Borthers Assembled, Pt. II

(contd.)

Day II

"Boating, Tubing, Jet Skis, and the Sandbar"

Morning started somewhat late this morning for everyone. We hadn't stayed up too late the night before, but there wasn't a mad rush to get up and around either. As such, this is what passes as a 'sunrise pic' this year. . . taken around 9:30am.

Jill and Chelsey were off on morning runs (seriously, WTF), and us Brians were having none of that nonsense. Instead, we hung out back at the lakehouse and Bryan made us some steak and egg burritos for breakfast.

God knows there was plenty of leftover steak from the night before on hand.

After breakfast, I finally got around to blowing up Kris' raft. The weather was supposed to be cloudy and rainy yesterday, and even by the time it turned out to be pretty awesome, we were all distracted by other crap and no one thought to blow it up. Today's weather was supposed to be even better, with plenty of sun. so I was adamant obout getting as much bronzing in as humanly possible.

A Bloody Mary goes great with this. As does my trusty Yacht Rock playlist, which I had blaring through my JBL speaker on the dock. . . until Jill and Chelsey showed up to join me and made me change it to shit-ass 'Bro Country.'

While the three of us bronzed, Jax filled this 'cooler' holder in the raft with lakewater, then sat down in it like it was his own private pool. Kids are weird.

While we had been down on the raft, the other two Brians had driven in to nearby Evart to pick up a bunch of meat at some butcher in town that's apparently pretty good. Once they got back and everyone had grabbed lunch, we loaded up some coolers and took Brian's boat over to The Sandbar for a bit (one of my favorite things to do up at the lake.)

Jill, Chelsey, and two Brians.

Suns out, guns out.

Beating the shit out of Jax. Mouthy kids get what's coming to them.

More of the usual.

The water level is so frickin' low this year that you can walk out a loooooong way without the water even hitting your waist.

Slainte.

Bryan found a piece of driftwood that he was super proud of - he's adamant about taking it back with him on the plane next week.

Another pull of tequila.

Bradley swings by on the jet ski to say hi.

After an hour or two at the Sandbar, we decided to head back to the lakehouse for some food and to meet up with Kris and the girls, who were arriving shortly (Kris was fortunately able to get out of work early today - originally she wasn't supposed to roll in until 5 or 6pm.)

Three Rowleys.

Tag-teaming Bradley, back at the lakehouse.

Once Kris and the girls (and dogs) had arrived and put their stuff away, we loaded everyone up into Brian's boat for some afternoon tubing. Abby wasn't wanting to tube just yet, so Bryan took her spot on the tube with two White boys.

Hough girls, content with just riding along on the boat for the time being.

Watching kids eat shit on a tube is always a good time.

Talking shop with the older ladies at the front of the boat.

After our tubing venture, we went over to the condo across the street to meet up with Bryan's friend, Brent, and his family, who had just arrived and were sharing the space with Bryan and Chelsey for the next two nights.

This space is going to be a godsend once the next generation - Alayna, Abby, Blake, Bradley, etc. - get older and start bringing up significant others, families, etc. to the lake.

Whipping up a charcuterie board for some mid-afternoon snackage.

Watson and Samson, making themselves right at home. Per the usual.

More dead animals, primed and ready for firing.

We generally don't eat this much meat on a regular basis - we tend to stick to leaner meat like chicken and fish - so after a few days up at the lake eating steak and burgers and pork shoulders and whatever else, we feel pretty disgusting.

Dinner prep and snacking in the kitchen.

Lucy showed up in the afternoon for an overnight visit. She was in town to check out the jet ski that Larry had purchased right before he died (and never got to drive), as well as to scatter his ashes about the lake (per his request.)

Kris enjoyed the raft by herself for a bit in the afternoon, while Yours Truly took the girls around the lake a couple times on Larry's jet ski (which is more or less identical to Dad's.)

