It's been really hot here lately.  There was even a heat warning out a couple days, and we had to send our employees home mid-route.  Everyone in the town of Afton had to choose whether to roast their skin in humidity or cower in the dark by the air conditioner.  Most people chose the latter.  One such day was Monday.  It was a strange thing for Dan, Eddy and me to spend the whole day in the house together.  Last time that happened we had to break loose and go to the museum (and, as it turned out, the famous MICKEY'S DINER).  This time we went to the beach.

The evening was just starting to cool off when we headed to the nearby town of Lake St. Croix Beach.  This town sits just upstream our beloved Afton, but is much more popular on days like these, because this town has -- as the name implies -- a beach.  And that's about all they have.  There are signs posted on every street that read, "No parking on ANY city street".  And they have only one parking lot: the beach parking lot.  I love small towns.

We parked and walked the gravel road to the shore together.  Eddy's sandals kept falling off, making it a haltingly slow process...until we stuffed them in the diaper bag and held him off the ground by both arms.  Whatever works!  Ah, the sandy goodness!  Shoes were kicked off, the waves were flirted with, and Daniel dove in for a much needed cool down.  There were plenty of people there that day, which made me happy.  I love enjoying the weather with others.  It was quite like a local party, everyone invited, no charge.  Then I noticed something: Eddy wasn't swimming.  He wasn't splashing.  He wasn't even getting his feet wet.  The all too familiar "I don't wanna swim," was all he would say.  This would take some work.

I prodded him from the shore, Dan coaxed from the water, but he would not go in.  Why does he have this propensity to do what will only make him unhappy later?  Finally I bit the bullet.  Though still dressed in my tie-dye skirt and t-shirt, I picked up Eddy and stepped in the water.  "I'll just go up to the knees."  Right.  One thing led to another, and I was as wet as Eddy.  Finally, I couldn't resist the urge of going all in with hippie clothes on.  It just seemed to fit.  So, though I had my swimsuit on underneath, I dove in and swam all the way out, skirt and all =)  I got out, got all sandy and jumped back in.  Why don't more people do this?

Eddy did realize he liked the water.  He walked as far out as he could stand, he and I attacked Daddy with splashes, we even let him dunk a couple times.  It was a blast.

Eventually people began to disappear from the party, the sun went down, and a layer of mosquitoes graced the top of the ripples (haha, as if mosquitoes ever "grace").  We trudged through the sand and over the gravel to the car.  What a successful trip!  Laughter and pleasant talk filled the car all the way home and followed us in the house, just in time to open up the windows for the night.