May 2019

 Erin's 4th grade CML team took home the national championship by being one of only two teams in the country with perfect team scores on all 5 tests. In a nation of 300+ million people it is amazing to be #1 in any competition. Way to go, Bowman Math Team.

That's Europe on the bottom. How many of the rest can you figure out?

 I pass this sign every morning on my commute into Cambridge. It's the saddest Home of... sign that I've ever seen. Especially for a city home to many notable people and places.

 We visited Somers for Memorial Day. Any clue what animal this belongs to? Hint: the teeth are the same color as its tail.

The fish were biting 

and while my line was snagged under the water, this bluegill struck at the slack line and when I pulled up I had him lassoed around the mouth. 

 We went up to New Paltz to hike around Mohonk

Most of the trails are the same as when we first visited 30 years ago 

 The Labyrinth trail was no match for the older girls

 and the Sky Top view was more pleasant than our last trip

Sadly the Picnic Lodge is off limits to day hikers, after a picnic at the top we toured the gorgeous grounds 

Spring 2019

 This year our April getaway to find spring was to Alabama and Tennessee. At Little River Canyon National Preserve amphibians were everywhere, like this skink 

and this anole

Not sure about the Junior Boatman, but the Lunar Ranger patch is awesome

4.3 calories and 1% of your dietary protein per fried cricket

 Russell Cave National Monument described the archaeological findings accumulated from 10,000 years of Native American habitation

The Paleo-Indian on their JR badge was pretty cool, too

 There were no tears shed during our stay in Chattanooga

For our night in the 'Nooga we stayed in a renovated Pullman car 

at the wonderfully entertaining 

The Choo-Choo was better than Fanueil Hall or Fisherman's Wharf

 with in-room climbing challenges

 and hundreds of singing toads outside

The 'Nooga aquarium specialized in freshwater aquatic life and we saw many reasons to steer clear of Southern swamps, like alligator snapping turtles. Even their saltwater exhibits were better than the New England Aquarium.

At Lookout Mountain in the Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park, our 4th grader picked up her Kid in a Park pass 

Back home to Boston for a rainy Easter egg hunt

On another rainy day Tessie walked part of the Freedom Trail 

Boston Massacre site 

rainy local goat farm 

good rainy day activity: truing a crooked wheel 

rainy Mother's Day lunch 

On rainy evenings we played Nancy Drew games

Heather and Erin traveled to Atlanta for niece Jenna's high school graduation

Grandpa Mike and Nana came up from Florida

The Gray clan was in town

Love the mechanical switchboard that once controlled the Chattanooga railyard