Party Time!

Between social distancing and everyone else jumping the gun on getting parties on the calendar now that things are loosening up a bit, we weren't sure when we were going to be able to fit in Jacob's birthday party.  We wanted to do things safely, but we also didn't want it to be like a couple years ago when we couldn't fit in a celebration until October due to multiple other events and busy schedules.  It ended up that my beloved family reunion at the beach got canceled, which was a double bummer because the camp is up for sale and could close permanently as a result, and the cancellation meant we wouldn't even have a chance to say good-bye this year.  But the good news was that it opened up a weekend on our schedule, and after some checking with family, we settled on this past Sunday.  On the bright side, it meant I'd have my last furlough week available to plan, clean, and shop as needed.  The bad news is that it meant my last furlough week would be busy in some not-fun ways, but as always, it's worth it for the kids to have their special day.

One of our issues leading up to the party was that it looked to be a very hot day, and with our patio trees gone, there was very little shade to be found in our yard.  We decided it would be wise to get a canopy, but reviews seemed very hit or miss, and most were quite expensive.  I finally found one that I was happy with, both in quality and price.  It looked like our local Super Walmart had it, so I stopped by after my allergy shot one morning, and apparently someone had just bought the last one a few minutes earlier!  Then I tried to order one online through my parents' Walmart, only to have the order canceled, presumably because they ran out before the order was fulfilled.  Then I tried again with the next closest Walmart to them that supposedly had five left when I ordered, and once again, it got canceled.  By this point I just needed to get one, regardless of the price, so I found one that had good reviews and was about $10 more at Lowe's, which I was finally able to go pick up--and while I was there I picked up some paint chips for our future kitchen update and fell in love with a solid surface countertop made of recycled glass!  Another decision for another day, though...

Leading up to the party, we'd talked about the cake a bit, and after looking at some Pinterest pictures, Jacob was happy with the idea of a jersey cake.  Last week when I visited my parents, their Super Walmart had a box of Pillsbury gluten-free yellow cake.  I knew we liked the consistency of the Pillsbury Funfetti cake, so I figured the yellow would be good, too.  Normally I use Betty Crocker (always one yellow, one chocolate), which always behaves well and tastes great, but we get frustrated when the leftover cake gets a little dry and dense, to the point you almost need ice cream to eat it.  I'd been pondering trying something else, so I bought the Pillsbury one, figuring that I know Target sells a King Arthur gluten-free chocolate cake, and we had a good experience with that once, so that would be my chocolate layer. 

Well, when I went to Target late in the week, they were out of stock.  Ugh.  So on Saturday, we took a family trip down to Henrietta.  We stopped at Target and FedEx, then made the trip more tolerable for us all by picking up happy hour Freezes for Craig and me at Taco Bell and some Dilly Bars to go at Dairy Queen.  Luckily, Target had the cake mix and a seasoning I needed for my rib rub, and all was well.  However, when I went to bake the cake that evening, I opened up the box to find an open bag!  There was a layer of mix on the bottom of the box, but it was also leaking out of the cracks in the box, too.  I had no way to know if it was safe, fresh, or of the right quantity to bake properly, so I knew I couldn't use it.  I started the other cake layer while I was trying to figure out my next move--either go to Wegmans and get the mix I normally use, or go back to that Target 20 minutes away and exchange it.  Neither option thrilled me, and I felt bad sending Craig back out.

Nonetheless, I finally decided to just hop in the car and take care of it myself.  I just wanted it done and over with, so I drove down to Henrietta again, exchanged the mix, and came home.  I was in a pretty terrible mood by that point, but as I drove, the sunset got more and more beautiful.

I decided maybe God knew I needed to see this one, so the cake mix debacle was just a way to make sure it happened.  It sure was beautiful, and it helped.

I baked the cake that night and managed to get it layered up before bed, in addition to some other early food prep that I knew I'd want to avoid in the morning.  I had until 3pm to get things ready, but that time always goes so fast, and this was no exception.  Once I was up and dressed, I pretty much worked straight through on one thing or another, including a macaroni salad, but mostly it was the cake (again).  But look how it turned out!

