Friday came and Dad announced, “My rainy day is here!”
“Oh, no!” Kate cried as she raced to the window to take a peek.
“It’s not raining, Dad,” JR said.
“No, it’s not raining, kids,” Mom replied. “Dad’s just teasing. He has a surprise for you.”
Dad announced, “We are going to the amusement park today.”
“Oh, boy!” shouted JR and Kate.
The amusement park was located next to the beach, not too far from where the family was staying. The rides were painted in bright, bold colors. There was a big merry-go-round, a Ferris wheel, and a giant roller coaster that ran around the entire park. The air was filled with the smells of hot dogs and french fries. It would be hard to decide what to do first.
“Let’s ride the merry-go-round,” Kate said. “See all the colorful ponies?”
Kate chose a cherry pink pony with a green saddle. The horse’s mane was chocolate brown and adorned with a wreath of white daisies and ruby roses.
JR chose a red pony with a dark brown leather saddle. The pony had a thick white mane and a bridle of leather to match the saddle.
As the ride slowly started, Mom took photos. Dad waved to the kids each time they came around.
Next, they chose the large Ferris wheel. “Are you coming, Mom?” Kate asked. She knew her mother was afraid of heights.
“I guess so,” Mom replied with a quiver in her voice.
“I’ll sit with you, Mom,” JR volunteered. “I’m brave.”
“That you are, JR,” Mom said with a smile.
The operator of the ride fastened them securely in their seats. As each chair was filled, the ride would move a little closer toward the top, rocking gently back and forth. The ride started. The view from the top was breathtaking; you could see for miles. The ocean was the deepest blue-green, and the sky was light blue with a few fluffy white clouds. With each turn of the wheel, they went a little faster. Soon, everyone was squealing with delight. As the ride came to an end, Mom and JR were the first ones out, and they had big smiles on their faces.
“That was fun,” Mom said. “I could do that again.”
“Maybe a little later. I want to ride the roller coaster before we eat lunch,” Dad replied.
The roller coaster had cars that would hold four people. The family could all ride together—JR up front with Dad, while Kate and Mom settled into the seat behind. Gradually, the roller coaster picked up speed. Peals of laughter and shouts of oohs and ahhs could be heard. The family screamed, not in horror, but in the sheer delight of going faster and faster around the park. It was a great ride.
“I’m hungry,” JR announced as they exited the roller coaster.
“You are always hungry!” Kate exclaimed.
“I could go for a corn dog and some fries, and a big lemonade, too!” Mom said.
“Let’s head over to the concession stands. We could use a break from all this fun,” Dad replied.
The family found a picnic table to enjoy their lunch. It was good to sit down with their feet on the ground. As they ate, they watched the crowd of people. There were also clowns, people walking on stilts, and people dressed as cartoon characters. After lunch, the family rode more rides and enjoyed ice cream treats before they went home.
“I really enjoyed your rainy day, Dad,” Kate said.
“Me, too!” JR echoed.
Saturday was the last day at the beach. On Sunday, they would be leaving for the trip back home.
“What are we going to do today?” JR asked at breakfast.
“What would you like to do?” Mom asked.
“I would like to fly my kite and play Frisbee.”
“What about you, Kate?” Dad asked.
“I would like to build one more sand castle. JR, can I fly your kite?” Kate asked.
“You sure can, if I can knock down your sand castle when we leave.”
“I suppose, but only when we are ready to leave. I wish we did not have to go home so soon.”
“We will come back next year, Kate,” Dad said. “It will be something you can look forward to. Just think of all the things you can tell your friends and grandparents about when you get back home.”
“Let’s get ready to go,” Mom said.
The sun was bright and warm against their skin. The sky was a royal blue with white puffy clouds. Kate and JR imagined what each cloud looked like as they walked to the beach. Kate thought she saw an elephant sitting on a drum, and JR thought it was a horse standing on its hind legs. The family enjoyed the day. It had been a great week. A vacation to remember, Kate wrote in her journal.
