Lake McConaughy – We L.o.v.e. You

When deciding to leave Texas the only place we really wanted to go was the beach. We couldn’t really get to a coast so when we remembered about Lake McCanaughy up in Nebraska, we couldn’t escape the heat fast enough! We’d been to Lake McCanaughy in July of 2007 and loved it so much we went again in June of 2008. We took a two lane highway almost the entire route and until I recognized a spot that I had once gotten pulled over for speeding, I thought we had found a new road for us. Then I had another déjà vu when we were playing in a park in Scott City, KS……It took me a while, but I recognized it as a park we had played in before! There are pictures from this park in a video I made years ago after the Unschooling Conference in New Mexico. There’s a picture of Jewel in the video hanging upside down right at a part where the singer says “You’re still free”. This picture of Jake also reminds me that they’re still free.

We ate at the Pizza Hut across the street, which is no easy task for vegetarian Jonas who doesn’t even want to step foot in a restaurant anymore, and doesn’t like Pizza. He gave in, had cheesy breadsticks and we all enjoyed the break from almost non stop driving. By the next morning we were terrorizing the beach!

Jewel wore her wetsuit so she would be warm in the water and Jonas wore his so he wouldn’t get a tan.

On windy days they’d try out boogie boarding, again Jonas is covered so he does.not.get.a.tan.

Other days they’d try their sand surfing skillz.

Then back to boogie boarding, mixed in with some sand castle building.

And no matter where we are, there’s always toad catching.

One day we went to the Kingsley Dam Hydro Plant, where we learned more about the history of the lake………

And what a big mouth Jacob has!

This first week here at the lake was like paradise. We were completely alone, and reconnecting as a family again. No outside interferences, be them good or bad, just back to us. No cares in the world for the time being. We did a lot of relaxing, both in and out of the water.

Some of it included cocktails.

Then that kid and their freedom thing pops up again………..

Nebraska, tastes a lot like Iowa

Nebraska is so lovely this time of year. I think what attracts me most to the midwest is the sheer vastness of green. Growing up mostly in deserts, I never seem to get enough of bright green rolling hills of grass, especially with little black cows dotted all over the countryside.

I have this picture set as my desktop. Doesn't it kind of remind you of the original Windows background?

Anyway, it's a good time to be in Nebraska, and we couldn't have picked a better place to be right now. Joey's work is with a company he enjoys working for, and it's less than two miles away. He's not using his welder on this job so someone else picks him up in the morning, brings him back for lunch, and then back to work and home again. This means I get the truck everyday, but of course, I don't even need it here. The campground isn't the most ideal:

But having multiple playgrounds and a swimming pool as our front yard, leaves little room to complain. Our backyard is also the fairgrounds which hosts car races every friday night. Last week we watched them from our campspot:

We talked about going inside to watch tonight, so we'll see.

We bought a family pass to the pool, so the boys are able to come and go as they please, but Jewel has to wait for me to take her. If she could swim without floaties she'd be able to go with the boys, until then I'm forced to go and lounge around poolside, leaving all chores behind, while absorbing the sun and getting a deep dark healthy tan. Meanwhile, the bus needs a good scrubbing. But hey, I'm tan!

Even the local Museum is in walking distance. It is, however, like most small town museums, pretty boring. Jake thought it was awesome, though, but I'm sure it's only beacuse they got free access to this old caboose:

He obviously wasn't thrilled to be sitting in an old school desk:


Lately Jewel's been wanting me to take pictures of her. Here she is on the porch of the old school house where she does her common "only one pose, and hold it for five minutes."

I'll take what I can get. Even if it includes her jumping in front of my camera while I'm trying to get a shot of the park.

Further proof that the best things come unexpectedly.

Lake McConaughy

We couldn't have asked for a better place to go and hang while we wait for our next job to "come to us". We found Lake McConaughy by looking at the Road Atlas for the nearest big body of water, with little tents around it. Lake McConaughy fit the bill, and then Joey remembered the mechanic in Ogallala from last year, when the bus broke down while he was picking it up after just buying it, telling him about this exact lake. The guy couldn't say enough good things about it, and Joey had always wanted to check it out, so we were very excited to get there. We've seen plenty of midwestern lakes, but we never expected to find what we did. It was Hawaii in the middle of Nebraska! We couldn't believe the white sand beaches, and so much of it, it was beautiful..to say the least. We first see the lake while going over the dam.

