Booze and Fast Cars

As if this area didn't have enough neat things already, it also has lots of booze and fast cars.  There are vineyards, winery, and distilleries galore.  And there are classic car and race car related things everywhere too.  Watkins Glen has car shaped road signs and plaques in the sidewalks.

 The first weekend we were here, there was a Classic Car event.  I didn't grab many pictures of the cars because the area was so congested, it made it hard to drive, let alone snap pictures.  Aric got to stand by some other beauties at the library one day.

 From Watkins Glen Chamber of Commerce website: The community recently celebrated its 60^th anniversary of road racing. The checkered flag first dropped here in 1948 … a time when man and machine used the village streets and hillsides for its race course. Today, Watkins Glen International hosts a full calendar of international motor racing events on a world-class raceway. The original racetrack has been recognized on the National Register of Historic Places … the Village celebrates its road racing heritage each year with the Watkins Glen Vintage Grand Prix Festival…where the cars return to streets for a day of racing on the original course.

 And their information about the agriculture here: 
Seneca Lake provides the ideal climatic environment for the areas wine-making enterprises and we lay claim to being the second largest wine producing region in the United States … second only to Napa Valley.

 Over 700 feet deep, Seneca Lake’s glacial “lake effect” shelters the lush vineyards that flank her shores.

 Retaining residual summer warmth in the winter and winter’s cold in the spring, the vineyards receive protection from disastrous spring frosts during grape formation and early fall frosts before the harvest.

 In 2005 the area boasted 42 wineries on Seneca Lake … currently, more than 50 wineries, of the over 90 in the Finger Lakes region, open their doors to visitors from all over the world.

 Beautiful, just beautiful!

Watkins Glen State Park Take Two

We headed back over to Watkins Glen State Park late this afternoon.  I'm happy to report that the skies stayed sunny this time so we were able to stay and see all of the waterfalls.  This has been one of the most surprising things that we've seen so far.  Meaning it was unexpectedly awesome.

The hike is not very long, but the entire walk is breathtaking so it was one of my favorite hikes so far.  We went late in the afternoon so the lighting was fabulous, giving this place an almost fairy land glow.  We especially loved this place:

From the state park website:  Watkins Glen State Park is the most famous of the Finger Lakes State Parks, with a reputation for leaving visitors spellbound.

Within two miles, the glen's stream descends 400 feet past 200-foot cliffs, generating 19 waterfalls along its course.

The gorge path winds over and under waterfalls and through the spray of Cavern Cascade. Rim trails overlook the gorge.

 This place was so awe inspiring.  I'm so glad we were able to see it.  It is days like this that I am so incredibly grateful for this life we are living right now and the chance to take in our country's beauty in new ways.  It keeps me grounded in all of the reasons that we do this, even when some parts can feel difficult.  It's more than worth it.

Living the life in New York!

More Pictures of Watkins Glen State Park

Harris Hill in Elmira New York

Aric and I went with Nathan to help him work today, so I was able to see more of this area.  It is just beautiful here.  Here is a waterfall on the side of the road:

 And Aric getting close to the action:

We drove all around the area, finishing up with stopping at a park.  Nathan was looking for something on the GPS, so I got out to look around at the Rails to Trails bike path there.  There was a gentlemen standing there looking at the lake.  He seemed so sad, with the kind of heavy grief that is normally from losing a loved one.  I told Nathan I wanted to go and just hug him and when I said that, he looked over and waved like he felt our love.  It was so neat.

After that, we headed to Harris Hill, in Elmira.  We had a client there, so we visited him first.  Then we went up the hill to the Soaring Center Museum which was closed.  There was an overlook there that was really wonderful.  We sat in one of the swings there and watched the sunset.

Living the life in New York!

Today we wanted to visit Watkins Glen State Park.  When we woke up, it was raining pretty hard but it was supposed to clear up late afternoon.  So we waited until we thought the rain has passed to head out.  We got there and started the hike and were in complete awe of the beauty there.  Unfortunately, we were there about 30 minutes and it started to rain again, so we left.  We plan to come back over again sometime later this week when the weather is nicer.

More New York Landscape

Corning Museum of Glass in Corning, New York

While in Corning, we stopped at the Corning Museum of Glass.

 We were not there for very long, but what we did see was great.  We loved this: 

Corning, New York

Today we visited Corning.  It was very rainy and cloudy, but the town was still so pretty.  From a local publication we picked up:  Corning, New York is a small city with a cosmopolitan flair and a captivating history. Nestled in a river valley with steep hills, Corning is also a southern gateway into the beautiful Finger Lakes Region of Central New York. Corning is world renowned for its glassmaking past and present. Discover the art, history, and science of glass at the state of the art Corning Museum of Glass.

