Last Monday Maura and I celebrated the remaining time we had together during the summer with a road trip. We headed west to Connecticut, leaving just late enough in the morning for traffic around Boston to clear. Our mission was to track a dinosaur. We knew we wouldn’t find the beast itself. It had been gone for 100 million years. It walked the sandy shores of a Connecticut lake in the early Jurassic and left its tracks set in stone to be seen by humans eons later.
Maura and I did not see the trackway preserved at Dinosaur State Park in Rocky Hill Connecticut, under a dome erected over the spot where it was found to protect the tracks from the weather. The exhibit was closed, as it is every Monday, a fact I had failed to note when I had visited the park’s web site the night before.
Maura was disappointed but we made the best of our trip. The park itself is open every day and we stopped for a while. We ate a picnic lunch while wishing we had brought bug spray to keep off the mosquitoes. After lunch we took a nature hike. We walked through a red maple swamp and up a traprock ridge. On our way back we spotted dragon flies and watched them for a time. When we returned to our car we saw a taste of what we had come to see. Next to the parking lot was a slap of rock with several clear dinosaur footprints in it.
We took the long way home across Connecticut. We expected we would find something interesting to see along the way. We passed a historic home or two and at least one museum, but all seemed to be closed on Mondays. We still managed to enjoy the day. It was nice to spend time together away from the TV and the computer. We walked and talked together and I taught Maura a bit about geology, one of my favorite subjects. We also beat the heat. During the only real heat wave we’ve had this summer in New England we spent the day in the air-conditioned car not the very warm house.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
The Great Road Trip
This year our summer vacation was a visit to my family in Indiana. Because of moderate gas prices this summer we chose to drive. It made for a long and tiring journey in both directions but the vacation was everything I wanted it to be. We enjoyed the company of my parents and my sister Marcia and had a wonderfully fun and relaxing time. Our time in Indiana was divided between my parents’ home in Zionsville, just north of Indianapolis, and their vacation home on Lake Monroe, in the south central part of the state. When Jennifer and I had to head home we left Maura behind to spend an extra week with her grandparents.
We left at eleven o’clock on Saturday night, the end of my shift at Borders. Our plan was to drive overnight, avoiding traffic and as much as possible avoiding having to deal with a bored six-year-old. We figured that driving through the darkness would encourage Maura to sleep for a good part of the trip. The plan worked. Jennifer and I shared the driving, sleeping when we were not behind the wheel, and we all arrived safely in Zionsville tired but with our sanity intact.
Our stay in the Indianapolis area was very enjoyable. We went to the Indianapolis Children’s Museum were we saw the Tutankhamen and the Great Pharaohs of Egypt exhibition. I found it fascinating and could have spent all day in the exhibition but I think Maura enjoyed the time we spent in the permanent collections of the museum more. The Indianapolis Children’s Museum is a wonder and worth a visit for anyone visiting Indianapolis, with our without children.
The other highlight of our time in Zionsville was attending an Indianapolis Indians game. The Indians are Indianapolis’s AAA minor league baseball team. We got rained on and the home team didn’t win but it was still fun to sit in the stands and root for them. Victory Park, where the Indians play, is a great place to catch a game. The stadium is intimate and friendly, the ticket prices are reasonable and the level of play, though not up to major league standards, is still thoroughly professional.
On Thursday we took a side trip down to King's Island, an amusement park in Ohio, not far from Cincinnati. It was a fun trip, though a long day. Maura loves rides and at King’s Island she added roller coasters, which she had been avoiding, to her list of favorites. Maura often has to be coaxed onto rides, but once she’s on them the wilder they are the more fun she has. While we were at King’s Island we were able to see our friend Sean and his family. Sean moved to Ohio two years ago and we don’t often get to see him now. The chance to spend a few hours catching up with an old friend made a fun day even better.
