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.

Henry Ford Museum, Dearborn Michigan

We went back into the US to go to the Henry Ford Museum. First we saw a Jacques Cousteau's son IMAX show about Life under the Sea. Beautiful and informative. Then we toured the museum on our own. Saw huge sections on Railroads and Trains, Clocks, Airplanes, Liberty and Justice, Made in America, Furniture ,Agriculture, Presidential Vehicles, Automobiles, a Home of the Future, etc. Stopped for a snack in an old Diner. Saw so much. Took a ton of photos. Great Museum.
Then back to Canada to our very wet, soggy campground for the night.

Band saw

Cobbler Shop

Telephones

Factory workers

Rosa Parks Bus

Frederick Douglas info

Banjo Clocks

Locomotive was SO huge.

Norm's next profession?