New York 2012: Day Seven

This day started with a meat feast, with Uncle Mark as the primary consumer (this despite the Larrison boys' assertions that they could eat literally two pounds of bacon at a sitting). He's the type of person who binges on meat.  Because Aunt Mary is a vegetarian, Mark might go many days without the savory taste of meat; then, on short notice, he will gobble down a pound of bacon and half-a-pound of breakfast sausage.

It appears that this is necessary to his survival.

Day Seven saw us seeking the swimming hole we'd visited the previous year. The only clues were our vague memory of the shape of the lake. Aunt Mary, an expert map-reader, tried her best to match our vague visions to the hard-edged topography of the map.

We were sure we were on the right track, until we were sure we weren't.

And then Uncle Mark's neurons made some sort of unprecedented connection and he unerringly guided us to the trailhead. A short hike later and we were plunging into cold clear water from great heights.

See what I'm taking about? He ate ridiculous amounts of pork at this sitting.

Here's the family on the way up to the swimming hole.

Connor in the water.

Uncle Scott started a fun game called "Water Taxi," where Elizabeth would hang on as the adult swam around the lake from stop to stop. Scott was better at it than me, as I was in constant fear of drowning unless my feet could touch the ground.

Every female we meet seems to have a love of Nancy Drew. I'm pretty sure Aunt Mary read this whole book during the trip.