The Ultimate Birthday Bash

Anticipation levels were high as Wendy and Ron prepared for their birthday party picnic. We could not have ordered better weather. It was absolutely wonderful in the 70's, with a light breeze, and partly sunny. After a quick errand to pick up ice, and helium balloons, Marina and I picked some wildflowers that were growing along the roadside. Queen Anne's Lace and chicory as a centerpiece for the gift table. My Aunt Angela and Uncle Marv coincidentally were here in town for a wedding. They are from Rochester but now live in Minneapolis, and they joined us for the party. Wendy and Ron did a great job preparing ribs, chicken, pasta salad, and fruit. I made a ziti dish with mozzarella. Most of Ron's family is from Buffalo, and there were about 23 of us. It was fun watching them unwrap gifts. I got Ron some Lavazza coffee, and gave Marina purple flip-flops, a backpack, and an almost exact replica, stuffed doggie, of Jo Jo. Hopefully that will ease the separation, as I head out of town in about 10 days. Marina and I are nursing a case of poison ivy. What would summertime in New York be without some poison ivy? I opted to pull some weeds which included the ivy, along the front of Wendy and Ron's house. I covered up with surgical gloves, but that stuff can get everywhere. It's already on the mend for me, but poor Marina is struggling with the urge to itch. I guess its one of life's lessons on learning to resist and develop patience.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

At home now… from the great 2023 Alaska Road Trip!

Image
​ Jo Jo and I are home, from the trip of a lifetime! 106 days, 11,539 miles, 675 gallons of gasoline, a ton of fun, beautiful views, and amazing experiences. Other than a brief head cold, no other mishaps, except my souvenir windshield chips. The Sylver Gypsy performed wonderfully. She kept me safe and warm. My last days were drive heavy, but I managed a quick stop at Bryce Canyon National Park. My last night was in the Coconino Forest near Flagstaff, where I also made a brief stop at Sunset Crater. I’ll need a few moments to adjust being back to reality, but it’s nice to be home!
Read more

Bryce Canyon National Park, then almost home

Image
​ A great night in the Utah desert, and a rather chilly morning, surprisingly, but I got up and hurried out of there with the intention of getting to Bryce Canyon National Park. I wondered if I would have enough time and decided it was only 20 minutes one-way, out-of-the-way as I continued on my route home. This would be my third time visiting Bryce and I’m so glad I did. As with any National Park, there are some new changes and the Ranger told me that because I’m over 20 feet I would have to park in the main parking lot and take the shuttle bus in to see the viewpoints. She gave me a tag to hang in my window. My heart sank to the bottom, since I know the shuttle buses will not except pets, and I was not willing to leave Jo Jo. However, upon examining the tag, it indicated vehicles over 23 feet to park and shuttle. My Travato is 21 feet. Hmmmm, I was annoyed. So I ignored the directions and went straight to the parking area at the sunrise amphitheater and not only did I see other campe...
Read more

Beaver, UT

Image
​ Well, another day of long driving and just two fill ups, but then I did stop at a place called Rowley’s Red Barn farm market. I wonder why they were so many people and kids and then I realized it was Labor Day. They had so many goodies there I wound up getting a fresh peach, tomato, and corn on the cob, and some apples. Of course, I had to get the chocolate covered caramel popcorn and chocolate covered blueberries, just as a souvenir from leaving the blueberry season in Alaska. Leave it to me to justify all my purchases. I kept driving and driving and got to a dispersed spot in the desert, just nearby Beaver, Utah. The first directions lead me to a very narrow roadway, which I elected not to take. Though further on down the road, about a quarter of a mile, I found a pull out intersecting between two roads and this is where I stayed. Except for a few farm vehicles, it was a restful night and a chilly morning. It’s near the highway full of sage, juniper and rolling mountains. I enjoyed...
Read more