Summer vacay

Just got back from our summer vacation at the Merrill family "camp" on South Lake. I'm working the rest of the week while Carey and the kids visit more family in central and northern New York. My mom says we got the best weather of the summer -- three straight days of temps in the 80's, no bugs, no humidity and the water a balmy 75+. The kids had a blast and I thought often of my childhood on the same body of water. Of course, a few things have changed since then:

• You don't have to leave the building to take a crap, although the outhouse still works and nothing beats pissing on a tree.
• Eighty percent of the camp's power comes from the sun.
• There's XM radio, DirecTV and an analog phone (but for a touch of class, I'd like to replace the wall-mounted keypad unit with a rotary dial).
• The shower works and is quaintly stocked with shampoo bottles swiped from hotels.
• Mom made a beach. (It's getting bigger every year and the kids can spend hours dumping water on the rocks or relocating sand.)
• The Merrills own a barge. It seats 9 (or 1,420 lbs., but we don't weigh you before you board), has a horn, an iPod jack, and a depth finder.

Still, as the French (and Canadian prog-rockers Rush) say, plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose:

• Aunt Judy's Endicott slate still paves the main walkways.
• There are always canned nuts and individually wrapped chocolates (Planter's cashews and Hershey's nuggets this visit).
• Every breakfast can have bacon, but it's not a requirement.
• Smores. Every. Night.
• There are no rules and you don't have to work, unless your mother continually reminds you that your father needs help. (We fell and recycled two trees between the camp and the lake. Shhh, don't tell my nephew Max, who fancies himself the Lorax.)
• Dad is still painting wildlife on rocks. (Adding to his "Welcome to North Lake" and "Welcome to South Lake" scenes, this weekend he conjured a moose on a boulder outside our neighbor's garage.)

Next year we hope to either share South Lake with some of our friends or coordinate our visit with other family -- Sara, Ryan, Karin, Chris, Colleen -- you listening?

Enjoy the slideshow. It took a hell of a long time to upload, so humor me and read the captions.