We feel like old timers

Adirondack chairs

My son Lenny and his wife Carmenchita have produced a son and heir – Yossarian – who weighed 3.1 kilos and was 55 centimeters long. 

He is my fourth grandchild and the only one my surname – so a lot is riding on him if the line is to survive.

Our roots do after all go back to England in the 16^th century and it would a shame for a family which produced outstanding miners, barbers and tram drivers to disappear.

We had a particularly gruesome trip to Albany - even by American standards -  but recovered after an infusion of New Zealand sauvignon blanc.

For some reason on the trip to Albany I was tagged as ‘TSA pre’ which means that I went through a special security lane and did not have to take off my shoes and belt – and could leave my computer in my bag.

Cate did not receive this special designation and was not happy.

We quite liked New York state – and Lake Placid in particular. Lake Placid does not contain a giant crocodile – that was just a story. 

But it does have lots of very large homes – which are called camps - on the lake. We took a boat tour and saw some of these.

 

Cate bought a ‘go away’ bear for reasons I have yet to fathom. It looks nothing like the bear in the photo. 

On 4 July we went to Plattsburg and watched fireworks. This is our second 4 July – we feel like old timers.

We stayed in Albany on our last night and the hotel was stuffed to the gunwales with Paul McCartney fans who were going to his concert. 

I really think it’s time he retired – after all I bought my first Beatles album in 1963. The fans in the hotel had walking sticks and Zimmer frames.