Days 24, 25, 26 – Return to Endicott – meet some friends, play with Patrick, and a Wilderness Camp visit

We had a nice 6 hour drive back to Endicott where we spent most of the next few days “playing with Patrick”. This was Gigg’s last time in Endicott, so in addition to meeting our friends, Gigg also said her “goodbyes” to Mom, Sharon, Terry and Patrick.

It was a quick hello and goodbye to Mitzi and Don:


and bye bye to mom, Sharon and Patrick …






and even Mark Ruffalo stopped by to bid his farewells …



The highlight of this visit to Endicott was a day at the “Wilderness Way School and Camp” (http://www.wildernesswayschool.com/ ). The girls were greeted by a 1.5 year old puppy, Maca … who had a 100 meter running start. This is what happens when large puppy meets petite Thai girl … with a head of steam.


and in “cool down” mode …


Mike, the Chief Instructor and founder of the Wilderness Way School had some interesting and educational projects planned for the girls. First, he demonstrated making fire with a wood set and bow.



and then the attentive and capable students each were able to make a fire themselves …



They then learned the ancient art of finger weaving:




Then, Bill, the big fishermen took over and showed the girls the fundamentals of fishing. Within a few minutes both girls were making excellent casts with spinning gear (that they had never before even seen).

They caught some small fish …



and some big fish …

Gigg even got to the point where she was holding the fish herself


Bill helped Su display one of her larger catches.


and this picture, taken seconds after the previous one, is a good demonstration that fish do have teeth … (as Bill grimaces in pain)


Of course, as with all fishermen … there is always the tale of the “one that got away”..


The guys discuss the “correct fishing techniques”


While the girls continue to pull them in … sometimes... two at a time...


I was trying to fish … but fishing skills were being severely impacted because every time I made a cast, on of the girls caught a fish … and this meant I had to throw down my rod and take some pictures. All I could manage was one fish –


and I cannot tell a lie. I had to borrow this fish for the photo opportunity. (I guess I should have borrowed a bigger one)

Terry’s parents joined us for dinner on the girls last night in Endicott, and we were once again treated to a very nice Thai meal.

Day 23 – A ferry boat ride to Martha’s Vineyard

We were fortunate enough to have Courtney, one of Peg’s good friends, as a tour guide for Martha’s Vineyard.


We drove around the entire island, giving the girls a chance to see some of the $25 million dollar homes on the vineyard. We stopped at some scenic spots –

We had an opportunity to meet up with my nephew Sean and his wife Dardy and got to meet their new son Quinlin.


Peg, Dardy, “Dad” , Sean and Quinlin keeping up with the group


After an enjoyable day on the island (thanks to Courtney), we boarded the ferry at Oak’s Bluff and headed back for Falmouth.



That night Jim’s parents joined us for a great dinner and after dinner we had a very special treat. The “real” Piano Man … Bob Ledwell … sat down and entertained us with a seemingly endless medley of “oldies but goodies” … really old oldies.


Rose and the girls enjoyed the music …


and Mike and Peg managed to “cut a rug” to one of the old polkas …

Our trip to the Cape ended on this very happy note, and the next morning we headed back to Endicott, NY.

Day 22 – A Busy day, Falmouth to Provincetown and Wellfleet

You can CLick this map for a bigger version.


We drove all the way up to the end of Cape Cod to Provincetown
There was a Portuguese Festival (the blessing of the boats) in Provincetown this weekend, so we had the opportunity to see some Portuguese dancing.



The girls sat and stared at the ocean for a long time. I wonder if they were thinking of their homeland (or the handsome guys who periodically walked by).


We roamed all over town, seeing all of the usual tourist attractions, including the “Pilgrim Monument”.



We also saw Falmouth Harbor and the Falmouth Lighthouse, one of the “symbols” of Cape Cod.



It has become common to find the gals in the kitchen cooking some very nice Thai meals.


with results like this:

Day 21 – South to Falmouth and Wood’s Hole on Cape Cod in Massachusetts

We arrived at Cape Cod about 1030am and Jim took us on a tour of WHOI (Wood’s Hole Oceanographic Institute) and surrounding area.


The WHOI Exhibition Center had a full size mock up of “Alvin” , the WHOLI deep diving 3 person submarine. This gave us the opportunity to see how Jim felt for 8 hours on a recent opportunity he had to do some experiments on the ocean floor in Alvin.


After our tour, the girls wanted to hit the beach to check out some of the local guys. Well … about 2 minutes after this picture was taken, it started to rain … ending all hope of finding “Mr. Right”.

That night after an enjoyable dinner at a Thai restaurant, we stopped at a festival being held in Falmouth, and spent a little time listening to some big band sounds. The rain turned things a little chilly 53F (11C) so it was not a pleasant experience for our girls from sunny, warm Thailand (or me … for that matter).

Day 20 – Halibut Point State Park – North Shore – Massachusetts

Tiring of “museums”, we changed our plan and headed for the North Shore and a picnic on the rocks. Upon arrival at the park, Barbara was pleasantly surprised to encounter “Bernie”.


Su found a discarded lobster trap float.

Most of the time Su and Gigg are willing and in fact eager “models” … but not always …


Barb joined Su and Gigg in exploring the tidal pools


We managed to not fall in the water, although we did get a bit wet as some waves jumped up at us during the incoming tide.


A pleasant rocky beach scene …

And to finish up our trip to the North Shore, we stopped at Bearskin Neck in Rockport to see “Motif #1” … the most painted scene in the world.