Walking Westford - few and far between

Well, the plan was to start the summer off strong and get TONS of walking in. So much for plans... between school ending, swimming lessons, camping trips, and Power Classes at the gym (I've become an addict) our walking has suffered dramatically. But wait! What's that I see over yonder? A new leaf! I shall go and turn it over! (Yeah, we'll see.)

We did get a walk in recently. It was a fabulous early summer day, as in, NOT one of the 98 degree, 70% humidity days, which we cheerfully spent in Granny's pool. We had all my girls with us so we had to choose a neighborhood kind of walk, which we are beginning to run out of actually. So I called my friend Katie and told her we were coming to do her neighborhood - Mark Vincent and the roads that touch it.

Here is a summary of the walk:

Can I have my snack now?
I'm tired.
My foot hurts.
Can I have my snack NOW?
Mooooom, can you empty my shoe?
It's hot.
Can we have our snacks?
My foot hurts.
This is a loooong walk.
Can we have our snacks, now?
My foot REALLY hurts! Can I take my sock off?
I'm hungry! Can I have my snack?

Get the idea? I finally gave in, presented them with their snacks, and took their socks off (though I have no idea how it's MORE comfortable to walk barefoot in Crocs than to wear socks with them).

Next it was this:

Are we almost done yet?
Can you carry me?
STAY AWAY FROM THE POISON IVY!
Where is our car?
Can I have a piggie back?
STAY AWAY FROM THE POISON IVY!
I'm tired.
Are we done?
STAY AWAY FROM THE POISON IVY!

The all caps text is me, if you didn't figure that out. Unfortunately, we chose to walk down part of Griffin Rd to save time (and relieve the whining) but it was LINED with poison ivy, just like every other beautiful country road in this town these days. I am hugely allergic to the stuff and I don't want my kids to get exposed, but I don't see how I can save them from it living around here. It's totally taking over the town! It's one thing not to have sidewalks, I can live with that. But to also not be able to step onto the shoulder of the road because doing so will cause weeks worth of incredible itching, bumps, rawness, and pain... not ideal. I say we get a few tanker trucks full of round-up and blast the evil plant to oblivion! Either that or we let thousands of goats loose on the town and see how much they can consume.

Most noteworthy site on this walk: a wonderfully creative garden at a home on Colonial Drive with an arbored entrance on the sidewalk. It was like a secret garden that wasn't really so secret, nice stone work, a (non-running) water feature, long strawberry beds... just a very serene setting. I thought it was generous of the owner to have it open to the sidewalk so passers-by could enjoy the beauty of it. Very cool. The above photo is of my girls standing at the entrance. It's the only pic I managed without Lily grimacing, a favorite pass-time of hers whenever anyone tries to snap a photo.

Roads walked: Mark Vincent Drive, Steven Circle, Parker Circle, Colonial Drive, and Griffin Road. (And on some maps there is a piece of Colonial Drive called Demogenes Drive, right in the middle of it, very odd.)



CommunityWalk Map - Walking Westford