On Friday we drove down to my parents’ house on Lake Monroe. A trip to the lake house is always a highlight of any visit to Indiana. The house is on a wooded hillside overlooking the quiet end of the lake. There are neighbors but they do little to disturb the tranquility of the place. There is nothing more relaxing than sitting on the large porch overlooking the lake watching the hummingbirds buzz around the feeders like feathered bees, then watching the fireflies rise into the treetops once the sun goes down.
The end of the trip was bittersweet. We said goodbye to Maura and my parents before getting in the car for our long drive home. She spent another week with her grandparents. Jennifer and I both missed Maura but it was nice to spend time alone together. The drive home was pleasant though long. We were lucky enough to witness a natural wonder as we made our way through western Pennsylvania. A rain shower in partial sunshine produced a perfect double rainbow to cheer us on our way.
We left at eleven o’clock on Saturday night, the end of my shift at Borders. Our plan was to drive overnight, avoiding traffic and as much as possible avoiding having to deal with a bored six-year-old. We figured that driving through the darkness would encourage Maura to sleep for a good part of the trip. The plan worked. Jennifer and I shared the driving, sleeping when we were not behind the wheel, and we all arrived safely in Zionsville tired but with our sanity intact.
Our stay in the Indianapolis area was very enjoyable. We went to the Indianapolis Children’s Museum were we saw the Tutankhamen and the Great Pharaohs of Egypt exhibition. I found it fascinating and could have spent all day in the exhibition but I think Maura enjoyed the time we spent in the permanent collections of the museum more. The Indianapolis Children’s Museum is a wonder and worth a visit for anyone visiting Indianapolis, with our without children.
The other highlight of our time in Zionsville was attending an Indianapolis Indians game. The Indians are Indianapolis’s AAA minor league baseball team. We got rained on and the home team didn’t win but it was still fun to sit in the stands and root for them. Victory Park, where the Indians play, is a great place to catch a game. The stadium is intimate and friendly, the ticket prices are reasonable and the level of play, though not up to major league standards, is still thoroughly professional.
On Thursday we took a side trip down to King's Island, an amusement park in Ohio, not far from Cincinnati. It was a fun trip, though a long day. Maura loves rides and at King’s Island she added roller coasters, which she had been avoiding, to her list of favorites. Maura often has to be coaxed onto rides, but once she’s on them the wilder they are the more fun she has. While we were at King’s Island we were able to see our friend Sean and his family. Sean moved to Ohio two years ago and we don’t often get to see him now. The chance to spend a few hours catching up with an old friend made a fun day even better.
On Friday we drove down to my parents’ house on Lake Monroe. A trip to the lake house is always a highlight of any visit to Indiana. The house is on a wooded hillside overlooking the quiet end of the lake. There are neighbors but they do little to disturb the tranquility of the place. There is nothing more relaxing than sitting on the large porch overlooking the lake watching the hummingbirds buzz around the feeders like feathered bees, then watching the fireflies rise into the treetops once the sun goes down.
The end of the trip was bittersweet. We said goodbye to Maura and my parents before getting in the car for our long drive home. She spent another week with her grandparents. Jennifer and I both missed Maura but it was nice to spend time alone together. The drive home was pleasant though long. We were lucky enough to witness a natural wonder as we made our way through western Pennsylvania. A rain shower in partial sunshine produced a perfect double rainbow to cheer us on our way.
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Travel Envy
My passport expired long ago and I haven’t applied for a new one. I want to have a passport. I intend to apply but I have no sense of urgency. I don’t expect to be travelling out of the United States any time soon. My circumstances now don’t allow for long or expensive trips.
I wish, often, that it were otherwise. I rarely read travel books but I find myself gazing at the pictures of exotic places that grace their covers and saying to myself, “Why am I here?” I’m not questioning my purpose in life. My life has plenty of meaning. I find it in my relationships with God and with my family. I’m just wondering why I am in Weymouth, Massachusetts, and not in Africa, or New Zealand, or Brazil, or England, or New Mexico, or anywhere else. The world is full of places that I’ve never been and want to see, and equally full of places I’ve been before and want to see again.
