Our Final Summer Week at Camp

Just spent a week at camp. It was a very good time. I expected the kids to get cabin fever after just a few days, but we settled in and had a great time. It helped immensely that the new deck has a Josh-proof gate at one end! 

Below are some photos with comments...

We ate out twice. First was at the 1844 House outside of Potsdam, about which Susan had the following to say:

Cost of son #1's good behavior at a very nice restaurant: conversation about what the point of dinner at a very nice restaurant is, and how one behaves to family and to restaurant staff; mild threats; one bribe of an after-dinner scavenger 

hunt ending in a $2.50 toy prize, should dinner go well.

Cost of son #2's good behavior at a very nice restaurant: Cheerio appetizer; one walk outside before soup and salads arrive; several diversionary tactics involving bottles, peek-a-boo, Daddy's keys, and Mommy's keys; Mommy's cell phone offered as a rare sacrificial "toy" for end-of-meal peace.

Hearing the waitress say at the end of dinner that we have such beautiful children, and they are so very well-behaved: PRICELESS.

We also ate out, later in the week, at Sergi's new location down the street from where the roof was blown off its previous building. Delicious pizza.

Sergi's was followed by a trip to the laundromat. As Susan predicted, Josh was extremely happy pushing carts around. :-)

Here Susan and Josh enjoy a lunch out on the deck

No week is complete without a trip to the public library, built by the local philanthropist, Alonzo Barton Hepburn

We also made it for the first time to the mini golf place outside of Massena. The course itself was challenging and well-maintained, if not as flashy as others we've been to. What set it apart was the livestock: ducks, chickens (including some fuzzy Bantams) and goats, all of which we could and did feed. 

Sam, on the Arbuckle dock the day before we left

The gurus on facebook think this striped spider was a wolf, but I am not so sure...

We didn't make it out on the water this year, nor did we go swimming, or visit the state-park beach, or go camping. BUT we did manage a hike of the Beaver Pond Trail at the state park. Josh's first time, and he really enjoyed it

Josh on the boardwalk through the tamarack stand

Before leaving town I went to the gaming store and picked up a little game called Eleminis. It's a step above games like Uno in that there's more room for strategy, but it's still a simple game. We got in the habit of playing three hands after Josh went down each night. Here Susan and Sam are on the last night. As a very special treat Sam was giving a small wine glass of coke. :-)

Those are the highlights. We also walked around Arbuckle more than once; we visited a nurse practitioner in Canton for Josh, who had a cold all week with what you and I would call wheezing; Susan and I watched Salmon Fishing on the Yemen; showed Sam how the light the grill; we grilled speaks and salmon; and really, that's all that comes to mind. May not sound like much but it kept us happy for a week!