56th Annual Douglas Family Reunion

One week to go for our trip, but we still had time to go to the Annual Douglas Family Reunion Picnic. No practicing this weekend. They have had these reunions for 56 years now, but this might be the 2nd last one. Jeff's grandparents and their siblings started it and it used to be held in some park in Woodstock, Ontario. Somewhere along the way it was moved to Oxford Center to an old church that was converted to a library and now is just a hall that can be rented out. It is a very lovely setting in the middle of farm fields and you can hear cows mooing in the distance. When I joined the family it was a potluck, but couple years later they changed it to catered affair, which is a lot better, no need to think what to bring.

The Oxford Center

Oxford Center

View from the front steps

They used to get 30-40 people all the time and I guess the 50th reunion was really big, but now there were only 20 of us. The younger generations didn't come, our kids were the only ones from that generation. I don't know if it is because they don't know any of their relatives much or if they are not interested. Maybe it should be changed so that each grandparents off-springs have their own reunions, but that might not work either.

Group portrait (take by Jeff Higgins)
front row: Gary and Catherine Farrow, Bill Douglas, Glenna Douglas, Doug and Lila Vincent and Cindy Douglas
middle row: Rob Ryan, Michael Douglas, me, Jane Douglas, Betty Ryan
back row: Mary Douglas, Betty Stevenson, Mary Jane and Bruce Macdonald, Jeff, Matt and Laura Douglas

Anyway it was really nice to see the ones who did show up. It has been 17 years since I've been there, but it has been hard to go since the kids were in school at that time. Canadian schools are on summer break already then, but not all US ones. Jeff and Laura did go couple of time, 6-7 years ago. 

Gary Farrow, Michael Douglas and Jeff having a chat

Catherine Farrow and Bruce Macdonald, with Matt in the back

Betty Stevenson, Mary Jane Macdonald, Lila Vincent and Jeff

Glenna Douglas, Betty Ryan and Betty Stevenson

Rob Ryan getting the food ready

Looks like the last supper!
Mary Douglas, Rob and Jane Ryan, Catherine and Gary Farrow,
Jeff Douglas, Betty Ryan, Mary Jane Macdonald and Betty Stevenson

Jeff Douglas, Catherine Farrow (standing), Betty Ryan,
Mary Jane Macdonald, Betty Stevenson, Glenna Douglas,
Cindy and Michael Douglas

Bruce Macdonald, Doug and Lila Vincent, Bill and Mary Douglas,
Rob and Jane Ryan

It was also a good thing that Laura and her boyfriend Jeff brought the corn holer game, otherwise they would not have had much to do there.

Laura and Jane Ryan play against Jeff (Higgins) and Matt
You are supposed to get the bags in the hole and collect points. You can also cancel
opposing team points if you get yours in on the same turn as they do.

Laura and me

Matt and Jeff

We stayed the night at Laura and Jeff's place in Orchard Park, NY before heading home the next morning. At least the weather held, even though they said possible thunderstorms. It did rain and thunder while driving home, between Syracuse and Albany. I took some pictures of the storm clouds and we didn't even notice that a giant snapping turtle had crossed the highway, until I looked at the pictures at home. It is in the right bottom corner of the picture below. I think you can make the picture bigger when you click (double click) on it.

Storm clouds and a big snapping turtle crossing the road between Albany
and Syracuse on I-90.