A Brief Family Reunion.

Our son Ray and his wife Tara hosted a little family reunion at their vacation home on Long Island.  There were 6 adults, 2 little boys, and 1 little girl.  I was so looking forward to this get-together that I think I was packed and ready to go days ahead of time.  And, of course, my camera was charged up and ready for action.

So we arrived on Tuesday afternoon, ahead of everyone else.  For four hours we had the house to ourselves, and what a gift that was.  Then around 6 PM or so, our daughter Lorelei, her husband Andreas and their 4-year-old son arrived.  Followed very quickly by Ray, Tara, Matthew, their 4-year-old boy and the prettiest little 14-month-old girl ever, Gabrielle - a/k/a Gaby.  We buzzed around looking for dinner to prepare for all the hungry travellers, so I left my camera in the handbag.

Next morning I took photos of the little boys grabbing for grapes

That bowl had been half full when they started  . . .

and little Gaby in her high chair attacked cheese, cheerios and some dark bread.

Though she can hold a fork and bring it to her mouth, she thinks finger food is better.

And then, as we all prepared to hop into the swimming pool, the worst thing happened (well, pretty bad, anyway) - - My camera went missing.  For the next several days I looked everywhere.  So did all the other adults, with many questions - - when did you last have it?  are you sure it's not in your handbag/ your suitcase/ your pocket?  So my wonderful photographic record was never to be.  Fortunately there are other photos - - not so many as I would have taken, but a few, to convey the flavor of the period.

The house has a half-wrap-around porch behind a hedge of hydrangea.

Mostly white ones, with hints of blue in some and pink in others.  Ray took this photo.

The village had an Independence Day Parade on the main street, and we set ourselves up beneath the (partial) shade of a small tree. We had flags and whirlygig and balloons out of sight up in the tree.

The baby? She was asleep in her stroller just beyond the striped chairs.  Ray also took this.

The parade started out with Veterans of Foreign Wars - - really old fellows from WW II, not so old fellows from Korean conflict, then my contemporaries from the Vietnam war, and so on down to the current unpleasantnesses of the decade past.  Then the Minute Men from the Colonial Era, with their little cannon and their muskets, then fire trucks, fire engines, ambulances (heaven help the South Fork if a big fire broke out), bands, parade celebrities, floats, and the local American Indian tribe dancing behind a float.

That evening I insisted that after dinner and before the sun set we must go to the beach.  The little four-year-old from far away should visit the ocean for the first time. This would not be like the ride he took across Long Island Sound on a ferry boat.  He should smell the salt air and get his feet wet in the chilly Atlantic waves.  So we piled into the car, including the barking dog who doesn't like riding in the car, and drove the short distance, parked the car, walked across the warm sand, and there it was.

That's me in the foreground.  The boy in blue knew enough to pull  up the legs of his shorts.
And he took this foolish shot as well. 

As twilight deepened, this child who lives far from the sea had a wonderful time.
Lorelei was the photographer of this one.

So the holiday ended and we packed up and drove the long highways back home.  I seriously considered the camera gone forever, and went out to search for a replacement.  Fortunately I came home empty-handed, and two days later came a message from Ray:  Camera found - it had been hidden by throw pillows.

It's hard to see hidden between the seat cushion and the sofa back, but there it lay!

So the very next day, carefully packaged in not just one but two bubble packs came home the camera, courtesy of FedEx.  And to prove that it arrived safely:

Ta-da!

As the man said, "All's well that ends well."