Thanks Jude & Leslie

We left Watertown yesterday on our way back to Clayton to spend more time with our friends, Sally & Lynn before leaving this area on Tuesday morning.  For most of the last month (or more) Jude & Leslie Renzi (Roy's nephew and his wife) let us park our motorhome in their driveway in Watertown while they were at their cottage in Sackets Harbor.  It was great for us and we are so appreciative.  Thanks again Jude & Leslie!

Jude & Leslie's house with us tucked neatly off to the side.

Accommodations don't get a whole lot better than this!

Jude & Leslie

Tug Hill Winery

While Roy's siblings were sll still all here, we went to The Tug Hill Winery for brunch.  It was the most amazing brunch I have seen in a very long time - so much delicious food.  It was a beautiful day with a lovely breeze.  We sat on the porch and just took in the view and ate until we couldn't eat any more - well, some of us did anyway.

From the left around the table:
Mike, Linda, John & Linda Driscoll (Roy's sister & brother-in law),
Jackie & Cos (Roy's brother & sister-in-law),Roy and
Hamid & Linda (Roy's cousin and her husband)



Guess Who! in front of the winery.





Friends and Family

We are having such a wonderful time in Northern NY reconnecting with family and friends.  It is going to be really hard to leave - but the road and the unknown call to us.  We are anxious to get back on the road but we want to take our loved ones along with us :)

Wendell & Eileen Pierce

  

Roy with Joann and Steve Masticusis and
Tommy Costanzo at Tommy's restaurant. 

 

Roy's cousin Bobby Renzi and his wife Charlene.

 

Karen & Jasper Grant




Roy visiting with his Aunt Marie at the nursing home.





Linda and her Mom, Mary.

Mary is the one who taught us how to make "The Receipe".

I love this! 
The dog has been riding in this sidecar since he was 3 months old.



Roy's neice Lisa and Max.  Too cute!



Bobby Renzi, Jasper Grant, Roy, Me, Charlene Renzi & Karen Grant.

Dinner at our friends's, Marty & Nancy Schatz

Roy & I went to dinner at our friends, Marty & Nancy's with Mike & Linda.  It was a beautiful night on Lake Ontario.  We sat outside and enjoyed the wonderful lake air and then went inside for a fantastic dinner.

A little dark, but the only picture I have of all of us.
Linda, Mike, Nancy, Marty, Me and Roy

Linda, Nancy & me

Mike, Marty & Roy on Marty & Nancy's deck with
Lake Ontario in the background.

What are you drinking Mike? 
It looks like something too green to drink! LOL

Another beautiful and peaceful cemetery

For those of you who are not interested in cemeteries, you may want to skip this section.  My interest in them, for some odd reason, has always been really strong.  I just find them very peaceful and am intrigued by the history the give us.

A huge & magnificent tree lives in the middle of the cemetery.

Some headstones date back to the 1700s.

Headstones as far as you can see.

 

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Many of the headstones were for young soldiers who
died serving our country many, many years ago!

Roy & I had dinner with our good friendsWayne & Nancy.  We had a wonderful time reminiscing about old times.  I cannot remember the last time I laughed as hard as I did that night. I think we all had tears in our eyes talking about some of the funny things that have happened over the years.  After dinner we took a walk down to the Historic Sackets Harbor Battlefield to watch another beautiful Northern NY sunset.  A great time with great friends!

Our dear friends Wayne & Nancy Cooke

Wayne & Roy getting ready to cook dinner :)

"Gee Roy, don't you think it is a little too smokey?"

These guys did a great job with the grilling  :)

Another beautiful Northern NY sunset.

Aren't they cute!

