The Curse of the Biting Flies!

Today began relatively early, with these three sneaking up on me as I was in the middle of my morning yoga.

I have to admit...this is one fabulous way to start the day!

We decided to bake another breakfast delight this morning, so we got set up

and I pretty much put this one in charge.

As I mentioned previously, she's already a baking pro. She mixed the batter, placed it on the tray, and filled the centers with jam.  After they baked, she had some help adding the finishing touches. 

The end result was yummy enough to want seconds. Luckily, we made a double batch!

After breakfast, we headed down to the beach as we were anticipating thunderstorms early in the afternoon.

What we had NOT expected was the sudden heat due to the stillness of the air.  Or the surge of flies that were determined to snack on our legs and ankles.  We had come prepared, but despite lathering ourselves up with various products, we all found ourselves subject to torture.

The only relief was standing in the ocean, which might sound like a perfectly reasonable solution.  But, the temperature of the water reminded me of an ice bath.  BRRRRR!!!! It was COLD!

So, our choice was to endure the torment from flies, or feel our legs go numb from the cold water.  We dragged our chairs near the shore in the hopes of dodging the pests.  

In the meantime, these kids decided that it would be great fun to bury their "dada" in the sand and the cousins were equally excited to join in.

Obviously, he was a willing participant.  

They certainly had a grand time decorating him with sea shells as the finished product.  He didn't stay in the ground long, and who could blame him?  The sun was HOT and the air was stagnant.  So, he popped up and headed out to the sand bar with the girls. 

I can only presume that there were no flies out there, but, to be perfectly frank, there was no way I was going to wade through the icy cold water for relief.  And, I wasn't alone, as none of my daughters, or daughter-in-law were willing to take the plunge either. 

I opted to spend some time helping the little one build a sand city.

He had quite a bit of fun and I enjoyed hearing him sing his "excavator" song as he dug through the sand. 

By this time, I decided that I had endured enough torment from feasting flies, and we decided to pack up and head back to the house, where we immediately sought relief in the pool.

I can't say when I last enjoyed a swim so thoroughly!   Believe me, it was welcome refreshment!  

We relaxed the rest of the day inside, enjoying the perks of a family vacation:  tasty cold drinks and a game of Settlers for this crew.  

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That was most certainly a bit more challenging than the three games of "Baby Shark" that I had played with the kids earlier in the day.  

A storm had come rolling through once again, after we had headed inside, and the result was a magnificent sky at sunset. 

Pretty amazing, don't you think?

Well, here's hoping for ocean breezes tomorrow!

I'll keep you posted.