Many of my happiest memories are of trips I’ve taken in the past with family and friends. It is a joy to go new places, do new things, eat new foods. I miss the days when I traveled more widely, when I accumulated stamps in my passport and highway miles on my car. I do remember, though, that there were times when I longed for the comforts of home. Now that I spend most of my time in my home I need to remember to savor those comforts. And when home is too small and boring, I have to remind myself that there are adventures waiting for me in my own back yard.
Even here in Weymouth there are places I have never been, activities that I have never tried, and foods I have never tasted. Boston is close enough that I can go for a day, do plenty, and be back for dinner without ever getting behind the wheel of my car. If I feel like driving, most of New England can be visited in a day. There are probably more things to see and do within one hundred miles of where I live than I could manage in a lifetime. So until the roads and skies of the world open up for me again and I start accumulating miles on my car and stamps in a new passport I’ll go out and find my adventures close to home. I won’t lack for travelling companions and I’ll make plenty of new memories to take with me when I’m again travelling the country and the world.
I wish, often, that it were otherwise. I rarely read travel books but I find myself gazing at the pictures of exotic places that grace their covers and saying to myself, “Why am I here?” I’m not questioning my purpose in life. My life has plenty of meaning. I find it in my relationships with God and with my family. I’m just wondering why I am in Weymouth, Massachusetts, and not in Africa, or New Zealand, or Brazil, or England, or New Mexico, or anywhere else. The world is full of places that I’ve never been and want to see, and equally full of places I’ve been before and want to see again.
Many of my happiest memories are of trips I’ve taken in the past with family and friends. It is a joy to go new places, do new things, eat new foods. I miss the days when I traveled more widely, when I accumulated stamps in my passport and highway miles on my car. I do remember, though, that there were times when I longed for the comforts of home. Now that I spend most of my time in my home I need to remember to savor those comforts. And when home is too small and boring, I have to remind myself that there are adventures waiting for me in my own back yard.
Even here in Weymouth there are places I have never been, activities that I have never tried, and foods I have never tasted. Boston is close enough that I can go for a day, do plenty, and be back for dinner without ever getting behind the wheel of my car. If I feel like driving, most of New England can be visited in a day. There are probably more things to see and do within one hundred miles of where I live than I could manage in a lifetime. So until the roads and skies of the world open up for me again and I start accumulating miles on my car and stamps in a new passport I’ll go out and find my adventures close to home. I won’t lack for travelling companions and I’ll make plenty of new memories to take with me when I’m again travelling the country and the world.
Monday, June 15, 2009
We Went to the Zoo, Zoo, Zoo
Last Thursday was Maura’s class field trip to the Franklin Park Zoo. At her school they get one big field trip each year so their trip to the zoo was one of the highlights of their school year. I went along as a volunteer chaperon. It was a long day but I’m glad I could help.
I arrived at school in the morning with Maura. We walked from home despite the promise of rain because I didn’t want to worry about parking at school. As a special treat we stopped for breakfast at the donut shop about halfway between home and school. One I had signed in at the office and the kids had settled into their classroom I went down to meet them. I was one of two parent volunteers for the class. I was assigned four students to watch during the day, Maura and three boys from her class. Then we boarded the bus and headed to the zoo.
It was a long and trying day for me but it was fun too. Once at the zoo the class split up and I was alone for the day with my four charges. I had not expected the class to be split up that way. It was all up to me and the kids what we did with the day. We managed to see pretty much everything the Franklin Park Zoo has to offer, except the giraffes. They were in their house staying out of the cold. It was not a warm day and it threatened to rain all day though it never did. I’m certainly glad for that. Many of the best exhibits at Franklin Park are indoors but there were lots of kids at the zoo and they all would have been crowded inside if it had been raining.
My four kids were all very good and excited about their trip to the zoo. Everyone wanted to see everything and they were remarkably patient and didn’t give me a hard time. They biggest problem was keeping them together. Someone was always running ahead or trailing behind and I feel lucky that I did not lose any of them.
