But it's not all work and no play!

When it’s raining (a lot!!) or we are not working, we have fun.  Sometimes we just drive around the various small villages and towns, reminiscing about our past.  Other times, we have been invited places for lunch or dinner, or we call to let folks know we are coming to visit.  I truly think everyone should have a chance to do this one they are retired.  It stimulates brain activity, loosens the tongue, and brings tears to ones eyes.

Our first lunch was with the Queen Lady of the remaining members of the Totten clan – Aunt Betty.  She was married to Faye (one of 13 brothers and sisters) for 70 years, and I believe she is the last remaining Totten aunt or uncle.  She and Faye had a dream years ago – they started a dairy cattle and milk production farm in Stafford, NY and named it Hy-Hope Farms—because she said they both had high hopes that it would survive.  Survive it did!  They now milk several hundred cows and have nine employees to help them out. 

Going to lunch at Aunt Betty’s was always such a treat.  One sits at the formal dining room table and is fed enormous amounts of delicious food.  Aunt Betty has turned the cooking reins over to daughters Brenda and Linda – and they have inherited their Mom’s cooking ability.  It was great to catch up with them; it’s been many years since I saw some of these people; Bruce has been back twice to visit. 

Front: Linda, Aunt Betty, Brenda
Back: Bruce, Bev, Neal

On a Friday evening recently, Bruce was invited to attend the Meet and Greet get together for the Class of 1964 high school reunion from Byron-Bergen New York.  If Bruce had remained in this area, this would have been the class he would have graduated with.  He had a great time trying to identify people he hasn’t seen in over 50 years.

On a Monday, I got to attend a Pool Day at Tracy’s.  She had the day off from her job at Liberty Pumps (one of Bruce’s former schoolmates took over this business from his uncle and has done a dramatic expansion; a great local success story and a very humble, modest owner).  Our pool “boy” (Sammy – her husband) never materialized so we just had to prepare our own frozen strawberry daiquiri’s and our appetizers.

On Wednesday, August 14^th, we celebrated our 49^th anniversary at the 

Red Osier Restaurant in Stafford.  Wow!  This place has become even more popular than it was before we left.  They carve Prime Rib at the table and also have a signature Lobster Bisque.  We really “sinned” as we devoured rolls/bread, soup, salad and a Surf and Turf dinner with Prime Rib instead of filet.  Yummy!  We even forced ourselves to have dessert – an apple crisp vanilla sundae with cognac sauce.  Oh, when we first got there we had to go to the bar so we ordered one of their special drinks for the night featuring Gran Marnier.  Bruce had a Tequila Sunrise with GM, and I had a warmed Amaretto and GM.  It had been a chilly day so that was a great way to warm up! 

We discovered that our friend Stew and his wife Joanne were up in Buffalo for the summer (from Florida) visiting her children so we made plans to meet at a place in between.  Bruce remembered that our friend Bruce (see North Carolina post) had told him about the Black North Inn established in 1857 on Lake Ontario in Kent, NY. We took a drive out to Orleans County and had a delicious lunch and good chat.  We also played tourist and visited the marina and the Oak Orchard lighthouse.  I also took a picture of Lake Ontario; there was one sailboat out, but I failed to capture it.  Just looks like a big body of water!

Stew and Joanne (she is standing on her tippy toes!!)

One of Bruce’s cousins, Roxann stopped to visit last Sunday.  She and her husband run a sheep farm established in 1989.  She brought me some big, green, beautiful peppers that I think I will stuff, and some green beans fresh from the garden.  I feel so bad; I think Roxanne is the first person that I forgot to snap a picture of – darn it!

In the next few weeks, we have several get-togethers planned and before you know it, we will be leaving the area to drive down to Hershey, Pennsylvania for America’s Largest RV Show.  We will be packing big, huge bibs with us to hang around our neck to catch all the drool!  More about this later; I found a new brand of RV (to me) to covet.

Today is August 20th, and after spending the last few hours working away here in my RV, I think I'm actually caught up!  Yesterday I sat, today I created a stand for my computer so I could stand.  Hopefully alternating periodically will keep my rear end from spreading any more!

Note the can of Folger's coffee in the background!  Keeps me going!!

I just needed to share the following picture with everyone.  When we first arrived at our campsite on August 3, I was charmed by the fact that we abutt a field and someone had taken the time to create a little stone path and there was seating nearby and a split rail fence, of sorts.  The next day I "played" around out there, raking leaves, picking up twigs, and rearranging a few rocks.  (Hopefully avoiding poison ivy!)  I found this rock amongst all that debris, etc.  It's a sign; I just know it! (Can't you just see Bruce shaking his head at me??!!)