Lure of the Dragons

This weekend was the 3rd Annual Lure of the Dragons, Dragon Boat Race held at beautiful Lake Lure. It's a wonderful event dedicated to raising money for local children's charities. This is the third year Josh and I have paddled for the Chimney Rock Park team. It also marks the first year that we have placed....we won second overall. Way to go, Chimney Rock!!! It is such a fun event and we can't wait until next year.

For you all who are unfamiliar with Dragon Boat racing, it's the fastest growing team sport in the US. Each boat holds ten paddlers, a drummer and a person who steers the boat. The boats are similar to canoes but longer and more narrow. Each race lasts about 1-2 minutes.

Here's a shot of the front of the boat.

Our team...Go Chimney Rock!! We raced against other companies, agencies, and clubs from the area. Each boat raised money for children's charities.

The festival was complete with Chinese dragons, martial arts, kids activities and other vendors. Grady is getting to be a pro in the bounce houses. I wish I had a picture of him acting like a wildman. Even Myles jumped around in the house.

Dragon parade

Myles was not sure what to make of all the dragons.

At the end of the day, Myles and Grady found a big mud puddle...go figure. At least it was the end of the day. They had a circle of fans around them as they splashed in the mud. Two women came up to me and said what a great mom I was for letting them play in the dirt. I didn't tell them that secretly, I wanted to turn a hose on them right then and there!