The Cramer Lemon: Gals' Trip to Alpine Lake

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Gals' Trip to Alpine Lake

Zoe surprised me by accepting my last-minute invitation to accompany Olive and me to my parents' Shangri-La-like rural lake retreat in Terra Alta, West Virginia. I had been eagerly awaiting my little vacation to reward my long-awaited completion of illustrations for Sage, The Sea Lion Who Lost Her Roar, the second book I'd done for a Boston accountant-author. I'd been working on this one for over two and a half years. It turned out pretty well, though, if I do say so myself, and I feel like I finally hit my stride as an illustrator. This little nook of the Mountain State has some of the most breathtaking scenery I've ever seen. Alaska's mountains have nothing on the green, lush beauty that abounds in this place. If there weren't so few job opportunities and little to do for the under-sixty-five set, I'd be pretty keen on moving there. Anyway, Zoe hadn't been a fan of the lake house last year when we first visited so the plan was for her to stay in Pittsburgh, but she seemed to really enjoy the three days she spent there, even though the second had her laid up for the better part of the day on the recliner with a painful stomach ache. It was wonderful to spend time with my family - dad, mom, brother, sister, nieces, and nephew - playing games, swimming in the lake, trail running, canoeing, bicycling, playing miniature golf with Zoe, and simply breathing in the cool, clean mountain air. Olive was a little out of sorts with a new molar that's been creeping in, in addition to a serious lack of sleep. She's no longer a car-sleeper - at least not for me - and she got barely fifteen minutes of shuteye on the three and a half-hour trip.

Despite the peace and relaxation, we bolted on Wednesday evening as opposed to midday Thursday. I've only been married for a little over two years, so at this juncture three days away from my husband is pushing it. I was starting to miss the guy something fierce.