Birthday gala! With cake! And goats!
2008-08-24 ~ 8:13 p.m.
Yesterday was the Summer Birthday Gala, held at Jack's Uncle Peter's farm. I'd been hearing about the farm for a long time but had never been there. Jack wasn't able to attend since he has to work, like, 80 hours a day, but the kids and I went.
The farm is in the Catoctin Mountains in north-central Maryland. The property is actually adjacent to Camp David and Jack and his brother once met Jimmy Carter whilst jogging with his Secret Service people. We had no presidential sightings however, which is just as well as I had had a huge lunch and would have hated to lose it.
Uncle Peter is a fairly recent widower. His wife died shortly before I met Jack. I really wish I had met her; I've heard such great things about her and from the stories I've heard and the photos I've seen she seems like such a lovely person.
This property is huge. I mean, huge as in "Everything you lay your eyes on belongs to Uncle Peter". Except, I suppose, the mountains themselves, but you never know. I asked Mary Ann (my mother in law) WHY he has this property. I mean, he doesn't live there. He's a lawyer in Rockville. Mary Ann said that when Aunt Susan (his wife) was growing up, along with Aunt Mary Helen and Steve (Jack's father), they were raised by their aunt and uncle on a farm and Aunt Susan missed those memories and wanted to recreate them. So Uncle Peter bought this farm for her.
Yeah. Apparently, when he goes out, he doesn't hold back. I mean, he rented GOATS to entertain the children with. See?
While all the kids were in the goat corral, Melissa blurted out a little tidbit she had been bursting to share for over a month. Apparently, the boy who lives (part time) across the street from her has a crush on Caroline (one of Jack's nieces). Melissa spilled the beans and Caroline turned bright red. Poor kid. But also, giggle.
The kids entertained themselves petting the goats for a while, then they rushed off to the pond and the paddle boats. After taking a tour of the main house I joined them. Lissa, Ben, Susie and I in one boat and then....um...a couple kids I don't know in another. Lissa and I were in the front of the boat, "steering" and paddling. But then when I turned around to talk to Ben, he was gone! He'd been Bennapped by the other boat. So we had to save him.
We frantically paddled around the pond in hot pursuit of the other boat and finally reclaimed our Ben
Next it was time for a hayride for the kids while I went back for second lunch. (Yes, there was so much food I had to eat in stages. First lunch consisted on a hamburger and some shrimp. And a beer. Second lunch was steamed crabs, more shrimp, potato salad and corn on the cob. There were also hot dogs, BBQ chicken and pork, and baked beans, but even I couldn't justify third lunch)
After lunch, Mary Ann and I walked down to the guesthouse and peered in the windows. (Later there was an actual tour but I missed that because I was tending to a dehydrated Susie). While we were gone, Ann (Jack's sister) and Linda (cousin) set up a treasure hunt to challenge the kids when they returned from the hayride.
But first, they had to have cake! Hooray, cake! Cake made by Ann's neighbor, the pastry chef. (Quick anecdote: as you may be aware, Jack made our wedding cake. Ann offered help, saying, "My neighhor's a pastry chef, I can help!" Jack responded with, "My neighbor's an auto mechanic, let me take apart your Porshe")
The cake was fabulous, and I don't normally like chocolate cake. But this was good and so pretty and glossy....except by the time we finally got around to cutting into it, the glossy smooth frosting had started to melt.
But cake was had even though the kids were beyond eager to go on their treasure hunt. Caroline (Ann's daughter) said, "I'm so excited! If the treasure is what I think it is I'm going to scream."
I asked, "What do you think it is, Caroline?"
"A horse!"
I paused. A looooong time. Because I had to get my chuckles under control. She's just so cute! Finally I say, ruefully, "Don't get too excited."
As Mary Ann was serving the cake, Ben said, "Can I just have a small piece please?" Uh-huh. Who are you and what have you done to my son? But that's how eager they were to go a-hunting.
Finally, they are given the first clue to read. I didn't hear the whole thing but I heard something about a flag. And the kids all start looking over to the road that runs through the property. Because there were a few caution flags indicating a bit of a ditch or gully. But I can see flying behind them an American flag so I start pointing. Finally, Caroline comes over to me. "There's a flag behind you guys." She asks where. I say, "Over there. In the graveyard."
And she SHRIEKS!
The other kids run over but Caroline won't go in.
Even with her mother's encouragement, she won't go in.
Melissa, in the meantime, is taking a break to endorse Coca-Cola
Finally, the kids find the next clue behind a tombstone and come running out of there - more in excitement to find the next clue than in fear, I think
The next clue they find (in an outhouse, which it just occured to me I SHOULD have taken a picture of!) leads them to the caboose.
... ... ...
Yes, I said caboose. Uncle Peter bought one for his son when he was wee. What, you mean you didn't have your very own caboose growing up?
There they find the final clue which leads them back to the picnic area, where Linda and Bill (Ann's husband) had set up a tent full of goodies. Each child got a chance to go into the tent and select a toy. Ben, of course, grabbed a box of Skittles. Melissa got a beading set and Susie grabbed an address book.
Later it was time for the adults to go on a hayride, although Ben, Patrick and Riley came along too. (They had missed the first one because they were paddle boating). Susie somehow came along as well, even though she insisted later she didn't want to go on ANY hayrides and somehow ended up on TWO!
We toured some of the other buildings on the property. One building is being converted into a barracks type building for Army personnel. Apparently it holds eight and Uncle Peter is renting the space to the military to $800 per person. There's another building that he is converting into a movie theater and bar, presumably for said military persons.
I had to take a few pics of the building because it was originally an actual authentic for realz, yo log cabin and it was cool!
We also saw what Uncle Peter called an "ice pond" and he told a story about it but I missed most of it. It had something to do with being able to keep ice through the summer. Anyway, it was also neat looking.
We were heading to the guest house when the wagon ended up with a flat tire so our hayride ended abruptly. This is when I had to administer emergency Gatorade to Susie because she was getting overheated.
After that, it was time to head out. Everyone had had a full day and a full belly. I can't wait until next time!
(Also? This is totally not the photo entry I meant to do today but rest assured, it's coming. And it'll be a good one. And Jacki, you will be pleased to know I got a pic from the farm to contribute to that entry. Two words - barbed wire)
