A beautiful and strenuous hiking day. I’ve included the out of focus “Steep Hill” sign because it surely was all of that. We showed our mettle and got to the top of it after a long long long uphill climb. Some downed trees blocked trails, old beaver ponds were dried up, but at last!! we arrived at the site of Mary Lyon’s birthplace. Mary Lyon founded Mt. Holyoke College. She was an amazingly talented girl and woman who was born and grew up on this Buckland site. Only the cellar hold remains, and it is tenderly kept up by Mount Holyoke College. We had hiked here in winter last year and had indulged ourselves and filled our water bottles from the very spring that Mary Lyon had drunk from when she lived here. But due to the drought, it was bone dry. We were stunned with seeing it like that, as well our water bottles had no refills. We’re all hoping for a good long rainy spell, and the sooner the better.
Prof. Tony gave his Mary Lyon lecture as we ate our bag lunches and imagined her life here. The layout of the house is depicted on a stone with image of its layout. In the cellar hole fabulous lichens were discovered and we spent time exploring them, but only one lichen photo is included. We bushwhacked our way out and then to the interesting Buddhist structures we have visited before, then down some rough paths, and happily down the steep hill that we’d earlier climbed up!
Back to Conway where Tony and I voted in the MA Senate primary then on to the restorative waters of the Conway Pond for our daily swim. A photo of the Conway Pond ends this report. Are you doing any swimming lately? There’s not that much summer time left, so I hope you get swimming while you still can. Love to all of you, Penny 
Prof. Tony gave his Mary Lyon lecture as we ate our bag lunches and imagined her life here. The layout of the house is depicted on a stone with image of its layout. In the cellar hole fabulous lichens were discovered and we spent time exploring them, but only one lichen photo is included. We bushwhacked our way out and then to the interesting Buddhist structures we have visited before, then down some rough paths, and happily down the steep hill that we’d earlier climbed up!
Back to Conway where Tony and I voted in the MA Senate primary then on to the restorative waters of the Conway Pond for our daily swim. A photo of the Conway Pond ends this report. Are you doing any swimming lately? There’s not that much summer time left, so I hope you get swimming while you still can. Love to all of you, Penny 
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