It was a spectacular sunny day here on the bay. There were clear blue skies, a light breeze, and the temperature was just perfect; hot, but not too hot. We headed into town at noon for one of Kiera’s 18th birthday gifts, an aerial tour of Parry Island and the South Channel via float plane. Kiera took her friend Erika on the ride with her and the huge smiles on their faces as they exited the plane told the whole story. Kiera also snapped a bunch of aerial photos of the area and of our cottage, which we will post on the South Channel Blog when we return to Rochester.

It’s been a difficult day of mental adjustment, trying to come to terms with the death of our father yesterday. We are all heavily impacted by his loss and each of us is finding our own way of coping with the grief of losing someone we cherish so much. There are so many reminders of Pop in this place that has became his home away from home, and we find ourselves pondering and reminiscing about good times we spent here as a family over the years. Pop’s physical presence here at our cottage will be missed immensely, but we know his heart and soul are all around us in this place that he loved so.

We will be leaving for Rochester tomorrow and plan to be in Hornell Sunday to meet with members of the clergy to plan the memorial service and make funeral arrangements. The funeral will be held on next Friday in at Trinity Church in Canaseraga, with more specifics to follow as they become known.