It was a hot day. The kids had the day off due to it being a PD Day, but they had no interest in going outside. Nor did any of the kids in the neighbourhood. We just lounged inside and took advantage of the air conditioning. Truly a dog day of summer, and it’s only May.
However, Erin resolved that we shouldn’t waste this day. After going to work early, she came back early, and hauled us to the beach.
As you might expect, looking at a map of Kitchener and its position in southwestern Ontario, that was quite a trek. After some research, we figured that the nearest place to get some sand between our toes and some surf in our hair was Port Burwell, on the shores of Lake Erie. Still, it was a ninety minute drive away.
And we were exceptionally lucky in our timing this day. The weather was highly unsettled and, as we struck out onto the 401, we were met by a thunderstorm with heavy rains. Fortunately these cleared up just in time for us to have fish and chips in Aylmer. And while we were surrounded by dark clouds when we finally hit the beach at Port Burwell, we even managed to get a bit of sun. In fact, the weather had left the beach completely deserted. We had it all to ourselves, which enhanced the experience.
The kids didn’t complain too much about the trip, although I must admit that the use of iPods helped. However, I think they were bored from sitting in the house all day, and they knew that a day out was exactly what they needed. They fell asleep on the ride home as well, which is as sure a sign as any that we had a successful trip.
More photographs of this day can be found here.