Hi, everyone!
The last weekend in August, Grandma and Grandpa took me out to the bay on Friday, but we had to be back in town Saturday afternoon. Uncle Steven and Grandma and I did get James and Thomas out kayaking Saturday morning. James used one of the kayaks we borrowed when Bill and Karin were here. It never got used then because they were sick! Then we went back into town, so Grandma could make gluten free vegetarian tomato pies for a church potluck dinner. They were very popular!
We thought we would have to stay in Fairport on Monday for appointments with contractors, but everything was done by 9:30 a.m.! The weather was very nice, so Grandma suggested we go back to the bay for the day and work on the boathouse siding. While Grandpa was unfastening the old siding, Grandma and I picked the wild blackberries that were ripe. We added them to the ones we picked and froze last year! Then we helped Grandpa move the sheets of siding around for measuring, cutting and attaching. We got the first three sheets up and fastened before we went back to town!
On Tuesday, Grandma took me to Ganondagan State Historic Site in Victor. Before European settlers moved into this area, Ganondagan was the site of a Haudenosaunee (Iroquois in French) confederation Seneca tribe town. They had contact with English, French and Dutch traders, who wanted beaver pelts and traded European goods in exchange. The town was built on top of a hill and had many longhouses. Now there’s a Seneca Arts and Culture Center on the south side of that hill.
I looked at the model longhouse, then I got to see a real one! The interpreter there told me what daily life was like.
Beyond the longhouse, there was a Path of Peace circling around the original site of the town. Grandma and I wanted to walk it, but we had to wait for traffic to clear! At the north end of the loop, there was a nice view to the lowlands beyond!
Next, we walked the Earth is Our Mother trail. There were signs along the way explaining how the natives used some of the plants. The trail ran through a wetland and ended at a pretty creek. There were lots of boardwalks through the boggy areas!
Grandma and Grandpa took me back out to the bay for Labor Day weekend. Uncle Steven’s family was there Friday to stay overnight. Grandma made sticky buns for Saturday morning! Uncle Steven got a chance to ride his jet ski. His family was going to a party and baseball game Saturday evening, so they left after lunch. Grandma and Grandpa and I spent the afternoon putting up the last two panels of siding on the boathouse. The water level in the bay gets lower every week, this time of year!
Saturday night, when we went to the Point to watch sunset, we got some surprises! First, we hadn’t noticed a brief rain shower, but there was a pretty rainbow! Then, we saw a notice that there would be fireworks after dark! We couldn’t walk on the pier, because it was already closed to set up the fireworks. We watched the sunset and afterglow from a bench on the beach!
Our favorite place to watch fireworks is from our dock. It was a nice show, and an hour earlier than the one in July!
Sunday morning, Grandma took me to the south bay recreation area by kayak. That area is south of the Old Ridge Road bridge. The area just south of the bridge had been so clogged with weeds that Grandma didn’t want to try paddling there. For the last week or so, the county weed harvesters have been clearing a paddling path! There is a nice channel bordered by cattails and purple loosestrife. I liked all the colorful plants that are growing on the beaver lodge! We paddled as far as we could before the channel was blocked by a tree.
Sunday afternoon, Uncle Steven’s family came back. On Labor Day, we had sticky buns for breakfast again! Uncle Steven and Aunt Kara went kayaking, then we all went back to town after lunch.
Yesterday, Grandma and I were busy with the herbs and berries we brought back from the bay! First, we made two batches of pesto with the cinnamon basil and lime basil Grandma harvested. Then we used the rosemary she brought back to make goat cheese biscuits. Two years’ collection of wild blackberries was enough to make a batch of wild blackberry puree! That went into the freezer until Grandma is in the mood to make wild blackberry ice cream. We’re storing away as much summer as we can!
Love,
Lion-san
Please tell me what you put in tomato pies besides tomatoes and crust. How long do you bake the pie?
Lovely photo of deer with racks.
Great Aunt Betsy, Grandma says she’ll send you the recipe.