Family in Western NY

While we were in western NY a couple of weeks ago, we spent a relaxed Thursday visiting with my younger aunt, Bev and her Ron, who took us out to eat at a very cool restaurant out in the country called Sprague's Maple Farm. What a fun place to visit. This Bear Family greet customers on the way onto their rolling acres, and once inside, on the way to the dining area, we could see Maple Syrup being processed in huge, very sanitary-looking stainless steel vats. (the blog got the pictures here,in the wrong order, but if I try to erase just one, the whole lot disappears. Zachery's bedroom should be near the bottom of the page...grrr.) In the dining room of Spragues' restaurant, there was a table where some pretty unique characters were dining. Then there's this table with a moose and a family of bears are having breakfast. (Oh gosh, I couldn't resist.)




Cappy couldn't overcome the temptation to visit the table where the ladies were all wearing red hats. He went over and had a fun time conversing with them. He said they were all as bubbly and as colorful as their hats.

From the Olean/Portville NY area, we traveled back to Rochester to visit with son, Joe and his family. His gorgeous wife is Jessica, and their two children are Ashley and Zachery. Just look at them; are we proud or what! Jessica could be a home decorator. That's why I included the picture of Zachery's bedroom. She's a wonderful mother who works hard with her kids, getting down on the floor at their level, playing with them and teaching them at the same time. I was impressed that Ashley could point out so many things on a map of the USA. When I asked her to point out Louisiana, she did right away with no coaching.


This is one of their cats, Oreo. I think Joe said he weighs about 30 lbs. He likes to tell about the time both of his cats got badly spooked about something, and took off in a mad dash trying to get out of the kitchen. The first cat made it out ok, but Oreo, whose belly heavily sways this way and that whenever he runs, didn't quite make the turn. His intention was to make a sharp right, behind his 'brother', but at the wobbley warp-speed he was by then traveling, and his big tummy swaying to the left on the corner, the whole weight of his body kept going straight, while his feet, claws wildly scraffing the floor, still trying to somehow carry him into the next room, came out from under him and he slid fast on his furry side, crashing so hard into the refrigerator that part of it's hardware came off, clattering loudly, which only scared him all the more and made him more frantic to get some kind of hold on the slippery floor. I can picture him just leaving his belly on the floor and using his legs and tail, rotating like fans somehow getting traction to get him outa there.