Beer, Burgers & Blues, and racecars too!

Bill and Jane continued the beautiful summer of 2008 at the KOA in Canandaigua. They have gotten to know most of the "seasonal" campers there some of whom stay there year-round.

ONTARIO COUNTY FAIR

Just outside the City of Canandaigua is the site of the Ontario County Fair. Free parking, free ice cream, and lots of fun. For the first time Bill & Jane witnessed pig races, starting with little shavers

#5 - Dolly Porkton #4 - Brittany Spareribs #3 - Porkchop Pam #2 - Bruce Porkstein

and culminating in mammoth porkers sprinting around the track.

They also got to see a very talented ventriloquist who put on an excellent show.

Sylivia and the Magic Trunk

Believe it or not, they witnessed the making (and serving) of the world's largest hot fudge sundae, by the Dairy Princess, no less!

This is a chicken at the Poultry building.

BUFFALO BILLS TRAINING CAMP

Bill & Jane made the short trip to Rochester to visit the Bills training camp at St. John Fisher College.

There are so many fans attending that the Bills have set up a shuttle bus system from several local high schools. They got to see a mini-scrimmage of offense vs. defense. Trent Edwards will be the QB this year, he looks pretty sharp so far.

Marshawn Lynch should have a break-out year at running back, the defense is healthy and very fast, special teams look awesome - this could be the year we go all the way!

THE CITY OF CANANDAIGUA

The City hosts a Farmers Market every Saturday morning which displays superb vegetables and fruits, jams and jellies, herbs and spices, and even has fresh frozen steaks which all sell much cheaper than Walmart prices. There is a Waterfront Art Festival located along the north shore of Canandaigua Lake which features some beautiful arts and crafts and is punctuated with singing groups and, of course, food. A Summer Concert Series takes place each Friday evening at the Commons Park, located right downtown by Eddie O'Brien's Irish Pub. It features a local group singing and playing their hearts out and is free to the public. Bill & Jane thoroughly enjoyed the City of Canandaigua and all it has to offer. John and Carol Schiltz came to the KOA for a visit while on their way to the Italian Festival in Watkins Glen. Our two couples visited a Mexican Restaurant in Rochester which rivaled the food in Wesley Chapel, only not as many real Mexicans.

NASCAR WEEKEND @ WATKINS GLEN

Bill & Jane were invited by Camping World to the NASCAR Races in Watkins Glen to help out at the Camping World Store set up along the Midway. They packed up their Tiffin and made the short trip south to the southern shore of Seneca Lake. The first night they stayed at Klute Park with John & Carol Schiltz and their homies from Strykersville. The group took a dinner cruise out on Seneca Lake aboard the Seneca Legacy which was titled "Beer, Burgers and Blues". It was a fun evening featuring a two-piece blues band, great food, and some absolutely gorgeous scenery around the lake.

The next morning our couple filled the Phaeton up with fresh water and went up the hill to Watkins Glen International Speedway. Camping World reserved an area just for CW employees who would be lodged in RV's at night which were "For Sale" during the race day. The Tiffin was parked among these units and Bill & Jane practiced dry camping for the long weekend utilizing their generator for power. It was a great location but required the posting of a sign on the windshield "Private Vehicle - Not For Sale" to keep away RV shoppers. There were over 100,000 race fans camping within the racetrack and the parties at night were not for the faint of heart. The Camping World store did a bonanza of business and Bill & Jane kept very busy selling merchandise, stocking shelves, delivering purchased items to campsites and answering questions. There seemed to be a constant stream of people either going to or coming from one of the many scheduled races and each race sponsor constructed a "venue" to sell their wares or advertise their product. Bill & Jane were rewarded for their hard work by receiving "silver wrist bans" from the CW district manager which entitled them to tours of the pit area and rides in the pace cars.

View from inside the Pace Car taking off from the Pit area

Called "hot laps", they raced around the 2.5 mile racetrack at breakneck speeds before the big Sunday finale race. It was exciting and fun, and gives you an idea of what it is like being a NASCAR driver.

Pace car that Jane was riding in going approximately 110 MPH

Camping World also provided three meals a day prepared by two professional chefs and served in a big tent at the CW lot. A large bonfire at night in the center of the lot was great for relaxing and resting up for the next busy day.

Bill and Jane in front of Camping World Car driven by Kevin Harvick

Kyle Bush's Pit

Jimmie Johnson's Pit

Tony Stewarts Pit

DAN & KATHY'S 40th WEDDING ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION

(Bill's sister and brother-in-law)

The weekend of August 3 saw the gathering of the Lefort and Almeter Klans at the McNulty Road Fun House in Strykersville for the celebration of Dan & Kathy Almeter's 40th wedding anniversary.

The catered event was top notch for food and fun, with a slideshow of their lives and times, and small talks by each of their four children on what it was like growing up in the Almeter family. The next day the celebration continued with a Mass at St. Cecelia's Church in Sheldon and then a fantastic brunch at the Byrncliff Country Club.

BRAD IS GOING BACK TO COLLEGE

Bill & Jane took one day and drove to Brockport with a car load of stuff for Brad's new college apartment. They then went to Buffalo and loaded up more stuff at Greg's house to take to the new abode. Brad & Nicole also had each of their cars loaded up. Finally, they made a trip to Rochester to load up the rest of Brad's stuff in storage and haul it to the new apartment. It was a busy and hectic day topped off with a steak dinner at the KOA with Bill & Jane, Brad & Nicole, and Dave & Pam followed by bowling and Rock Band on the new Wii purchased by Jane for just such an occasion.

That's all for now, Bill & Jane will soon be watching Brockport Soccer at home or across New York State!