Hello, loyal readers. Just a little update on why the long radio silence, here.

Last week was our first really, really BIG family vacation, prompted by the 90th birthday of my wife’s only surviving grandmother, whose big birthday request was a family reunion. So, naturally, the first thing we had to do was send me and Son to Webelos Weekend, because when you’re planning for a week away from home, the best thing to do is start things off right with a camping trip for half the family. If that doesn’t make a lot of sense to you, as it did not to me, I suggest you review this faithful transcript of the conversation I had with my wife over the matter:

Me: “We’re going to be driving with all our children to MAINE. It wil be exhausting, and besides, there’s a Scout camp every summer. Do we really have to..?”
Wife: “YES.”

So, having been convinced by that argument, Son and I went to Webelos Weekend where we donated approximately a half-gallon of blood to Satan’s Aerial Red Cross, but other than that had quite a bit of fun. We then came back and took off for Maine.

Get ready for a profound observation: The United States is really, really big. The last time I drove to the East Coast, it was from Kansas, not Wisconsin, so technically that was a bit longer. Notwithstanding, that time I was splitting the drive five ways, not two, and I was also about 23 years younger, and the youngest person in the car.

All kidding aside, it was a great blessing to be able to show the kids something like a sixth of the country. We waded in the Atlantic Ocean. On our travels, we saw crabs, snakes, and more deer than I ever thought possible. We met cousins we hadn’t seen in years, or in the case of the kids, ever. And they got to meet their great-grandmother. That’s not a thing that most of us get to do, these days. I remember my own great-grandmother clearly from my childhood, and treasure it. I am glad that my own children will at least have some of those memories.

On the way back, Wife’s uncle was kind enough to invite us to a wonderful barbecue, and if you have never eaten smoked salmon, pork, and brisket in the same meal, I highly recommend it. The weather was wonderful, and the only real downside to the trip struck on Friday morning, when Elder Daughter succumbed to carsickness, and we had to deal with very unpleasant odors on the way back.

I must say that while visiting Niagara Falls was wonderful, I don’t really recommend visiting on Saturday. Also, go EARLY and avoid the lines that plagued our visit. That said, riding the Maid Of The Mists practically into the Horseshoe Falls is well worth it.

Also, Saturday nights in summer, the hotels all along I-90 in Ohio are booked. Solid. Be warned.

However, that is why I have not blogged this week. Everything should be starting back up now. Watch this space for details.