Day Off at the Lake

Monday is the only day of the week that Big Man and I have off together, and we try to savor it when we can -- although it must be said that many weeks, Monday simply becomes the day for housecleaning, laundry, and grocery shopping. (Well, at least we're together while we're doing all that!)

But Monday came up even prettier than the weekend had been -- and the French Quarter Festival weekend had been absolutely primo. Monday was sunny, with temperatures slightly cooler, a light breeze, and gorgeous blue skies. So perhaps it was not so strange that as we sat on the couch to talk about what we should do with the day that we both said at the same moment, "Let's go to the Lake!"

We changed into Lake-going clothes, including sunhats, packed a bag with sunblock, a large tablecloth, a towel in case we needed it, and a few sections of the New York Times for relaxing reading. We also got Keely Smith the dog, since a romp at the Lake on a beautiful day is perfect for good doggies.

Even the drive was lovely, the city so sparkly and full of flowers. We drove along Lakeshore Drive, picking the best spot, and found a place between two fishermen, with lots of clover. I spread out the yellow tablecloth, and we placed shoes and sunblock bottles on the corners to hold them down in the stiff Lake breeze. Wave spray washed over us lightly and the sun poured down. Big Man took Keely for a long walk along the seawall, as I carefully applied sunblock before laying out with the Book Review. More semi-salty spray hit my bare legs and I grew sleepy with the sun and the wind and the soft grass beneath me. I think I had a short relaxing nap.

Big Man and Keely got back, and one of them was wet. No, not my dog but my husband -- he couldn't resist taking a few steps down toward the waves and got good and splashed. Keely's too smart for that and managed to avoid getting really wet. The three of us got cozy on the spread, and I snapped a few pictures with my iPhone. We talked, and sort of slept, and stroked the dog. We watched the groups of fisherfolk, whole families pulling redfish and mullet off their lines and into their ice chests. Everything was lovely.

Eventually we got too hungry to stay, and packed up our stuff, took the dog on one last walk on the seawall, and got back in the car. We drove to the Lakeview Robért's and bought a mess of their sushi and ate it on the cast iron table and chairs outside under the overhang. Keely sat with us, hoping for a handout which she did not get. (All we need to do is train that dog to expect us to give her table scraps!)

When we got home, it was too late to go to Elmwood Fitness Center and Big Man had to squeeze in some trumpet practice time, and the kitchen still needed cleaning and the laundry wasn't done -- and we agreed it was of our best days off ever.