Poppie in Charleston

In spite of his busy schedule, Poppie has managed to get down to Charleston about once every three months. It's always a treat when Poppie comes to town: wherever there is Poppie, there is fun to be had. On his last visit at the end of June, he and Owen embarked upon some adventures in transportation.

First, Poppie taught Owen how to drive a car.
And by "taught," I don't mean that he just let Owen sit on his lap in the car. I mean that he taught him how to climb in and out of the car by himself, get up in the driver's seat, put the keys in the ignition, turn the car on, use the gear shift, turn the radio on, and steer. Then they practiced driving up and down the driveway. (For anyone having a heart attack while reading this, three things: 1) our driveway is only about 30 feet long, 2) Owen does require assistance actually turning the car on and moving the gearshift, and 3) I survived my childhood, so, you know, no worries.)

Next, Poppie thought he would teach Owen how to drive a boat. He says it's important that we get the salt in his blood early.

Here they are, strolling down the dock:
Owen did not, however, care for the entire business of "having to wear a life jacket."
Nor was he a fan of not being able to run around the boat at will. But Poppie drives the boat fast, so Owen had to be held tightly by Mama, which got B-O-R-I-N-G real quick.
It was also a learning experience for me. As much as I enjoy going out on the boat, my enjoyment was compromised by having to hold Owen in a death grip while pondering worst-case scenarios (against my will! they would just come into my brain like the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man!) and plotting various adrenaline-infused rescue endeavors.

So we decided to abort mission and head to Red's for some seafood overlooking Shem Creek:
One for two ain't bad. Ever since Poppie's visit, Owen regularly gets the car keys and runs to the front door, calling "KEYS! CAR! GO!" And I know Poppie will have the boat ready just as soon as Owen is ready.

Come back soon, Poppie!