The latest from the Gang ... 

It was a beautiful Spring day as eight TOHG members set out to ride the Londonderry Rail Trail.  Along the way we passed through several marshes, woods and ponds and saw a number of turtles taking advantage of the warm weather to sun themselves. Some of us were also fortunate to see a beaver near his dam. And our ride finished with coffee at a local restaurant with group photo. 

Alan U.

Alan, Gayle, Mary and Betsy

It was a beautiful sunny day as four of us set out along the banks of the Merrimack River in Newburyport. We biked along the waterfront, past many amazing art sculptures, benches, swings and hammocks even before turning inland and completing our closed loop ride. 

Alan U.

Our bike ride began under damp and cloudy skies but the sun soon vanquished the clouds and rain. Three of us rode both sections of the Independence Greenway Bike Trail in Peabody on Tuesday 4th April. The path tools us past several brooks and ponds, along an active quarry as well as a memorial to Martha and Giles Corey, accused of witchcraft in 1692 and put to death.  One of the highlights of our ride was helping a small turtle safely across the bike path. 

Alan U.

Kim, Alan, Ken, Judith, Sheila, Daniel and the bear

It was a rather chilly but sunny morning when six members met for the first official TOHG bike ride of the season. We biked the Methuen Rail Trail past a heron rookery, Nevins MSPCA farm, historic Methuen rail depot, poets wall and the former industrial mills on the Methuen-Lawrence line. After completing this ride most of us journeyed on to ride from Salem NH to Windham NH through woods, stone passes and several ponds and streams. We even saw a few patches of snow and icicles! All agreed it was a great way to start the season.

Alan U.

Ines, Dibba, Meredith, Marco, Ruth, Stephanie, Jan, Liz and Kathleen. Taking the Photo: Jill

It was a beautiful sunny day with a chilly breeze. Nevertheless, ten hardy members gathered to walk up to the Noanet Peak and marvel at the look of Boston’s skyline in the distance. Then two more loops for 4 miles through Noanet Woodlands (The Trustees of Reservation) and the adjacent Caryl Park (Dover Public Park), and after sharing a fresh batch of oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, everybody was ready to hop into their car away from the cold.

Thank you everyone for joining us,
Ines and Marco

It was a beautiful day for a hike, sunny and not too cold, temperature about 50 degrees. We were treated to two wildlife sightings, a small herd of white tail deer and a Pileated Woodpecker. Pileated Woodpeckers are one of the largest woodpeckers and very exotic looking with a large, red tufted crown on their head.

Some of the trails were very wet and muddy but not enough to cause us to alter our route. There were lines of tubing strung from the sugar maples for sap collection as well as taps and buckets. We visited the sugar shack and spoke to a Moose Hill employee who was boiling the sap down to make maple sugar. It takes about 50 gallons of sap to make one gallon of maple syrop. 

We also visited Moose Hill Farm and saw Galloway Belted Cattle grazing in
the fields. These cattle are known for their gentle natures, long lives and
having no horns. They can also make do with poor pasture conditions so are easy to feed.

After the hike, we enjoyed lunches, snacks, and homemade cookies at the
picnic tables.

Stephanie Olbrych

By popular demand, Stephanie is sharing her Ocean Spray cookie recipe:  

Prep Time:   10 minutes
Cook Time:  12 minutes
Yield:  Approximately 21/2 dozen cookies

Ingredients:

2/3 cup butter or margarine, softened
2/3 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 ½ cups old-fashioned oats
1 ½ cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt 
1 6-ounce package dried cranberries, craisins, or cherries
2/3 cup white chocolate chunks or chips<>

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
Using an electric mixer, beat butter or margarine and sugar together in a medium mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Add eggs, mixing well. Combine oats, flour, baking soda and salt in a separate mixing bowl. Add to butter mixture in several additions, mixing well after each addition. Stir in dried cranberries and white chocolate chunks.
Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack. 

The A team in every color:  Charlie, Kent, Bill, Dave, Nancy, Jane, Shelly and  Marty.

Thirty members of our gang enjoyed a great week of skiing, hiking, and camaraderie on our annual Sunday River trip.  As Kent S noted......five days and five different sets of conditions: hard packed, powder, powder turned to moguls, powder on groomed, and then groomed packed powder with perfect temps and crystal blue skies on Friday.  There's nothing like a bluebird day on the slopes and Sunday River gave us a few of those.  

For skiers, Sunday River offers a bit of everything ranging from steeps, moguls and natural snow to groomed cruising trails. Our gang members tried all of the above and found skiing companions compatible with whatever their personal level of desire for thrill and challenge was.  Those who made it over to the Jordan Bowl were treated to a state-of-the-art bubble chair lift (with heated seats!) that literally flies up the mountain. The best part of the experience for our skiers was that no one left the mountain on a stretcher.  

We welcomed several new skiers into our ranks (Marty and Shelly G, Jane H, Judy H, and Joan G) and celebrated the return of some of our veterans (former trip leader Ray G and Abby A who makes an annual pilgrimage from North Carolina to visit family and get in some skiing).  The suites we stayed in with kitchen facilities provided several nights of impromptu banquets and sharing of favorite recipes.  

We also had a wonderful banquet at the Grand Summit and a road trip to the Jordan Hotel for a welcome night pizza party. 

The pool and hot tub offered many of us relief from the sore muscles a day of skiing gave as well as a chance to visit with our Canadian friends who were also staying at our hotel.   The fireplace in the south lobby offered a great setting for our happy hour apres ski rendezvous as well as a setting for a couple of game nights.  Bruce W  showed his history acumen winning again at the game of Chronology (a new club favorite thanks to Karen S) while Marge C demonstrated her creative vocabulary skills winning a boisterous game of Balderdash (an old TOHG standby).  

We did have a few folks who needed to drop out at the last minute due to various health complications.  We hope to welcome them back next year.

Tom J and Marge C

Once again the non-skier found skiers to take a snowy walk with.  On Tuesday afternoon Johanna and Helgard joined me after their morning of skiing to enjoy the snow and a walk around the Summit Hotel roads and woods.  We found a snow covered swing set and took advantage. 
Wednesday consisted of exploring a new 2.5 mile snowshoe trail in Newry at the Valentine Farm.
On Thursday Ray G, Tina L and I took an approximately one mile walk  along the Androscoggin River on a very snow covered path.  And, of course there was the mandatory lunch on Wednesday at the main lodge area to meet the gang skiers as they came in for a break.

I had a great time. 
Meredith Perry

The West Mystery Group (Cathleen R, Chris B, Jan U, Karen L and Kathleen W) enjoyed an outing at the Worcester Art Museum on March 2nd, viewing the beautiful flower arrangements which correlated with a work of art. It was a welcome respite from the long winter. We then walked to a Thai restaurant nearby and had a delicious lunch. 

Janice U

Maureen, Joe, Elsie, Cathy, Chuck, Sue, Maggie, Joan 

A delightful and special Sunday brunch was enjoyed by eight members of the South Mystery Group at the Union Straw restaurant in Foxboro, MA.

What some of the members may not have been aware of was the historical background of this location. The Union Straw Works was the largest straw hat manufacturer started in 1884 and employed 6,000 people. Many women were drawn to Foxborough for employment. In addition to those who worked in the factory, there was a large “cottage industry” where women braided and sewed straw at home. The women in the factory were socially active, raising money to purchase the gates at Rock Hill Cemetery. They also put notes of support and encouragement in hats being made for the troops during the Civil War. 

Joan S.