Today was a joyous and melancholy day—the very definition of bittersweet. After doing the usual things with my granddaughter Stasia, which included making buttermilk pancakes, swinging on the swings, and looking for bugs, we bundled up all her gear and headed to Amos Lake for a swim, a 35th birthday party for my son Noah, and a going-away celebration for my grandson Cameron, who, tomorrow, is making the journey north to the University of Maine at Orono for his freshman year. Stasia... sigh... is joining the trip to head back home after spending almost the entire summer here. The prospect of losing both grandkids is making me teary-eyed. That said, I rallied enough to get into the rather chilly water and enjoy playing with my grandson Lucas and his temporary "sister" Stasia, and just having a ball. It looks like they had fun as well... fun without the bittersweetness and the prospect of an early end to the lake season.