The latest from the Gang ... 

It was a great day to ride and explore after a long virus hibernation. We departed in two groups of 12 riders and rode the Garrison Trail over the Merrimack River in Newburyport MA, the Amesbury Trail, and the Salisbury Ghost trail to its end for approximately 12 miles round trip. We all wore masks and were cooled by the tree canopy and breeze despite the 91 degree temperatures inland. We also saw the largest solar electrical station in New England next to the bike path and learned about the great train robbery where a $659,000 payroll was looted from a passing train. We were lucky to escape as one of our riders ended up with a flat tire and couldn’t make the getaway. Luckily Paul M. saved the day by fixing Linda’s flat tire and we escaped before we could be found. We plan to split the cash later!
All had a grand time and were happy to catch up with old friends and meet some new riders/members. We have more trails in the area to explore in the future. Anyone want to coordinate a ride? Thank you for coming!

Six TOHG members gathered at Rick and Laurie W's house for a kayaking excursion in Tiverton, RI. Unfortunately, two additional members had to drop out due to damage from Tropical Storm Isaiah the day before. They were missed. It was a beautiful, sunny day and the group traveled across Nanaquaket Pond and into the Sakonnet River, stopping for a swim at Grinnell's Beach on the way back. Lunch was enjoyed afterward with everyone maintaining social distancing guidelines. It was great to see some different faces for a change!

In the photo: Elaine O., Allan G. and David R.

Our group had a “not so secret” outing at Mirror Lake on the Devens reservation. It was the first visit to the lake for all the attendees. Everyone that was able to attend (Elaine O., Dave R., Jan G., Jane P., Chris B. and Allan G.) was pleasantly surprised how enjoyable our day was. Refreshing clean lake water, ample shade to stay out direct sun and a modest fee ($5/person) along with the small weekday crowd, made the day a very relaxing social day at the beach. Everyone saw themselves returning to the lake again especially if the hot weather continues. We would highly recommend this location to all gang members. I’ll be happy to provide directions and the COVID ground rules to visit the lake.

Allan G.

Participants:
Left to right standing: Barbara H., Jackie A., Marilyn N., Yelena W.
Seated: Jan U., Cathleen R., Nancy B., Judith D.
In absentia: Mary K.
Photographer: Merle W.
By Cathleen R.

Eight members of the Gang got together for the first ride of the season. It was predicted to be a very hot day and the predictions were correct! Undaunted, we gathered in the shade wearing our masks and practicing social distancing before heading off. We started the ride early and the trail was shaded for the most part. There was also a nice breeze that helped keep us comfortable. One particular portion of the trail actually seemed to be air conditioned. As we rode through an area of the trail with high rock walls on both sides the air was very cool and we all commented that we should just ride back and forth through that area! After stopping for a break at the seven mile mark, we decided that was far enough and turned around. Returning to the starting point we again donned our masks and talked about heading off to much cooler places as we were able to get the 14 mile ride completed before the hottest time of day.

Paul McH

Eleven of us met at Mary Weinert’s house for a trek through the trails down the street from her house on a sweltering hot day. In the shade of the woods we had a nice breeze so it saved the day. After the walk, we ate lunch while social distancing in the backyard under canopies where the breeze continued thank goodness. Everyone was pleased to be back together socializing with other Gang members and having some really nice conversations. Thanks to all for coming!

Mary W.

Left to right: Margaret Kehoe, Carol Newman, Nancy Ballantyne
Three members of TOHG, Nancy Ballantyne, Margaret Kehoe, and Carol Newman, recently spent a week exploring the island of Martha’s Vineyard. The cars were left behind in Falmouth and we took our bicycles on the ferry to Oak Bluffs. The weather all week was delightful. This was the last week of June and not too busy. Martha’s Vineyard is great for biking and walking and has wonderful trails away from the road. One day we took the local “Chappy” ferry to Chappaquiddick and did some exploring by bike. On another cycling trip, we visited Edgartown and beyond where we found a nice beach and ate our picnic lunches there. Another day we left our bikes behind and used public transportation to get to an outlying destination and visited Menemsha which is a small working fishing village. We ended the day there sitting on some rocks by the water eating our delicious lobster rolls.

Our apartment in Oak Bluffs was in a colorful Victorian house within walking distance of shops, restaurants, and beaches. We dined at a restaurant by the water where it was very nice to watch all the lovely boats and yachts that dock there.

Margaret K.

These are excerpts from our May 2020 Newsletter.
Nancy M.: sorting through hundreds of old photos
Marilyn N.: yard work and early gardening, cooking, baking bread, cooking soups, and keeping in touch
Ken & Linda S.: Beyond movies, TV binge watching, lots of phone calls and reading? Many walks, online courses, yoga…
Merle W.: Virtually celebrated Passover with an absolutely fantastic and completely unforgettable online Seder
Joe M. & Dawn M.: making and donating face masks, yard work, garage and files cleanup
Maryann D.: cleaning closets, shredding old records, reading, finished a 1000 piece puzzle, baking breads and cookies
Marco A.: long walks, scanning and posting 30+ years of newsletters and documents on TOHG.org
Beverly C.: working in pj’s, no makeup, bedhead, junk food nearby aiming to paint the light at the end of the tunnel.
Joe and Maggy C.: walking and hiking the FGH State Forest, cycling, online exercising, and zooming with family
Marina K.: Lots of coffee, sawing face masks, walks and Zoom, while Helgard seeds vegetables
Sandy & Hyman S.: discovering things we never did before, looking at maps and guidebooks finding places to bike, hike and kayak
Ines A.: creating a new colorful quilt to brighten the stay home, and sewing masks
Emmy C.: Staying home, walks meeting neighbors for the first time six feet away. Hoping for a Gang 6ft-apart walk limited to 10p, Ha!
Joan S.: Keeping in touch with with long time friends across the country and helping those nearby, baking and cooking.
Jane P.: organizing and enjoying photos and slides
Hedy & Mo P.: joined households with daughter's family. They are putting us to work in the newly planted vegetable field
Chuck & Susan H.: A very quiet meal for Easter. We have been Zooming with family from RI, MA, NJ, DC and even Tobago

Thanks to all contributors for sharing

Ski trips West can be challenging as well as rewarding as we found out on our trip to Snowmass. We had 3-4 inches of snow every night which provided powder skiing at the higher elevations and softer conditions at the lower elevations. Everyone gave rave reviews for the skiing and the lodging amenities, as well as the ski-in, ski-out location and proximity to both Villages. Several of us experienced a true “Rocky Mountain High” when Bob B. and his “Belles” rode the Poma lift to the extreme summit at 12,585 feet.
We’d like to acknowledge Pat P., our long time member and former Ski Coordinator, for her recommendation of this trip to Snowmass and our stay at the Snowmass Mountain Chalet. In her own words, this time was “the best skiing I have had at Snowmass in many years.”
The combination of long-time and new members made for a very congenial group and we all enjoyed the fabulous skiing as well as the après-ski parties, meals out, shopping, etc.
The challenge we faced was the unprecedented closure of the entire ski area due to COVID-19, which cut our skiing short by two days. Happily, we were able to wrap up the trip and return home a day early, safely, and seemingly in good health. We unfortunately suffered one injury—Marge C. suffered a broken leg due to a mishap getting off a chair lift—and Lisa F. suffered a lengthy bout of altitude sickness. Marge is recovering well at home and Lisa is completely recovered by now.
Everyone is looking forward to next year!

Rachel A.