Lake McConaughy is on the left, while Lake Ogallala is on the right. The later lake was formed when all the dirt was dug up to build the dam, and is now a quiet little fishing lake with camping and lots of shade trees. This being our first time we went for the grand daddy lake, Big Mac.

We pulled in on Sunday afternoon, and after checking out both campgrounds with electricity we found our perfect spot, overlooking the land and the lake.

Most visitors to the lake camp right on the beach

Or under trees between the road and the beach, but the bus was way too heavy to even attempt it, plus the fridge stopped working on propane so we have to have electricty to run it, and with the heat, the A/C sure was nice. Not that we were ever in the bus anyway, but the campground also had a playground so every night the kids enjoyed the rare opportunity of playing with the dozens of other kids, so the RV park was worth it.

At the beach we enjoyed watching the many windsurfers,

kitesurfers and even a parasailer being pulled by a Jeep.


The next day I had to go into Ogallala for groceries, and to do laundry. Joey called the recruiter for one of the companies he works for but she's out until after the Fourth and according to her assistant the nearest job for him is in Wisconsin. So since it is a holiday week, and he most likely won't get sent anywhere right away we go ahead and pay for the whole week. Nothing but sand, sun and itty bitty surf..oh yeah.

After four days of sun in Flaming Gorge and six days on Big Mac you'd think we'd all be fried to a crisp, but nope, not one sunburn. Some days we would hike our tent down to the beach so we would get a break from the sun, and one day, from the flies. The boys would also rotate wearing their "surf" shirts. We rarely used sunscreen (just noses, cheeks & shoulders) and often avoided the sun until after 3 pm.


Everyone else couldn't get enough of the sand, and while I loved the feel of it under my feet on the beach, with it's soft and warm crystals, stepping on even one granual while barefoot in the bus would drive me batty!


I dealt with it by laying around some more.

And taking pictures of flowers hugging themselves.


Once while taking pictures on the beach I saw a baby bird emerge from the sand. It's like it came out of an old sand castle. I yelled for Jewel and she chased that sucker around the beach until she finally caught it. I didn't want to miss a second of it so I didn't get any photos or video of the actual hunt, but I did capture the love afterwards.

I think it was a seagull chick, whichg was another cool thing seeing seagulls in Nebraska, by the way. Lake Ogallala also had pelicans!

Almost every night we were treated to private fireworks displays, so we were expecting big things on the Fourth. There were some fireworks, but not the show I was expecting. We were also so burned out by the fourth that it was the one day we didn't even make it to the water. We tried visiting the Visitors Center so I could find out where all this white sand came from, but it had burned down, so I still don't know. I was also surprised by how quiet the lake was. This is the perfect party place. Then we find out why. Alcohol was banned last year, because it was too much of a party place. Worked out perfect for us.

I asked Jake for one picture, that's it, so he gave it to me.


Jonas didn't, but I took it anyway.


Often my pictures are a one shot chance, and I got lucky to get two such great pics. It does help to have two such great looking kids. Some day they'll thank me...I just know it.

When the surf was down, they had to make their own waves.

And sometimes we just took in the beauty and serenity.


Friday morning before we left I drove to the nearby (seven miles) trailer park so I could borrow their wi-fi and by the time I got back Joey had talked to the recruiter, Judy, and she listed off a hand full of jobs to Joey and told him he could take his pick. We left after a lunch of sandy burgers, to take a Nebraska byway called "Sandhills Journey". I may just learn where this sand came from!

In case you didn't get enough pictures, you can check out my slideshow here.

we're leaving...we're not leaving

After some really cold days we decided it was time to head South. We took a few days and then started hunting down a tow bar for the Land Rover (which I traded the Excursion for.....you know, to have a tow car) Turns out my cute little Rover is a heavy beast, we couldn't even rent a tow dolly for it. After an exhaustive search for a towbar, lack of exciting jobs elsewhere and this cold front leaving we decided the best choice is to just stay put. (A week off didn't hurt either) If we can get a nice long stretch in here we should be set for a good six months off this Spring and Summer. So, we are true trailer trash now with our beautiful wood skirt under the bus. I haven't decided if we're going to paint it to match the bus or do some crazy graffiti on it to really freak out this tiny little Nebraska town.

Since we've made the commitment to stay here I finally decided to make nice with the fifth wheel behind us and installed my router in her trailer, enabling us to pick up her DSL line. With a great wi-fi signal I also downloaded and installed Skype so I now also have a telephone number so we can be reached at home and not have to drive three miles to make a call.

Now I can get all caught up with blogs, emails and comments I've been wanting to read/respond to. It feels good to be back.