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Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Hipstamatic Crane Beach
Carol took the girls back to Crane Beach yesterday (Tuesday) and they stayed until 7:00 pm. She took these great shots.
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Mid-Summer Fun
Western Massachusetts Weekend
A few weeks ago my office hosted a day at Six Flags New England near Springfield, MA. My friend Bill happened to call earlier that week and mention that he and his girlfriend Sara and his kids Cole and Tatum had rented a house called the Serenity Stone Cottage in far northwestern MA that week, So we made a weekend of it, driving out to have dinner with Bill and family Saturday night and then Six Flags on Sunday.
On the way across the state we visited two state parks: Lake Dennison and Otter River, for future camping purposes. Lake Dennison looked perfect.
We had a GPS adventure finding the cottage in Heath, MA. Our GPS tried to take us over a mountain road that is actually a dead end. According to the woman at the house in the middle of nowhere the road used to go through and people are always getting lost there due to their GPS's.
We eventually found Bill and Sara. Carol got the kids busy building gnome homes while Sara made dinner. The cottage is beautiful and remote and quiet and seems like a wonderful place to spend a week. No cell phone coverage either.
After dinner we drove to a campground near Northampton, where I lived from 1991-95. We got there late and were leaving early so we were really just treating it like a cheap hotel. This particular KOA seemed to have a larger then usual population of seasonal "campers", and they apparently have a tradition of festooning their encampments with Christmas decorations. I felt like we were intruding as transients in a mobile home park.
Six Flags New England was formerly a privately owned amusement park named Riverside. I went there once when I lived in Northampton. My memory is of shoddy rides and lots of asphalt. It became a Six Flags park in 1999 and is completely different from how I remember it - much larger and cleaner and with a whole bunch more thrill rides. We spent most of our time in the kiddie section and in the water park. There are some very large roller coasters there - the largest ones I wouldn't go on even if the kids were game. Bizarro has a first drop of 221 feet! We did find a smaller coaster named Catwoman's Whip that Audrey enjoyed.
We will of course have to go again when the girls are a little older.
Close to Home
Our house has a large screened porch on the side. We don't use it as much as we should, but we've had a few pleasant dinners out there this summer.
We also live very close to the Middlesex Fells, a 2500 acre reservation with miles of trails. We often go geocaching there. One of the photos shows the girls exploring the cache closest to our house.
Family Visit
My parents came for a short visit on their way to a vacation in France and Germany. They kept the girls at their hotel for two nights and Carol and I had a real date night. On Thursday I took the day off and we took them to the Saugus Iron Works, then to the Bunker Hill Monument and the Charlestown Navy Yard - home of the USS Constitution.
It was warm and muggy, so the girls were a little crabby on the way. I told them I was going to climb the monument but they both claimed they weren't going - Audrey because she was too tired and Charlotte because she was afraid of heights. Of course when it came time to climb it Audrey couldn't resist and practically ran up the 294 steps. Then after we visited the museum across the street and had some ice cream, Audrey asked Carol if she would go so Audrey could go again. Then of course at the last second Charlotte decided she had to go, too. So both girls ended up climbing the monument. Yeah! The view was fantastic! Carol and I had just watched "The Town" the night before. Several scenes were filmed in the shadow of the monument so we were identifying them from the top.
Phew! I'm all caught up!
Crane Beach
I've mentioned many times that our favorite place to get outdoors here is the Ipswich River Audubon Sanctuary. Our second favorite place is the Crane Estate and Crane Beach. Both are part of the former estate of the Crane plumbing fixture family but are now owned by the Trustees of Reservations, a non-profit group that owns a lot of historic sites and open spaces.
This year we joined the Trustees, and we also bought a Crane Beach parking sticker that gives us unlimited access to the beach (space permitting - on summer weekends the parking lot fills by 10:30 or so). We have been to the beach several times in the winter and spring but we hadn't used the beach sticker yet this summer due to Seattle travel and other activities. On Saturday we finally had a "beach day".
