Saturday, December 3, 2016

Audrey Art

The first trimester of middle school just ended and Audrey brought home the works she produced in art class. It's her favorite class.

She especially liked printmaking.

Click on the photo to go to the gallery. The password is always 'methot'.

Sunday, November 27, 2016

Photo Flood

This year I did a much worse job than usual editing and curating photos as we took them. Over Thanksgiving weekend I spent a couple of days catching up. The result is the following 13 new albums. Enjoy!

Click on each photo to go to that album.


I can't believe I've been slacking all the way back to last Christmas! Well, here you go.


Apparently the day after Christmas was very pleasant last year because it looks like we went to the beach.


I made a couple trips to the UK for meetings in the other Cambridge related to my old job at Biogen. On both trips I also spent some time in London. During this January trip I found a concert by an African musician and had a great time.


So I never posted photos four our annual February trip and no one complained! Next time, let me know!


From January through early April we had our basement remodeled by the world's best contractor. He was a dream to work with. Now it's our favorite part of the house!


Audrey stopped skating, but Charlotte continues to enjoy it. Here is video of her group's routine in the annual ice show in March.


Here's a collection of favorite photos from the first half of the year that aren't related to a specific event.


Three neighbor families joined us for a weekend camping at our favorite campground: Pawtuckaway State Park in New Hampshire.


My second trip to the UK. More time in Cambridge and in London. This time I got to spend a couple of hours at the New Tate Modern gallery.


This year both girls went to circus camp for a week, at the same time. Carol and I had a week to ourselves and a date night, during which we saw a favorite performer: Sarah Jarosz.


Favorite photos from the second half of the year.


For her birthday in September, Carol traveled to Colorado to attend Girls Gone Grape with her best friend Kim. It was modeled after the famous "I Love Lucy" episode. They stayed in a swanky hotel in Vail, stomped grapes, went on a jeep tour, had a couple of nice dinners and best of all got to spend time together.


The girls started swim team at the YMCA in September. They are really enjoying their practices even though they come home exhausted. We've been to three meets so far, and there is video of all the events in this photo album.

Sunday, October 23, 2016

Mt. Monadnock

Back on my birthday in May the family decided I got to choose the activity. I chose to hike up Mt. Monadnock in southern New Hampshire.

It's one of the most popular hikes near Boston. I didn't understand just how popular until we got there. I think the parking lot at the most popular trailhead could hold 300 cars (and there are multiple trailheads). The trail was as wide as a road most of the way, and filled with a constant stream of people. It was definitely the most people I've ever seen on a hike.

Those of us who grew up hiking on the west coast are spoiled by having hiked trails that were mostly built (or rebuilt) by the Civilian Conservation Corps during the Depression. They built trails to common standards, including maximum grade. To meet that grade limit, they used lots of switchbacks.

Well, on the East Coast the trails predate any trail construction standards. They go straight up, over huge boulders or whatever else might be in the way. The trails are steep.

Nevertheless, the family made it very close to the top. We stopped out of the wind below the summit to eat lunch. Carol and Charlotte were tired and stayed where they were while Audrey and I continued to the actual summit.

The view was very pretty.

Afterward we stopped for ice cream.

It was a lovely birthday.

The geeks among you might like to read about the MIT's Haystack Observatory, which we passed on the drive to Mt. Monadnock. And this weird program that involved the observatory: Project Needles.

Sunday, October 16, 2016

Ipswich River

We don't visit Mass Audubon's Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary as much as we'd like any more because we can't take Rhodie there. But today was a gorgeous fall day, so we decided to leave Rhodie at home and visit our old haunt.

We used to keep bird seed in the car for our visits but we were out. Fortunately there's a pet store right on the way near the sanctuary. I bet they sell a lot of bird seed.

The birds didn't disappoint. We got the usual torrent of chickadees. But today the nuthatches and the tufted titmice weren't as shy as they have been before and we got plenty of them to visit our hands, too.

People have been feeding the birds here out of their hands for a very long time. The bird population is very accustomed to it.

Sunday, October 2, 2016

Hub on Wheels

There's an annual bike ride every September in Boston called Hub on Wheels. The highlight is that Storrow Drive, a major roadway along the Charles River, is closed for the event and cyclists get to ride on a road that is usually closed to us.

Last year Audrey and I rode the 10-mile route - the Storrow Drive portion - together. At the point where the riders on the longer routes split off, Audrey toyed with the idea of riding farther.

Fortunately we didn't. She hadn't had any training, and she was tired after 10 miles, and sore the next day.

This summer I asked Audrey if she wanted to ride the longer route. I told her we would need to do some training rides to work up to the 40-mile length of this year's route. She was game.

So, several weekends in a row leading up to the event we rode. First a little under 10 miles. Then 20 miles a couple of times. And finally 30 miles on the Cape Cod Rail Trail while were visiting the Cape with friends. When Hub on Wheels rolled around, we were ready.

Oh, before the Cape ride I also bought a computer for Audrey's bike so she could see her own speed and distance.

