So long and thanks for all the pix

Hey kids,

It really was my fault, I suppose.

Today the three of us went to the creek to hang out and play in the water and beat the heat. Of course I took the camera, cuz that's what Momma does.

So Wavy and I were sitting on the bank, legs dangling in the water, and Jakob, you were running around behind us in the grass. I asked you to bring me the camera, which was sitting a little farther downstream from us, with the towels and such. I specifically told you, "Put the strap around your neck! So you don't drop it in the water!"

As you ran back, you were yelling, "I can't find the camera, Momma! I don't have it!" But you were giggling, so I knew you were kidding. Then you charged straight into the middle of the creek, with one hand behind your back, and one empty hand extended towards me.

"Look, Momma! I don't have it!" Then, still giggling, you reached behind your back and extended your other empty hand towards me.

(Can you see where this is going?)

Horrified, I reached towards you, about to yell something. And then it happened. In slow motion. The camera behind your back fell from your hands and into the creek. My poor workhorse of a camera splashed into the water, bobbed twice and sank. Okay, it wasn't exactly the camera of my dreams, but it was kinda expensive (for me, at least) and I used it both professionally and for these priceless family pics that you see here.

Ah, man. I was mad. And I let you know it. You started crying. I finally calmed down just a bit, enough to give you a rough hug and tell you to go swim or something. But you weren't having any of it, and I was still mad enough to wring your neck. As I poured the water from the innards of my ex-camera, you hovered nearby, still crying and apologizing.

But it wasn't until you stood behind me as I was sitting on the bank, snuffling a bit myself, you laid your hand on my shoulder and uttered, "I am so sorry, Momma," that I finally got ahold of myself. You just sounded so grown up and so sincerely sorry, just because you threw that extra "so" in there, I guess. My cold little heart softened just a bit. Enough, at least, to realize that our little outing was over and we should head back to the campsite.

We called a truce of sorts, and we went on with our day. I've been online and have initiated a dialogue with the manufacturer to see if something like this is even fixable. I'm not hanging any hopes on it, though.

So without further ado, here are the last of the pics that I downloaded before what will forthwith be referred to as "the incident."

Wanderlust Festival at Squaw Valley this weekend:







Swimming at the creek in question, a couple of days before "the incident":





Despite anything I may have uttered earlier today (Remember? When Momma had smoke leaking out of her ears, and her left eyeball was twitching uncontrollably?), I love the hell out of both of you. Good night.