While taking it out throughout the day, I noticed that the 'check engine' light kept coming on, so I brought it up to Dad. Brian White overheard this and asked me to go along with him so he could check it out as well. Abby wanted to go along with us, so with Brian driving we took Larry's jet ski around the lake. Brian clearly had intentions on tipping it over - don't ask me why, I think he though it'd be funny - and, sure enough, he kept making hairpin turns until he capsized the son of a bitch, right around the area of the lake in front of the cottage the Waites used to rent. Abby was pissed at first, but we were able to tip it back over pretty easily, and after everyone was able to get back aboard I took over the helm and drove us back to shore. Dad was not pleased, but Brian thought it was HILARIOUS.

While we were getting dunked in the lake, Bryan and Brent were still slaving away in the kitchen getting dinner together.

Another game of baseball breaks out on the lawn - pretty much the norm whenever Jax is around.

Spectators on the back deck.

Kris requested a picture of me in my 'shark' clothing (I had not intentionally planned on wearing the shark shirt with the shark hat, folks.)

The Houghs. Cindy got a couple pics of us on the back deck, seeing how we haven't had a family pic up at the lake in a few years.

Gearing up for dinner.

Siblings.

Abby, Cindy and Samson.

Chelsey, Bryan and Brent, overseeing the final searing of meat.

Show this to your vegan friends, kids.

Glad these guys had a handle on dinner this evening instead of Yours Truly. I can do an okay job feeding my own family, but doing steaks for twenty-plus people? Yeah, that's a bit above my punching weight.

Slicing and dicing.

Brought one of my favorite beers up to the lake this year. Just one of them, as something this heavy and strong you don't want to drink very often, but it's perfect for when the weather cools off a bit (and after being dunked in the lake an hour or so earlier, when Brian tipped the jet ski, I was in soaked clothes and had to change - this imperial stout was a welcome change of pace.)

Uncle Bryan points out the different cuts of meat to Abby.

Feeding frenzy.

They had cooked the steak at various levels of 'doneness' (for lack of better term), so Bryan wanted to make sure the kids were getting exactly what they wanted.

An hour or so after dinner was over and done with, Dad pulled me aside and asked me to get my girls on the pontoon for a 'Houghs Only' sunset cruise around the lake. Lucy was going to be scattering some of Larry's ashes in the lake, and he wanted just 'blood' Houghs on the cruise (. . .and, apparently, Cindy.)

Getting some selfies in with the girls (like Kris usually does) to commemorate the event.

My selfies involve rock locks. I'm obnoxious with them but don't care.

(Technically Abby took this one.)

Badass sunset this evening.

Abby's a huge fan of sunset cruises.

See ya, Larry.

Not pictured: non-Hough Kris.

Lucy and Cindy.

The Cottage the Waites have rented for fifteen or so years.

Alayna, wearing my sunglasses.

Cannonball snapped this pic of the moon with her phone at one point.

Another Cannonball pic of Houghs on a boat.

A little while after we got back from our sunset cruise, the younger adults (my generation) took Dad's pontoon out for a second cruise around the lake. By this point in the evening the sun had already set, so it was super dark out, and as such I didn't take a single picture of the cruise (though, if I had, they would have turned out just like those from any other pontoon cruise you've seen in this blog.) When we got back to shore, Brian White retrieved the pork shoulder (or something) that he had purchased earlier in the day from that butcher shop in Evart and prepared to put it on a smoker (for 16 hours or so.) When he removed it from the plastic, blood splattered all over the driveway. . . which I'm sure the parents are going to love.

Brians discussing smoke time for the pork shoulder in the kitchen, around 1am.

Before going to bed, we went back outside to season up the meat one last time. Brian opened up the wrong side of the seasoning and dumped half the bottle on the shoulder, so I had to spread it out the best I could with my hand. Oh well, it's tomorrow's problem at this point. Stay tuned, folks.

- to be Continued. . .