A whole day at the beach was a new concept to us when we moved here. In the Pacific Northwest the 45-50 degree water is too cold for swimming so you go to the beach for an hour or two and then go somewhere warmer! But here you make a day of it. You bring an encampment with you: umbrella(s), chairs, cooler, blanket, food, sand toys, etc. Along with a "beach buggy" to transport it all.
We arrived at the beach at 10:45 am. The parking lot was only about 25% full on this day, perhaps because there were some clouds and a forecast of thunderstorms later in the day. We staked our claim and hit the water, which is about 65 degrees. It felt cold at first, but after a few minutes I could get pretty used to it and stay in for a long time. The girls built sand castles and tunnels and chased seagulls. I napped. We all ate food we brought plus treats from the snack bar. The beach got pretty full. I went swimming 5 or 6 times with the girls.
About 4:00 Carol and I first talked about when we should leave and the consensus was "not any time soon." We finally packed up around 6:00 and we had to drag the girls away. We all had a blast. And none of us got sunburned!
This year we joined the Trustees, and we also bought a Crane Beach parking sticker that gives us unlimited access to the beach (space permitting - on summer weekends the parking lot fills by 10:30 or so). We have been to the beach several times in the winter and spring but we hadn't used the beach sticker yet this summer due to Seattle travel and other activities. On Saturday we finally had a "beach day".
A whole day at the beach was a new concept to us when we moved here. In the Pacific Northwest the 45-50 degree water is too cold for swimming so you go to the beach for an hour or two and then go somewhere warmer! But here you make a day of it. You bring an encampment with you: umbrella(s), chairs, cooler, blanket, food, sand toys, etc. Along with a "beach buggy" to transport it all.
We arrived at the beach at 10:45 am. The parking lot was only about 25% full on this day, perhaps because there were some clouds and a forecast of thunderstorms later in the day. We staked our claim and hit the water, which is about 65 degrees. It felt cold at first, but after a few minutes I could get pretty used to it and stay in for a long time. The girls built sand castles and tunnels and chased seagulls. I napped. We all ate food we brought plus treats from the snack bar. The beach got pretty full. I went swimming 5 or 6 times with the girls.
About 4:00 Carol and I first talked about when we should leave and the consensus was "not any time soon." We finally packed up around 6:00 and we had to drag the girls away. We all had a blast. And none of us got sunburned!
Charlotte's New Hairstyle
A month or so ago Charlotte started talking about cutting her hair shorter. Charlotte has never had a real haircut - only a trim now and then. We talked it over with her and made sure she understood that once cut she couldn't change her mind: she would have to wait for it to grow out again. She was on board. So last Friday Carol took her in and they cut off about 8-9" of hair.
Personally, I think the new style is adorable. Charlotte thinks so, too, and she spends a lot of time in the mirror admiring her new look. She has also decided that she likes brushing her own hair. More power to her!
Personally, I think the new style is adorable. Charlotte thinks so, too, and she spends a lot of time in the mirror admiring her new look. She has also decided that she likes brushing her own hair. More power to her!
Wells State Park
We went camping with our neighbors the Burtnetts a year ago and had a great time. We really wanted to do it again this summer but schedules didn't line up until August. Last weekend we went together to Wells State Park in the middle of the state in the town of Sturbridge. We chose it because it has a swimming pond and is a relatively small campground. We thought it would have good roads for the kids to ride bikes on. They turned out to be rough dirt roads, but no matter...
On Friday night we went to a small clearing near our campsite to watch the Perseids meteor shower. We could only stand it for about 20 minutes because we were getting eaten by bugs even though we had lots of bug spray on. Most of us saw one big meteor streak across the sky - the best one I've ever seen. Unfortunately Audrey was looking away at that moment and missed it.