Let’s Go Fishing
Ever since he was three years old, JR loved to go fishing in the pond at his grandparents’ home. He had never actually caught a fish. He would just sit on the bank along with his father and Grandpa Ron and pretend to catch fish. Each time they pulled a fish out of the water, JR would catch an imaginary fish using his small toy fishing pole. But he didn’t have the patience for fishing; something along the bank would catch his eye, and off he would go to investigate.
Today would be different. JR had a brand-new grownup fishing rod with a hook and a red-and-white cork. He was six now and ready to do some serious fishing. JR and his family left early in the morning to spend a long weekend with Grandpa Ron and Grandma Katie. They were his mother’s parents and they lived four hours from his home. JR and Kate were both excited about going. They talked about all the things they would do once they got to the farm.
As the car entered the driveway, JR could see the pond glistening in the sun. The tall cattails along the bank moved gently in the breeze. Grandpa Ron’s ducks were swimming in the middle of the pond along with four ducklings. Two Canada geese were grazing along the bank and squawked at the car as it went by.
As soon as the car stopped, JR hopped out and waved to his grandparents on the front porch. “Let’s go fishing!” he shouted.
Soon everyone was out of the car and greeting one another with hugs. JR was growing impatient. He wanted to go fishing. Talking could wait. JR’s father reminded him that they needed to unpack the car before fishing. JR ran to the car, grabbed his fishing rod and backpack, and went inside the house.
“He sure is excited about fishing,” Grandpa Ron said. “I hope he catches a fish this time.”
“I know. That’s all he has talked about on the way here,” replied Kate. She did not like to fish. She thought it was a waste of time, just sitting on the bank and waiting for a fish to bite the hook. She had better things to do.
“Let’s get unpacked. Kate, take your backpack. Grandpa and I will bring in the rest of the luggage.”
JR met his father and grandfather at the door. “When can we go fishing?”
“After lunch. We need to dig worms and find some crickets for bait. I’ll check with the girls. We may have time before lunch to gather our supplies and bait,” replied Grandpa Ron.
“Sounds good to me. I need to stretch a bit after that long drive,” Dad said as he let out a yawn.
Grandma Katie had picked fresh lettuce, cucumbers, and tomatoes from the garden to serve with her famous chicken salad that was topped with toasted pecans. Kate joined her mother and grandmother in the kitchen.
“Lunch will be ready in thirty minutes,” Grandma Katie told Grandpa, Dad, and JR. “Don’t get too dirty.”
Soon the three were out the door, walking to the shed out back, where Grandpa Ron kept the fishing rods, bait buckets, and a fishing satchel that contained all kinds of interesting lures. Dad grabbed a shovel for digging, and off they went in search of crickets and worms. JR knew that crickets could be found under old boards and rocks, so he ran to the scrap wood pile.
He carefully lifted a board, making sure there were no snakes, and gasped at all the crickets. Some started to jump away.
“Hurry with the bait jar! I found a lot of crickets!”
Dad helped JR pick up the crickets and place them in the bait jar. The bait jar had tiny holes all
around the side to let in air so that the crickets would not die. “I think you found enough crickets under this board to last all afternoon,” Grandpa Ron said. “Now let’s dig a few worms. We may need a different bait to keep the fish interested.”
Dad brought the shovel to the compost pile near the garden. With one load from the shovel, JR was able to pull out many earthworms and place them in a bait jar with dirt. “This compost pile is full of earthworms, Grandpa Ron.”
“That’s the idea,” Grandpa said. “The earthworms help with the decomposition process, and that makes a healthy soil. Grandma Katie loves to put this compost in her garden. It is rich, and the plants grow big and strong.”
“We had better go in and get washed up for lunch,” Dad said as he put away the shovel. Grandpa Ron put the bait jars in the shed, out of the sun and next to the other fishing supplies.
After lunch, Dad said, “Lunch was great! Hope we will have fish for supper!”
“I’m counting on a lot of fish for supper,” Grandma Katie replied.
