Down, Down to Boston Town

To celebrate her best pal's huge accomplishment of completing her graduate degree and getting a grown-up job, Rachel flew to Boston over Memorial Day Weekend. The trip there was an awfully long 6-hr flight in the middle seat beside an enormous chattering man, and the tickets were changed about 4 times, causing an arrival time of 12 hours later than anticipated, but just in time for a party!

There were lanterns and lights, tasty delicacies, much-missed friends, and a dance floor. What more could you ask for?

Other long-distance friends (Ashley & Hal pictured above with grad-girl Molly, plus Ben (here disguised as a seal)) stuck around for the weekend, so Sunday we frolicked in the city. Best part #1: seals swimming upside down.

Best part #2: Lying in the sun on the pier with pals, not doing much of anything.

Best part #3: Having a picnic on the Boston Common (it's a park near the capitol building) in a THUNDERSTORM! With lightning and everything! We got drenched. It was delicious.

And after the friends went to their various far-flung homes, Molly was stuck with me for two more days! We decided to climb a mountain.

Mount Monadnock, it is called, and according to Wikipedia, the most-climbed mountain after Mt Fuji. These kids convinced us to do it. It sounded easy. It was 5 hours of not easy.

After another day of lounging around with Lady Marion, it was time to return home to slow-paced Ashland, where car rides do not equal certain death, and there are no Dunkin Donuts to be seen.