June 17-21 Cora's Visit

“A grandchild fills a space in your heart that you never knew was empty.” –Unknown

Summer seemed slow to arrive here in the northeast, but it’s in full swing now and we've been very busy. Too busy to blog. As you can see I'm behind. Cora got to be the first to visit the boat this summer. We started her visit by bringing her to the house the first day. The kids love spending time at the house and the boat. Cora loves to fill her time with us by doing crafts, riding bikes, cooking and exploring. She loves to find living things in nature. This trip to the boat seemed to be a hard thing to find, but we gave it a good effort. One day we rode from the marina over to Stewart Park on the Cayuga Waterfront Trail. It was a 7.5 mile ride and the day was warm. We spent the rest of the day relaxing on the boat making bracelets and reading. We spent the next morning hiking the gorge trail at Buttermilk Falls. It's just one of the great places to hike in our county.

Cora at the house making a tile coaster.

One the boat making bracelets.

Even the evening showers were fun...when it's warm a little rain feels nice.

Can you see the rainbow?

Playing card games is fun on the boat too.

Reading on the V-birth is always a good way to pass a little time.

Getting ready for one of our bike rides.

The bridge over Fall Creek.

Fun at Stewart Park.

This is a great time to be in the Finger Lakes...lots of fresh things to pick. We picked strawberries and Indian Creek Farm.

We always have to check out Taughannock Falls.

Buttermilk Fall State Park

Cora was looking hard to find some kind of bug, frog or caterpillar. 

We found a few things.

The view from the trail looking down to the swimming hole at Buttermilk park. The pool will open in July.

Cora helped get the little runabout ready for our family vacation at a lake house next week.

Spring Updates

“Happiness is spending time with your grandchildren.” -Anonymous

Spring is fun in Pennsylvania. The yard seems to explode with new things every day...we can practically see the flowers growing. The only downside this spring has been all the rain. We’re hoping for a dryer summer. With all  the rain and cold weather we didn’t get The Pearl in the water until May 12. Stan spent two days at our winter marina getting the boat ready. He pressure washed the dinghy and the deck and gave the bottom a new coat of paint. This is the first year I didn’t go to help...I stayed home and played with family. I think after 15 years I deserved the time off.

Being at the house also means we get to spend lots of time with our family. Since Stan was busy with the boat and Kyle was on duty Saturday and Sunday night Brytanie and I spent Mother's Day weekend together. We had a great time enjoying two days of sunshine and picnics.

The rhododendrons on the side of the house were very pretty this year.

The grand kids love to help around the house.

Their  favorite place to go when they are in Lewisburg is Sweet Frog.

Launch day was May 12.

This is our ninth year to be at Allan Treman State Marina. Hard to believe.

We finally made it back to the boat on May20. But rain chased us back to our house in a few days.

We spent Mother's Day at the Purple Cow Winery in Bloomsburg. Great weather, great food from a lobster food truck, great scenery and great company. The perfect way to spend the day.

Graham's first band concert...another bonus for living close to family.

The Older I Get

The older I get

The more I think

You only get a minute, better live while you're in it

'Cause it's gone in a blink

And the older I get

The truer it is

It's the people you love, not the money and stuff

That makes you rich.

And if they found a fountain of youth

I wouldn't drink a drop and that's the truth

Funny how it feels I'm just getting to my best years yet.

The older I get

The fewer friends I have

But you don't need a lot when the ones that you got

Have always got your back

And the older I get

The better I am

At knowing when to give

And when to just not give a damn.

And if they found a fountain of youth

I wouldn't drink a drop and that's the truth

Funny how it feels I'm just getting to my best years yet.

The older I get

And I don't mind all the lines

From all the times I've laughed and cried

Souvenirs and little signs of the life I've lived.

The older I get

The longer I pray

I don't know why, I guess that I've

Got more to say

And the older I get

The more thankful I feel

For the life I've had and all the life I'm living still.

by Alan Jackson