New York Landscape From My Window

I've gotten fairly good at shooting pictures from my window in a moving truck.  Today I called Diana while out with Nathan so that I could tell her how wonderful it is here and ask her to come and visit us.  Nathan wasn't about to wait around for me and my marathon long phone call, so I managed to shoot and talk on the phone too.  I'm sharing that to explain why I managed to catch the rear view mirror in almost every single picture today.

This area really is so beautiful.  I'm glad we got to visit here.  Did you hear that honey?  I'm glad we came here.  I really didn't want to come to New York this year...but so glad we did now that I'm here.

The colors are just gorgeous here.  Not quite fall colors yet, but right on the brink of that change.

I've been fascinated by cornfields this year.  Maybe it is because we were out west last year and didn't see any there.  Maybe it is because we stayed in one place long enough to see them growing.  Either way, it just feels like summer and feels like America to me when we drive by them.

I'm also feeling sentimental about farms since I lived in an area surrounded by them at one point in my life.

I think I'm going to feel a bit sad when summer seems officially over this year.  On the other hand, I love Fall when we are in the northern areas so maybe I will just be thrilled to enjoy the fun of that too.

Living the life in New York!

Dundee New York from My Window

We are all recovering from whatever physical ailments we have, and we are all recovering from visiting with family.  We have found the longer we live on the road, the harder it is to visit people when we are in an area.  We just move at a different pace than the rest of the world so it is tiring to jump back into that normal pace of life.  We selfishly just wish they'd all join us on the road, but since that doesn't seem likely we will just have to figure out how to deal with this in a way that allows for us to soak up time with them without it draining us so much.

We have now landed in Reading Center, New York for about ten days.  We are here to do a job.  This is our fourth official job and I think we are getting the hang of it.  Nathan is doing incredibly well with his end.  Some days I tag along with him, just to get out and see the area and so I can have time with him.  Today was one of those days. 

This area is really pretty.  But then again, I say that everywhere we go.  We are on one of the finger lakes so it is green rolling hills, huge lakes and vineyards.  The little towns are older towns and are adorable to me.  Here are some shots of one of the towns here named Dundee.

Jefferson, Ohio to Reading Center, New York

St. Clair Michigan to Jefferson Ohio

Mexican Train with Bob and Vicki

We are leaving tomorrow, and we've hardly seen Bob and Vicki since we got here, so we are thrilled that we made plans to play Mexican Train with them tonight.  Before I get into the evening, I have to talk a bit about Bob and Vicki.

 We all adore Bob and Vicki.  You know how there are certain people that just find a way deep into your heart?  They are those people for us.  Vicki was the first person to tell us about Mexican Train.  She was the first to teach Austin and I pickleball after Barb sucked us into the game.  Vicki spent hours and I mean HOURS that first day with us.  That's just how she is though...so patient and kind.  Bob always has a twinkle in his eye and has a wicked pickleball serve and game.  They are tons of fun to spend time with.  Beyond that they are just what Austin always calls "good people".  We find ourselves breathing easier when we are around people like them.

 Don't let that fool you though, because they will still play to beat the pants off of you when playing Mexican Train!  We started out with Aric in the lead and Nathan with the Good Sport ribbon.  Every time I see a picture of Aric, I am glad he shaved all of his hair off so you can see his handsome face now.  That and I got tired of people thinking he was homeless.  Bad enough we live in a RV, we don't need people thinking we have no home at all thanks to him!  Just kidding, Aric.  You look mah-velous now though.

At some point, Bob pulled into the lead.  I think Vicki's bathroom trips where she could see all what we all had on our trays had something to do with this...but I can't quite figure out how...so I'm not tossing out any accusations just yet.  Austin decides that Bob is winning, so they are now "homies".  Or maybe they are homies because the two of them combined talk almost as much trash as Dean does by himself.  Either way, I think he thought that meant he got to wear the ribbon too.  (Note the long sleeved shirt that Austin wore so he could stick dominoes up his sleeves.  I'm on to him too!)

Bob said once he got the ribbon, he never gave it up.  So I think Austin needs another game plan if he wants to wear the ribbon.  Then again, Austin does have youth on his side....

Sadly, Bob's prediction was right.  He did keep that ribbon for the rest of the night after he took first place.  Nathan was even stingier though.  He wore his ribbon the whole night and never once shared it with anyone.

We had a great night with them.  Can't wait to see them and everyone else again in Florida!

Living the life with laughter in Michigan!

Family Time in St. Clair

Today some of my family came over to St. Clair to visit with us.  My older sister Lisa and two of her children, Katelyn and Dillon, came.  My mom came with my niece and nephew, Kyanna and David.  And my cousin Balinda came too.  I haven't had a chance to visit with Balinda in about ten years so it was a real treat to catch up with her.  They have a fifth-wheel and travel too, so we are going to try to coordinate something together.  We taught them to play Mexican train and we had a hard time quitting once we got into it.  It was a really wonderful day!

Why Bangs Are Not the Answer and Other Rambling Thoughts!