I know Jacob is a Raptors fan and all, but he does have favorite players that have played elsewhere in the league and I think he sometimes likes different jerseys and colors.  He currently has an appreciation for the Knicks, and since we'd already done a couple Raptors cakes, I wasn't complaining about the color palette change--especially when I realized I could buy the blue frosting and the orange would work for the ball, too!  Of course, I had second thoughts once I tried to mix up the right orange color!  That was a bit of a challenge since it hung out in the peach realm for a while.  But I finally got it right! 

Jacob's face when he saw it done was pretty priceless.  He seemed genuinely surprised how cool it turned out.  We had a little debate previously on the striping on the sides (because the pic I used looked different from one Jacob knew of), but in the end I think it turned out pretty great.  And I got to use my ball cake pan again--I think that's four and counting now, though never with the full sphere!

The party ended up being a pretty small affair.  I didn't invite my extended family initially, although usually only one or two of them come anyway.  I figured with distancing, and not being sure of the weather (and not wanting a ton of people inside), and with family parties coming up the next two weekends, it may be overkill.  But then the weather was going to be nice, and over the course of the week Craig's brother's family had sports come up, so it was just going to be the grandparents and maybe my cousin Lori and her boyfriend, since she's Jacob's godmother and they live close.  I did send a last minute message to the aunts and uncles and one other cousin who has come in the past, but no luck.  In the end Lori and her man stopped in and it was fun to chat while food was cooking and my mom was in the pool with the kids.  But it was definitely a limited group, which I felt bad about because I know Jacob likes having his cousins here to play basketball.  Regardless, we feasted on Instant Pot ribs (my new fave shortcut meal), hot dogs, deviled egg mac salad, broccoli rice casserole, salad, and fruit.  Then it was time to dig into the cake!

Twelve candles is a lot!  I need to buy more for next year!

In the age of COVID, apparently blowing out candles is a no-no, so Jacob tried waving them out.

Then he tried clapping, also to no avail--until Grandpa came in with a better technique!

Now that Jacob's older, it appears that the fun stack of presents at parties is a thing of the past.  He got one present from Craig's parents a few weeks back, and had to wait until his party for the other one from them.  Besides that, it was just a couple cards with money!  Of course, he was no less happy!

Yes, another different team.  At least the name on the back of this one is a guy who played for the Raptors at one point!

In the end, it was a great day and I think Jacob appreciated the effort.  After everyone left, I did a bunch of cleanup before joining the boys for an evening swim.  It was definitely a tiring day but worth it to give Jacob the celebration he deserved--even if we were down a few family members. 

And with that, my summer of furloughs came to an end.  I'm now back to working at home for the foreseeable future.  I suppose it will be good to get back in the groove and try to find my new normal, but I will definitely miss the freedom of those five weeks off.  Now I need to navigate the challenges of keeping my focus while the kids are throwing multiple distractions my way.  It's currently involving way too much screen time for them (stupid Fortnite in particular), and me being jealous when they get to go in the pool.  Hard to believe in about six weeks the kids will be starting school--whatever that will look like.  Currently it's two days in school and three at home for Carter.  I'm nervous, but I'm hoping that the two days in school will be a good motivator for the three days he's home.  I think being at home this spring took him fully out of his element and he lost sight of what he was supposed to be doing and why.  But if he has that reminder twice a week, hopefully that will help keep him focused and appreciative of his home time the rest of the week.  I'd be lying if I wasn't nervous about him getting sick (or bringing something home to us), but I think it's a risk we need to take right now.  At least our local numbers are still low.  As for Jacob, we found out last night that he'll be starting school under a normal model, but obviously with a lot of new protocols, including masks and distancing.  He's pretty disappointed, mostly because going back to uniforms every day doesn't thrill him.  But the school confidently feels they can distance properly (whereas our district simply doesn't have the space), so normal it is.  Well, at least the house will be a little quieter come fall so I might be able to focus.  I don't know that Craig and I will know what to do with ourselves alone two days a week, but I'm looking forward to figuring it out!  I'm not looking forward to being more vulnerable to the virus, of course, but the free-for-all in this house is pretty exhausting right now.  A little more routine might do us all good.  But we still have a lot of weeks before we find out, so hopefully we can still find ways to embrace the rest of summer despite my work schedule and the gentle restart of basketball, which is happening this weekend!  More on that soon, I'm sure!

