What Lovely Horsies: Undermountain Farm, Lenox, MA

Undermountain Farm

400 Undermountain Farm Rd.

Lenox, MA

I like to think of myself as a bit of a risk taker.  I pride myself on the fact that my boys are willing to try anything.  I also love horses. Like with most large animals, some urge comes over me to scratch their ears, pat them, smile at them.  But, my last real experience riding was not a good one.  With little training I was at a cantor with a friend ahead of me who trained horses.  We started to race up a hill at camp and my horse shot ahead of hers.  As she tried to catch me to settle my horse, her ride threw her head first at a tree.  An hour later an ambulance made it to the rural spot in Maine with her eyes closed and slow breathing.  Thankfully a neck brace for her, but not a lot of riding for me after that.

So, the boys seem to share my love of large farm animals.  We hit the pony rides at Belkin and Davis, but that was just a tease.  Today, we met the coolest horse trainer I've ever seen.  She managed our party of five and two others, while calming gearing up the horses, directing her staff and generally holding court with kids ages two to fifteen.  "If he's over six months old and can sit up on his own, he can ride."  So as our two closest girlfriends (or 3rd grade super heros as the boys like to see them) led the horses, the boys took the mounts.  For thirty minutes they replayed every fantasy I had since watching Black Stallion in the seventies and reading the entire series (I know, I know, I was the only boy doing this, but at least the main character was a boy too).

This place is more than just rides though.  It is set over Tanglewood admist the mountains and trees.  It was a perfectly clear day with a bit of heat, and they were full up.  Some kids were getting ready for jumps, others like ours were on their first real outing. They run everything from trail rides to day camps.  They have it all.  But in the end, the have one most important factor to my boys; a love of animals.

Beauty and the Beach; Wingaersheek Beach, Gloucester, MA

Wingaersheek Beach

Atlantic Street

Gloucester, MA

Ok kids.  The gloves are off.  None of this early spring chilly beach stuff on Opening Day (why they even play proball in this weather is beyond me).  Forget windy Memorial Days down on the Cape where we are forced to wear T-shirts!  Get out the SPF 50, crank up the AC in the car 'cause it's 90 outside and head north young man.  When Boston swelters, the north shore saves.  A no water cools you quicker than Wingaersheek by the bay.

You can scroll through the Globe's beachfinder and find few other spots with such perfect waves (none for kiddos), rolling tides (maybe Eastham) or fun rocks to climb.  Sure we fought some barnacles.  Ok $20 seems steep, but Gloucester's schools are in trouble so think of it as an indirect contribution.  Sure, their shoulders came back a little red.  But who wouldn't tough it out in the name of pure summer fun?

Sydney is getting his swim on these days, and swim he did.  From one rock to the next, he looked like a seal.  Liji proudly perched on my shoulders, still to skinny to dive headfirst into northshore waters in the last days of June.  But you just wait.  They'll be doing flips off those rocks in a couple of years (as long as mommy is working and daddy is off like he was today).  So throw the "Perfect Storm" in the beach bag for a little light Gloucester lit and get out there, enjoy the sun and surf and let the games begin!  Happy summer 2010!

A Momventure: Couch to Charles River 5K with a little help from dad; Cambridge, MA

Charles River 5k Run

5 Greenough Street

Cambridge, MA

And I raaaaan.  I ran so far away...  From age four on I was a runner.  Some people are poets, others are comedians.  Me, I've always just run.  My wife?  Not so much.  Professional dancer?  Sure.  Amazing teacher?  You betcha.  Dedicated mommy?  Check her out at The Fence.  But if there is one thing she does NOT enjoy, it is the grinding wear on the ole knees from a good run around the block.  That is why today was astonishing.  Today, my dear wife pushed past her Couch to 5K limit of 25 minutes of uninterrupted running (i.e. no stops for the weary) and ran a full on 5k way before the program had told her to.  AND FINISHED!  Part of being a good dadventurer is putting aside your crazy competitive spirit, redefining husband over athlete to stop being a runner and become a good jogging partner for the day.

I have run my fair share of 5k's.  I ran cross-country throughout my teen years for the Newton North Tigers and was dodging trees and roots in parks throughout Boston in under nineteen minutes.  So how did I do it?  How did I run alongside wifey in her quest to simply finish without stopping?  It was easy, it is all about learning to be a dad.  The same superpowers that allow many dads to avoid screaming "go get the damn ball" from the Y soccer sidelines came in handy this day.

Did we finish in the top 1000 entrants?  Nooooo.  (I followed my fair lady at 1004, ladies first ya know).  Did it hurt me a little not to blaze past the three hundred pound man in front of me who was almost walking just to keep my manly dignity?  Sure. Instead I made jokes, cheered her on, pushed her to keep going even when she swore like a sailor.  It was a little like birthing Liji.  I was seriously almost as proud a dad.  Next time, we bring the kids.