504...

...might be the record. Thankfully, the entire distance was not mine alone .But it is a lotta miles in one day, even though it started before daybreak and ended well after dark. I drove up to Decatur on Saturday morning after I got that dog I was 'sitting' squared away. All I want to say about that is that it was a very educational experience, and I am sure Lucy the cat is not the only one who is happy the little canine is gone.

F. had agreed to go with me to far east GA to a family gathering I wanted to attend. Not folks I know all that well, but have a connection to through my dad, who was born near Washington, GA. It is a small town just east of Augusta, where there are still quite a few relatives of his dad's (my grandpa Randall, who was known as Pappy) people living in the area. Some Harris cousins were the original instigators, and have been organizing for quite a few years, gradually handing the duties over to others, who will hopefully continue to put the effort into planning and gathering the 'clan' on a regular basis.

I've not been every year they have met, and missed last June. I'm pretty sure the group this time was the slimmest crowd. I think some people who are at a distance felt it just too difficult to travel with kids... but they are likely the same ones who would drive twenty-four hours to get to Disney world. Other than my daughter, and a couple of other young people about her age, in their late twenties or early thirties, I (vainly) concluded I was one of the youngest ones there. In years past there have been a passel of kids, little people running about in sopping wet clothing, having conveniently/accidentally fallen in the lake. Or swimsuits from skiing when someones dad brought a boat. Or canoeing, or just floating around in the water.

F and I went back into Thomson to get some lunch, as we arrived at the appointed time, unprepared to feed ourselves. Others had come with lunchboxes, or Subway sandwiches, or carryout bags, but I was so focused of being sure I had something for supper, I overlooked lunch entirely. So we had to trek back to fast-food-lane to get some eats, and found a Zaxbys. When we got back to the park, the crowd was sitting around telling family stories. Mostly about the dearly departed, with an occasional tale one would be willing to tell on oneself. The best one being the guy who dumped himself out of his boat into Clark Hill Lake.

The organizers have had a speaker come in the past to talk about some topic of interest, usually something to do with family, or genealogy, or history of gold mining and 'stamping' in east GA.
But this time, it was just telling tales. And, wouldn't you know it: cousin Louisa told one on me!