Everyone has their own favorite animals at the zoo. I’m fond of the mandrills and the tamarins in the rain forest exhibit. Maura likes the lemurs. All the kids like the emus because they heard a story about emus in class. One of the peacocks that wander free in the zoo gave us a nice suprise. It fanned out its tail and put on a display for us. It was very impressive.
I was completely exhausted by the time we got back on the bus. Maura put her head on my shoulder and took a nap. I wish I could have done the same but it was a noisy and bumpy ride back to the school.
I arrived at school in the morning with Maura. We walked from home despite the promise of rain because I didn’t want to worry about parking at school. As a special treat we stopped for breakfast at the donut shop about halfway between home and school. One I had signed in at the office and the kids had settled into their classroom I went down to meet them. I was one of two parent volunteers for the class. I was assigned four students to watch during the day, Maura and three boys from her class. Then we boarded the bus and headed to the zoo.
It was a long and trying day for me but it was fun too. Once at the zoo the class split up and I was alone for the day with my four charges. I had not expected the class to be split up that way. It was all up to me and the kids what we did with the day. We managed to see pretty much everything the Franklin Park Zoo has to offer, except the giraffes. They were in their house staying out of the cold. It was not a warm day and it threatened to rain all day though it never did. I’m certainly glad for that. Many of the best exhibits at Franklin Park are indoors but there were lots of kids at the zoo and they all would have been crowded inside if it had been raining.
My four kids were all very good and excited about their trip to the zoo. Everyone wanted to see everything and they were remarkably patient and didn’t give me a hard time. They biggest problem was keeping them together. Someone was always running ahead or trailing behind and I feel lucky that I did not lose any of them.
Everyone has their own favorite animals at the zoo. I’m fond of the mandrills and the tamarins in the rain forest exhibit. Maura likes the lemurs. All the kids like the emus because they heard a story about emus in class. One of the peacocks that wander free in the zoo gave us a nice suprise. It fanned out its tail and put on a display for us. It was very impressive.
I was completely exhausted by the time we got back on the bus. Maura put her head on my shoulder and took a nap. I wish I could have done the same but it was a noisy and bumpy ride back to the school.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Ready to Roll
Maura received a bicycle for her birthday last year but for various reasons it sat in our shed for most of a year unridden. Our street, though fairly quiet, is still too busy for bike riding lessons and last fall we had no way to transport the bicycle to a better location. New England winters are not good times to be out on a bicycle. Now that it’s nearly summer and fair weather is expected it is time Maura learned to ride her bike. Last weekend we took the time to give her some lessons.
Our first lesson was Saturday afternoon. Once I had figured out how to mount the bike rack to the trunk of the Toyota we strapped Maura’s Hannah Montana bicycle on to it and headed to Great Esker Park where I was sure we would find a good place for Maura to ride. While the park’s most notable feature is the esker of its name, a long, steep-sided hill, near the parking lot is one of flattest places in Weymouth. A smoothly paved path that circles the ball field there is an ideal place for a bike lesson.
On Saturday I started out holding the handlebars and seat of the bike while I walked alongside reminding Maura to pedal. Soon I was letting go to jog behind her for a little while before she fell over or ran off the path out of control. Every time she fell over Maura got back on the bike with a smile on her face ready to try again. She hadn’t yet mastered bike riding by the time we had to go home for supper but she made a lot of progress.
We were back on Sunday afternoon for another lesson. While she still lost control of the bike often she was clearly getting her balance. Now instead of jogging right behind her while she pedaled slowly and unsteadily for a few yards I was running to catch up while she rode halfway around the circuit before losing control. She had a great time despite a skinned knees and I’m confident that she’ll be riding like a pro before school’s out for the summer.
Maura’s cheerful persistence in trying to ride her bike is heartening to me. She’s learned one of the lessons I’ve tried to teach her—that it is worth working at something until you get it right if it is something worth doing at all. I know that it is a lesson she will forget from time to time. I know I do. Still the better she learns it now the better she will be at dealing with failure and frustration when she needs to learn a difficult skill or one that gives her less pleasure.
