weekend battering

2006-08-07 - 8:57 a.m.

Saturday was the annual canoe madness day a friend's been holding for the last 20 years. This was only my second year along, but so far we're two for two on it being a great event. We canoe down a beautiful section of the Brandywine River. It's calm water and in some places was so shallow we got stuck on the bottom. In others, it's deep enough for a nice swim. My canoemate and I kidnapped a couple of youngsters from other canoes who were well-armed with water cannons and a squirt gun that looked like something Marvin the Martian would carry. We were the best-armed canoe in the fleet and conducted pirate attacks on the other canoes. Alas, this meant we were a prime target for other canoers to attack. We were tipped over three times, once in a dazzling sneak attack by some folks who'd hidden behind a fallen tree.

I now look like the victim of domestic abuse or perhaps a medieval stoning, from the number of bruises about my limbs. But it was a great time.

Yesterday I finally tackled the yard and tamed it as much as possible. I burned through an entire string on the weedwacker, which is quite a feat for a rowhouse yard. I also managed to add a cut on my shin to the random bruising for extra hotness.

I cooked up a picnic of goodies from the organic farm and partially froze a pitcher of lemonade for a concert under the stars last night. We saw Chris Trapper and Martin Sexton and feasted on garlic stringbeans, corn on the cob, and potatoes and chives in a wholegrain mustard-balsamic vinaigrette. And, wonderfully, there's enough left for lunch today.

I don't do anywhere near enough stargazing.

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