A Grand Finale

En Route, Erie Canal

NoLL

For most Americans, Labor Day is the official end of summer. This year we were exactly on schedule. There was a Labor Day celebration at the Lock 20 park where we left Tarwathie so we went to that. It was Irish Day at the park. They had Irish songs and Irish dancing. The grandkids were less than excited about the music.

Libby kept bringing out one good thing after another to eat and that made it fun for all.

Around 1800, a cruise ship came through the lock. That's right, a real cruise ship. It was on a 12 day cruise from Rhode Island to Quebec City. The ship was obviously specifically built for the canal. It's width was only one foot less than the width of the locks, and its height was only 1 foot less than the clearance of the lowest bridge. Everyone had fun watching it go through the lock.

The high point of the day was the fireworks celebration All eight of us lined up along Tarwathie's port side for grandstand seats.

Never before have any of us been so close to a fireworks display. We were only 200 feet away from the launch point. The ariel bursts were right over our heads. The loud bangs caused pressure waves that thumped on our chests, and the sight and smell of smoke overwhelmed us. All that together made for the most fun fireworks display any of us can remember seeing. It made for a great finale to the summer season.

Now, Libby and I are officially in southward migration mode. We have only one more side trip to make. On Friday we're going to drive to Clarkson University in Potsdam, NY for a day. Then, we'll hang around the Schenectady area for the weekend.