Our first lesson was Saturday afternoon. Once I had figured out how to mount the bike rack to the trunk of the Toyota we strapped Maura’s Hannah Montana bicycle on to it and headed to Great Esker Park where I was sure we would find a good place for Maura to ride. While the park’s most notable feature is the esker of its name, a long, steep-sided hill, near the parking lot is one of flattest places in Weymouth. A smoothly paved path that circles the ball field there is an ideal place for a bike lesson.
On Saturday I started out holding the handlebars and seat of the bike while I walked alongside reminding Maura to pedal. Soon I was letting go to jog behind her for a little while before she fell over or ran off the path out of control. Every time she fell over Maura got back on the bike with a smile on her face ready to try again. She hadn’t yet mastered bike riding by the time we had to go home for supper but she made a lot of progress.
We were back on Sunday afternoon for another lesson. While she still lost control of the bike often she was clearly getting her balance. Now instead of jogging right behind her while she pedaled slowly and unsteadily for a few yards I was running to catch up while she rode halfway around the circuit before losing control. She had a great time despite a skinned knees and I’m confident that she’ll be riding like a pro before school’s out for the summer.
Maura’s cheerful persistence in trying to ride her bike is heartening to me. She’s learned one of the lessons I’ve tried to teach her—that it is worth working at something until you get it right if it is something worth doing at all. I know that it is a lesson she will forget from time to time. I know I do. Still the better she learns it now the better she will be at dealing with failure and frustration when she needs to learn a difficult skill or one that gives her less pleasure.
Friday, May 15, 2009
Ocean Racing
Because it was Mother’s Day, last Sunday’s activities were Jennifer’s choice. She thought it would be fun to check out the Volvo Ocean Race. The Ocean Race is an around-the-world sailing race that began in Spain last fall. The racing boats are now making a three week layover in Boston before beginning the final leg of the race across the Atlantic to make quick stops in Ireland and Sweden before finishing in St. Petersburg. Boston is the only stop the boats made in North America. Much of the race route was in the Southern Hemisphere.
While the boats are in Boston they occupy a temporary Race Village set up in the parking lot next to the Federal Court House on Fan Pier. They have work areas where adjustments and repairs can be made to the boats, temporary docks, concessions and attractions for visitors. The Race organizers are putting on concerts and festivals and hosting regattas for high school and college athletes and amateur sailors. When we visited the village they were racing the ocean racers in the harbor. We saw several matches. The course was two nautical miles long and the boats sailed it twice for each race. At speeds of around 20 knots the matches took about five minutes each. We didn’t always have the best view and no one in the family knows much about sailing but it was still fun to watch them. It was particularly interesting to watch because the harbor was busy. While we were watching the races a tanker came in and there were many water taxis and pleasure boats on the water.
The rest of the afternoon of the afternoon was also fun. After spending some time at the race village we walked along the Harbor Walk to the New England Aquarium, where we watched the seals in the outdoor tank for a while. The seals at the Aquarium have always been one of Boston’s best free attractions. After that we cut through Faneuil Hall on our way back to catch the T. We saw the tail end of a street performance on our way. An escape artist got out of a rope and a straight jacket while dangling upside down by his ankles from a pyramidal frame about 10 feet off the ground. It was fairly impressive.
The dark spot on the day for me was that still not completely recovered from the previous week. I had an unhealed blister on my heel that made walking increasingly uncomfortable as the day went on. By the time we got back to the T station I was limping rather badly and ready to call it a day.
While the boats are in Boston they occupy a temporary Race Village set up in the parking lot next to the Federal Court House on Fan Pier. They have work areas where adjustments and repairs can be made to the boats, temporary docks, concessions and attractions for visitors. The Race organizers are putting on concerts and festivals and hosting regattas for high school and college athletes and amateur sailors. When we visited the village they were racing the ocean racers in the harbor. We saw several matches. The course was two nautical miles long and the boats sailed it twice for each race. At speeds of around 20 knots the matches took about five minutes each. We didn’t always have the best view and no one in the family knows much about sailing but it was still fun to watch them. It was particularly interesting to watch because the harbor was busy. While we were watching the races a tanker came in and there were many water taxis and pleasure boats on the water.
