Water And Sun Lovers Squeeze Last Bit Of Fun From Liberty Lake
Lots of folks were spending their sunny afternoon wolfing down chow at Pig Out in the Park.
That was just fine with those who retreated to Liberty Lake on Saturday. Less bodies meant more beach for them. The sun was up, the sky was clear and the water was just right.
“It’s perfect for Jet Skiing today,” said Ken Vannienwenhoven, sitting on a rock mini-island just off shore at the boat launch. He and his 16-year-old son, Kevin, were taking a quick break from the fun of riding personal watercraft. In the distance, others zippered this way and that, slashing the calm blue, leaving white froth in its place.
Ken smiled. “There aren’t many of these days left.”
Kevin knew that well. By Wednesday, he would be back at Central Valley High School.
Just down the beach, some folks who couldn’t help but think about school were unloading their Jet Skis from the back of a pickup. Tracy Ford and Courtney Carr played basketball at CV last year, and this year they were starting college. Ford was getting ready for EWU, Carr had already moved into her dorm at Whitworth.
They were excited about college - where both will play basketball on scholarship. Still, they weren’t teammates anymore.
“This is our good-bye,” Ford said.
A yellow Volkswagen bug convertible buzzed by the boat launch, top-down. A silver-haired man, a female companion and five squirming kids were all aboard.
“We’re from Tacoma, the guy said, squinting from behind his shades. “Where’s a place to swim? We’re looking for fun in the sun, but haven’t found it yet.”
He was looking for Liberty Lake Park. He must have found it - his Bug was parked, empty, 15 minutes later.
By afternoon, the sun worshippers were multiplying. Still not as many as you would see in July, ranger Mike Skylstad observed from his mini red dune buggy. Nonetheless, this wasn’t a bad day.
Kathy Parsons sat high in her lifeguard tower, wearing a hat that looked more fitting for a safari. This was the beach’s last weekend of being officially open.
Parsons had to return to school, too. She teaches at Mountain View Middle School.
Spying an abandoned soda can, she quickly snapped it up before its missing owner could. Thirsty, are ya? No, she said. There were bees in them there cans.
“If the can has pop left in it, there’s gonna be bees,” she said, rattling off the slogan as if she’d done it 20 times already that day.
Not far off, Daniel and Denise Christenson sat on a beach towel, surrounded by kids doing castle foundation work in the sand. Daniel was blowing up a miniature powder-blue inflatable raft for one of the tykes.
Just then, a mallard ran from out of the water onto the shore and past the family, a guard lagging just behind. He chased the duck just fast enough to keep it waddling along, but slow enough so he wouldn’t really catch it.
There were now about 50 folks on the beach. Low-flying Frisbees went on a Blitzkreig, targeting the heads of kids playing volleyball.
Other kids floated in the water, encircled by shiny, black rubber donuts. There were kids everywhere.
“This probably the most family-oriented park I’ve ever been in,” Ranger Skylstad said before speeding away on his all-terrain roller skate.
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