Watkins Glen

After multiple times visiting Letchworth, I've always enjoyed a certain style of "easy" hikes in nature.  Trying to get my family on board has always been a bit challenging, but I decided it was time to pull the "We're doing this because I say so" card to go visit a spot I've wanted to visit since seeing my parents' pictures years ago--Watkins Glen.  It's a bit of a hike (no pun intended) to get there, since it's deep in the Finger Lakes.  But since it was my last week off and we don't have much else going on this summer, it seemed like a good option.  Bonus points that we got a slightly cooler day (and avoided a few raindrops that weren't even in the forecast), but I'll admit that hiking while masked--even on a day in the 70s--is still a bit of a challenge.  Despite that, it was totally worth it.

The drive out was interesting.  The first part was the usual Thruway trip, but once we got off to the country roads, it was a rather scenic trip.  The town of Geneva (home of Hobart and William Smith Colleges) was adorable, and I wished we had a little more time to explore the town and the campus.  Beyond that, we saw winery after winery as we drove along Seneca Lake.  They probably only had a fraction of the business they normally would because of the coronavirus, but they were all so cute and I hope someday I get to visit some of them.  Watkins Glen itself was quite charming, as well, and we marveled at what it must be like during NASCAR race week (which isn't happening this year).  There were a decent number of tourists around despite all that's going on, so I can only imagine at a normal time, let alone race week.  

We parked in one lot briefly while we figured out where we needed to go, and ate a "picnic" lunch we brought with us in the van.  Eventually we headed out, complete with masks.  The first view on the way in was pretty impressive by itself...

Here's Carter with a model of the gorge...

The first stone bridge was visible right away, and we had to go into a little tunnel stairway to get there.

The view from above was pretty outstanding.  This was looking back out toward the entrance...

...and this was in the other direction!

I loved how twisty this waterfall looked from this angle.

We took a few steps forward and the area beyond the waterfall came into view.  Look at that skinny little crevice!

Up close, the rocks are so interesting and stunning.

There are 19 waterfalls along the Gorge Trail, and each one was more beautiful than the next.  

You could walk behind this one!

Jacob was oddly hesitant to walk there, though I'm not sure if he was more worried about his shoes or his hair!  Tweendom is weird.

Sorry the pic is a bit blurry, but you can tell by his body language here that Jacob wants to get no closer to the waterfall than he is.

It always amazed me how the views behind us were just as interesting as the views ahead of us.  It's such a skinny little gorge!

This suspension bridge was a little less charming than the stone bridges, and I think it made everyone envision the shaky, creepy bridges you usually see in movies like Indiana Jones.  I read later on that when the area flooded in 1935 and pretty much destroyed the park, the water was less than 10 feet below this bridge, which would have been a rise of 80 feet!  Crazy to imagine!  Anyway, remember this one for later.

I was fascinated by the "shelf" appearance of this waterfall.  I don't know if it is how shale erodes, or just something weird about this one, but it was neat. 

The rock formations and the waterfalls were other-worldly and truly peaceful.

The rock walls were soaring above us the whole time, sometimes with precariously hanging trees and roots.  Much of the time it was very enclosed, but once in a while it opened up like this.

Click to zoom and see the small waterfall here...

There were numerous stairways throughout the path, usually taking us up to another great view, waterfall, or bridge.  You can see the boys heading up one here, with yet another waterfall in the distance.

One of my favorite things was how so many of the waterfalls had pools like this under them.  They'd have these deeper, circular "hot tub" type ponds right below the waterfall, almost like the water had carved it out over the years.  I could almost picture people hopping in and hanging out!

Another bridge!

The area just beyond that bridge (or before it, if you're the water) was really cool.  The water wound through the rocks and came out into this pool.

Prior to that was a series of small waterfalls.  So pretty!

I believe this is called the Rainbow Falls, probably because the light shines in just right at some time of day to create a rainbow.  It's just a thin drizzle off the rocks from above, and this was another one you can walk behind.