JR was already on his way to the shed. He grabbed his fishing rod and ran toward the pond.
“Wait for us, JR,” Dad called.
“Hurry, the fish are biting!” JR shouted back as he slowed his pace to a walk.
Grandpa and Dad caught up with JR and made their way to the pond. They stopped near the bank and set down their supplies under the weeping willow tree. Dad showed JR how to swing his rod out over the pond so that the line would land toward the center. When he had become good at this, Grandpa Ron helped JR secure a cricket onto the hook. Now JR was ready. He went to the bank and swung his rod toward the center of the pond, but the line didn’t land on the pond at all.
Grandpa and Dad laughed. “JR, you have caught the big one!” they said in unison.
JR was puzzled. He turned and looked toward them. There was his line, caught in a clump of grass.
Grandpa Ron unhooked the line and placed another cricket on the hook. “Try again, JR.”
This time, the hook with the cricket landed right in the middle of the pond.
“Let’s sit on the bank. This may take a while,” Dad said.
They talked softly while watching the red-and-white cork floats bob on top of the water. JR knew if the float went under the water, a fish was nibbling at the bait. He really wanted to be the first one to catch a fish.
“How long do you think it will take to catch a fish?” JR asked Grandpa.
“It all depends. You just have to be patient.”
It seemed like hours to JR until the first nibble was seen. JR saw the line move and then the float bobbed down and up. JR held the rod tight. Grandpa Ron and Dad were watching. “Time to gently pull the line toward shore, JR,” Grandpa whispered in his ear.
Dad grabbed the fish net to catch the fish so it wouldn’t fall off the line. Grandpa Ron helped JR pull the line to the bank. As soon as they could see the fish, Grandpa Ron and JR lifted the rod from the water and brought the fish toward the net.
“You caught a beauty, JR! Now, Dad and I had better get busy. We need at least eight big fish for supper,” Grandpa said with a wink at JR.
“I need a photo of this. JR, hold up your fish by the line.” Dad took the photo. He then helped Grandpa get the hook out of the fish’s mouth. He placed the fish in a bucket of water to keep it alive until they were finished fishing. JR came over to look at the fish as it swam in the bucket. His first fish, and it was a big one. He couldn’t keep from grinning.
As the hours went by, Dad and Grandpa caught five fish. JR caught two more. He was very excited over the three fish he had caught. They packed up their supplies and started back home. Next, they would have to clean and fillet the fish for supper. As soon as they reached the yard, JR ran to the back door, yelling, “Come see the fish I caught!”
Grandma Katie and Mom rushed out of the door, but Kate stayed behind. She didn’t want to look at the fish. After admiring all the fish in the bucket, Mom asked, “Which one did you catch?”
“I caught the biggest three!”
“Did you really catch a fish?” Kate asked as JR came into the house.
“I caught three fish!” JR replied. “I caught more than Dad and Grandpa Ron. I caught the first one.”
“That’s great, JR. Hope you got some photos,” Kate said as if she did not believe him.
“Now, Kate. JR had a good time catching our supper,” Dad said as he showed her the photos on his camera.
“The hardest part will be preparing the fish. Are you ready for that, JR?”
“I’ll try! But I think I like the fishing part the best!”
Everyone laughed. Cleaning fish was not fun. But having fresh fish for supper would be a real treat.
JR decided he would watch Grandpa Ron and Dad clean the fish this time. Dad agreed. After the fish were cleaned, the men took charge of cooking the fish. Mom helped Grandma Katie prepare slaw and french fries.
“Boy, these fish are good!” Mom said. “I must be eating one of the ones JR caught.”
“I bet you are, Mom. I caught the best ones in the pond.”
Grandpa laughed. “JR, you are going to be a great fisherman. You are already telling the best fish stories.”
JR grinned. This was his best day, catching his first fish, sitting on the bank of the pond with Dad and Grandpa Ron, and sharing great fish stories. He couldn’t wait to tell his friends.
