Tuckahoe steam and Gas

Arlo and I went to the Tuckahoe Steam and Gas Association's Annual Show yesterday and had a blast. It is a rural heritage festival with tractors, engines, displays, exhibitions and competitions. I filled up the camera with pictures and videos of tractors, but will spare you most of them.

Summer Vacation VII - At Lake Michigan

Summer Vacation VI - At the garden

Summer Vacation V - Grandpa's Birthday

Summer Vacation IV - at the creek

Summer Vacation III - at the big lake

Summer Vacation II - some pictures

Summer Vacation Part I

We had our summer vacation in Michigan a bit early this year so we got to celebrate my dad's birthday with him in person. We stayed through the 4th of July and enjoyed fireworks from the dock looking out over the lake - it was calm, quiet, and there were some surprisingly good displays.

Arlo LOVED our trip - he had a great time with "Grammy" and "cough-cough" [Grandpa], "Puppy" Cooper, the lake, and the tractor. My friends Alyssa and John and their 1 year old daughter Beatrice ("B") joined us for the later part of the trip and Arlo enjoyed playing with B (mostly taking toys and food from her), going so far as to say "B friend" one day. As always, it was great to have them join us up north for puzzles, books, beers and relaxing.

While on the trip Arlo got some new (used) books from the Library Book Sale including several with trucks and equipment in them - he learned to say half of the stuff in about a day - bulldozer, back hoe, dump truck, crane, boat, tractor, etc. were all quickly added to his vocab. Meanwhile, the books that didn't have any trains or trucks sat sadly on the shelf...

Arlo loved the lake and learned to jump in off the dock when Daddy was there to catch him. He rode around in a little inflatable boat, as well as Grandpa's bigger boat. When we went water skiing and tubing, he was a little less thrilled and seemed to worry about us - he'd say "uh-oh, help boat" if he saw the boat stop out in the water after someone was tossed off the tube. I also heard "Daddy boom" a few times...

Arlo loved that he got to drive the tractor with Grandpa and they usually took a spin at least once a day around the driveway. He even got to dig a hole up at the property next to the garden (see pictures). He's quite mastered the steering and knows how to raise and lower the buckets.

We got to indulge in a bunch of fresh local produce - lettuce, peas and zucchini from the garden, and fresh raspberries (pie!), cherries, strawberries and blueberries from the orchard down the road. Yum.

When we got home, it was 100 degrees in DC and the heat is holding on. Can't say we missed it much ;) Yes, the lake is the place to be in summertime!

Pics coming next!

Quick Trip to Ohio

Arlo and I went to Ohio tMonday and the first thing we did when we got there was take the tractor out for a ride. It's good to run it every so often. That evening, we had a family banquet at DeRienzo's. Grandma and Grandpa Roth, Grandma and Grandpa Augusta, Great Aunt Tona and Gerb, Aunt Tina and Uncle Mark and cousins Mckayla, Mariah, and Alayna were all there. It was really great to get everyone together at the same table. Arlo was a little stunned at first to be surrounded by so much family all at once. He warmed up, then, dumped his water out on the floor.

Mariah and Alayna stay at Grandpa Augusta's with us and played with Arlo until bedtime. And, right he woke, they were there to play for a few more hours. They all seemed to have a blast.

The reason we went was to pick up my Dad's old Lazyboy that we had refurbished. Hopefully we are creating a family heirloom.

The drive home wasn't the greatest, but when we were passing through Rock Creek Park on the way home, Arlo said "Ohio fun."