Another picturesque bridge and waterfall were just beyond it.

Looking down from the bridge to the falls (on the left)...plus the cascading waterfalls and pools directly below...

Every new vista was more breathtaking.

The rocks were so amazing to see, with layer upon layer stacked so high.

Unfortunately, the trail was closed after the first mile, supposedly due to it being more difficult to social distance.  I do hope to go back someday, maybe in fall, when that section is open.  But we caught one more photo on the last bridge before heading back on the Indian Trail, since the Gorge Trail was one way.

The Indian Trail was decidedly less scenic, but it did have a few highlights.  Jacob liked this random rock on the side of the path...

Carter was fascinated by the tiny trickle of a stream that ran next to the path for a while.  He seemed to think that a rock or two would block the current, so he was attempting that here, to no avail.

In one section it appeared everyone left a stack of rocks behind.  There was a huge section full of stacks, and they continued down a wall along the path for a little bit, too.  There was a cute extended Indian family there having a blast contributing their own stacks.

Back closer to the entrance, we got to go on the suspension bridge I showed earlier.  I thought this view looked a little like those Escher drawings that have stairways and paths that defy logic and engineering.

This was the view on the other side, more of the very narrow gorge from very high up.

The rest of the walk back involved a LOT of stairs.  Even going down it was quite the workout.  We were definitely ready for a break by the time we got down all of those.  Back near the entrance, I ran back to look at something we missed when the path split to our trail, and caught this different view of the first bridge we were on, with a hint of the waterfall in the background.  

We were pretty hot despite it being very cloudy and not as warm that day, so we decided to walk down the street to an ice cream parlor I found in my gluten-free app the previous day.  Not only did they have gluten-free cones for Jacob, but they also had dairy-free options for Craig.  We all got something tasty and enjoyed it on the patio, happy to unmask and relax for a bit.  

At that point, we headed back to the van.  Jacob really wanted to stop at the outlet mall back near the Thruway because he's been dying to get to a Nike outlet, and we still had to get home in time for some basketball training that evening.  Here are a couple scenic views from the drive...

So many grapevines!  And the lake in the background!

From this angle it almost looked like we could drive into the lake.

Overall it was a pretty good day.  I neglected to mention that Carter slipped in mud early on, so we had to clean him up a bit, and Jacob was a little grumpy about a couple things, but for the most part the boys got along and it made for a very nice walk.  It was neat to see in person and I hope to make it back again someday, hopefully with a camera that does a better job capturing the details.  It was nice to sneak in another adventure before my furlough weeks come to an end.  I'm pretty bummed about being stuck at my desk for the rest of the summer, but hopefully we can take advantage of the weekends and evenings we have left before we start a very unique fall.

Some Excitement For a Change!

Last weekend turned out to be pretty exciting by our current standards...and maybe even by normal standards!  It doesn't take a lot these days, but it was nice to have some different stuff to keep us occupied!

The excitement started on Friday afternoon when the tree guys came to take down our diseased chokecherry trees.  When we bought the house, the trees were maybe up to about gutter height.  In the ten years since they've gotten really big (despite one having been staked wrong and growing multiple trunks directly out of the ground), making it above the roof and one being a mere couple inches from brushing against the house despite being planted about 10 feet away.  About four years ago, we noticed one getting a little funky--it almost looked like poop on the branches!  After a little research, I figured out they were Canadian chokecherries and one was suffering from black knot.  It transferred to the other one by the next year, but by the time I was ready to call for an estimate to treat them, we got hit with that massive windstorm.  I knew the tree people were probably completely slammed (which they were) so I waited.  Then the trees got leaves and it seemed pointless to call because they'd never be able to see all of the disease with the leaves.  Then once they fell off again I got lazy and/or distracted and/or hesitant to spend money on treatment that may not even work.  It got worse over the years, but the trees themselves hung in there...until this year.  They ended up with sparse leaves, and the ones they had were dying off a bit.  It took a while to get quotes and then get someone here to do it, but Friday was the day!

The "Before"

They started right in with the chainsaw, and before we knew it, tree #1 was down.

