Off to the Boston Symphony Orchestra

Hi Family:

Boston has been a whirlwind with hardly a second to write. After trying to purchase online tickets for Beethoven Series Part 4 five weeks ago, we were so lucky to find two jump seats yesterday for tonight's performance because the house was sold out ages ago. It's the first time in 57 years that the BSO has featured all nine symphonies in a series. I suppose as in any unfamiliar city, we walked around in circles Tuesday afternoon and evening orienting ourselves. Eventually we figured out the subway system, got all the trolley car tours sorted out and were on our way. We walked till we dropped on Tuesday and trollied around yesterday to Trinity Church, a beautiful old church built with incredible support structures on landfill, the Christian Science complex where the Christian Science Monitor was born, the Rodeo Drive of Boston, the original Cheers restaurant and tons of graveyards. Bostonians love their history. Harvard where we spent most of today -- at the art gallery, an organ recital and the book store (I think Dad would rather have been walking around our bush at home!) is pronounced "Havad" here. Last night I toured the BSO complex and tonight the performance --can't wait. Up bright and early for the 10 drive home tomorrow.

Hope you are all well.

Love Mom

Mount Monadnock's Elusive Summit

The Elusive Mt. Monadnock Summit:

In hindsight we should have started the climb at 9 am instead of 11. But the state park attendant said it was four hours round trip. I figured we'd be down in three -- maybe 3 1/2 max. We had packed lunch, gloves, hats and an extra litre of water at the ranger's suggestion. He'd advised we ascend the White Dot trail and descend on the White Cross. The trail for the first 20 minutes climbed gently over small rocks, then almost in the blink of an eye the surface changed to huge jagged boulders in a fairly steep ascent. This was a surprise for both of us. I know we hadn't expected a walk in the park, but not such honking monsters. Our pace felt glacial. A number of goat footed climbers whizzed by. About 2/3 of the way up, the terrain changed again. Up ahead, I heard someone say "steep".

I thought we were on steep. But then there we were at the bottom of an almost vertical face of granite. I felt that old fear creeping up inside -- the fear of something impossible. I'd already been on all fours for the last 20 minutes, then this rock. Dad was more goat footed than me and with a lot of "lend a handing" we made it up and up and up. Unbelievable. By the time we reached the junction with the white cross trail, we'd been grunting up for two and three quarter hours with still another half hour to the top.

After lunch, we started descending the White Cross trail -- the same boulders but no rock face -- reaching the bottom (thank god for hiking poles) in two hours, only 1/2 hour before sundown. Five hours, our bodies in one piece and not much the worse for wear. Whew! It was a fantastic experience and the views incredible. According to most material we'd read, Mt. Monadnock is the second most climbed mountain in the world, after Mt. Fiji.

Off to Boston tomorrow.

Be well,

Love Mom

Lost in the Woods

Hi Everyone -- kind of exiting day for a while taking the hiking route around Gibson Pond in Mount Monadnock State Park. Got a late start, so by the time Dad and I got separated the shadows on the trail were lengthening. By the time I stumbled back to the car, I could see a note on the dashboard. It read, "Don't leave the car, Bob." So I sat down on a boulder fence and painted the nature at my feet -- twigs, oak leaves, rocks and off in the distance where you can see mountains, well that was actually a parking lot. I'd tied my scarf to Dad's arial. It was the first thing he saw when he emerged from the woods after three runs around the pond. We'd crossed tracks, I guess. Tomorrow we're hiking to the top of Mt. Monadnock, 3165' Tomorrow we stick together.

Love Mom