We had to get up at 6am to go on the ride. Audrey wasn't too excited about that.

I had stocked up on energy foods and had them stashed in my jersey pocket. Good thing. Audrey needed boosts now and then throughout the ride. But she powered through and we finished! Just over 40 miles on our bike computers. I was very proud of her.

She was a little sore the next day but not too bad. We'll see if she's game again next year.

The age minimum is 12, so Charlotte has another year before she has to decide whether to give it a go.

Here's the route:

Sunday, September 11, 2016

Cape Cod - September

For the fourth year in a row we joined our friends the Latta-Giulianas at their family cottage in Dennisport, Cape Cod, for the weekend after Labor Day.

We've established a bunch of traditions as part of this weekend:

This year Audrey and I added a 30-mile bike ride. Last year she and I rode the 10-mile route at Hub on Wheels. Audrey said she'd like to ride the longer route. So we've been going on training rides to work up to the 40-mile ride around Boston next weekend. We rode on the beautiful Cape Cod Rail Trail.

It was warm and a little humid this year. But we slept with the van side door and hatch wide open (we have screens), and the girls enjoyed the screened windows on three sides in the tent upstairs. It was delightful sleeping in warm temps and a breeze.

And now it's time for fall. After the 85 degree day we're going to have on Wednesday, that is.

Tuesday, August 30, 2016

Saturday, August 27, 2016

Crane Beach (Aug 21)

We always try to get in a few good beach days in August before heading back to school. Last Sunday we spent seven hours at Crane Beach.

Carol and the girls also went to Plum Island in the middle of the week to spend the night at a beach house rented by one of Charlotte's friend's families.

And we're going to Crane Beach again tomorrow with friend!

Wednesday, August 24, 2016

Seattle - Richland Vacation

We had a wonderful vacation in Seattle and Richland from July 26 - August 9. Last year we didn't take this trip because we spent all our money and vacation time going to Italy. So it had been two years since our last visit home.

Audrey flew to Seattle a week before the rest of the family and had a lot of fun visiting with family and going shopping, swimming and sightseeing.

When we arrived we spent our first 24 hours in Seattle. We happened to overlap with good friends Kathy and Mark and their kids, who live in Myanmar. So we enjoyed a dinner gathering with them at mutual friends Britt and Ken's house.

The next day we drove to Richland, to Carol's homestead.

Our Richland visit this year was especially good because:

  1. We got to spend a whole day on the river with Carol's childhood friend Kim and her family, and Grandpa Dennis.
  2. Both of Carol's brothers, and sister-in-law-Torii came over to celebrate both Dennis and Mary's 80th birthdays. And as a bonus they brought Niece Kristen.
  3. We enjoyed three boat outings on the river, including one at sunset and another with Grandma Mary, too.

Back in Seattle we enjoyed evenings out with good friends and lots of hanging out with family. Whenever it was warm we went swimming in Greenlake. Audrey learned how to dive!

We spent the last weekend at Aunt Tricia and Uncle Frank's house in Puyallup. We got to see their old school bus that they plan to turn into an RV; we helped Tricia prepare for and serve at a cancer program dinner at her house and just enjoyed hanging out with them.

We had a tourist day in Seattle visiting favorite sites: the Fremont Troll; the Ballard Locks and Seattle Center. We just missed being able to go up in the Space Needle (we timed it wrong).

We enjoyed another visit with Kristen over lunch, and we got to also see Nephew Ross. We also had dinner at Alki's Pegasus Pizza with Kristen and Cousin Alex and his new wife Jade.

We ended the trip with a Methot family tradition: dinner at the Old Spaghetti Factory. We first ate at this restaurant in Portland, OR in 1969, so this family tradition is 47 years old and going strong.

It was a wonderful trip. Can't wait until the next one!

Sunday, July 17, 2016

Boston Light

A couple months ago I read that Boston Light was going to be open for tours again after being closed for renovations for a couple of years. I immediately bought tickets.

There are a lot of islands, shoals and bars in Boston Harbor and it was treacherous to navigate. There were many shipwrecks in the 17th and 18th centuries. The colonists first built a lighthouse on three-acre Little Brewster Island, which marks the turn into the narrow safe channel to Boston, in 1716 (this is the 300th anniversary). The tower was rebuilt in 1783 and that's the tower that stands today.

There were tons of staff on the island. It is the only light house in the US that still has a paid keeper, and her main job is as tour hostess. There were also several National Park rangers and Coast Guard Auxiliary serving as guides. Several of the oldest artifacts owned by the Coast Guard are in the tiny museum room at the base of the lighthouse.

We had brought a picnic but we were so busy visiting the sites on the tiny island (tide pools, cistern house, bell, boathouse and of course climbing the lighthouse itself) that we never had time to eat! There was a very nice breeze so it was quite comfortable.

The girls were very reluctant to go, of course. And yet they had a wonderful time.

Saturday, June 11, 2016

Annie Jr.

This weekend was the Roosevelt school play, in the works since December. Charlotte was a member of the stage crew, and Carol spent many hours the past month or so designing and painting all of the sets.