Audrey has been very excited to fish lately. Back in June on the way to Cape Cod we bought her a rod and reel and I put some weights on the line but no hook. She casted for hours. In the Wells State Park handout we got at checkin it said there was a ranger-led fishing activity Saturday morning so I called and signed up the whole gang. Audrey really enjoyed it, especially having a real hook and real bait (earthworms). The group caught a couple of sunfish and a yellow perch and neighbor Scott caught a small smallmouth bass, all of which were released.
The fishing activity was at 10:00 am. We spent the rest of the day at the pond beach. The girls and the Burtnett kids swam and swam and swam. They also hooked up with some tween boys who were collecting frogs and other critters. The weather was fantastic.
Back at camp we had dinner and then s'mores, of course.
Sunday morning we awoke to rain, which hadn't been forecast until later in the day. The Burtnetts packed up and headed out. We packed a little more slowly since the camper van is a lot more comfortable than a tent in the rain. But we were still home before noon and had a free afternoon to just relax.
The trip was very fun. If we go back to that campground next year we scoped out the sites that we want - right by the lake and also on a paved loop that will be perfect for bike riding.
On Friday night we went to a small clearing near our campsite to watch the Perseids meteor shower. We could only stand it for about 20 minutes because we were getting eaten by bugs even though we had lots of bug spray on. Most of us saw one big meteor streak across the sky - the best one I've ever seen. Unfortunately Audrey was looking away at that moment and missed it.
Audrey has been very excited to fish lately. Back in June on the way to Cape Cod we bought her a rod and reel and I put some weights on the line but no hook. She casted for hours. In the Wells State Park handout we got at checkin it said there was a ranger-led fishing activity Saturday morning so I called and signed up the whole gang. Audrey really enjoyed it, especially having a real hook and real bait (earthworms). The group caught a couple of sunfish and a yellow perch and neighbor Scott caught a small smallmouth bass, all of which were released.
The fishing activity was at 10:00 am. We spent the rest of the day at the pond beach. The girls and the Burtnett kids swam and swam and swam. They also hooked up with some tween boys who were collecting frogs and other critters. The weather was fantastic.
Back at camp we had dinner and then s'mores, of course.
Sunday morning we awoke to rain, which hadn't been forecast until later in the day. The Burtnetts packed up and headed out. We packed a little more slowly since the camper van is a lot more comfortable than a tent in the rain. But we were still home before noon and had a free afternoon to just relax.
The trip was very fun. If we go back to that campground next year we scoped out the sites that we want - right by the lake and also on a paved loop that will be perfect for bike riding.
Saugus Iron Works
We live a few miles from Route 1, which for you Seattleites is like Highway 99 (and in fact is Highway 99's opposite counterpart in the federal highway numbering system). We use it often to get to destinations on the North Shore. For the two years we've been here we've driven by a sign on Route 1 for the Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site (Wikipedia article). Saugus is the next town east of Melrose. A few weeks ago we finally visited the site.
I had read about the site a little but didn't know too much about it. We hooked up with a ranger-led tour to learn more.
John Winthrop, an early governor of the colony, recognized the need for a local source of iron so he commissioned his son to travel to England and bring back the technology and skilled workers to start an iron works. Winthop Jr. didn't last very long as the boss and he put the iron works in the wrong place (Quincy), but it was later re-sited to the Saugus River where there was ample forest to fire the blast furnace as well as bog iron (ore) and elevation change to provide water power. The iron works was started in 1646 - only 26 years after the pilgrims landed.
The iron works only operated for a little more than 20 years and then failed for various financial reasons. But the people who worked there spread out and built iron works elsewhere in Massachusetts and in other colonies. This was the very beginning of industrialization in America.
The Saugus site fell into disuse and in fact was eventually buried. The town preserved the main house and was proud of the it but the actual works were completely "lost". Just after World War II the town invited steel industry magnates to town in the hopes of raising preservation funds for the house. As the ranger tells it, they weren't so interested in the house but they recognized the slag heap in the river bed and knew that if there was a slag heap it pointed the way to a blast furnace. They funded excavation and restoration and rebuilt the blast furnace, forge, and rolling and slitting mill on the original foundations.
