Reunion Day!

Mama and baby on the bank of the Maumee River

September 13 – It was nice not to have to get up early and face driving in rain.  It is quite a bit colder here than we expected, not really shorts weather for sure.  We left for Johnston’s Farm right after breakfast to get apples.  It was less than 10 minutes away and we got a bushel and a peck of 3 kinds of apples to eat and make apple butter with.  I also got 2 nice pumpkins for pumpkin butter.  Bill got a bag of fresh made maple donuts and pears and I picked up an acorn squash for on the way home to FL.

I checked the washer again and it was not working so Bill was to meet a friend at his condo in Bowling Green to visit so we loaded the laundry in the car and he dropped me at the Laundromat while he went to visit.  I did 4 loads.  None of the washers are large capacity like mine at home.  These are not much larger than the RV.  I called Karen and we had a nice chat.  It’s always good to hear a familiar voice.  I finished the book I was reading and realized the one I bought to start I had already read.  I played some solitaire on my phone. 

Some of the boats at the reunion location

Bill was hungry when he picked me up so he went to Arby’s and then we headed home.  I had a quick snack as I wasn’t in an Arby’s mood.  I had to shower and dress and he put the damp clothes in the dryer and re-folded his stuff.  We were to meet his friend Mike at 3:45 to follow him to the boating club location.  We were right on time and it was literally just across the street from the meeting place but down a REALLY steep hill.  It’s right on the Maumee River and there were quite a few boats docked. 

 I would say we were some of the early

John Flory and Mike Hertfeld 

arrivals and they gradually all arrived.  I think there were about 60 people.  The reunion was a Birthday Reunion.  Most of the class would turn 70 this year.   They had some money left from their 50^th reunion so they used it for the meats, bottled water and paper goods and the locals brought side dishes and desserts.  It was a really nice spread of bbq and picnic foods.  Had I known we were to bring a beverage if we wanted other than water or tea I would have brought some wine but Bill wasn’t too full of details about the whole event.  There was a big tray of 70 mini cupcakes, each with a candle in it and at the appropriate time they were all lit and

Bill's closest high school friends

we sung “happy birthday to us”.  It was in/on a covered deck and there were plastic covers on the outside to keep any wind out but it still got a bit on the chilly side.  Not at all what I was expecting.  Everyone was really nice and I did know one couple, John and Sue Flory.  We went to their son’s wedding in Naples in November and it was the first time Bill had seen John in close to 40 years.  I talked to several of Bill’s friends, one is moving back to FL in a year.   They lived in Orlando for 35 years and he and Bill never hooked up.  People finally started leaving at around 7 and we left about 8:30-8:45.  My feet were freezing.

Bill wanted to stop at Wal-mart and Meijers to see if he could find Maumee HS t-shirts and maybe a Cleveland Indians t-shirt.  We did find some things for Christmas gifts and Bill got some Michigan State slippers for in the RV.  He put them on as soon as we got in and said they were much warmer than his house socks.  This ceramic tile gets cold.  We didn’t get home until about 10.

We were a little cranked from being out and about so we sat and read for a while to wind down.