Reunion in Ballston Spa

After meeting back at Centenary UMC this morning, we rode to Lake George, a popular tourist destination in the Adirondacks. As soon as we arrived, the heavens opened up, forcing us to seek shelter in the tourist shops. Many of us opted to eat an early lunch during the rain after purchasing our umbrellas & ponchos. And we thought we were poncho-free after leaving Niagara! There was a street craft fair, right on the water, and when we weren't hiding in the tents from the downpour you could see the lovely lake. The chaperones were very grateful we had not visited here 2 weeks earlier, when there was a massive motorcycle rally. On our way to our next stop, we saw wind turbine farms. It is an awesome sight, as each blade is 100 feet long, making the the wingspan of a single turbine over 200 feet! Some are within 100 yards of the highway, and their grandeur was humbling as we stared up at them.

We arrived in Ballston Spa, NY about 4:30 today, and were warmly greeted by our beloved Alan Rudnick (for those of you who do not know, he was previously our youth pastor and moved on to his own church 3 1/2 years ago). It was wonderful to see Chrissy, Rowan (he's grown so much!), and their latest addition Evangeline (who will be 3 next month). They are all thriving and have been embraced by this lovely small town in which they are currently raising their beautiful family. There is a fabulous coffee shop in walking distance of their church (First Baptist Church of Ballston Spa), and a thriving main street with many shops. Sue C, Susan J & Cathy D were able to obtain much needed caffeine while the kids rehearsed.

We were treated to another wonderful meal and all the lemonade we could drink. We hope we made clear to the kitchen volunteers our gratitude for their preparation of another fabulous meal. We were pleasantly surprised to be joined by Rick & Nina Hacker (Rick was the DUMC organist before Steve), Don Cosman, and Sarah Pinto's parents. The concert was well performed despite the heat and humidity. The men's septet sounded wonderful as usual and everyone got a standing ovation following the last anthem. Unfortunately for the choir, it was too warm to sit in the sanctuary during Bacchanale and most missed Mrs. D's performance outside the entrance to the church. Peggy's niece Jill lives in Saratoga Springs, so Aunt Peggy and Uncle Walt were able to spend some time with this delightful woman. Poor Jill spent much of the evening ferrying people about.

Click Here for Photos of Day 9