For about 3 months, my wife and I had been looking forward to this past weekend. We were taking Pea to a friend’s cottage just outside of Ottawa for the first time, and we were eager to see how Pea would react to a lake front environment and the potential for water games and other outdoor tomfoolery.
When we arrived at the cottage on Friday, the weather was nice and comfortable. Pea darted almost instantly for the water. She spent 30 minutes splashing about and wading hip-deep into the unknown before we had to head in for dinner and bedtime. She loved it. There was a dock at the cottage and had she not been restrained, I would have had to dive into the water after her.
The phrase “No Fear” applied in bunches and the weekend looked promising.
Then, that bitch Mother Nature caught wind of our good times and shut the whole weekend down.
We woke up Saturday morning to the coldest morning of the Summer. Socks and sweaters were immediately put on, although we could have easily put on rain boots and water-repellent jackets given the steady stream outside.
We figured we’d give it time before overreacting, since there have been very few days that have been completely rained out this Summer.
Well, it rained the whole weekend, for all but one hour. Did I mention Mother Nature is a bitch?
So, instead of driving 8 anticipation-filled hours to watch Pea spend a weekend frolicking in the great outdoors, it turns out we drove 8 hours filled with looming disappointment to coop our daughter up in a log cabin.
If I seem bitter, I am. Mother Nature – someday, somehow, I will find a way to bring you a huge heaping spoonful of comeuppance. Revenge will be mine!
All right, while the underlying message here seems to be that MOTHER NATURE IS A BITCH!, which is in fact true, I do have something else to tell you.
Pea’s resilience is a thing of wonder. While we had promised water fun, we clearly could not deliver. But Pea persevered. She chose instead to make the most of her weekend, with Wiggles and Shrek DVD’s (a must for a road trip with kids), puzzles upon puzzles, play-dough and arts & crafts.
She was happy to have spent her hour in the sun, tossing rocks in the water and getting her pampers wetter than wet. All she really seemed to care about was the company of her Mom and Dad, and friends.
So Mother Nature, you can thank my little girl for the delay in the delivery of your Hurt Sandwich. But one day… oh, one day…
PS – Should I come across as overly aggressive towards Mother Nature, I will also advise you that this Summer alone, she has also ruined a trip to Canada’s Wonderland, a planned trip to Centreville and various other weekends. My insolence is therefore justified. I suspect you will agree.
I ;just love that you used the word Tomfoolery…. Sean you need to have friends in Calgary – then you will appreciate the awesomeness that has been this summer in the weather department!!!!!!!!! (even though truth be told I’ve been bitching about the heat all summer). Sucks that it rained though….
I love my cottage. Whether its raining or sunny, the fact that I have this escape is a blessing to me.
The drive to and from is part of the whole adventure and it does my heart good to be there as I waste away hours on the dock breathing in the scent of the outdoors or cuddled up with a book or scrabble game inside while the rain gives everything a wash.
Mother Nature was watering my vegetable garden, so I didn’t have to yank out the hose and do it myself. She’s good that way.
I was going to say that you were too harsh on Mother Nature, but then you reminded me of the other planned events that went sour. Screw you MN! Thank goodness for a little girl who didn’t realize what she missed out on. Friends and family was all she needed…*sigh* ah, to be so easygoing again!
August has really been a disappointment, eh?
Global warming? whatever…