Two Weeks and Three Birthdays!

Hi, everyone!

We’re getting ready for the summer!  On the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend, Uncle Steven’s family came out to the bay for the day. James and Thomas were busy with electronics, while Uncle Steven and Aunt Kara helped Grandpa put out the dock.  This year, the jet ski ramp went right on the end of the dock!

We spent Sunday back in Fairport.  After church, we had a visitor on the back deck –  a Coopers hawk!  The hawk stayed for about ten minutes, but all the chipmunks knew to stay out of sight!  On Memorial Day, we went back out to the bay so Grandpa could work on the boathouse floor.  The last of our azaleas were still pretty!  Because we were working at the bay, Grandma and I didn’t go to the Memorial Day parade.  Grandma let me wear Uncle Bill’s dogtags to remember him, and we stopped at the Fairport military memorial on our way back into town.

On Tuesday, Grandma took me to see my rhododendron friends at Highland Park.  We thought they would be in full bloom, but we were a little early for that.  I did still make some pretty rhododendron friends!

My Sensation lilac friend was past bloom, but I made some new flower friends.  I saw my pink buckeye friend, too!

The next weekend was Triple Birthday Party weekend!  Uncle David flew into town on Saturday morning for services for a friend’s father.  His friend Chad-san came with him!  Uncle David and Chad-san spent Saturday night at the bay by themselves.  Grandma told me that Chad-san helped build the house at the bay, but hadn’t been back since it was finished.  Since he was in town, Grandma was happy to have him join us for the Triple Birthday Party.  Uncle Steven, Uncle David and Grandpa were all going to celebrate together!  I helped Grandma make pulled pork for the party on Saturday.  After church on Sunday, I helped with sticky buns for Monday morning.

Uncle David and Chad-san spent Sunday afternoon with us before the Triple Birthday Party.  I helped Uncle David make his special salsa to eat before dinner.  The weather was very nice, so we spent time together on the deck.  My groundhog friend even poked its nose out to see what was going on!

I was in charge of making sure we had the right candles to go on the triple birthday cake.  Guess what?  The spare cheesecake we made for James’ birthday party was still available!  We had a very nice dinner on the deck, then I put the candles on the cheesecake.  Grandpa lighted them, and the three birthday boys blew them out together!

Uncle David and Chad-san stayed until Monday morning before they flew home.  They played a game of pool and let me play, too!

On Tuesday the white azalea at the bay was still blooming, but by yesterday most of the blossoms had dropped.  I helped Grandma give all the azaleas and the rhododendron at Sodus their monthly feeding.  The feeder sprayer makes that really easy!  After helping with that, I felt really floppy, so I did my yoga headstand pose.  Then I made internet friends with cousin Bev’s animals.  They have adventures, too!

With all the time we’re spending at the bay, Grandpa is making steady progress on the boathouse floor.  He worked on it all afternoon yesterday, and then went back to work after dinner.  He stopped in time for us to go to Sodus Point to watch the sunset.  The clouds were too far south to catch the colors of the afterglow.

This morning, the clouds were just in the right place to make a pretty sunrise!  Grandpa needed three more boards bleached before they could be put in the floor.  Grandma and I did that and stacked them in the sun to dry. Now that end of the floor is complete and ready to be stained! Grandma will do that in a couple of days, but she doesn’t let me help with things that won’t wash off my paws!

Uncle Steven and James and Thomas came out to the bay after lunch today.  They brought the first local strawberries of the season!  I helped Grandma make a shortcake to go with them.

Uncle Steven checked out the jet skis.  We were all happy that they both were running properly after the winter!  James and Thomas are on the couch with electronics.  That’s what they were doing two weeks ago, too!

Love,

Lion-san