Home again, home again

In truth, I was home Sunday evening. I've spent the intervening time on catching up on sleep, a lot of sleep! I neglected to take my pillow with me. The bed was decent, but the pillows were those hard, flat versions. Two nights of bad slumber left me awfully deprived.

Then, laundry. and, oh, yes! Sunday night Kitty barfed, big time. I slept through it. Somehow I did not slip in the puddle I encountered in the middle of the night, and when I woke and found that mess in the morning, I was not pleased. Puddles all over the carpet. 

I got through it, and that's all I have to say about that. Except, much as I love Blake, who came Saturday and Sunday to take care of Kitty, he also fed her half a jar of those very rich cat treats. And Sunday night, she gave them back.

Letchworth! I am amazed at how far back our history goes with this park. My parents took we four children to Letchworth. It turns out, Ruth and Bill took their children to Letchworth. The children grew up and took their children. Beth and Bill rented a cabin for several summers. Mine camped with Mom and me and their cousins, in a camper and a tent.

Here we are. Caroline, my youngest granddaughter, Beth, me, Ruth, overlooking the Grand Canyon of the East. I was last there probably in the eighties. So much has changed, so much remains the same. We found a pioneer cemetery, relocated there years ago, but the first time any of us saw it. All the major areas have been expanded and improved. The rest rooms are first class.

No groundhogs to be seen. Those remain a big part of my Letchworth memory. Many of the "meadow" areas along the upper park are no longer mowed lawns, but returned to wildflower areas, with ample stands of butterfly and bird attracting vegetation. The Mary Jemison statue has been iron fenced off, to protect from vandals.

All the overlooks remain, but there is a lot of view obstructing vegetation between the top of the "canyon" and the river below. We started at the north end of the park and worked south, to the great falls of the Genesee River. I did most of my "walking" with the aid of two canes. I was exhausted at the end of the days, and in fact made my last "expedition" to see the falls in a transport chair Beth had brought.

The weather was exceptional; blue skies and big white clouds. At the falls I had the good fortune to have a freight train crossing the bridge. The hard part was getting Ruth and Caroline to turn around!