There were three performances of the play. It was outstanding. And Carol, deservedly, received much praise for her work.

Only one more year at the Roosevelt for us. Then we'll have two middle schoolers for a year!

As usual, click on the photo above to see more.

Sunday, May 15, 2016

Long Hill

Back in mid-June of 2013, which would have been a week before I began cancer treatment, we visited Long Hill. It's a Trustees of Reservations property - they manage many of our favorite outdoor places in Massachusetts. Today we were back in that neck of the woods so we returned.

It's a former private estate and has lovely, peaceful gardens. This visit a whole different set of plants were in bloom, especially the Forget-me-nots and the peonies.

I've put it on my calendar to make regular visits through the summer so we can see different blooms each time.

Even our grumpy almost-teenager enjoyed the visit.

If you want to see photos from our previous visit, they are here. It was Father's Day 2013.

Sunday, May 1, 2016

Martha's Vineyard

Martha's Vineyard

Remember me? I used to blog here once in a while. Man, It's been a long time! Life has been busy.

My employer is the leading maker of drugs for Multiple Sclerosis, so it's a big sponsor of the Bike MS rides. I'm doing three this year, with the first being the 60-mile "Ride the Vineyard" on Martha's Vineyard yesterday.

We've been living in New England for seven years now but we had never made it to Martha's Vineyard or Nantucket. We were excited for our first visit.

A year ago at the school auction, Carol went with other moms. It was Casino Night. For some reason, as other people left they gave her their remaining chips and she ended up with a large number. She was able to choose any silent auction item she wanted and she chose a two night stay at the Bayside Resort on Cape Cod. We decided to use that stay for this weekend, and Carol and the girls came over to Martha's Vineyard to meet me after my ride and see the island.

Unfortunately I misunderstood the ferry routes and schedules and our hotel was actually 30 miles from the proper ferry landing in Woods Hole. Oh well, Carol was generous enough to get up with me at 5:35 AM and drive me to the 7:00 ferry, then go back and have breakfast with the girls and take a noon ferry.

My ride was great. The first half, "up island" (the western end) was hilly and tiring early in the season, but the second half, though windy, was flat and pleasant. I had a great tour of the island. A highlight was visiting Gay Head. The current incarnation of the lighthouse was built in 1874, quite far back from the bluff. But 140 years of storms have eroded the bluff such that the lighthouse was threatened. They are just completing the project of moving it farther from the bluff. The project happens to be the subject of NOVA this week.

We met up easily after the ride and I changed into normal clothes and we were off to sightsee.

The first order of business was lunch. We went to the Offshore Ale Company in Oak Bluffs, one of the two main tourist towns on the island. It also has the oldest continuously operating carousel in the country (which wasn't open yet - we were visiting well ahead of peak season), and "the campground" - a collection of 300 very cute gingerbread cottages that were the origin of the town.

Then we shopped a little. Carol and the girls all wanted MV sweatshirts. Coincidentally, they all chose purple!

We thought we wanted to rent scooters so I could show them some of the island highlights I had seen on my ride. The guys at the scooter place reminded us that it was kind of chilly out. They offered to rent us a jeep for the rest of the day for a very reasonable rate, and it had a big sunroof flap that would simulate a scooter ride if we wanted. We took it.

I had been reading about the geography of the island and learned that Chappaquiddick is reachable by a 100-yard ride on a 3-car ferry. There is also a conservation property there called "Mytoi" that I had read about years ago but thought I'd never visit. We headed to the ferry!

Finding it was an adventure. The streets in Edgartown are very narrow. The ferry dock is down at the end of one of them.

Mytoi was pretty. It reminded us very much of Kubota Gardens in Seattle.

The parking lot at Mytoi had a map that showed that there were multiple related conservation lands quite nearby. One of them was Cape Poge, a large barrier island that is only navigable by 4WD vehicle over deep sand.

Guess what? We had a Jeep!

We were all over that.

We had a blast navigating the sand up the ocean beach, then slightly more inland, until we reached Cape Pogue Lighthouse - our goal. The girls really enjoyed the ride, especially since it was at 15 mph and they could stand up out of the sunroof the whole way.

Cape Pogue, by the way, is reached via the tiny Dike Bridge, which happens to be the bridge Edward Kennedy's car drove off of in 1969 (although it's not entirely clear he was driving it).

We eventually made our way back to the tiny ferry and back to Oak Bluffs where we found ice cream. Then we headed back to the big ferry and returned to our Cape Cod hotel very late.

Sunday we slept in, then enjoyed the hotel breakfast and a swim in the pool.

As were leaving, we encountered another family from Melrose who noticed a Melrose sticker on our car. They were headed to the Edward Gorey House. That sounded like fun, so we headed there, too!

We ended up taking a charming tour given by his cousin. Then we spent a bunch of money in the gift shop, including a piece of art for our newly finished basement.

One more stop for a late lunch. Carol had a Monte Cristo sandwich that was delicious and we decided we need to make them at home.

Finally we made the two-hour trek back to Melrose. We all enjoyed that weekend very much.