A word to the wise:  Just because you are PMS'ing and your hair is not cooperating...grabbing the scissors to take care of the problem might not be a great idea.  If you are wondering if there is a story behind this, yes, there is.  The other day my niece wanted me to wear a ponytail in my hair like hers.  Once I put my hair up, I decided too much of my face was showing in relationship to my hair...so I grabbed the scissors and gave myself bangs.  Which might not have been a terrible thing...except for the past couple of months I've been growing my bangs out and they were finally at the point I wanted them to be.  To add to the insanity of my actions, my second thought after "oh crud..what did I just do?" was...I guess I'll just have to wear my hair in a ponytail more often.  Mind you, I hate my hair in a ponytail.  I've decided that PMS is a monthly opportunity for women to stay humble. 

Why am I sharing all of this?  Because I'm stuck in the library trying to download movies to keep the boy entertained on our next drive.  Well, that is one reason.  The other is that I want my kids to know that no matter how old I get, sometimes I still chose a long term solution to a short term problem.  And if you are wondering why I want my kids to know that...there is a story behind that too.

Recently one of my kids was sharing a phone conversation with me and I was sympathizing because it sounded like something I'd hate.  They told me no...it was good for them.  HUH???? was my reaction and they went on to explain that they realized from the conversation that some things are universal problems no matter how old you are...and that was comforting to them.  They no longer felt so alone that they were there themselves.  So kids, if you do dumb things even when 42...remember that Mom once cut her bangs to make nice with a 5 year old...and know that you are not alone!  Know that sometimes we do really dumb things that have long term consequences and that while it was may be dumb, it is also just being human.  Oh, and remember that no matter what the problem-bangs are not the answer!

The other reason I wanted to share this is because this week I was given an unexpected gift.  One of my children sent me a letter thanking me for some of my life/parenting choices and the positive impact it had on them.  I was so stunned that I didn't even know what to make of it.  I couldn't tell if it was sarcasm or was genuine at first because this is a kid who I get the impression doesn't think I get many things right in life.  I realized then that sometimes all my rambling is perhaps not just rambling, but they might actually be grabbing a thing or two along the way.  Now, I've learned to say less...much less...with my kids.  I've worked hard on trying to just be with them, rather than direct them and preach at them every minute of the day.  I've learned to trust in my living what I believe to be the best parenting tool of all.  There are still times though that I ramble here or there or in person, because there are still words I want to say.  It's nice to know they are hearing some of them.

So thank you to the kid who shared how they felt less alone and reminding me that being honest about all of life has value and thank you, thank you, thank you to the kid who shared their heart and made mine swell with joy this week.  And thank you to the five year old who I love enough to be suckered into wearing a ponytail (I'll take credit for the dumb actions that followed) because I was reminded that sometimes love means doing things you wouldn't do otherwise.

Life is good...and my hair is not.  That seems about right in the great balance of things so I'm at peace with it.  For today at least.

Detroit Zoo and Nieces

We left the two boys with their Aunt Traci and Ashleigh, so they could have some additional family time.  I brought two of our nieces back with us: Sherae and Kyanna.  Sherae is special to me, not only because she is a sweetheart but also because she shares my middle name.  I've always had a soft spot for Rae Rae.  Ky is just adorable.  When she was younger she'd introduce herself as "Hi, I Ky".  Total cuteness!  Kyanna is the youngest of the nieces right now, so she is pretty spoiled by all the aunts in the family.  Since I live in the land of testosterone lately, I was tickled pink to have GIRLS around.  Both of them are true girlie girls to boot.  I am surrounded by pink, pink and more pink!

Yesterday we hung out at the campground and did some boring things like grocery shopping.  Then we went swimming and played Wii.  Today we took the girls to the Detroit Zoo.  We have not been here for years and they've changed it around quite a bit.

As cool as the zoo was, the girls made it a hundred times better.  I forgot how fun non-teen kids are to take to the zoo!  Some of my favorite moments were: 
When Kyanna fed the peacocks:

When she showed us how the "mingoes" stand:

When Sherae tried to get the kangaroo to box with her:

And when this beautiful guy let me pet him:

and then told me a story complete with teeth baring and head bobbing:

And last but not least...years ago Nathan and I took our girls to this very same zoo.  Ashleigh was three and Ambir was two.  Ambir was addicted to her "binky" at the time.  (We sent her to Binkies Anonymous at some point, so she's fine now)  We got to the zoo and she lost her binky.  We didn't have a back-up binky.  Soooo...she screamed "I want my binky" the entire time we were at the zoo.  It was awful.  She had some fierce lungs on her and when she screamed, the whole world knew it.  I think this was the main reason we have not visited this zoo since in fact.

Today Kyanna picked something up and when we saw what it was, we cracked up.  It was the exact same kind of "binky" that Ambir lost there almost 20 years ago.  Ambs, we found your binky!

Living the life in Pinkville, even if temporary, in beautiful family-filled Michigan!