The rest of the afternoon of the afternoon was also fun. After spending some time at the race village we walked along the Harbor Walk to the New England Aquarium, where we watched the seals in the outdoor tank for a while. The seals at the Aquarium have always been one of Boston’s best free attractions. After that we cut through Faneuil Hall on our way back to catch the T. We saw the tail end of a street performance on our way. An escape artist got out of a rope and a straight jacket while dangling upside down by his ankles from a pyramidal frame about 10 feet off the ground. It was fairly impressive.
The dark spot on the day for me was that still not completely recovered from the previous week. I had an unhealed blister on my heel that made walking increasingly uncomfortable as the day went on. By the time we got back to the T station I was limping rather badly and ready to call it a day.
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Walk for Hunger
Last Sunday Maura, Jennifer and I walked in the 40th annual Walk for Hunger as the Ellett Family Team. As a team we walked a total of 41 miles. Maura and Jennifer walked to the lunch stop at Daley Field, 10½ miles from the starting line on Boston Common. I parted company with them after lunch and finished the 20 mile course, arriving back at the Common tired and footsore but proud of my accomplishment.
We got up bright and early on Sunday morning to take the T downtown to check in and start the walk. We completed our check in and headed out around 8 o’clock. The first few miles were very pleasant. The weather was almost perfect for walking, cool but not cold, with a high overcast most of the day. We set a good pace for the first several miles. Maura at first thought she might want to do the whole 20 miles but she started to get tired around mile 6. By mile 8 she was almost ready to quit. With some encouragement, Jennifer and I convinced her to continue to the lunch stop where we took a long break. Walking 10½ miles is a great achievement for a six-year-old and I’m very proud of her.
After lunch I said goodbye to Maura and Jennifer and continued with the walk. My legs and feet were already starting to get sore and by mile 15 I was limping along, but I kept on with it until I reached the end of the course, finishing around 3 o’clock in the afternoon. The second half of the course was lonely and painful but I would happily do it again. Maura and Jennifer took the shuttle bus back to the Common from Daley Field to enjoy the free festival there and were waiting to meet me when I staggered up to the final checkpoint. I checked in, received a certificate of achievement for completing the course and collected a free ice-cream before collapsing on the grass. It was a long day for everyone but on the whole we enjoyed ourselves and felt good about helping to raise money to feed the hungry. We are planning to walk again in two years and may make the Walk for Hunger a regular family event.
We got up bright and early on Sunday morning to take the T downtown to check in and start the walk. We completed our check in and headed out around 8 o’clock. The first few miles were very pleasant. The weather was almost perfect for walking, cool but not cold, with a high overcast most of the day. We set a good pace for the first several miles. Maura at first thought she might want to do the whole 20 miles but she started to get tired around mile 6. By mile 8 she was almost ready to quit. With some encouragement, Jennifer and I convinced her to continue to the lunch stop where we took a long break. Walking 10½ miles is a great achievement for a six-year-old and I’m very proud of her.
After lunch I said goodbye to Maura and Jennifer and continued with the walk. My legs and feet were already starting to get sore and by mile 15 I was limping along, but I kept on with it until I reached the end of the course, finishing around 3 o’clock in the afternoon. The second half of the course was lonely and painful but I would happily do it again. Maura and Jennifer took the shuttle bus back to the Common from Daley Field to enjoy the free festival there and were waiting to meet me when I staggered up to the final checkpoint. I checked in, received a certificate of achievement for completing the course and collected a free ice-cream before collapsing on the grass. It was a long day for everyone but on the whole we enjoyed ourselves and felt good about helping to raise money to feed the hungry. We are planning to walk again in two years and may make the Walk for Hunger a regular family event.
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