Day 5.341: A hike to Massachusetts and back

On Saturday we hiked to Massachusetts...

...and back again.

It wasn't a long or arduous outing even by our standards, a gentle three quarters of a mile up a wide even path from the edge of the prosaically named Taconic State Park (in NY) to the wonderfully named Bash Bish Falls State Park (in MA).

Here are some of the sights along the way (we didn't really need the no swimming signs):

And here are the falls:

The trail carried on beyond the falls, but it was rather steep and we've been fighting off some minor ailments for the last week or so, so we soon turned back.  There is also a section of the South Taconic Trail nearby - so plenty of scope for more adventurous (or just more energetic) hikers.  Or you can just do what we did and enjoy the interstate stroll - just remember: NO SWIMMING!

Day 5.340: A night out!

Much as we love these guys, we were delighted to leave them with teenage friends, so that we could go out to a holiday party this evening.

We think it may be the first time we've been invited to an adults-only party by people we've only known since we became parents.  It was great!

Day 5.339: ...and a gingerbread house

By the time I got home from work today, the kids were in bed (well, E5N1 was asleep in the dark in bed, Exile #3 was asleep with her light and her radio on and a book in her hand and Exile #4 was awake, making snowflakes with paper and scissors). But they were home and safe. It's a small thing, but today it has a deeper resonance.

A hundred and forty miles away from here, in a school much like our kids' school twenty children their age are not home tonight. I can't imagine the pain for those parents or even the parents of the children who did make it home from that school today, but my heart goes out to them.

After school, Exile #2 and the kids decorated a gingerbread house. They did a lovely job, the top right picture shows Exile #4's end with E5N1's snowman and the bottom right picture is Exile #3's end.

And with those happy images in my mind - I bid you good night!

Day 5.338: A horse with a fantasy twist...

If you didn't listen to the whole song the other day, here's a bit of what you missed, as rendered by Exile #3 and E5N1...

Day 5.337: I don't understand at all!

You know that thing when three completely unrelated things happen that make you think of the same phrase and then you have a blog post?

No??

Watch and learn!

We saw this sign in Pittsfield:

I just had this conversation with Exile #2:

"How can I be sick on Saturday, fine on Sunday, sick on Monday, fine on Tuesday and sick today?!"
"..."
"Maybe it's related to whether I get enough sleep?"
"You think...?"

And this is today's xkcd:

Yeah - suffice it to say, "I don't understand at all!"