Oh, What Do You Do In the Summertime?

Oh, what do you do in the summertime, when all the world is green?
Do you fish in a stream, or lazily dream on the banks as the clouds go by?
Is that what you do? So do I!

Oh, what do you do in the summertime, when all the world is green?
Do you swim in a pool, to keep yourself cool, or swing in a tree up high?
Is that what you do? So do I!

Oh, what do you do in the summertime, when all the world is green?
Do you march in parades, or drink lemonades, or count all the stars in the sky?
Is that what you do? So do I!

Last week was one of those busy, fun sort of weeks that we have when we have summer company. Almost every day there was something big happening and when it wasn’t something big, it was just having fun being together.

On Monday almost everyone went over to Bradford in McKean County to visit the Zippo Lighter/Case Knife Factory and Museum. I didn’t go with them, but those who went said they had a fun time. In the afternoon everyone went to yoga. We doubled the size of the class. Later that evening we all had dinner at the Shillig’s and then Family Home Evening. We played Family History Bingo and learned about some of our ancestors while we played.

Yoga.

One of our Family History Bingo cards.

On Tuesday we went out to the farm of our friends Bob and Nancy Jones to do some work. There was a lot of energy in our group and we wanted a useful outlet for it. We helped them harvest garlic and we weeded a sweet corn patch. It was fun working together and always a pleasure to be with the Joneses. They have one of the nicest places in the county.

Wednesday was a quieter day. Julie, Aaron, and Mandi left early that morning to drive up to Buffalo to pick up Kurt and Kohl and her children at the airport. While they were up there they crossed into Canada and went to see the Canadian side of Niagara Falls. Those of us at home didn’t do much that day. In the afternoon some went swimming at Erway’s pond. That evening when everyone was home again, we had a big Mexican dinner at our house. Stacey invited a woman who attends our yoga class who is from Italy and is here working for a few months. We had a nice evening together. Adding Kohl and her boys, Wade and Reed, and baby Vea into the mix has ramped up the energy level a lot.

On Thursday we spent the day just being together. A group of us went on an Amish shopping trip. Thursday evening we all went to the movies. Stacey got us in free through her work. We went to see Ant Man and the Wasp. After we got back from the movie, we had fireworks over at the Shillig’s house.

Dinner on Thursday.

Ready for fireworks on Thursday.

On Friday the Georgia Shillig’s left and headed south toward their home with a stop off at Uncle Ted’s place in Virginia on the way. It was fun having them here. That evening the Thayn family, our niece Missy and her baby Hudson, and our niece Alexa and her dog Zara all arrived. They will all be here for the week. Friday night after dinner we had fireworks at Shillig’s again.

Ready for fireworks on Friday.

Friday's fireworks.

On Saturday we went to the big Amish Auction out in North Bingham. It really was a Big Auction, a benefit for their schools. There were hundreds of people there, Amish and English. There were five or six different auctions going on simultaneously – one in the big hall with furniture and quilts, one on one porch with tools and equipment, one on another porch with archery, trapping, and sports gear, one in a tent with livestock, one in another tent with plants and produce, and another out in front with farm equipment. Plus they were selling baked goods and chicken dinners. It was fun. We actually bid and won several potted coneflowers, two for me and two for Rachel that will be planted in our respective gardens.

At the Amish Auction.

After we got back from the auction, Stacey and I drove in to Coudersport to see what was going on at the Eliot Ness Festival. Eliot Ness, who was famous for enforcing prohibition in Chicago and for bringing down Al Capone, moved to Coudersport, the county seat of Potter County, in 1953. He lived in a house on Third Street until he died there in 1957. So, tiny Coudersport has a claim to a small amount of fame and they decided to hold an annual Eliot Ness Festival to celebrate it. This year was the first annual festival. There were vendors set up around the court house. Local citizens dressed in Prohibition Era costumes. The Coudersport Theater hosted several Eliot Ness related movies. And Saturday afternoon they had a vintage car parade down Main Street. Stacey and I were there in time for the parade. There were some great old cars. In one car there were men dressed as gangsters with Tommy guns being followed by an old police car. There was an impressive Rolls Royce that once belonged to the owner of the Chicago Tribune. He had it custom built and had it made bulletproof because Capone was bent on killing him. It was all pretty fun.

The antique car parade with gangsters.

The Rolls Royce.

 Later on Saturday afternoon, we went over to our friends the Kear’s house so the children (and the adults) could see his model train set up. Art Kear is a serious model train hobbyist. He has a room in his house dedicated to his trains. We were all amazed at the tiny details of the trains and the buildings.

In Art Kear's train room.

Out in the garden things are growing quickly. The giant pumpkin vines are becoming gigantic. I didn’t know they would get this big. They have outgrown their designated bed and are sprawling across lawn and other gardens. I know how zucchinis behave so I only planted four plants, even so, we have an overabundance. Julie planted six or seven zucchini and yellow squash plants and has more than she can use so she brings them to us too. We are trying to find inventive ways to incorporate summer squash into every meal in addition to making zucchini bread to eat now and freeze for later.

Sprawling pumpkin vines.

Out in the flower garden, the lilies are blooming. They are extra tall this year – over five feet – and their powerful and intoxicating aroma fills my garden. The poppies and hollyhocks are still going strong. The morning glories have begun to bloom. And the zinnias are just coming into their prime. The dahlias have their first buds. And the balloon flowers, one of my favorite summer flowers, have begun to bloom.

Five foot lilies.

Purple poppy.

Another purple poppy.

My balloon flowers.

Out in the orchard, the trees are heavy with fruit. I’ve been thinning them, but it’s hard to keep up with them. We had heavy rain last Sunday night and the extra weight of the rain caused some heavy -laden branches to break. It looks like a lot of rain is coming our way this week so I might have to go out and thin fruit in the rain to keep more branches from breaking.

Mabel eating fallen (sour) apples.

The weather is a bit gloomy today. It rained hard during the night. The forecast says it will be like this all week with rain or thunderstorms expected every day. That will put a damper on outdoor activities. We’ll have to find things to do indoors to keep everyone entertained. With a houseful of company and a good portion of them children under the age of six, that will be a challenge. We always encourage lots of quiet reading time, but that only goes so far. I think we’ll do okay, though.

Hazel reading.

Cousins after church today.

Second cousins after church today.