Wa Wa wet Wachusett

That title won't make any sense if you're not in the Boston area. I've modified the ski area's jingle to suit the current weather. I was out there yesterday and climbed Wachusett in the rain. That's not quite as crazy as it sounds because the rain was not nearly so intense that far inland.

As to why I'd go hiking in the rain at all, I'm going to be hiking in Spain in two weeks time. I need to keep in shape. Last weekend, Sue and I did the Walk for Hunger and I've been doing a lot of local walking and putting in sessions on the elliptical trainer. I'm a little short on hill climbing though.

I've been to the ski area many times, but I've never stopped in at the Wachusett reservation HQ. You can get maps of the extensive trail system there.

http://www.mass.gov/dcr/parks/central/wach.htm

I can see why Wachusett is such a popular place for raptor watching. You can drive to the top (where there's parking) and the view, weather permitting, is great.

(no subject)

I made a quick visit to the Stone Zoo last weekend, before the world turned wet.




Not a great photo, but imagine for a moment that the fence wasn't there.

BTW, I was walking near Spot pond on Thursday (must stay in shape for the upcoming trip). As I was getting back to the Stone Zoo, a distant siren sounded and the Zoo's grey wolves answered it. Amazing. I had a try at recording the wolves with my cell phone's voice memo feature, but failed.

Angry about NSA phone spying?

There is something you can do - file an ethics complaint on Verizon. You can do that by calling this number:

800-856-1885

Please note: Verizon isn't the company that runs this phone numbers; it's a third party so there's no point in being rude the them.

You'll be given a case number and (supposedly) a response within 3 business days. Call and let them know you think it's unethical for Verizon to give your information to the government without a warrant.

I did this. It took 5 minutes. You don't even have to identify yourself (but I did). I've got a case number and I'll let you know what I get for a response.

There are also some class action lawsuits developing. I'm considering whether it might be worth joining. I am not interested in the money at all, but I do want Verizon to know I'm unhappy with their behavior.