Every year, my Halloween party gets bigger and bigger... this year it was so big that I had to ask my good friend to host it at her house. (We've outgrown my apartment!)
What a good looking crowd! I wonder if we’ll be even bigger next year.
An extended review of the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail, complete with photos of the trail.
The lovely Bruce Freeman Rail Trail runs right through my hometown of Chelmsford, Massachusetts. One trailhead is in Carlisle (right at the intersection of routes 225 and 27) and the other is at the Lowell/Chelmsford line at the Crosspoint building (which used to be known as the Wang tower way back when). Most of the way through Chelmsford it directly parallels route 27, which I used to bike as a kid. It’s a lot nicer to go on the bike path though — the path goes right by the lovely Hart pond, my old elementary school (Byam!), some surprisingly beautiful wetlands and then right into the center of the town.
As seen in Chelmsford center, where there are a number of places to get some food and drinks. This photo is right behind Ginger Ale plaza, where you can find the Java Room, which has been a popular spot in town since it opened.
Turning around, this is the view of Chelmsford Center looking north:
Go up the stairs and that’s Ginger Ale plaza on the left. There’s also parking on the right. A lot of local businesses are here just waiting to cater to path users! (That’s why I recommend the Center as the trailhead if you’re driving in from out of town.)
Full review and photos of the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail after the cut…
I took my parents for a whale watching trip; we were 25 miles east off Cape Ann and we had a fantastic day for whale sightings. Got to see a number of humpback whales in groups, and they were feeding very close to our boat.
My cousin Mavrothi Kontanis is a very talented oud player, and luckily for us he was playing in the Lowell Folk Festival (which I hadn't been to for about three years) and we all went to see him. During a plucked instrument workshop, a lot of the western instruments -- mainly of an American/Americana bent -- started to play a number of American classics, including Sweet Georgia Brown. (You might also know it as the Harlem Globetrotters theme song.)
My cousin shredded it with a solo on his oud, and rightly so, he got a lot of cheers and applause!
I took this video on my cell phone -- really bad visuals but hopefully you can hear a bit of his solo.
Sorry for all the laughing, it was a very unexpected solo but everybody loved it. A number of local TV outlets were filming this event so as soon as they post some video, I'll be sure to share it.
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