Summer's last stand
Drew Ziemba, 14, spent Friday afternoon on a Lake Springs Recreation Area beach splashing and horsing around with his friends.
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Danielle Olivera, 13, tries to balance on the swimming area boundary at North Dam Recreation Area. School begins in Columbia County on Aug. 3.
Photo by Jim Blaylock
He enjoyed it because Drew, of Martinez, knew his last week before school starts Aug. 3 would be spent working hard as a freshman trumpet player in the Evans High School marching band.
"I've got band camp all next week," Drew said grimly at the thought of learning and practicing the half-time show for 12 hours a day in 100-degree heat.
Drew and several other members of the band attended half-days of band camp this past week and headed for the lake afterwards, where they dunked each other, popped each other with towels and had water gun fights. They were among many children and teens in the county who were making the most of what little time they have left before their summer ends.
Drew's sister, Andrea, who will be attending the seventh grade at Evans Middle School, has different plans for her final week of summer.
Taylor Conner, 11, is tossed into the air by Mike Baynham at North Dam Recreation Area at Thurmond Lake. Taylor and her friends were enjoying a final trip before school starts.
Photo by Jim Blaylock
"While Drew is in band camp, I get to go clothes shopping," Andrea said.
Kerri Byrd, 13, who will also be spending her last week of summer at Evans High band camp as a euphonium player, said she's sad to see her summer gone already.
"The summer has gone by really fast," said Kerri, of Martinez. "(School) starts way too early."
Drew and his band friends planned on attending a Friday night concert at Wesley United Methodist Church and spending Saturday at the Thurmond Lake beach before band camp starts.
Drew and his sister have one last hurrah left before hitting the grind of school.
Jackie Ingram holds up her son James, 15 months, while swimming at Thurmond Lake.
Photo by Jim Blaylock
"We're going to the beach one last time," Drew said of a short trip to Edisto Beach after Friday's band camp photo and before school begins next Wednesday.
Some families make a tradition out of taking a vacation just before school starts.
Doug Jeffcoat, of Sarasota, Fla., was lounging on the Petersburg campground beach Friday afternoon watching his four children play in the water. He said his family traditionally takes a trip to a nearby state park just before school starts.
By the end of Friday, freckles were barely visible on the sun-kissed cheeks of Jeffcoat's children, who had been playing in the sand and water all day.
Sadie Jeffcoat, 5, is eager to head off to kindergarten, joining her older sister, Sydney, 6, at school.
"I'm ready to start school," Sadie said from the beach.
Sydney said she's ready to go to first grade, but not yet. She's been having too much fun camping.
Amanda McCulloch, 16, a rising junior at Greenbrier High School, enjoys fishing at Thurmond Lake during a camp-out with her family as summer vacation winds down.
Photo by Jim Blaylock
"We've been going to the beach and playing at our (camper) with frogs and tadpoles, catching them," Sydney said.