Blood and Water

They say that blood is thicker than water.
 

On the 4th of July weekend, 2015, the blood in question was that of the most american American to ever 'merica, and his ridiculously patriotic family. The water was little ol' Canadian me, invited to spend this "holiest of holidays" at a family camp-out on the shores of the Pacific Ocean.... if I wanted to.

Wait... if I want to?
Are you KIDDING me???

 

Had my response been a photo, it would've looked kinda like this:
 

  

We arrived at an already-bustling campsite, and I immediately gravitated toward the woman with the camera.

 

"This is my aunt Belinda... just call her Aunt Bunny."
And so it began.

 

There were cousins

 

 

 

and siblings

 

 

 

 

and siblings of cousins!

 

 

Kids of cousins and siblings...

 

 

 

and their siblings.

 

 

Parents,

 

 

Parents of parents,

 

 

 

daughters of parents,

 

 

and sons of daughters.

 

  

And of course, there was Sumo.

 

 

 

There I was, trying to infiltrate America, and already outnumbered by at least 20-1.

And yet... I felt strangely like I belonged.
Like blood.

 

 

We took a little side trip to the Prehistoric Gardens, where the family had been visiting for years.

 

 

 It was fun to watch the kids marvel at the life-sized dinosaurs, and even more fun to watch the adults pick out a toy each from the gift shop, like they did when they were kids.

 

There was plenty of food for all,

 

 

frisbee and kites on the beach,

 

 

and always someone challenging someone else to horseshoes.

 

 

 

There was also a valid attempt to recreate an old family photo. Actually, there were three or four attempts, and after finally getting all the necessary people in order and everyone to stop laughing at each other, they were successful.

 

But not before I got this:

 

 

 

At night, there were bonfires, glow sticks, and a full recital of the Declaration of Independence, done completely from memory and with impeccable delivery. All of it precursed by a couple of stunning sunsets over the ocean...

 

 

 

 

 

 

For me, it was just as beautiful during the day, and my camera barely left my hand.

 

 

This one, in particular, is really neat. Obviously, there is only one ocean. But if you could take this photo, fold it around on itself so the two ends touch, and stand in the middle of the loop it made, you could turn 360 degrees and have a full panoramic view of the beach.

Magic.

Our last morning found us shrouded in fog, but setting out nonetheless to take the kids to the tidal pools just down the beach.

It was a little creepy...

 

But the kids were not to be deterred.

 

 

 

 

By the time the weekend was over, despite my simple new nickname "Canada", I think my conversion to the other side had already begun. To their credit, they had a secret assimilation tactic, and how could I possibly resist when it looked like this:

 

Seriously.

'Merica.