Driving my father, the veteran, to East Hampton, for VFW post 550's 70th anniversary

I took my father (and mother) from Wading River, to East Hampton, on the south fork of Long Island, for the celebration of the 70^th anniversary of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 550.  My father, who is a WWII veteran and an ex-POW knew many of the founding members of the post.

Driving the roads of the south fork can be an annoyingly frustrating experience because the traffic can bring the simple road to a standstill.  Fortunately, a light rain kept the traffic down and we made the 38 mile trip in about an hour, going down Montauk Highway at speeds from 35 to 45 MPH as per the signs dictated.  Two of the main wineries of the south fork are directly off of the highway, and a sign indicated the road for the third, but with our destination firmly in hand we went on.

It's almost easy to miss the building; the original building is now a restaurant and they now use a building in the back.  The only obvious sign is an old WWII tank and even this is in proper army camouflage.  But we arrived at out destination in plenty of time.

There were, of course, a collection of great food selections from the members of the post, from the appetizers (raw clams, deviled eggs, and cooked shrimp, to name a few) to the buffet courses that formed an "Irish/Italian" selection.  American flags formed the table decorations, and Irish and Italian flags, hand woven, were placed on the tables.

Most importantly, it was a time for my father to talk to people he knew from way back.  His best friend from childhood was there, along with his daughter.  Even his granddaughter paid him a visit.  They talked for hours along with other members who were at the post.

Then afterward, I drove them back to Wading River, but not before they told us that the next month's dinner would be a special paella dinner.  I know I would like a good paella, and some fresh sangria as well, but my father still has a problem with gout and you know what the main ingredient of a paella is?  Shellfish!