Hi, everyone!
Grandma and I made biscotti for Rita-san’s birthday! Rita-san doesn’t live nearby any more, but Grandma said we’d better have them ready for the next time she comes to visit! Biscotti are cookies that are baked twice. I helped stir the dough for the honey biscotti. That’s very sticky dough, so I had to be careful to keep my paws clean! Then I cut the dough into pieces so Grandma could roll it into logs for the first baking. When that was done, I helped cut the cookie slices for the second baking. Some of Rita-san’s favorite biscotti get chocolate frosting, and I helped with that, too! Guess what? Right after we made the biscotti, Rita-san came to Rochester for a visit! She was very busy, though, so the biscotti are in Grandma’s freezer waiting for the next time she comes!
Grandma and Grandpa took me out to the bay the beginning of Memorial Day weekend. The water level isn’t getting any higher over the dock, but it’s not going down yet, either! I helped Grandma plant basil and rosemary in the part of the herb garden that we protected from the mint. Then I took time to compliment all the azaleas and the rhododendron on how nice they looked!
We were back in Fairport on Monday for the Memorial Day parade. It rained a little bit while we were waiting for the parade to come! First, there was a long line of cars carrying veterans who are too old to march in the parade any more. The first band in the parade was the Fairport High School band. When Uncle Bill and Uncle Steven were in that band, they had wool band uniforms and hats! At the end of the parade there were a lot of fire trucks! I got a ride in the East Rochester one!
After the parade, Grandma and I stayed for the ceremony honoring soldiers who died serving their country. Local elected officials made speeches and a wreath was placed to remember the soldiers. Grandma keeps a list of local veterans who have died during the past year that was also read at the ceremony. The Fairport High School band played, too. I said hello to the director, Mr. Tiberio. All three of my uncles played for him when they were in school! Then I made friends with one of the white Sousaphones. Grandma said it might be the one Uncle Bill played! When the ceremony was over, I found Uncle Bill’s brick in the memorial.
After the parade, I checked on the Fairport rhododendron and on the impatiens Grandma and I planted in the window box. I think they like all the rainy weather we’ve had! Then, on Tuesday, I had a play date with Moose-san and Tilly at their house. We helped Nancy-san and Grandma with a jigsaw puzzle of Mt. Fuji! It was hard to find the right pieces to put together! On Wednesday, a lady from the town brought Grandma a thank you gift for making the list of veterans for the Memorial Day ceremony every year. It was a pink begonia plant – just the right color to plant in the window box with the impatiens!
Over Memorial Day weekend, Grandpa made a lot of progress on the garage project! He finished taking down the shelves. Then I helped him run a conduit from the garage to the basement. That’s so he can put in power to charge an electric car if we ever get one! Then he put up strips to support the wallboard and started framing the extensions above the current walls. When Grandma and I got back from the Memorial Day ceremony, the special wallboard and steel door that can stop a fire from spreading were delivered in a big truck!
Last Friday, Grandma and Grandpa took me back out to the bay. I was happy to have another chance to visit my rhododendron and azalea friends! Even though the water in Lake Ontario is being let out at the dam as fast as it can go, the water level on our deck is about the same. We were able to walk out on the lighthouse pier at the Point to watch sunset. Brain Freeze ice cream shop is open for the season! I finally got a chance to taste Deer Tracks flavor ice cream! It is yummy!
Yesterday, Grandpa was ready to start putting up some of the wallboard in the garage. Grandma and I helped! Today Grandpa took out the old door to the garage so he can put in the new steel one. Grandpa says there are lots of “fiddly bits”, including some that don’t show up until partway through the project. We all expect we’re going to have a new garage access door in place before dinnertime! It’s supposed to rain again today and tomorrow, so I’m glad this is all an indoors project!
Love,
Lion-san
The biscotti looked good! The Memorial parade looked fun and similar to the July 4th parade. It is great that you got to ride in the East Rochester Fire truck. It is too bad the water is still high but nice that the Azaleas and rhododendrons are still blooming nicely. I like the Deer Tracks ice cream so am glad that you got to try it! The place up here is fine although a bit cool. Tomorrow it should be very warm!