Walker Island – Day Four

After three pretty idyllic days, we were pretty sure this would be the first uneventful year of camping on the river. The morning was cool and overcast and the water had come WAY up during the night, but we didn’t let it get us down.

Chris went and picked up our friends the McNews and Theresa to spend the day with us.

While the sun only peeked out occasionally and the wind never really died down, we made the best of it and had a great time!

 the boys made this year’s hole in a Sarlacc pit (like from Star Wars)

  

it got Will!

 

playing football

Inara checks out her blue tongue in Mom’s sunglasses

We had lost the tackle box the day before when the tide came in higher than expected. But the boys found it on the beach while exploring another part of the island!

the kids loved riding the McNews’ hot dog

Ian even tried standing up

our poor tarp couldn’t take any more

Monty and Inara take a nap in the shade

Then in the afternoon the wind really started to pick up as the tide came in. The waves also got much rougher, but the kids donned their lifejackets and enjoyed the ride!

When we realized that the weather was not going to improve, we decided to pack up camp while we had lots of help and head home. And that’s when the adventure began…

I don’t have any pictures of our actual adventure because our poor camera would not have survived. Chris took all our guests back to the boat landing while the boys and I continued to hurriedly get our gear down to the water. When he returned he was SOAKING wet and changed into his better lifejacket, all while yelling that we had to hurry. The conditions on the river were pretty bad! We packed all of us and as much stuff as we could into the boat and headed back to Willow Grove. The wind was howling and the whitecaps and 6 foot swells made going rough. Needless to say, we were pretty jarred and wet and COLD by the time we got to the dock. I was feeling ready to let the rest of our stuff get washed downriver rather than take another trip back to the island, but Chris and Zack headed back right after we unpacked the gear from the boat. I prayed the entire time they were gone (which seemed like an eternity) and Monty helped back the van down to the boat landing so it would be all ready to go. Thankfully they made it back safe and sound with the remainder of our stuff tied down as best as they could.

All in all it was another exciting week on the river! I wonder what next year will be like? And will we be able to convince anyone to come with us??? :o)