Canyon Lake

We have heard people talk about Canyon Lake and the military recreation area they have there since we moved here last year.  Even strangers in stores when I showed my military ID would look at it longingly and say "I wish I had one of those so I could be at Canyon Lake right now." (true story).  We really wanted to go up there with some good friends and rent a boat for a little while but in talking to the marina they mentioned that you have to watch a safety video and take a test before you can rent one there.  The guy told me that we could do it at any base in the area if we wanted to do it ahead of time.  So we worked it out so Abe could go down to the rental place at the base where he works on the Thursday before we were going to take the test on a morning he had off. 

Abe went into the place and as he started the video the guy administring the test mentioned to Abe that it was only good for the boats that they rent at that location.  Abe thought that I must have gotten the information messed up and left without taking the test.  So when he told me this I got annoyed and started calling the marina back to figure out what the miscommunication was.  Of course, on that day no one was answering the phones at the marina for 4 hours while I was trying to call.  Finally in the afternoon I got a hold of the same guy I talked to before and he said that the person Abe talked to was misinformed because it is a state test that is good anywhere.  We figured out that Abe could take the test at the Airforce base closest to our house so about 2:10 he got over there only to find out that they will not begin the test after 2pm since it is a 2 hour test and they leave promptly at 4.  They did kindly mention that there was an online version of the test that you take but you had to pay a nominal amount of money.  So Abe was a trooper and came home and found the test online.  Oh they didn't mention that it was a 12-hour course and they wouldn't let you just click through the slides and take the test.  Poor Abe doesn't often have an hour of downtime much less 12 hours of it to play with that thing so needless to say we did not rent a boat on our trip.  I like to think that this was Heavenly Father saving us from some unfortunate accident and not simply really bad luck.

We did have a great time enjoying the cool water and playing in the sand.  And Ethan found exactly what he needed... followers.  We have some problems with having too many Chiefs and not enough Indians when Ethan and Taylor and some of their friends play.  They are all such bright, strong willed children that they all know exactly how they want the game to go and they want someone else to do it with them.  Ethan found two boys (with no supervision) playing with a picnic table that was sunk in the lake.  After a few minutes they were calling him Captain and following all his commands of when to run to shore and when to head for the boat.  Ethan loved it!  Of course they eventually went their way and he had to go back to being just one of many leaders again.

It was such a great day.  I really want to go back and camp up there one of these days. And maybe by then we will be allowed to rent a boat.