On the tour they activate the huge water wheels and drive the giant leather bellows of the blast furnace and the 500lb water-powered hammer in the forge. I found the machinery fascinating. The rangers are also skilled at evoking what it must have been like to work there with the heat of the blast furnace and the constant banging of the big hammer.
It was a very cool piece of history to discover. My parents were just visiting this week and I had to go again so I could take my dad who is an engineer.
I had read about the site a little but didn't know too much about it. We hooked up with a ranger-led tour to learn more.
John Winthrop, an early governor of the colony, recognized the need for a local source of iron so he commissioned his son to travel to England and bring back the technology and skilled workers to start an iron works. Winthop Jr. didn't last very long as the boss and he put the iron works in the wrong place (Quincy), but it was later re-sited to the Saugus River where there was ample forest to fire the blast furnace as well as bog iron (ore) and elevation change to provide water power. The iron works was started in 1646 - only 26 years after the pilgrims landed.
The iron works only operated for a little more than 20 years and then failed for various financial reasons. But the people who worked there spread out and built iron works elsewhere in Massachusetts and in other colonies. This was the very beginning of industrialization in America.
The Saugus site fell into disuse and in fact was eventually buried. The town preserved the main house and was proud of the it but the actual works were completely "lost". Just after World War II the town invited steel industry magnates to town in the hopes of raising preservation funds for the house. As the ranger tells it, they weren't so interested in the house but they recognized the slag heap in the river bed and knew that if there was a slag heap it pointed the way to a blast furnace. They funded excavation and restoration and rebuilt the blast furnace, forge, and rolling and slitting mill on the original foundations.
On the tour they activate the huge water wheels and drive the giant leather bellows of the blast furnace and the 500lb water-powered hammer in the forge. I found the machinery fascinating. The rangers are also skilled at evoking what it must have been like to work there with the heat of the blast furnace and the constant banging of the big hammer.
It was a very cool piece of history to discover. My parents were just visiting this week and I had to go again so I could take my dad who is an engineer.
Monday, August 22, 2011
New Pets
Labels:
family
May I introduce Ginny Weasly (top) and Flapper Merliah (although the names change every time we ask what they are).
This photo was taken right after I filled the tank using a gallon milk jug. Notice the cool lines of bubbles remaining from each gallon added.
Seattle and Richland Summer Visit
In the first two weeks of July we made our annual pilgrimage to Seattle and Richland to spend time with family and friends. We all flew to Seattle together on June 29th. I returned to Boston on July 10 and Carol and the girls came home on the 20th.
We spent the first few nights at my sister Tricia's and her husband Frank's house in Puyallup. Frank is a jack-of-all-trades who also happens to be very good at all of them. They recently decided to get chickens, so Frank built a very fancy chicken palace to house their flock. The girls are fascinated by chickens (don't be surprised if I report someday that we have some), so they were excited. They also had a blast raiding Aunt Tricia's closet for dress-up, including pretend weddings in her wedding gown (they watched and seemed to be reenacting the royal wedding).
Since we were relatively close to Mt. Rainier we decided to go there for a day trip. Carol grew up camping at Cougar Rock campground every year and has great fondness for the park. I also spent a lot of time there as a climber and climbing instructor so I have my own fondness for it. We checked out the new bridge at Longmire (replacing the one that was washed out a few years ago), walked the Longmire historic trail, had a picnic at Cougar Rock campground, visited Paradise to check out the new visitor center and then on the way out of the park walked down to the river across from Cougar Rock to check out the log bridge. It was a very fun day. Next year we're going to borrow camping gear and spend at least a night at Cougar Rock - it's a beautiful place.
