The Vittetoe Times » summer

Kentucky June

Karen — Sat, 26 Jun 2010 15:18:10 +0000

It is impossible to summarize June, and would be more adequately defined, day by day, here. Filled with bike rides that have taken me in all directions from Mayfield, first to the Mississippi River in the west, then the Land Between the Lakes in the east, even south to a Civil War battlefield in Tennessee, to wonderful excursions with the girls, everything from camping along a cove where we kayaked and swam into the night (the water being relentlessly warm), a petting farm with miniature versions of every animal you ever imagined, the beaches where the girls could spend a lifetime (five hours without a fight, complaint, or announcement of boredom), walking along the pivotal intertwining of the Tennessee and Ohio rivers in Paducah, taking the Vittetoe Express (my bike + tagalong + bike trailer–yes, a train of bicycles) to the parks and library, meeting two published Kentuckian authors (and their pets), going out to eat, visiting farmers’ markets that run twice weekly and are just blocks away, baking fresh peach pies and apple cobbler, and alas, sending my four favorite people onward to Tennessee for the next part of our summer-long journey…
It is impossible to summarize June, but for the girls, I have made my usual attempt. Here it is.

Biking, Fishing, and Swimming

Bruce — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 21:49:07 +0000

So we have been here in Kentucky for a little over a week now and have been having a great time. Karen has rediscovered her biking here, the girls experienced their first fishing trip, and there has been plenty of summer swimming.

Karen has been having a wonderful time with her biking, both solo rides and tag-along rides with the girls. On Monday Karen did a 32 mile ride along highway 80 from Mayfield to Columbus-Belmont State Park in Columbus, KY. The park sits right on the east side of the Mississippi River and is the site of a Civil War battle. The girls, Lucy, and I drove to the park to meet Karen and had a picnic lunch overlooking the river. Another thing Karen has discovered with the bike is the Vittetoe Express. That is what she calls the biking contraption she put together that allows her and all three of the girls to ride in one long train together. She takes her bike and attaches the runabout, which is a bike with only one wheel and a long arm that attaches to her bike in place of the front wheel, and makes a two person tandem bike. Then she hooks up our bike trailer to the back of the runabout and pulls two girls in it. It looks like a long bike train going down the road and she says it gets lots of attention from passersby when they see the Vittetoe Express.

Over the weekend, we had a chance to take the girls fishing for their first time. Zak and Elizabeth know some people who own a small farm with a pond and they invited us over to let the girls try some fishing. We had a great time and quite a bit of success. Each of the girls caught at least one fish each and were super excited to reel in their catch! We caught a mix of bass and blue gill which we later had as part of our dinner. While at the farm, we also got a little tour of the farmers chicken coop where they raise hens for eggs. All in all it was a great experience for their first time fishing.

Coming to Kentucky we knew it was going to be hot, but coming from the dry Colorado climate we are not quite use to the sticky humid air. So needless to say swimming will be a regular activity for us here. We bought the girls a small blow-up pool to use here at the house which has been a perfect activity for when the girls get too bored. Over the weekend we also went to Lake Barkley Resort State Park where we had a picnic lunch and a few hours of swimming. I sat this one out, the sand blah!, but the girls had a great time playing in the water and sand. Public pools are pretty scarce around here and the closest one is about a 30 minute drive. We made the trip yesterday so we could see how it is and the girls had a great time regardless of the drive.

We are trying several different activities to fill our time and so we can see more of Kentucky. This weekend we are doing at least on night of camping. Lucy’s first time! Hopefully all goes well.

It’s a Girl! (Don’t Freak Out!!)

Karen — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 00:02:48 +0000

Yes, another girl has entered our family… our extended family. After a long first labor, Elizabeth gave birth to Lucy Elizabeth Danks at 11:25 p.m. on January 29, weighing in at 8 pounds 11 ounces! I guess she and I were destined to have a few giant girls! Of course our girls are thrilled and can’t wait to meet her. From the pictures we’ve seen, she looks just like Elizabeth did as a baby but with a tad less hair, though it’s just as dark. Lucy has adjusted well and Elizabeth is lucky enough to not only have Zak home this week, but also her mother-in-law.

We will not get to meet Lucy until the summer, but then we’re really going to get to know her. Picture this: a green minivan with a topper on the luggage rack, a bike rack on the back bumper loaded down with three bikes and a trailer, several suitcases, toy boxes, pillows, blankets, food boxes, a cooler, and electronic devices piled up inside, oh, and a family of five, a dog, and a cat. That’s us driving to Kentucky the day after school gets out. We’ll be spending the entire summer there so that Lucy doesn’t have to go to daycare! It’s going to be one crowded house, as Elizabeth and Zak already have a dog and two cats–oh, and did I mention just one bathroom? But we’ll make it work. Family is what it’s all about!

Anyone need a place to stay in Aurora this summer? LOL…