A week ago I went to Bear Lake for the annual family reunion and had a fantastic time. Here's a shot on the back ladder of the Coco Bandera that shows off the amazingly blue water, glowing under my sailboat. The first night, I took 5 nieces and nephews on the boat as we motored across a flat, calm lake from the marina to the beach near the condos, then we slept on the boat. It was maybe the last night of the Perseids meteor shower, and one nephew, on his birthday, counted 122 falling stars. Many were brilliant and long. Two nieces saw their first ever falling stars. We got some serious wind some days and heeled the boat over at least 45 degrees (my inclinometer doesn't measure beyond that). All but one of the kids aboard loved it. I shot all the footage I need for a movie with the kids: Pirate Gold. Maybe I'll try to get it edited together this weekend. I won't talk it up till I see how the finished thing looks. Just a few trailer-like hints, though: the Pirate King is 1 year old. I'll add subtitles so you know what he's saying. There's kidnapping, a buried treasure chest, and a magic map. When I got back home, I was all relaxed and had some nice, new outlooks on life. Just remember this simple formula: vacation = good.