Fun on the Nottoway

AnnaBelle was so happy to get back to the river and play in the rocks!

We set up camp on an island. In the 1500's the Indians dug out the right side to create the island and trap fish coming downstream. They would dam up the end where you see the trees and the fish could be kept in a holding pond. The first natural aquarium!!

This sleepy girl enjoyed a snooze on the way back to the boat landing. Probably dreaming of all the fun she had in the pics below.

Nathan caught a nice red throat while George gets it off the line for him.

A view of the Nottoway upriver.

This was our campsite for the day. The picnic table was $20.00 from the local ag-supply store. It folds up completely into a case and sits four people. It also has a hole for an umbrella! What a bargain and I am sure we will get alot of use from it in the coming years. We plan to cover it with bumper stickers from our travels.

George brought a watermelon and the children absolutely devoured the stuff.

This little girl can eat her weight in watermelon. We planted the jubilee type this year in the garden and they are huge. I will have to get a pic of them and post them this week because we should be eating them by the end of the month along with the cantelope.

The majestic Nottoway River holds such a lure to a young impressionable boy. We have told him the stories of the river's history and its importance to the area. When he found his first megaladon sharks tooth he was hooked. He often tells me how much he loves to go the river.

This was the first picture I took when we reached our destination. He couldn't wait to get out of the boat and into the water. We found some whale bone on this trip but didn't find any teeth, though we didn't dig that long. We fished and laughed and swam with the kids. AnnaBelle floated in the current with me holding her for the first time and she giggled and smiled. I can tell now that she is going to be a fearless kid. When we got to the boat landing she nearly sailed out of my arms and into the water. Nathan was content throwing rocks from the shore but he watched as AnnaBelle tried to break free and told me, "Momma, I think she wants to jump right in!" It's amazing how different two siblings can be, but I'm beginning to understand why. It balances you as a parent and doesn't allow you to lax even for a second. This parenting stuff is a work in progress for me, but I am enjoying and absorbing every minute of it.