.

Mary posing with our sand castle/moat. There's a lot of engineering/water flow education involved in getting the water to stay where you want it, or reverse flow even. Awesome.