Christina Lake 2019
A few months back I was informed that there was a campsite at Christina Lake that one of my uncles would go to most summers. Furthermore, that there would be a trailer available for me and the kids to stay at for a week if I wanted it.
At the time, I was pretty hesitant. Someone wanted me to make plans for like months away. I still am largely working on planning a couple of days out at most. I mean, I'm vaguely aware of dates and events that are further out from that, but my actual tactical work doesn't happen until it's literally on top of me.
This is likely Warren reverting to his natural state now that I am not working constantly on bettering the Hillary/Warren team. But I digress.
So I gave a tacit yes to it and knew it was coming, but didn't really plan for it until about the week before. I also had guests in town up until a couple of days before go time, so that helped with not dreading it.
So on Wednesday we left. The drive up I kinda covered already. Then we got there. This campsite was something directly out of the fifties. It was precisely what you'd imagine if someone said, "Imagine a Canadian lake campsite that a family would go to sixty years ago for a large part of the summer."
Booking is done in an actual book. You're better off booking it in person than over the phone. All bookings are Sunday to Sunday and you take the week you are given. There is very little flexibility unless someone cancels. The list goes on. It's a place out of time.
It worked out great. The kids ran around and swam in the lake. Paige took a lot of convincing to get into the water each time, but once she was in, she was in. Maybe not convincing, that's kind of the wrong way to describe it. Paige can rarely be 'convinced' of anything.
She'd climb down one and a half steps of the ladder at the end of the dock. I would tread water a couple of metres away and wait for her to push off.
"I am going to go now. I am going to step down one more and then go."
"Okay, I'm right here, let's go."
Then she would sort of start to step down and then go back up. You could see the battle going in in her head. She wanted to get in the water. Probably rationally knew that she would be okay and have fun. But at the same time she was scared or nervous. I think it frustrated her these two things didn't line up. Which side of her won changed from time to time. Sometimes she got in and then paddled around. Sometimes she ended up climbing up and heading back down the dock to try from the beach.
The kids got time in kayaks with my uncle. I took Isaac on the longest bike ride of his life to date. I got a couple of good rides in. We all swam and actually relaxed. I booked the same trailer for next year.