Take *THAT*, 179 inches of snow!

Yes, we yet again won the Golden Snowball award for the most snow this past year.  And, yes, we followed that up with the third soggiest spring on record for our metro area. But in case anyone had begun to lose faith in the sunnier-side of Syracuse, here are a few pictures of our visit to the sprayground at Seneca Lake State Park last weekend.  We’ve gone at least once a season the past three years and it has never failed to make it really feel like summer.

It didn’t take Katie nearly as long to warm up to the water features as it did her sisters’ their first times.  Within minutes she was batting at fountains and shoving her finger down the little holes.

Since we were already suited-up, we decided to walk over to the normal swim beach too.  As someone who learned how to swim at Lake Ann, I am embarrassed to admit the girls were not impressed with the whole concept of swimming out in nature.  I eventually persuaded Amber and Robyn to hold my hands and walk almost up to their knees in the water, at which point Robyn cheerfully asked, “are there fishies in the lake?”  Misreading her enthusiasm, I excitedly told her that, yes, there were fish in there.

Bam!  You have never seen someone out of the water that fast!  Upon hearing that she was sharing the lake with fish Robyn, literally within an instant, grabbed my upper arm and pulled herself up until she was suspended with her toes dangling above the water.  She also let out such a blood-curdling shriek that every life guard on the beach was staring our direction.

So much for the beach.  Good thing the sprayground was such a hit.

Thoroughly exhausted from swimming, we rounded out the adventure goofing around on the playground equipment and licking giant icy pops. Summer -- I can already tell it’s going to be hard to say goodbye to you when autumn rolls around again!