I flew over to Shelter Cove recently for a couple days with my two sons, Carter (almost 18) and Teddy (almost 3.) Due to Daisy's condition and all the other craziness of life we have not been able to utilize our dreamy getaway very much. It's a bit frustrating, but I know that as the kids get older spending time out there will be more and more priceless.

We had great weather for the 45 minute flight over the coast range to the Pacific. I plotted a course through the Mendocino Pass on the GPS, which allowed us to only have to climb to 6500 feet. After takeoff, I handed over the controls to Carter, offering him the challenge of holding the heading and airspeed, climbing to the correct altitude, leveling off, and then following the plotted course to our destination. Carter is a stickler for precision, and that trait lent itself well to the task. There was still a little snow on the moutains above 7000 feet, but spring was evident in the lower hills as we gently slid through the pass. With slightly sweaty palms, I coached him through the descent and approach to the runway, managing only the power output myself. He was able to take the airplane to within about 10 feet of the ground, then I took over for the flair. Might be time to buy him a few lessons.

The three Knowles men got settled into the cabin, a short walk from the airfield, We fired up the old Suzuki Samurai I keep in the garage, got the lawn mower out, and while Teddy played with Trucks, Carter mowed the lawn and I changed the oil and filters in the rusty Samurai.

With our work done, we set out for 9 holes of golf-by-the-sea. I brought along a running stroller in case Teddy got tired or cold, but he walked (or ran) most of the course. After the golf, we scoured the freezer for an entree, and to our delight found two big filet mignon steaks that our friends had left behind last summer. I knew there was some good stuff in there, but this was even better than I had expected! Carter broke out the Weber grill and found some dry charcoal, and we were in heaven. It is such a joy to have a big kid. After working so hard to set up the little ones, it is such a relief to have the extra help, pulling his own weight and more. After putting Teddy to bed with a full tummy and a good book, we started a fire and played scrabble until our eyes got heavy.

The next day turned out spectacular and we headed down to the beach early to take advantage of the low tide. One of the beaches at Shelter Cove is legal to drive on, but is only accessible during low tide. We drove out to a sunny, cliff protected spot. The waves were small, but with little wind they were rolling out nicely, so I dawned a wetsuit and boogie board and gave it a shot while Teddy played in the sand and Carter stretched out in the sun and read a book.