The Doll Quilt
Kate was very excited. She was going to visit Grandma Katie for a whole week. They had a special project planned: making a doll quilt just like the one her mother made when she was Kate’s age.
Mom entered Kate’s room. “Have you packed everything you will need, Kate?” she asked. ”Don’t forget your favorite doll, Sallie.”
“Oh, Mom! You know I won’t forget Sallie,” Kate said as she closed the suitcase. “I have plenty of books, too. But I don’t think I will have time to read. Grandma Katie and I are going to work on our special project, and it may take all week to complete.”
Mom just smiled. She knew what the special project was. She had helped cut squares of material for the quilt while JR, Dad, and Grandpa Ron were fishing this summer.
“Well, if you are ready, let’s get going.”
Kate grabbed her suitcase and ran to the car. The family would travel to Grandma Katie’s and Grandpa Ron’s together. Then JR and Dad would go on a camping trip and Mom to a nurses’ convention. Kate thought she would have the best time staying with her grandparents.
As soon as Kate arrived, she asked, “Grandma Katie, can we get started on my doll quilt?”
“I knew you would be anxious to get started, so I have the sewing room all ready,” Grandma answered.
Kate went to the sewing room ahead of Grandma Katie. She couldn’t believe all the stacks of neatly cut squares of material lined up on the cutting table.
“I remember this material. These squares were cut from the material you used to make dresses for me, Grandma Katie,” Kate said as she held up a few.
“Yes, they are, Kate. I kept them hoping that, one day, we could make a quilt together.”
“Where do we start?” Kate asked as she settled into a chair in front of the cutting table.
“First, we will sort the squares by color. Some will have prints, and some will be solid. Next, we will count the number of squares in each stack. We will need a total of three hundred and twenty-four squares.”
“Wow! That’s a lot!” Kate exclaimed.
“Kate, you can start sorting.”
“I can count the squares, too. I’m very good at counting.”
“Good! You can count, and I will write down the total. When we have enough, then we will lay out the design using this graph,” Grandma said. She showed Kate a piece of paper with tiny squares. She had marked off a section with eighteen squares across and eighteen rows down.
“When you make a one-half-inch seam on all four sides of the square, it will be two inches by two inches. The fi
nished size of the quilt will be thirty-six inches by thirty-six inches, the length of a yardstick.” She held up the yardstick for Kate.
Kate began to sort. When she was finished, Grandma Katie said, “It looks like we have blue, green, yellow, purple, orange, and pink. That makes six colors for us to work with.”
“I know the quilt will be pretty. These are some of my favorite colors, especially the ones that you used to make my dresses.”
“How’s the quilt coming?” Grandpa Ron asked as he came into the room.
“It’s going to be the prettiest quilt you have ever seen,” Kate replied.
“It must be getting late. We had better stop for the day,” Grandma said. “You can count the squares in the morning.”
“That sounds good to me,” Kate said. “I really had a good time today.”
Kate joined her grandparents for breakfast the next morning. She could not stop talking about the quilt.
“I can see that you are eager to get going. Tell you what—I will wash the dishes, and you and Grandma can get started right away,” Grandpa offered.
“We need to count the number of squares we have so far. We need three hundred and twenty-four,” Kate told Grandpa Ron.
“That’s a lot! You had better get going.”
Kate counted each stack of squares. Grandma Katie wrote down thirty-four yellow, forty green, forty-four blue, fifty purple, forty-two pink, and fifty-three orange squares.
Grandma Katie added each number. The total came to two hundred and sixty-three squares. “We are sixty-one squares short. Let’s see how many we will need of each color to make the stacks equal. You have six stacks of colors. If we divide three hundred and twenty-four by six, the result is fifty-four. Can you subtract the total of each color from fifty-four, Kate?”
“I can try. Will you check behind me?”
Kate began subtracting. She came up with twenty yellow squares, fourteen green squares, ten blue squares, four purple squares, twelve pink squares, and only one orange square. “Is that correct, Grandma Katie?”
Summer Adventures with Kate & JR Page 3
