The latest from the Gang ... 

Seventeen TOHG members and a member’s dog met at the Great Brook State Park in Carlisle to walk approximately 4 miles to find the Thanksgiving Rocks in the Chelmsford’s Thanksgiving Forest.  The weather was cool with mostly cloudy skies, but, thankfully, no wind.  We passed the beaver dam where the beavers created a lovely pond which was partially frozen.  The park has over 20 miles of trails for hiking, mountain biking, cross-country skiing, and equestrian use.  

Afterwards some members remained to eat their bagged lunches at the stone circle near the parking lot.

Meredith P

Six members went to Fishbones in Chelmsford, MA for lunch. Following lunch, we visited Mrs. Nelson's Candy House, also in Chelmsford. Mrs Nelson's carries chocolate, fudge and hard candy.  

Linda M

Twenty one members treated themselves to an afternoon at the Quannapowitt Playhouse in Reading which featured 6 one-act plays. The six short plays were great fun, and dinner at Fusilli’s made for the perfect ending to a most enjoyable afternoon.

Good seats, no repeats, and a repast at a local eatery created a grEAT day for all!

Thank you Beverly for organizing.

The TOHG Hub group (and a few friends) enjoyed a tour of the Wright Locke Farm (WLF) in Winchester. WLF educator Lauren Winterer led the tour. The farm has been in existence since 1638. Founded by John Wright, it passed to Josiah Locke, the Hamilton family and in 2007 the town of Winchester purchased the farm. It was then acquired by the Wright Locke farm Land Trust in  2015. 

The WLF Conservancy has created a certified organic hub for sustainable agriculture and active learning, they run a year round pre school and offer a variety of educational programs. Their online farm stand - Farms to Go - farmstand@wlfarm.org - provides seasonal produce and local fare. 

During the tour we learned about the farm’s history and the educational programs for all ages. We toured the greenhouse, farm fields, Farm to Go, the Miyawaki forest, and the 1827 barn, and met the goats and chickens.

The new All Seasons barn hosts events throughout the year, family farm dinners concerts, weddings and private parties. 

Some of us enjoyed lunch at Tatti’s in Arlington after the tour.

Kathleen C

Seven members of the North 128 group met at Lisa‘s house in Stoneham to paint and “build” a wooden snowman porch decoration. Fun and laughs were had by all! Afterward, we enjoyed a nice lunch at Nobility Hill restaurant in Stoneham.

Lisa L

Five members met at the Lakeside Lanes in Manchester, NH!  We divided up the duties:  Joy was cheer leader; Nancy kept score; Theresa was her guest. Patricia, Theresa and myself were the bowlers.  We bowled two strings.  The competition was fierce!  There were highs.  There were lows.  There were lots of laughs.  It was so intense we deemed it a three-way tie!

Upon leaving we were approached by reps from a Ladies League to join their club.  We contemplated their offer over lunch at Moe and Joes, but decided we couldn’t commit to another group.  Our loyalties lie with TOHG!

Linda McH

Nine Gang members set off on a chilly and windy November day from Bedford Depot to downtown Concord and back. This is a beautiful mostly wooded hard park trail that passes Great Meadows National Wildlife Refuge , Merriam’s Corner of Revolutionary War fame and the Old Manse and North Bridge before ending near downtown Concord. There was still a little bit of fall foliage for us to take in and despite national parks being shut down we were still able to visit the North Bridge and also the  viewing tower at Great Meadows. And of course a cup of hot coffee was a welcome respite in downtown Concord on a chilly day. 

Alan U

Two Nancy's, two Tim's, Two Al's - do you know them?

It was a beautiful sunny day, albeit a bit chilly and windy, as 10 TOHG members met at the Bedford Depot to bike to Alewife, Cambridge. The Minuteman is probably the most popular bike trail in Massachusetts in terms of use. It’s a paved, 10 mile trail which ends through business parks, a horse farm, downtown Lexington and Arlington and past Spy Pond before ending at Alewife. Lots of activity today with joggers, walkers and bicyclists all sharing the trail. We broke our ride at about the halfway point for coffee in Arlington on our return. Interestingly our group opted to stay indoors rather than enjoy coffee al fresco. I think we needed a break from the chill and wind!

Al U

Eighteen TOHG hikers visited the former estate of The Sedgewicks at Long Hill in Beverly.  We walked around the grounds which were decorated with hundreds of pumpkins and various “spooky” characters for their Halloween event.  We also visited the gardens and trees which surrounded the mansion and then walked around the property through the woods.  After three days of the nor’easter, we had a sunny warm day in which to enjoy the early fall.

After the hike, twelve of us had a great lunch at the Farm Bar and Grill in Essex.

Neal S

Six attendees gathered at Borderland State Park in Easton for a hike under beautiful blue skies. The hike took place on wide, mostly gravel trails with stops to view the ponds and historical sites. The end of the hike featured the Ames Mansion with its stone façade and landscaped grounds. Everyone gathered at the picnic area after the hike to socialize.

Stephanie O