July 2019 Cats Downtown

We went downtown for the latest edition of Cats. I full on enjoyed it as I kind of knew the "story" behind the "story", basically that there is not "story". It is based on a play and each cat dance related to the poem by TS Elliot in which different cat characters were detailed. Ada had no idea what the hell was going on as there was no story line and it was a bit difficult to make out what they were saying in their songs. But it was a great experience as the costumes, singing and dancing was quite impressive. Afterwards we went for a walk along the river walk and then had dinner at Pub City. 

July 2019 Emmerson off to Camp Tecumseh

Emmerson and Ada have been going to summer camp for several years now. The last few years both have been going to Camp Pocanoca in western Illinois. Ada continued to have another go this year and Emmerson opted for a new experience at Camp Tecumseh in central Indiana. Camp Tecumseh is a YMCA camp and is apparently one of the premiere Y camps in the Midwest.  It was indeed impressive and Emmerson had a wonderful time once her daddy left the premises ..... 

The poor kittens are getting more and more clingy to the girls and definitely know when they are leaving. Typically they will lay on their suitcase or anything else indicating that they are about to leave. Here is Po asking the girls not to go or take her with them.  

Neko overcome with sadness that her girls are leaving. 

Of course I had to have several forced poses. Usually we all go to camp together but this time Alicia went to Pocunoca with Ada and I went with Emmerson to Tecumseh so I was tasked with documenting the drop off. Emmerson is still sporting her knee disaster but she did not make a big deal of it when I dropped her off vs the deal she made of me showing daddy affection towards his daughter going off to camp for a week. 

Desperately wanting me to go away .... 

Fortunately when you can commandeer a friend, the daughter will usually comply - thank you Nora!

As I was pulling away I could not resist yelling to Emmerson one last time knowing that it was obnoxious but also that she would look when I called her name ... I love you Emmerson!!!!

July 2019 Tennessee Holiday

We road tripped down to Tennessee to hook up with the Hoovers for our annual summer get together. Nashville was our first gathering point. The Hoovers commandeered a slick hotel in the downtown party district and we got one out on the outskirts of town and figured we would take advantage of the Hoovers good locale for the evening. The girls all stayed in the slick hotel whilst we ventured down to Broadway Street for the Nashville party on experience. We then headed to Brandon's mom's house on a TVA lake where we have met up for the last few years. Great to see the girls meld as if they had seen each other every day for the last year and to spend time with Brandon and Olga and of course Jim and Melanie whose hospitality we very much enjoy and appreciate. I don't have any pictures of the girls for some reason - most likely .... actually I don't know why .... 

Emmerson's first road rash!! She has gotten into skateboarding but unfortunate for her it has all been in the flat lands of Illinois. She went out for a ride with Ada, Kianna and Bellas in Brandon's mom's development which has a few hills. She experienced the truck wobble on a hill for the first time and absolutely train wrecked - board and body all over the place. Good on her for getting up and continuing to skateboard. Melanie did some triage but the next morning we opted it needed a look at so took her to the CVS clinic which was great! The guy who dealt with it was personable and actually knew about boarding and had a relevant conversation with Emmerson about boarding and her nasty A$$ road rash. 

She had a rather gimpy week .... 

Slick CVS clinic care.

We took a day excursion to another city in Tennessee - perhaps Knoxville??  A tad embarrassed I can't remember but not really - its been a long week at NT boys soccer try outs .... Anyway, groovy town as the tatted out alley way shows. Love those pictures of the girls together. 

Alley with urban tatts. 

First time I have ever seen this reserved parking lot and wonder why it is a first??

Just my family went out and about for a day near Lennox where we were staying. This was a state/national park nearby which was pretty neat. Quite historical dating back to the interactions between the European settlers and indigenous Americans thru the civil war. 

Quite the ingenious creation ... any kid who has fled a neighborhood bully such as Joe Kelly on Roberts Rd in Cornwall, NY circa 1977 knows that the best escape is to plow into and thru a pricker patch in the back of the Heeds house and into the woods beyond. 

Bad A$$ prickers. 

Ada once again showing Emmerson lots of love in one of the barracks rooms at the fort. 

The girls pondering fort living. 

Sure wish Illinois could muster up something interesting for their license as creatively done by New Mexico. 

July 2019 Emmerson Cleaning!

We had Emmerson do a deep clean of her room closet and then kind of her room. The closet was quite the project. 

Emmerson very happily posing with all the stuff we pulled out of her closet. 

Very happily carrying the bag of garbage we gathered from her closet. It was all legit trash .... 

July 2019 Maine

Darin hosted another get together for the fellas who lived together in a house senior year in college. Last time it was in Winter Park and this year it was at his new place in Castine, Maine. 

Darin's place from the front and ... 

.... the back. 

Obligatory selfie in the backyard. 

Low tied at the shore line that butts up against the back of the property. I attempted a swim here after testing the waters the day before at a beach where the water temp was in the 60's. Here it was literally shockingly cold. I expected to warm up once I started swimming but that did not happen so I abandoned the venture. Once ashore, Mark told me his watch posted a 54 degree water temp - not sure how his watch new that but I know it was friggin cold. 

The crew walking out on the dock to the extended family Boston Whaler that we took out and about in the bay. 

Girish and Mark on the boat with the lobster pound in the background. 

Here at the lobster pound you simply tell the staff what poundage lobster you want and if you want crab or clams or whatever along with it and that's it. 

Another obligatory selfie at the lobster place. 

Once it's done they bring it to the picnic table and then you have at it. 

Some good pups enjoying hanging out at the lobster place. 

Darin and Beckett setting up the fireworks for the evening show. 

A traditional New England style hot dog in all of its obnoxiously red glory. 

Slick house 

The Merchant Marine college is in Castine - a full on 4 year liberal arts college where students come to become shipping folk. Sure wish I knew this existed back in the day. 

Some of the crew down on the docks with the merchant marine training ship in the background. Students go out on the ship for part of their education and then it docks here in town and they do in port type of learning until it heads out with the next group. 

Night time shot that seemed really, really cool at the time ...... 

June and July Very Random 2019

A few from the end of June and the beginning of July.

Such a good kitty!

The kittens do not like it when their girls leave for extended time. So when the girls come back, they sit in their bags to make sure they will not be left behind next time. 

Pretty slick rainbow at our backyard barbecue. 

 

Good little - actually big, fat, Neko!!

Ada showing some more love!

At the Korean new grill restaurant on one of our out and about jaunts. 

Ada and an Ada sign at Great America. 

Ada obliging to my pose request at Great America ... thank you Ada bomb!

Some pretty slick cookies via the recipe of one of Emmerson's friends. It was missing an ingredient but the friend free styled and came up with a kick ass batch of cookies!