Tomstock

Cousin Tom didn't plan a fish fry just to observe our last night at the farm, but it worked out that way. His fish fries, held in his welding shop, are the stuff of local legend. You get the parking gridlock of Woodstock, but the food is much better. And instead of Jimi Hendrix, you get our Uncle Charlie. The guy in the red hat is about to turn 101.

Tomstock features an all-you-can-eat buffet, where the main draw is the fish. Tom and Cousin Jack are noodlers, which means they think it's fun to catch fish with their hands. It works for them, and we get to eat it. Whatever. The buffet is filled out with the neighbors' pot-luck offerings, which means lots of sinful desserts. Grace ate the icing off the red velvet cake, so I had to eat the rest. Darn. Also, UM pointed out a roaster filled with meat that looked like chicken, except that it wasn't. I have a suspicion that I knew the guys in the roaster back when they could croak.

In addition to all its other fine qualities, Tomstock is a kid's paradise. Tom has tricked out his place with all the usual grandkid-friendly gizmos. In addition, though, you get the playground equipment from the country school that was near his childhood home. So you get a terrific slide and jungle gym that no school would dare put in its playground for fear of litigation. The merry-go-round is particularly terrific. 

Poor Cranky Girl #2 got grief from Meta Cranky Girl for leaving her shoes at home. Attending Tomstock is a bit like exotic overseas travel in that you really want your tetanus shot up to date. Upon reflection, I find that the glory of Tomstock is that it requires you to improve your game, or else. Do you want to jump on that trampoline with five other kids and not break your cervical vertebrae when you're bounced off? Great, then let's see some agility and problem-solving skills. Do you really want to crawl to the top of Tom's archway to see what's there? That's fine, but just don't whine when it's time to come down.

And you really do want to crawl to the top, because then you get to see the summer's last sunset. 

--MCG