Canoe Race

Puck was busy helping Linnea sort through her jewelry box.
“I gotta call Dah-ee (Daddy),” Puck informed Linnea, when Linnea informed him that it was time to clean up.
He picked up his plastic phone set and began to dial.
“Come here, sir, and pick up your cars,” Collette commanded him.
“I gotta call Dah-ee!”
“Now, sir, or you’ll have to be sat in the corner.”
Puck immediately dropped the phone and came pounding into the kitchen.
“I try again?” he asked, and started tossing toys back into the box.

Soon, Joe came up from the basement in his work uniform to wash out his coffee jar.
“The days… of wine and roses!” he crooned.

Meanwhile, Linnea was busy setting up a domino race in the living room.
“The dominoes represent different emotions,” she said. “The red ones are the angry ones. The green ones are sick. The blue ones are cold. And the pale ones over the shark bridge are scared.”

By 2:30, everyone drove down to Old St. Charles to meet Grandma Combs at the canoe race. The longest continuous canoe race in the world, apparently, starting at Kansas City and ending, four days later, in St. Charles.

Grandma had brought early anniversary presents for Collette and OLeif. A model Viking ship, complete with squared sail in red and white stripes, which was pretty fantastic. And then there was a necklace for Collette: a silver charm of a Viking face. And on the back it read: ‘OLEIF’.
“Hey, it looks like him too,” said Carrie.

Grandma had also brought cranberry-orange and blueberry muffins, of which Puck devoured four. He ran around after Linnea, knocking driftwood sticks into one another, climbing over logs, and becoming a very dirty little baby.
Carrie poured water over his head when he became especially hot.
“Shower, Sun. Shower,” he said, coming over to her and waiting for the deluge.

The canoes continued to come in, announced by the blasting of a bullhorn. And Grandma and Mom chatted with a few of the contestants, from the 250 canoes in attendance. Then Grandma ordered some of the barbecue being served there before everyone returned home for their various plans of the evening.