New Obsession

Whew! After writing 8 posts commenting on articles sent to me I can finally write about my adventure last week which of course has developed into my latest obsession. Just adding to that already lengthy list...

For four days last week I was kayaking and camping and getting all rivery. It was the first time I had ever kayaked but I loved it within the first mile. I love the feeling of having unlimited strength and being able to do anything I want to do and thats how I feel while kayaking. We did 48 miles in three days and if it was feasible to use kayaking as a main means of transportation, I so would!

Some of the highlights of the trip were the sunflowers that followed us along the entire 48 miles of the river we traveled down; the gigantic sand dune we sprinted down and leapt into the river from during a lunch break; washing my hair in the river as a fish swam past my legs; taking refuge in a farmer's house after a huge storm broke three of our tents and watching the Olympics on mute with Harry and Linda.

The trip was led by my mom's friend Jo. They were best friends in high school and had their first apartment together. They became reacquainted this spring and Jo invited me to be her second camp counselor for this adventure. She is one of the most positive individuals I have ever met and rolls with the punches effortlessly and gracefully. She also was a professional chef at one point so her camp food rocked!

Last Night In Spearfish

As I wrote the title of this post I cried a little. After spending the last 87 days of my summer here with my grandparents, Jackie and John, and Finn and Scout I have to go back to Sioux Falls. It is rather bittersweet because of course I am looking forward to going back to Sioux Falls and seeing everyone and having my whole busy life starting again, plus Nick and Katie's wedding, but this summer has been absolutely wonderful and I don't do well with leaving one place and going to another place no matter how exciting my next adventure may be. Aka, I am not good with goodbye's.

I spent today, my last day, putting up rain gutters and siding on a chicken coop all day with my grandpa. It was wonderful. Not only have I accomplished doing pull-ups this summer, I can now operate a nail gun, a John Deere Tractor, a riding lawn mower, a weed wacker, a power saw and can get a boat on and off its trailer. Basically there is nothing I can't do. 

Today offered perfect anecdotes to top off my summer in Spearfish. 

First of all, my grandpa almost electrocuted a duck and then I got in trouble for telling my grandma and Jackie about it. He accidentally tossed a cord into the duck's pond (little kid swimming pool) and luckily the duck scurried out quick enough. 

When we finally quit for the day after about ten hours at it my grandpa put on clean clothes which included bermuda-length denim shorts. He spent all of Sunday hemming his pants but he got one pair too short so he just shortened them even more to be quite jaunty bermudas. 

Then we were all looking online at a horse Jackie may buy. She questioned whether it was narcissistic being named Jackie to name her horse Jack. I say it's a great idea. She has found a beautiful gray horse and horses named Jackie Bee and Tee J Jackie Leola are in its lineage. She is obviously meant to have this horse. A horse by the name of Miss Boni Britches is also in its lineage which I think is symbolic for Brytten and again Jackie is obviously supposed to have this horse. I then asked my grandpa what he would name a horse if he had one. His response? Hi Ho Paint, Let's Get Where We Ain't 

I about died laughing. 

This morning John and I went to our last Barefoot Fitness workout together for the summer. It was kinda sad doing my last kettlebell swings with him. My friend Alan and I were Skyping a couple weeks ago and he asked me what the highlight of my summer has been. I could easily list off a hundred highlights but one that truly stands out is all the time I spent with John and the awesome things we did together particularly all of our hiking and backpacking in the Bighorns. 

This summer was truly wonderful. 

Jackie made me laugh so hard I snorted way too many times to count. She also made me spend too much money! She is basically one of the funniest people I know. Tonight we figured out that I had a s'more nearly every night this summer except for a week after Birdie died because I was too sad. That equates to about 79 s'mores. Holy Shit. 

I absolutely loved working at the fish hatchery and developed wonderful relationships with the summer volunteers and my boss. Last Friday night we had a potluck and bonfire to say goodbye to my boss, Renae and the first volunteers to leave. When I was saying goodbye to my favorite couple, Belinda and Lee, they both hugged me and said that it was like having their daughter with them for the summer. My boss gave me a D.C. Booth Fish Hatchery mug that is everything a coffee cup should be and turquoise, beaded, fish-shaped earrings. I love that I was able to create great friendships with the people I worked with for only three months. 

Sam, Camille and I had a grand old time this summer and I love that I got to take them to a water park for the first time and share in their first marshmallow-roasting experience!

Getting ready to go fishing and Camille is being a fart-blossom

Love her!

Spearfish has always been my favorite place in the world and this summer solidified that view even more.

I have loved writing this blog and although it is titled "Good at Summer" I will continue it into the school year because hell, I can be good at summer all year long! And I always have something to say. 

I spent a portion of every day in one of these this summer!

My theme for this summer and all summers is self-discovery and here it is: I am good at summer and good at being Sanna Joy. 

Pre-Bighorns Post

Obviously you are all anxiously waiting for me to post about my backpacking trip to the Bighorns. Don't worry it is on its way. I first have to compile all my pictures and all of John's pictures and plot how to perfectly write a post about my amazing trip and do justice to the incredibly beautiful world that I saw and lived in for four days. All in good time my friends!

That being said...

I got back to my second home -Spearfish- and after taking a somewhat-needed shower and shaving the forest growing on my legs and in my arm pits, I listened to my iTunes playlist entitled Theme Songs, chased three chickens back into their coop, told my four-year-old cousin Camille that I was a mermaid in a former life and agreed with my six-year-old cousin Sam when he said I was magical.

After supper the grandkids made smore's. Sam and Camille toasted their own marshmallows for the first time and I taught Sam multiplication by explaining two times three with marshmallows.

Oh! So heavy!!

Over the Head!

The kid is a good marshmallow roaster!

Smore's fans!

After we had enjoyed our smore's and washed our faces (and ears) we "worked out" as Camille suggested. Sam's life plan at six is to become an underwater photographer. I had him test out his dry land photography skills with my camera while Camille led me in our "workout."

Photo Credit: Samuel Roger Cook

Photo Credit: Samuel Roger Cook 

A Sanna-Like Combination

This post will be brief because I have to get to my nightly routine. This routine is watching "Cheers" while I do Yoga. How much more Sanna-like can I get? I started this routine over Easter Break and now I am halfway through the 6th of 11 seasons of Cheers on Netflix. Posing in Down Dog while the gang yells "Norm" is the perfect way to unwind before a restful night's sleep. Also, I love Sam Malone.

Morning Jog

Creek running through 'Deer Meadows'- my grandparents' neighborhood

This morning was quite chilly for the beginning of June but it was the perfect weather for a quick run through the neighborhood. My grandparents' house is situated at the bottom of a large mile-long loop around a hill that looks out to the tumbling dark hills of the area. As I have done on many mornings since I came out here I set out for a run around the loop only this time with my camera in tow. I ran across a wooden platform set over a running creek that also streams through my grandparents' backyard. Along my run I passed numerous horses grazing in their owners' front lawns or taking sips from the creek. Only a few of the horses feel bothered to look up at me as I run past. On other mornings I have also encountered skittish deer trying to steal a treat from the many gardens planted in the neighborhood. I discovered that running past a grove of lilac bushes makes for a much more delightful morning run. All marathons should be placed around lilac bushes to keep the runners moving!

Lovely Lilac Bushes