Then we moved up to Seattle where we stayed in the house of some friends who were out of town. It was a great base. My friend Scott is a fellow cycling fan so he already had his DVR set up to record each day of the Tour de France!
In Seattle we got to spend a lot of time with my parents and sister as well as Carol's brother Bob and his family. I was worried when we arrived that we hadn't made many plans with friends and they would all be busy, but the week worked out fantastically with many dates with friends. Grandma and Grandpa kept the girls for a couple of nights so Carol and I had real dates. We even spontaneously went swing dancing at the Century Ballroom where we met in January, 2000. We also went on a hike to Rattlesnake Ledge on a gorgeous day. That hike has spectacular views.
We visited our favorite spots in Seattle: the Woodland Park Zoo and the Ballard Locks. Then on my last full day in town we hosted a picnic at Volunteer Park and about 35 friends showed up to say hello, including Jeremy and Jill who live in Borneo, Kathy and Mark who live in Myanmar, and Paul and Keely who live with 1-year-old twins. It was really enjoyable to touch base with so many old friends.
Carol and the girls dropped me off at the airport and headed straight for Richland, where Carol's parents live a block from the Columbia River. They spent their time riding bikes and swimming and boating and enjoying Grandma Mary's great food. When Carol is visiting she and her parents play cards late into every night.
Then it was back to Seattle for a few days before they flew back to me in Boston. They were all ready to be home by then and I was sure glad to have them back.
We spent the first few nights at my sister Tricia's and her husband Frank's house in Puyallup. Frank is a jack-of-all-trades who also happens to be very good at all of them. They recently decided to get chickens, so Frank built a very fancy chicken palace to house their flock. The girls are fascinated by chickens (don't be surprised if I report someday that we have some), so they were excited. They also had a blast raiding Aunt Tricia's closet for dress-up, including pretend weddings in her wedding gown (they watched and seemed to be reenacting the royal wedding).
Since we were relatively close to Mt. Rainier we decided to go there for a day trip. Carol grew up camping at Cougar Rock campground every year and has great fondness for the park. I also spent a lot of time there as a climber and climbing instructor so I have my own fondness for it. We checked out the new bridge at Longmire (replacing the one that was washed out a few years ago), walked the Longmire historic trail, had a picnic at Cougar Rock campground, visited Paradise to check out the new visitor center and then on the way out of the park walked down to the river across from Cougar Rock to check out the log bridge. It was a very fun day. Next year we're going to borrow camping gear and spend at least a night at Cougar Rock - it's a beautiful place.
Then we moved up to Seattle where we stayed in the house of some friends who were out of town. It was a great base. My friend Scott is a fellow cycling fan so he already had his DVR set up to record each day of the Tour de France!
In Seattle we got to spend a lot of time with my parents and sister as well as Carol's brother Bob and his family. I was worried when we arrived that we hadn't made many plans with friends and they would all be busy, but the week worked out fantastically with many dates with friends. Grandma and Grandpa kept the girls for a couple of nights so Carol and I had real dates. We even spontaneously went swing dancing at the Century Ballroom where we met in January, 2000. We also went on a hike to Rattlesnake Ledge on a gorgeous day. That hike has spectacular views.
We visited our favorite spots in Seattle: the Woodland Park Zoo and the Ballard Locks. Then on my last full day in town we hosted a picnic at Volunteer Park and about 35 friends showed up to say hello, including Jeremy and Jill who live in Borneo, Kathy and Mark who live in Myanmar, and Paul and Keely who live with 1-year-old twins. It was really enjoyable to touch base with so many old friends.
Carol and the girls dropped me off at the airport and headed straight for Richland, where Carol's parents live a block from the Columbia River. They spent their time riding bikes and swimming and boating and enjoying Grandma Mary's great food. When Carol is visiting she and her parents play cards late into every night.
Then it was back to Seattle for a few days before they flew back to me in Boston. They were all ready to be home by then and I was sure glad to have them back.
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