Catch up Post: Hikers and Party

Sorry followers it has been a while.  There has been too much going on over the last week but I'll start with some dear friends that visited.

Well my parent's house in Highland Falls, NY is right off the Appalachian Trail at Bear Mountain.  Mike (trail name Upstate), Megan (Caboose), and Brock (Loop) have been on the trail over the past few months.  A BEAST of a task!  So, fortunately they accepted our offer for a place to take a break and we got to go into the city for half a day.  This is the four of us on top of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Ha ha!  This picture is EPIC.  We were walking down the street when we passed the Abercrombie and Fitch store where you may or may not know has a shirtless male model on duty at all times.  I asked Mike if he wanted take a picture with this fine specimen and at he took it a notch further by rips off his shirt.  Then came the magic... a pose that would make Zoolander green with envy.

Before they left I was able to take a short hike (9 miles, which is nothing compared to their normal days of 20 plus) with them through the Hudson Valley and up.  It was an extremely beautiful day but unfortunately my pictures wouldn't upload.

The next morning I got to drop them off where we left off and sent them on their way.  It was great to have them here with us.  Thanks again guys for taking the time to stop by.

__________________________________________________________________________________

Yesterday, (June 2nd) we heard music playing from behind the house all day.  So, after dinner we walked back to find all of Highland Falls having a 4th of July celebration.  This is the pretty fountain in the middle of the pond.

Fun little playground.

One of the many bands that were jamming out all day.

You can't have a picnic without a "Bouncy House."  Even if it was the smallest I've ever seen.  Then again Highland Falls is not a city or a town, it's a "village."

The highlight of our time there was the canoe races!

In case you didn't know, amateur canoe races are a more than adequate form of entertainment.

We watched four different canoes spill their contents.

And of course all of the village turned out to watch and cheer on their friends.  Two volunteer firefighters won the "bragging rights" for the year.  Apparently people walk around here for 12 months bragging about their dirty metal  boats victories.

The cool little gazebo where we watched the action go down.

To close the days excitement I saw this little piece of Americana.

Goodbye sweet US of A!  Happy 235th Birthday.  Let freedom always ring!