Music in the Park

Saturday night the Charlotte Symphony was to perform in a park just up from my house. Just a bit before , we had a big storm, and I figured it had been canceled. When I went upstairs though, I heard music! I jumped in the car and discovered there was still plenty of parking, so I caught most of the concert (and after being hot all day actually got chilly!).

And then there were fireworks. Since I work until 9PM on the the 4th of July, that may be my fireworks for the summer!

Taking a Break

Saturday I did a 5-6 mile walk with the outdoors group. We were mostly in woods and/or by a lake, but there were some stints out in the sun. Although we started early, it was plenty hot!

Don't think I didn't consider a dip myself!

Before the Storm

I took Friday off, and was working outside that evening when I noticed a sudden drop in the temp and rise in the wind. I looked around in amazement. It had been bright and sunny just a moment before. The photo doesn't capture the intensity of the sky, but it will remind me! This shot is looking away from my townhouse, toward some condos. The sky in the other direction was almost black, but those photos were even less representative of what I actually saw. Not long after this, we had a good storm!

Wishful Thinking

The effects of the drought can be seen all over, even at the whitewater rafting center.

White Water Rafting

I don't know these people, but I couldn't take a picture of myself! I went with friends to the US National Whitewater Center for my first rafting adventure. This is a man made river where the Olympic teams train. I figured it would be a good way to see if I'm truly interested in "real" rafting. It was a lot of fun, I got soaking wet, found I could hold my own paddling, and everyone managed to stay in our raft (not true of many of the rafts out there!). We had to quit before our time was up because of approaching bad weather, so we got a voucher for a free run at another time. I can now better justify the money I spent, since I'll get another run!

Last night in Boston

Lauren's talked about Mike's and their wonderful pastries every since she interned in Boston three years ago. We had a delicious dessert the first night I was here, and I stopped by tonight for a "to go" box. Everyone I passed on the way home eyed my "Mike's box," and I heard more than one comment.

Salem Harbor

Salem

This is the house where Nathaniel Hawthorne's future wife lived, and where they did their courting. It is adjacent to the cemetery, and I just love this tree! I couldn't have picked a better one to be living in an old cemetery!

There are lots of interesting people buried here... Nathaniel Hawthorne's relative who presided over the witch trials, a Mayflower pilgrim, Cotton Mather's brother... it's an amazing place.
Adjacent to the cemetery is this memorial to those who lost their lives in the witch hunt. The stone benches along the side are each engraved with the name of a victim. At one end are quotes from some of those killed, such as "I cannot plead guilty."


Lauren had told me Salem was very commercialized, but I was still surprised. Almost every store and restaurant name has something to do with witches. The sweatshirts all say something about witches. There is a witch museum and ghost tours and so on and so forth. They've taken a very serious, tragic historical event and exploited it in such trite ways. The city is full of wonderful history, but it is overshadowed by silly commercialism.

Walden Pond

This afternoon we went out to Walden Pond, the subject of Thoreau's book.

I had very happy feet!

Copley Square, Boston

I came across and outdoor market today with organic food and flowers. Everything was so lovely! All the great fruit and vegetables, and what did I buy? A ginger molasses cookie, which has to be one of the best things I've ever tasted!

Trinity Church, Boston

I read somewhere this church is consistently named one of the 10 most beautiful buildings in America. I'm not sure I'd go that far. It is definitely interesting, though, situated right next to a huge skyscraper. The reflections are fascinating.

Bunker Hill Memorial

The anniversary of the battle of Bunker Hill is tomorrow. Yes, I climbed all 294 steps to the top.And here's the view.

Listen my children...

Today I toured the home of Paul Revere (did you know he had 16 children?),visited North Church (which is really named Christ Church) were the signal lanterns (one if by land....) were hung,

and had a delicious lunch at the tavern where Paul Revere and George Washington hung out.

Boston Harbor

One of the places we went today was the harbor.

I was absolutely amazed to find the harbor full of jellyfish. Hundreds, maybe thousands.

I'd heard the term "dry dock" before and never really thought much about what it meant. I saw one this morning, with an explanation of the process, and was glad to learn something new!

Dog

I found an old friend at Lauren's apartment. This little guy is about as old as Lauren. He's been well loved, and a friend to all. When Jonathan was little, he fell in love with Dog, and hauled him (Lauren informs me he's a her) around everywhere, Dog's head tucked under his arm. When Jonathan had meningitis (at age 16 months), even when he was unconscious he held tightly to Dog. As Jonathan recuperated, Dog went with him every other day when Jonathan's IV had to be moved to the other arm. Poor Dog ended that hospital stay bloody and sad. He's (she's) been through a lot with us. It gave me the warm fuzzies to see Dog on Lauren's bookshelves.

Boston

I have no idea what these are, but they cracked me up as I walked through a public garden.

The tall towers are a Holocaust memorial. There is a tower for each of the six concentration camps. You can walk through the towers, which each have steam rising from the bottom, contain quotes about the Holocaust, and are etched with some of 6 million numbers.

Most of today was spent in the Boston Fine Arts Museum. Van Gogh is still my favorite.

Pasta for dinner

Andrew and Lauren made fettuccine from scratch for dinner. YUM! Pasta with pesto, asparagus, green beans, peas, and shrimp.

Harvard

Harvard campus....




...and Lauren browsing in Harvard Square

Celebrating the Arts in Cambridge

We discovered an arts festival out by the river.