Hijinks, food and fun at the Harris Reunion

It's a wet, humid day at the farmette. Glad we chose yesterday for our first annual Harris family reunion.

Brother Bob and sister-in-law Joanne were in the province from their home in B.C. after a lovely vacation train trip through Montreal and Quebec City. When I heard they were coming, I thought it would be good to revive our old tradition of a family reunion. When we were young, my mom's Heidt family reunions were huge summer gatherings with cousins by the dozens. So glad we were able to get together.

This is some of the crew. There are lots more. but this is the bulk of them. Niece Erin, who is holding the sign, made it. Didn't she do a great job?

We had a blast. About 25 of us gathered at Pinafore Park in St. Thomas, close to where brother Dan's family (with lots of little ones) is mostly located. Barb's son Darren (far right) and his family also live in London, not too far from here.

Sister Sandy supplied the hamburgers, hot dogs and specialty items like salmon burgers and chicken sausage that had spinach and feta stuffed in it! Fancy. She brought a portable barbeque and Erin's boyfriend Tyler was the master barbequer. Everything else was pot luck - which is the BEST. We got scrumptious salads and cookies and other goodies, oh my.

We had a ball, and a special moment happened when we spotted a deer with her fawn in the woods behind the pavilion we rented. So cool. Wee Sophie - the youngest of Dan's granddaughters - kept looking for them long after they'd gone.

Here's some of the motly crew who tried their hands at getting the frisbee through a small hole in the top of the vertical golf game.

Of course, the games Erin had planned descended into shenanigans with water-filled ballons. And of course, Sandy was in the thick of it. Given that it was extremely HOT and HUMID, no one complained about getting soaked by an incoming water bomb.

While some of the family had to leave early for other commitments and some came later because of job obligations, all in all I think it was pretty good for a first try. Here's to next year, and another Harris family gathering!

Gratuitous cat photo courtesy of Bea(trix Potter) who has taken to the recycling bin in my office. Comfy!