This is typical Anna at Elderhostel!

Typical means: Anna Amend is always active and cheerful. In the summer of 2008, Grandpa and I took your cousin (sister?) to an Elderhostel in Watkins Glen, NY. It was held at the old Watson homestead near Corning. (You can ask Uncle Dave who Watson is?) The area where we stayed was acres of farmland with a hotel-like structure complete with large, open recreation/dining room, bedrooms, class rooms, craft rooms and a chapel at one end of the structure. Anna was busy every minute. Let's start out with an action shot: Anna on the diving board at the Olympic size pool. She met a boy who was a champion swimmer and she beat him in a race. They became good friends.

















We did field trips. Here are a few pics of them. The first one is of
Anna blowing a glass ornament. Her head is behind the hands of the artisan who assisted her. Anna blew with so much gusto, the ornament was over sized and she had to do a second. I think the glass on the first was so thin, it was too fragile.














In the next photo she was a blacksmith. She made a sturdy, iron S-hook.
















Here she is visiting in a kitchen at a reconstructed village. We got to eat the venison stew and other goodies the lady made.















Would you believe that here she is in the process of making a Styrofoam airplane at the Glenn Curtiss (Aviation) Museum?














Anna always meets up with a dog. This one happens to be a black silhouette with several others just like it beside a lake where we picnicked.



















There were some organized (by the kids) games to play and Anna was always there.












We explored the creeks and hiking trails and woods around the homestead. Here's Anna with a friend looking for critters and other things in the nearby creek.














That's Anna cranking the ice cream maker.














Anna's family came to visit and we took a hay ride and visited a 19th century schoolhouse.


















Here she is: "Climbing the walls"!


We had a great experience -not climbing walls, but with Anna. It was an exciting week and we look forward to seeing Anna and her siblings for another happy week with them at Lakeside.

Love you all! Grandma for Grandpa and me.