Family Day at the Beach

For the first time in ages, we took the day off to have a family day at the beach.  We chose to visit the "Flats," a small, sandy stretch along the Columbia River.  The last time we had a picnic there, the river was high and we had to sit on its grassy banks to eat.  This year, however, the water was quite low, and we actually got to set up our picnic about 1/3 of the way out from the riverbank.  Although we all got a bit muddy, the grime only added to the fun.

While Jordan and Annabel walked along the water looking for treasure (i.e. fresh water clam shells, crab legs, and drift wood nibbled by beavers), Thane was content to gather as many mud pies as he possibly could:


Later, we trekked back to the soft, sandy area of the Flats to make sand castles.
 
Thane was thrilled with our new location, and he promptly began eating sand by the shovel load.  Ugh!
Judging by the kids' reaction, we think that this family day was a big hit.