We Will Not Need the Guest Room; We Brought Our Bed With Us!

Canton is not a “destination city” in New York, but its status changed for us when Ed’s son Andrew and his wife Cindy moved there last September. This would be our first trip to see the “kids” since their move.

They welcomed us to their home, gave us ample parking for our coach in their suburban driveway, and ran an orange electric cord through the basement window so we’d have power. We wouldn’t need the guest room; we have our bed with us. Actually, visiting with the coach is ideal for seeing family. Nobody has to change their routines because we all have our personal space – ours in the coach, theirs in the house.

On Sunday, we let Andrew and Cindy drive us through this scenic part of New York along the St. Lawrence River. At the Eisenhower Lock, we paused to watch a huge freighter rise up to a new navigable water level.

Cindy is a visiting professor in the Psychology Department at St. Lawrence University. After classes on Monday, she gave me a tour of the university that ended like all tours should – in the gift shop. I bought two new books by Paulo Coelho and a frosted lantern for candlelight in the coach. Andrew is a computer consultant so he and Ed spent Monday evening installing programs on my new Dell Latitude. I am so glad to have a laptop again and the personal instruction of our family computer whiz.

Visiting Canton was refreshing. It gave me a chance to bicycle in the neighborhood where there were no hills. I had lunch with fellow Rotarians from the Rotary Club of Canton. And, what a small world it is! One fellow at my lunch table had graduated from PITT, my alma mater, and had lived in Pittsburgh. We had fun sharing our memories of local TV personalities like Chilly Billy Cardill and sports broadcaster favorites like Sam Nover. At the farmer’s market, I bought fresh lettuce and garlic with the hope that the border guard would not confiscate the produce. And, before we left, I made the acquaintance of the kids’ neighbor Randy. I had been eyeing the green tomatoes in his garden all wee; and in a neighborly way, he filled a bag of these delicacies for me.

September 30 - October 3, 2007

Note: We crossed the USA border into Canada. The guard asked about guns, tobacco, and liquor. Ed’s gun collection is stored in Andrew’s gun safe. We don’t smoke. My supply of gin and wine was too small to raise concern. And, my produce rolled across the border without question.