April 18: Lunch at Camp Ticonderoga

A big part of my childhood was our family getting together on a regular basis with close relatives. On my Mom's side, it was my Uncle Hank, Aunt Sib and my cousins; on my Dad's side it was my Aunt Bobbie, Uncle Jim and my cousins. As I grew up and began living on my own, those types of gatherings became less frequent. Even more so since my Mom and Dad's passing in 2008. But, today, we had lunch with my Aunt Bobbie and Uncle Jim; the first time my family, kids and all, had lunch out with my Aunt and Uncle. We selected Camp Ticonderoga in Troy as a good central location at which to meet. This was also my kids' first visit to Ticonderoga. My wife and I occasionally ate lunch there during our tenure as employees in Troy. It was nice to visit with my Aunt and Uncle over lunch; to be able to catch up on current life, but also reminisce about the past. The food is still very good at Ticonderoga and the kids absolutely loved the decor; what with all the animals "hanging around" (literally). My daughter even commented that she wanted to go back there for lunch sometime. Of course we'll have to, especially since they now have their own "Dog Wall of Fame" in which we can add a picture of our own playful pup, for a $2 fee, of course! Who knows, maybe she'll win "Mutt of the Month" and walk away with her own doggie bag of goodies. Regardless, all money collected from the fees are donated to the Leader Dogs for the Blind.