With Wayne & Nancy on the Sackets Harbor Battlefield
overlooking Lake Ontario

Arcadia Park on the St. Lawrence River

We went to visit my Aunt Mary at her cottage on the River.  Lots of my cousins were there and we had a ball.  My cousins, brothers Pat & Tim are probably the 2 two funniest people I have ever known.  They had us laughing so hard telling us stories about when they were growing up...and I thought Jason & Scott got into a lot as kids! LOL  Pat was telling us all the statistics about the St. Lawrence River and The 1,000 Island area.  We got to talking about what constitutes an Island in the 1,000 Islands.  Pat said the "Island" had to have a minimun of 2 trees on it to be called an Island.  "Nope! only 1 live tree Pat".  He was so sure he was right with the 2-tree argument, he wanted to put a $5 bet on it.  Google told us an Island in the 1,000 Island has to be at least 1 square foot, be above water 365 days a year and have at least 1 (yes Pat, 1) live tree on it! LOL What a fun day we had visiting with family.   

Aunt Mary, cousin Bev, Roy, cousin Dick & wife Juanita
and cousin Dave & wife Candy at Aunt Mary's cottage.

Roy telling one of his stories,
Cousin Pat, Aunt Mary, cousin Dick and cousin Bev

Funny man cousin Tim and Juanita

Happy me collecting on a bet with tearful cousin Pat. LOL

Cousin Dave and wife Candy

Looking out from Aunt Mary's cottage

Juantia (laughing not crying), Roy, me & Bev up front.
Dave & Candy in the back.

Alexandria Bay, NY

Roy's cousing Linda and her husband Hamid and Roy & I took a day and went to Alexandria Bay on the St. Lawrence River.  It was an absolutely beautiful day.  We went to "The Top of the Bay", a restaurant owned by 2 wonderful people we know.  The restaurant looks out over the town dock in the bay.  After having a drink at The Top of the Bay we went to "Capt's Landing" for lunch.  Capt's Landing is a floating restaurant in Alexandria Bay situated directly across from Heart Island and Bolt's Castle which is an island with a wonderfully romantic and sad history.  The castle is a beautiful structure that was built in the early 1900's as a token of love from Goeorge Bolt to his beloved wife Louise.  Before completion of the castle, Louise passed away and all work on the castle was haulted.  The castle's interior fell into disrepair until sometime in the 1980's when the 1000 Island Bridge Authorithy took over the castle's restoration and is still in the process of renovating the interior to the glory George had planned for his wife.  Today Bolt Castle is a tourist attraction and one can only stand in wonder and imagine what it would have been like to live in such an inceredible "home". 

A little trivia, George Bolt invented the 1000 Island dressing while he worked at The Waldorf Astoria in NYC. 

Roy & I with Linda & Hamid at Capt's Landing.

Looking out at the town dock in Alexandria Bay.

Bolt Castle on Heart Island.

After lunch at Capt's Landing, the floating island.

Roy & Hamid looking out on the St. Lawrence River from Capt's Landing

Bolt Castle framed by a window and (red) shipping passing by.



Sackets Harbor, NY

We had a Renzi sibling's reunion at Mike & Linda's (Renzi) house in Sackets Harbor on Lake Ontario.  It was a 5-day affair!  Four of the siblings and Roy's cousin Linda & her husband were there.  Most of those days and evenings were spent at Mike & Linda's!  They were so gracious - and the food!  OMG - so much to eat and so little time. LOL  We celebrated Roy's brother Cos's 72nd birthday while we were there.  All the siblings were there with the exception of Roy's youngest brother Paul who was in the middle of a move from Wisconsin to Virginia :(  But, Linda (Roy's cousin from NYC) and her husband Hamid were there.  They are just like siblings to the all the Renzis.  Roy & I had a great time seeing everyone.  In addition to all of us, Mike and Linda invited some of Cos's childhood friends to help celebrate his birthday.  I think Cos had a wonderful time.  I know Roy & I did!

Linda, Mike, Roy, Cos, Linda (Roy's cousin), Jackie & Hamid

Roy helping Cos blow out his birthday candles.

Another Northern NY sunset!

Mike & Linda

Mike relaxing after dinner.