They had some heavy machinery there to drag it out in one piece, but I think they miscalculated how big it was relative to the space between houses, so it took them a while to figure out how to move it out.  They ended up cutting a few pieces off, but I can tell it was an interesting ride out because there were fragments of tree everywhere along the route.  And my solar light got knocked off (which happens all the time, but still).  Luckily they cleaned up the worst of it, but it definitely got messy. 

Stuck!

Once they got it out to the chipper, they had similar problems fitting it in there.  It seemed to be a bit too big to fit intact, so once again they did some cutting!  It all went in eventually, but I had my doubts!

They started in on the other one, and this is how it looked half done...

Sadly, their stump grinder went down earlier in the week, so we're still waiting for that to happen, which I'd like to be soon so I can re-mulch those areas until we figure out our long-term plan.  Regardless, at least we can look at our "new" yard and figure out what we'd like to do.  It's so wide open now!  It still throws me off almost every time I walk out there.

I think I want to plant something on the right corner to give us back a little privacy from the neighbors, since their outdoor area is pretty close to that side.  I thought about doing raspberries, but my mom said they'll take over, so I'm not sure.  If we do a tree, it needs to be small, not susceptible to the same disease these had (since I'm sure the soil could pass it along, like most fungal diseases), and not something that will drop a bunch of junk on our patio like the other ones did.  I also discussed moving a bird feeder that's stuck in our overgrown bushes on the side of the house, but Craig doesn't want them pooping near his grill.  So, the decision is still a work in progress!

I sat out that night to have a drink--celebrating the beginning of my last week of furlough, I guess--and enjoyed the new view.  Getting used to the patio lights without their usual tree canopy was weird but cool!

My new solar light!

My random planters are in the foreground, full of funky little multicolored zinnias!

So empty!  I also pulled out the weedy plants that were surrounding the light this week, so there's even less there now.

On Saturday I had to head up to Buffalo pretty early for a baby shower for Craig's cousin's wife.  It was an outdoor shower, so I felt a bit more comfortable with it.  It was hot and sunny but they had canopies up and it ended up being a great day for it.  It was wonderful to see family I haven't seen since Christmas (if not longer) and I even got to meet this sweet baby girl! 

Her mama was our flower girl 17 years ago!  She arrived eight weeks early back in February due to a few different complications, but she fought through NICU life like a champ.  She came home before her due date, has been doing great on milestones, and is super content.  She was almost five months in this pic but she's still a sweet little peanut!  It was so great to finally meet her.  

After the shower, I met Craig and the boys at his parents' house so we could celebrate our nephew's 13th birthday.  He got a car parade while we were there, which was fun to see.  Jacob played basketball with his cousins, which kept him pretty busy.  We got to have dinner and cake, too.  It was fun to hang out and see people like the old days.  I can't say we were awesome about distancing, but it was a pretty small group so it didn't feel too uncomfortable (aside from one point where there were some extra people there that I didn't know and the kitchen got pretty full--at which point I moved to another room for a bit).  

Craig and the boys left after cake so they could get home at a reasonable time, and I stuck around for a bit because I was just driving to my parents'.  I decided to stay in town so my mom and I could go on a little adventure on Sunday.  As the sun started to go down, I figured it was about time and headed out.  As I drove along the lake, I noticed that the sunset was looking pretty.  Not stunning, but nice.

For whatever reason, it popped into my head that there's a place right along the water that I hadn't been to since I was a kid that would be perfect for catching a glimpse of the sunset.  Since I was alone and not necessarily in a rush, I pondered whether or not it was wise to try to go.  I figured I could probably get there okay, most likely just after sunset.  But would it be unsafe for me to go alone?  Should I just call it a day and go home?  I made a last second decision to give it a shot.  If it felt uncomfortable I could leave and it would just be a few minutes out of my way.

When I got down to the Erie Basin Marina, the sun had just set.  Parking was easy, and it was rather lovely as I stepped up on the rock wall to get a better view.  Thank goodness my dress was a maxi dress so I didn't look too unladylike!

