If you're going to Massachusetts

Boy, I sure do like Massachusetts. We went to my sister's for Memorial Day, and it was the Monkey's first visit to his father's native soil. I haven't been to Mass. during the month of May for quite some time. We missed the 12" of rain that had drenched the region, and we caught some DC-like heat and humidity, but everything was in leaf or bloom. What a great time of year.

And each time I visit, I come away impressed with the stewardship of the land. We visited friends in Western Mass., which was of course rural and beautiful. But with continuous post-Columbian habitation for four centuries or so, it is remarkably unspoiled. My sister lives an hour outside of Boston (give or take, depending on traffic) and it is frickin' beeyootiful out there. (Even more beautiful while tooling around with the roof off of my my bro-in-law's new '97 Vette.)

I suppose comparing outlying regions of Boston to my inner city DC environs is unfair. But I'll take suburban Mass. over suburban Maryland or Virginia any day. New England is beautiful, fair and square.

Also, we went to Drumlin Farm. The Monkey saw goats, sheep, enormous sows, big horsies, moo-cows, tractors, chickens, and a fox. Enrichment activities abounded.

We also had a short visit to Minutman National Historical Park. And now I am back in our great nation's capital, where I pay direct taxes and yet have no voting representation in Congress or the Senate. For shame, America!