Goats and Suds

The action continues around here with Grampa and Abuela’s Annual Summer Camp. Yesterday I loaded the FBR and BRS into the car and drove north so the BRS could attend her 1^st grade orientation. She starts school next Monday and needed to attend this important prep session. This also provided the opportunity to re-acquire BR3 and have a full squad of granddaughters for the rest of the week. When I showed up, I was tasked with picking up BR3 from her pre-school class while my son and the ABFA accompanied the BRS to her orientation. I learned the FBR, who was sitting behind me, seems to have inherited her abuela’s backseat driver genes. She had a running commentary on my driving capabilities, especially when I missed the turn into the pre-school.

With Their Abuela Created T-Shirts

After a quick pizza dinner, I hit the road back to Worcester with all three granddaughters. BR3 fell asleep within the first five minutes and didn’t wake up until we pulled into the garage at home. It must have seemed a very quick trip to her; me, not so much. The BRS entertained me the whole way back with her singing which was very nice as I was pretty tired. They all went meekly to bed which was truly a first in my experience with them. It could have been the promise not to go on today’s trip if they gave me any trouble but I’m guessing their full day of cousin play and traveling had tired them out.

Getting thier Hair Right for the Farm

Goats!

Bounce Pad Time

Today was our annual trek to the fabulous David Farmland. My Favorite Panamanian is still on crutches and wasn’t available for the trip. Great Aunt leapt at the opportunity to accompany us and spend the time with the granddaughters. We arrived and I could see both the FBR and BRS get really excited as they remembered their past visits there. As soon as we were through the gate they made a bee line to the house where they could pat kittens, ferrets and bunnies. After that initial pat-fest, we headed to goat land where the high-priced cups of feed were distributed. The FBR and BRS are old hands at this experience. BR3 was a little intimidated and kept drawing her hand back when the goats neared the food, frustrated goats make some ugly sounds.

Very Happy Great Aunt

FBR 

BRS

Making Another New Friend

After a bounce house sojourn, we moved into the area where we walked amongst the goats and sheep, always fun (note to the self - make sure to wash the bottom of all our shoes well). Both the FBR and BRS soon had baby goats in their laps while BR3 shied away. She eventually made friends with a small llama, safely behind a wire fence while being fed. We moved through the many animal exhibits as the BR3 became more accustomed to the wandering animals. She still didn’t accompany her sister and cousin went into a sheep enclosure which resulted in the funniest moment of the day. A chicken started walking towards BR3 who leapt into a nearby chair and cried out for my protection. I avoided making a joke about BR3’s fondness for chicken nuggets. I tried to explain the chicken wasn’t after her and I thought she could take it if it did. She was having none of this and waited for the chicken to vacate the area before she felt safe. Great Aunt and I couldn’t stop laughing.

The Chicken "Incident"

It's Coming Back!!!

Our next stop was a reptile exhibition, led by a semi-famed alligator wrester. The granddaughters sat down in the front row. The wrestler asked for volunteers from the audience and both the FBR and BRS raised their hands. Fresh off her chicken terrorizing event, BR3 decided not to. The FBR was chosen and looked a little ashen when she learned what she had volunteered for. The wrestler took a twelve-foot boa constrictor out and the volunteers were responsible for holding it for while he talked. The FBR got the tail end which kept trying to curl around her hands. She handled it with a lot of courage and some nervous smiles. I was proud of her. After lunch we headed over to the water park side. All three granddaughters quickly shucked their clothes for bathing suits to immerse in the different booths.

Bird Enclosure

Deer Auditions

FBR

BRS

FBR Boa Handling

Way Cool

Lunch Time

Once again, the most popular event was the bubble booth and all three soon emerged coated in suds. While it was a beautiful summer day, there was an autumnal touch to the air whenever the sun went behind the clouds. This had no effect whatsoever on the granddaughters who spent a couple hours cavorting in the different streams. Predictably, BR3 was the first to fold and seek out the towels with Great Aunt all too happy to provide some warming hugs. Eventually I was able to convince the older two granddaughters that it was time to leave, with a promise of ice cream on the trip home. Before we left the Farmland though we had to walk by the strategically positioned gift shop. Great Aunt volunteered to accompany the three granddaughters into that dangerous territory which took a lot of courage. She said she wanted to buy one thing for each one. Twenty minutes later they emerged with five items each with a sheepishly smiling Great Aunt. She re-validated her status as “Great Aunt” as the granddaughters swirled around, each with a stuffed snake. They know their abuela is terrified of snakes and talked about a plan to place the newly acquired stuffed ones in her bed tonight. We followed up the gift shop extravaganza with a stop at a nearby ice cream shop where a serious amount of calories were sent downrange. A great day thanks to the heroic assistance of Great Aunt.

3 Cousins

Too Funny

BRS Gator Time

Suds it Up!

The Water Park

Great Aunt Warming Station

FBR and BRS

BR3

All Three

Gift Shop Benefactor

With their Gift Shop Haul

Ice Cream Stop

Great End of the Day

Two movies fell in the A-Z watch, both keepers: Layer Cake, awesome British crime caper with pre-Bond Daniel Craig; and The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, campy and at times silly, but still a well-done action flick with Connery’s last film role.

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RECURRING CHARACTERS:                                

ABFA – Amazing Best Family Athlete - my daughter in law; BR3 – Blog Reader #3 – granddaughter #3; BRS - Blog Reader the Sequel - second granddaughter; Cantankerous Friend – friend since grade school who likes to argue about everything, poses as radical leftist to attract women; CRC - Connecticut Riverboat Captain – another close friend from high school, renowned sailor of the big river; Curbside Girls – close friends of my daughter acquired during him her single days in Brooklyn; Deckzilla – our backyard deck which grew to monstrous dimensions once my wife got involved in planning; Favorite Panamanian - the wife (of course); FBR - First Blog Reader - first granddaughter; First Friday – celebrations to mark the First Friday of the Week; Great Aunt - my elder sister; Keene Friends 1 & 2 – friends since high school from my home town of Keene, NH; Kindergarten Friend – friend since kindergarten whom I reunited with after many years; Maine and Virginia Musqueteras – two close friends of my wife – her US sisters, my wife is the 3^rd Musquetera (musketeer); Namesake Nephew – son of Great Aunt and Soxfather named after me; Neighborhood Mafioso - wife's close friend and Panamanian mafia member; PanaGals – female relatives /friends of my wife from Panama; Panamanian/Latin Mafia – inevitable group of Latino friends my wife accumulates wherever we have lived & their spouses; PCR - Pittsburgh College Roommate – high school friend, also a “Minor Celebrity” in Pittsburgh; PCR+1 - Pittsburgh College Roommate’s wife; Riggins - also known as the Grandpuppy, son's dog; Seis Amigos - two couples from our condo complex and my wife and I; Soxfather – my brother in law; Tia Loca – wife’s younger sister; Wingman – my son in law; Wingmom – Wingman’s mom, of course