4th of July with Norm's sisters in Boston makes 14,000 miles

We are home. Norm wanted to make the trip 14,000 miles so we did, by going to Boston with the camper and the dogs. We left the camper at Kimm's and went into Boston to Patty and Jon's Apartment where we ate hot dogs and beans and visited with everyone. Then we went to Judy and Veronica's building - to the roof and watched the fireworks. After sleeping again in the camper, we played Bridge with Kimm and Kenn. Then to a great dog park and then drove HOME!

Patty and her new baby Abby

Kimm and Kenn

Veronica, Abby and Grammy Judy

Veronica, here from Paris and waiting for her husband to come here and Jon, husband of Patty and Abby's Dad

Staffy (Judy's son) and Cat

Kimm and Judy

Sunset on the roof

Patty's new 4th of July dress looks great.

Fireworks seen from the roof

 

BOOM!

C

Grand Haven Michigan- to visit cousin Sandy

We have had 2 days at a beach community in Grand Haven on Lake Michigan. Great little town. Went to beach. Norm swam in Lake Michigan. Went shopping. Took dogs to dog park. very nice.

Looked like Cape Cod!

Waves were very small-- only difference we saw! Oh also no shells, seaweed, etc.

Norm in Sandy's Lake House in Spring Lake

Sandy is a retired Surgeon. He has had 2 hip replaced recently.

Natalie and cousin Sandy.

My cousin Carol did this one

My cousin Garry did this of sandy's wife Judy

in Sandy's living room

Over Sandy's fireplace. His son Chip is coming tomorrow from Texas with his 2 grandchildren.

We went to an Art Festival in Grand Haven and then said goodbye to some of our fellow campers.

 at the North Shore Campground. they helped us get Angus on board when we were leaving.

Visiting Cousins Blaine and Tim in Clifton Park, NY and then HOME

Blaine and Tim Kaercher welcomed us to a delicious chicken, mushroom, onion and wine dish Blaine made. Yum! We all love talking with each other and spent a lot of time on their back screen in porch. We played a little of bit cards, Hand and Foot. Their older cat, Peter, was failing and while we were there they decided it was time to have him put down. It was a sad day. Peter is Blaine's baby. They do have another cat, Mercedes. We said our good byes in the morning and drove HOME!
Maria Bebee came over to invite us to join some folks at the golf club for dinner. So we went there and met Maria and Jim Bebee, Marie Burkhart and Scott Hyle and then Jan Roby and Diane Brenner came too. What fun we had catching up. Tired, Norm and I slept in our bed for the first time in 3 months!
On Friday we will take the camper and the dogs to Boston to meet Norm's sister Judy and her children Patty and her husband Jon and their baby Abby, and sister Veronica and brother Staffy. Also Norm's sister Kimm and her husband Kenn for the 4th of July!. We DO have a big family. You have seen some of our family on this trip and we are so happy they are there!
When we come home Sunday, it will have been 14,000 miles for this trip! And exactly 3 months! Whew. We will sleep a while now. Great trip! Now to unload. But rest first.

This photo is like the first one on our blog- only no SNOW! and we are HOME!

Angus ran all over showing us he was glad to be home!

Bonnie is happy too- but like her Mom and Dad- very tired!

Camden NY and Cousins Rich, Sharon, Charles and Jeri. (and seeing Dan too)

Dan came to Camden to see us back ! It was so good to see him. Sharon and Richard Norton, Natalie's cousins welcomed us with treat and talk. Their daughter Sarah and her son Joey,1, were there too. What a nice visit. Richard showed us a photo album of his rebuilt Sugarhouse and it's operations. They gave us maple syrup to take home too. Then Charles and Jeri Norton came over (Richard's brother who lives next door and also Natalie's cousin). Sharon made a delicious Lasagna dinner and we talked on and on. As it was still raining we put off going to the farm.
In the morning after breakfast we went to see the barn and sugarhouse. Jeri and Charles came too and brought their 2 grandchildren, Sean, 6 and Jeramiah, 3. I set up paints and paper for the the 2 boys do some watercoloring on the kitchen island. They are both so smart and adorable. Everyone went to the farm, a 1/2 mile down the road at Jeri and Charles's house. Their parents (my aunt and uncle ran a big Dairy Farm there that I remember visiting as a child). We saw the new sugarhouse and the equipment barn and the big barn. The 2 boys loved the mud puddles!

Dan was glad to see Angus!

Richard talking to Norm. Nat, Sarah,  Sharon and Joey.

Sharon loves flowers and does so well arranging them.

THis was a centerpiece Sharon made. She also quilts.

I snuck a few photos. This is Richard.

Sharon

Charles and Norm

Sean and Jeramiah

Jeri sits with her grandsons

THe barn with a new Amish metal roof

Jeri and Charles's house.

Rich uses the wood for his  Sugarshack

Richard told us about the farm equiptment

the combine

Jeri walks along the corn field to get to the tires on the combine.

Sean crawled in the wheel. One day they may run the farm.

one of the tractors

From Canada on to Buffalo & Niagara Falls

Driving in sunshine finally again. Same scenes- Farmlands, Windmills, Trucks, Highway. Stopped to do blog and reserve campground near Buffalo (in Canada).  We took the dogs to a great Dog Park near the KOA campground. Then after food shopping, we took a bus to an Italian Restaurant for supper and then the bus on to Niagara Falls. Really amazing- even after seeing it years ago. Wow. Forceful, classic, iconic, force of Nature! At 9:00 the lights went on and we watched it from a restaurant with an after dinner drink. Our last night in a campground....this trip.

Full Moon too

From inside the restaurant

It was fun at night too. Taking the bus back to the campground.

On to Camden NY to see Natalie's cousins Rich and Sharon and Charles and Jeri. Dan is driving there too to meet up with us and finish the trip with us.