There were a lot of people out and about.  Some were sitting on the rocks watching the view, some were walking along the sidewalk, and some were sitting in lawn chairs next to their car.  Despite the numbers, it wasn't uncomfortable for social distancing aside from a couple split seconds passing people on the sidewalk.  But the view of the sunset was beautiful and the sounds of the water were peaceful.  I decided to take the five minute walk down the road to the observation deck that I remember visiting as a kid.  I passed a few people on the stairs but ended up having the entire deck to myself once I was up there.

The views from the top were lovely--not just of the sunset and the water, but also of the nearby lighthouse...

...and also the city.  You can't tell from this photo, but the building to the left is in the middle of a massive renovation (and paint job--it's turning burgundy and gray on other sides).  Buffalo's City Hall (the tapered tower to the left of center) is iconic, and the rest of the skyline is considerably more impressive and dynamic than it was when I lived in the area.  There's a lot happening there, and it's good to see!

The marina was very peaceful, it definitely made waterfront living look pretty pleasant (never mind that in the winter you get a front row seat to lake effect snow)!

During the time I was in the tower looking back and forth between the sunset and the city, I realized that the sunset had gotten even more stunning!  

It was about time to go, but I ventured back down to capture whatever else I could from the rocks.

The glow was beautiful as it transformed the water, and I was obsessed with how it reflected off the windows in these two buildings to make them look like all the lights were on inside.  But nope, just the sun!

This is a view from the ground of the tower I was in.

Buffalo has a lot of brutalist architecture, and I think this counts.  It's still a pretty interesting structure, and underrated, in my opinion.  I was actually surprised how few people took advantage of it.

The glow of the sunset as I came back down continued to be impressive.  I was walking with my back to it, but turned around every minute or so and was constantly surprised at how beautiful it was.

I was probably only there for about a half hour, but it was really invigorating to my somewhat tired soul.  The family time that day had been wonderful, but I think it was also a lot to take in, given both the risk involved and the departure from our current introvert tendencies.  But this little adventure--taken in one of the very few bits of unscheduled, unplanned freedom I've had in over four months--made me very happy.  Clearly I'm missing things like this, and simple as it was, it was just what the doctor ordered.  I was exhausted but I'm pretty sure I smiled most of the way to my parents' as I watched the rest of the sunset fade into darkness.  Good sunsets and new places can do that for me, I guess.

On Sunday morning, we watched my parents' online church, and then my mom and I got on the road for our little adventure.  My mom had been wanting to go to the Marilla Country Store, one of those old school crafty, gifty kind of stores in the middle of nowhere.  There was furniture, decor, clothing, jewelry, food, kitchen wares, holiday decor, toys, and countless crafts and gifts of all sorts in every different theme.  We laughed at sayings on signs and mugs, I admired their Polish pottery (and Easter eggs) section, and we pored over the fun food items.  My mom bought some gummies and some sweet and spicy Buffalo peanuts.  I almost bought a fart whistle for Carter, since he can't seem to work a whoopie cushion without breaking it...but thought better of it for how it would probably end up driving all of us nuts!  

We drove into nearby East Aurora and considered our lunch options.  Mostly for COVID and heat-related reasons, we opted to grab sandwiches from Tops and go eat in a park in the shade.  After that we headed to the famous Vidler's 5 and 10, which takes the goods at the Marilla Country Store up another notch!  Vidler's seems to have everything!  We once again made our way from room to room, and we noticed halfway through that it was getting dark and rather breezy outside.  It appeared the storms forecast for the evening were coming early!  A pretty decent thunderstorm came through while we were in the store.  We avoided most of the rain and it was pretty much done by the time we got back to my parents' house (complete with a few nostalgic candy items in my purse!).  The rain hit Rochester a bit later but our area was spared the worst.  South and east of here got winds significant enough to blow a trampoline out from someone's yard to the road, and clear decorative items off someone's porch, per some doorbell cam videos posted by the news.  I'm just happy we're finally getting some regular rain so our grass and plants aren't all parched.  

I wrapped up the trip by stopping at my parents' Walmart to load up on gluten-free items--and scored some much needed hand soap in bulk, as well!  Back at home we had a quiet night, which was probably much needed after my busy weekend!  One more adventure awaited for my last week off...if we could pull it off.  Stay tuned!