Walden

This long Labour Day weekend at Mark's house in Westford has been fairly relaxed, though much excitement was had after discovering a wonderful nearby Asian grocery store and the local Market Basket, a New England supermarket. All I have to say about Market Basket is "oh my god, it's cheap". If we end up living near a Market Basket and a Whole Foods--which is not exactly cheap but does supply certain necessities--I'll be totally content. We have also been doing our dog-sitting duty by taking care of a deaf, geriatric black lab and a poopy yet happy beagle.

Pumpkin

Brunch with Mia on the patio

Seth and his guitar in the 'rustic room'

On Sunday we spent the late afternoon in the nearby town of Concord (pop 17,000), which is only about 10 miles from where we are staying in Westford. Concord was not only the home of Ralph Waldo Emerson, Nathaniel Hawthorne, the Alcotts, and birthplace of Henry David Thoreau, but the Battle of Lexington and Concord was where the first shot was fired during the American Revolution ("the shot heard around the world"). Unfortunately we did not spend too much time exploring the history (aside from wandering around the streets in search of a place to park) and we headed right to Walden Pond, where Thoreau spent two years of his life, providing inspiration for him to write Walden.

The far end of Walden Pond (Concord, MA)

The cramped beach at Walden Pond (what would Thoreau have thought of this?)

The site of Thoreau's house

The pond was actually really nice, despite the crowds of people gathered at its tiny beaches. We followed the path around the pond, which was only about 1.5miles long, and dodged nasty mosquitoes the entire way.

Here are a few pictures from the past several weeks, continuing on from Seth's home in New York, then my place in North Carolina, and back to Massachusetts.

Seth playing a game of Castles and Catapults (or something) with his nephew

Seth's dad and niece (Cora) making cookies with our prized Aussie critter cutters

Tory (Seth's brother) and Chance (nephew)

Launching rockets

Looking for the rocket lost in the corn field

My cookie (modeled after Mr. Peanut)

Seth showing me a walnut tree

A black walnut (not yet ripe)

The nearby farm

There is something very unsettleing about a field of sun flowers, but I can't put my finger on it...

Day trip to the Windmill, full of local crafts and a great place for Amish spotting

Running down Seth's road

The boxes we mailed from Canberra (via sea) finally arrived in Raleigh (about 6 weeks later)

Running in Brighton (no wonder I got poison ivy!!)

The Charles River, Watertown