Lake Moultrie, the third largest lake in South Carolina, is a manmade lake, created by the damming of the Cooper River by the Pinopolis Dam. It covers about 60,000 acres and is a haven for people who boat, fish and just enjoy the water.
My wife and I had been looking forward to spending the week of July 4th in a cabin by the lake for quite a while, though we did not anticipate the massive heat wave that would arrive just before we checked in. There was something else we didn't anticipate either, spending more time at home than on vacation.
The couple of days leading up to departure were quite busy for a number of reasons. Although I took off from work for half of Friday, I was not able to completely pack everything we required, primarily our kayaks. So, since it's only a 45 minute drive, I suggested we got check in and relax for the evening, returning Saturday morning to pick up the boats.
Our short trip home on Saturday was complicated by the fact that a rubber guard was missing from one of our kayak racks, requiring a search for a replacement, followed by a make shift repair. Our stay was extended when my wife wanted to take our college age daughter to dinner to be sure she ate well. We finally made it back to the cabin around 7PM.
On Sunday, after rising very early to paddle before the heat became too intense, we did some exploring of the area. As we returned to prepare for dinner, a weather warning came on the radio and the winds began to pick up. Later, our daughter called to say the power was out at home, asking if we had a flashlight around. Once again, we headed home to provide working flashlights and batteries. After again buying dinner, we found the lights still out and my wife suggested that Karen spend the night in the cabin due to the extreme heat.
This required a trip back home on Monday morning, since our daughter does not enjoy staying at the lake like we do. Tuesday morning, I received a text message from Karen that she needed photos and some paperwork copied for her visa application for study abroad this fall. Guess where we headed that day.
Wednesday was July 4th. We had planned all along to have Karen join us for the day (which was fun by the way). She again spent the night (or part of it) with us so that we could get up at 2AM to drive to the French Consulate in Atlanta to apply for her visa. After a 10 hour round trip to Atlanta, plus the added time of the visa appointment, a little shopping and lunch in Atlanta, we returned our daughter home and headed back to our final night in the cabin.
Friday morning, the water was too choppy and I was too tired to get up early and kayak. So, after a leisurely breakfast and packing the car, we headed home where I worked on projects around the house all weekend.
On Monday, I returned to work to get some rest.
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