Milking one more weekend out of summah

Dad took the kids on a last-minute-planned camping trip Friday-Sunday at Little Ossipee Lake in E. Bum- er, Waterboro, ME. It was originally going to be Patrick and Dad’s Boys Weekend Out but Susanna talked her way into going, too, giving mom 48 hours kidfree.

Kids’ first job out of the van: Stack that firewood!

Dad was not pleased about the all-sand site, but kids talked him into staying.

The lake was clean and shallow…and kid-friendly.

Free paddleboats!

Gratuitous chipmunk and wild turkey shots we promised the kids for the blog.

Wild blackberries at the orchard where we went apple-picking.

Patrick rides the bus for the first time

Off to first grade. Beast of luck, little monster!

Our best train setup yet

Integrating five different brands of tracks we’ve picked up here and there. We still see stuff on YouTube that makes this layout look pretty meager, but this one–created by Dad and Patrick–is pretty fantastic.

Quack!

Friday, having tired of the beaches and wanting a change in scenery, Dad and the kids hopped in the van and went to Boston to take advantage of free admission to the Science Museum, one of Patrick’s favorite places. We did that, and afterward took note of the Duck Tour boats lining up at the Museum, one of three places in the city where tours begin and end.

For those unacquainted with this concept, Duck Tours are the way to see Boston if you’re from out of town: These WWII amphibious craft can go both on the streets and in the water, too! The “conDUCKtors” of the tours get the passegers to quack at people when they walk by, and the kids squealed with delight when they got quacked at.

This is what they look like on the street, loading up somewhere (Park Street?). I appropriated this pic from Boston Discovery Guide, a spam site as far as I can tell, or a “thin affiliate” in Google terms.

It turns out that the park along the Charles River where we stopped for a picnic lunch was right along the canal where the Duck Boats came and went…and the kids just sat there, eating, watching the boats go by. They admonished me to take some pictures (I only had cell phone camera on me) and post them here–as well as a picture of a totally zany car we saw at the Alewife parking garage that was (wait for it…..) covered with Pez. Pez are pretty important in these kids’ lives, and this car was…the ultimate.

Topless Sprinkler Mania!

It’s been so hot this week…you know the rest.

Beach Day #3, Elm Brook Park at Hopkinton-Everett Lake (NH)

We’ve been so busy, and the weather’s been so uncooperative this summer that we haven’t done much beach-y stuff since late spring. So, to make up for lost time on a Daddy kids day last Monday, we did the unthinkable: A third consecutive beach day. This time, we mined one of the treasures he found on his White Mountains motorcycle camping trip a couple weeks back, Elm Brook Park just this side of the Hopkinton Dam.

Bubble blowing break!

Stylin’ in the floaty suit.

At the end of the lake time–before we went over to the picnic/playground area to have lunch–the ranger staff showed up with bins to remove armloads of millfoil, an invasive water plant that was taking over the beach. Patrick and Susanna had been picking the stuff up all day and tossing it on the beach; they jumped right in and helped out the workers.

Beach Day #2, Goddard Park (RI)

Last Sunday Auntie Abigail followed up Naragansett Beach with Goddard State Park, close by he place in Warwick, RI.

Shell hunting for the kids’ architectural aspirations.

Beach Day #1, Narragansett (RI)

We’re spending the weekend at Auntie Abigail’s in Warwick, RI. She took us to Narragansett Beach today, where there was much sand-castling going on.

The weatha was perfect, about 80 and breeeezy

These minnows swam in and out with the tide, in just a couple inches of water.

Much sand castling was going on.

Didn't I do a great job?

Summertime

…and as Janis sang at Woodstock 40 years ago this month, the livin’ is easy.

Dad’s first motorcycle camping expedition

Dams, White Mountains, hiking, and such. Credits to Tom Bier (who gave me the “lock your coat over the whole thing” security idea) and Alex Bier (who implored me to explore the White Mountain National Forest west of I-93 on the bike).

Locked and loaded.

Generous tent site at Scenic View Campground, Warren, NH on Moosilauke Highway (Route 25).

Site done in less than an hour when you’re minimalist.

Obligatory NH FernScape (TM).

Just to prove it, yes, I achieved FIRE!

This gorgeous view awaited me on the Sawyer Highway this morning.

Decided to take my walk du jour here this morning off NH118 (Sawyer Highway).

Look what awaited…