Western Mass Adventure
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A long weekend in North Adams and Williamstown, MA.
First to Mass MOCA. All the exhibitions were strong, but the retrospective of Sol LeWitt "wall drawings" is worth a special trip. Metiiculously installed on three floors of an old mill building, you can follow LeWitt's exploration of a simple (simple!) concept from 1969 through 2007. The works will be on display until 2033, but why wait? Visit early and often.
Next, on to the annual "Gathering" of the Appalachian Long-Distance Hikers Association. This is a group of folks dedicated to serious backpacking. Almost all of them have through-hiked the Appalachian Trail (about 6 months to cover the entire 2,181 miles). Many have hiked it multiple times; many have hiked other long-distance trails.
Nova Scotia bike tour
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Two weeks cycle-camping around "lower" Nova Scotia, early September, 2011.
Drive to St. John, New Brunswick; leave the car at the ferry terminal; take the ferry to Digby, N.S., with the bike. If you go, read David Dermott's excellent route guides. Note: Granny gears are a necessity if you're hauling a load.
Nova Scotian drivers are almost universally considerate and patient when sharing the road with struggling cyclists. Early this year, their "consideration" was cast into a province-wide law requiring drivers to give cyclists 1-meter clearance when passing. Many drivers gave me the entire lane.
Interweb trivia
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A vivid memory from my television-saturated youth. (Yes, there was a time when it was considered "not a problem" to toss your trash out the car window.)
Turns out that the actor, Iron Eyes Cody, was the son of two Sicilian immigrants! Born Espera Oscar de Corti, he later changed his name to Tony Cody when he began his acting career. From Wikipedia:
From his time in Hollywood, Tony Cody claimed Cherokee ancestry. He lived his life as if he were of indigenous American Indian descent, both on and off the screen, and strongly supported American Indian causes.
If only Terry Gross had been around to probe Mr. Cody's rationalizations...
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