JWalking: The Blog

W e went on a hike through Zoar State Forest yesterday. Enjoyed beautiful blues skies, a mixture of trees and sweet-singing birds. The recent drought hasn't helped the marshy environments within the forest, but perhaps last night's rain will provide some small relief. Looking forward to going back in a month to note changing leaf color. Plus, there are two nature trails near rivers still to be explored. Such a swell find. A gem in the "backyard," if you will....

O ne, clearly ready for the challenge of middle school. Yea, CJ! The other? Well.... It's OK, RJ2. Actually, by the time she was dropped off at school, she was leaping for joy out of the car and dancing her way into the building. Go figure! Yes...They're off!

T omorrow marks the official end of summer. OK, well, summer is not officially over , technically. You will still find several days before we get to Autumn on the calendar. But, you know, it's Labor Day and school starts on Tuesday [finally!]. So, since there's one more day to go, what a better time to check out the end-of-summer vacation pics! We spent a really amazing afternoon at The Discovery Museum of Acton, MA--Massachusetts being the first state stop on "Cousin Tour 2010." RJ2 is sitting in front of a roadway on which the kids can ride bikes and trikes, or set up play road signs. We enjoyed a picnic lunch and some time in a very large sandbox before heading inside Part #1, the Children's Museum. This is part of the museum's water display room--this exhibit, explaining how water travels down a river. A recirculating pump that the kids can control sends the water back up to the top. Plenty of duckies! RJ2 and cousin, H, had a great time. I just love ...