The Birthday Boy!

(Jeff here) Our Friday last week was pretty special in that it was my birthday. We headed out from Watkins Glen with a stop at Tobey’s Donut Shop where Carrie treated me to birthday donuts! We journeyed west to Lake Chautauqua where we have visited on three other occasions. The Chautauqua Institute is located on the west side of the lake and it is always a favorite place of our’s to spend an afternoon. It reminds us a bit of Mackinac Island in Michigan. The scenery is always beautiful and the pace is much slower and has a vintage vibe. I look forward to getting the chance to take some picturesque photos of Carrie while on the grounds. Carrie always looks great, ALWAYS - but she looks especially radiant in Chautauqua. So, for my birthday, I got to take photos of my gorgeous redhead and then have dinner with her at the Heirloom Restaurant in the grand Athenaeum Hotel.

We didn’t realize that Jay Leno was in town with his stand-up tour, performing at the amphitheater that evening. We were able to enjoy a bit of his comedy as we strolled by the amphitheater. (At 72, he’s still got it.) 😂

I had a few gifts waiting for me when we got back to our campsite that night, one of which was a snow cone machine!! I am a ice cruncher. It drives Carrie a little crazy sometimes, so I guess she thought if the ice was already crushed and ground down to something closer to snow, I would be less obnoxious with my crunching. Lol!!

Honestly, she puts so much thought into every gift she gives. Just one of the many traits that makes her so endearing. My best gift was and always will be just celebrating life with her. ❤️