Student Blogs

Fall Break – Part 1

October 24th, 2014 apcook15

Wishing a very spooky October to everyone – sorry it’s been a little while since checking in, but as is usually the case when I’ve got long gaps between posts, I filled the time with plenty of material to write about. So much so, in fact, that there are gonna be several rapid fire posts coming your way, this being the first of them. And while school is phenomenal as always, and the time before Holy Cross’ fall break saw me taking a first crack at writing children’s stories (it’s a BLAST), all of what you’re about to read happened when I headed home for some R&R. Except, if that’s how vacations are to be judged, this one wouldnt’ve ranked very highly. I’ll let you make the call if the trade off was worth it in the end…

On my very first morning back in my hometown of Lowell, MA, I hit the streets of the downtown area for a 10 mile training run with the 2014 Lowell Police Academy class. My dad’s been helping train upcoming cadets with their fitness conditioning by serving as a run instructor since the Academy began all the way back in 1997. Ever since I caught the running bug a few years ago, I’ve tagged along pretty regularly. It’s amazing to see these people – some of whom never ran a step in their lives before the Academy started session in June – completing a 10 mile loop around Lowell’s famous Merrimack River like it was cake. Massachusetts readers, rest at ease knowing that these cadets are graduating in a few weeks to guard and protect your streets!

The mighty mighty LPA training staff. OOO-RAH.

The mighty mighty LPA training staff. OOO-RAH.

For reasons you are soon to find out, my time was limited while I was at home to take advantage of the kinds of fall activities New England is famous for this time of year. Not being one to waste a single opportunity, the first few days of fall break were filled with the kind of fall sincerity that would do Linus van Pelt justice. First up: apple picking.

There was a very real danger of my not being able to participate in any more fall activities - that pose was as hard to get out of as you'd imagine

There was a very real danger of my not being able to participate in any more fall activities after this shot – that position was as hard to get out of as you’d imagine

Enjoying postcard-perfect October weather, I drove my cousin John and aunt Annie out to the Honeypot Hill Orchard in nearby Stow, MA, a town famous for its numerous apple-picking farms. The contest of the afternoon soon turned into John and I seeing who could put themselves in more mortal peril by balancing on the slimmest tree  twigs branches available to reach a single lone apple; really, I think we can all agree, an apple just tastes better if the possibility of snapping your neck was involved in the picking of it. And if a few apples needed to be consumed on the way back to the farm to lighten the load, I took it on myself to undertake that solemn task. The fresh pickin’s were then transformed into all manner of pies, crisps, and other baked goods, but I’m not usually as involved in that part of the process – I just eats them all at the end.

Finally, a Columbus weekend tradition that’s started in the last few years that I’m quite a fan of, my dad and I shouldered our packs for another mountain climb. We’ve done Monadnock, Wachusett, Watatic, the Kangamangus Highway, and continuing the pattern of non-repetition, this year was Pack Mondanock (a different hill entirely from the first one I just mentioned there). I really won’t hear any other opinions on this, you are MISSING OUT if you’re from the New England area and aren’t taking full advantage of adventures like this.

The signs were there early that we had a challenging ascent ahead of us

The signs were there early that we had a challenging ascent ahead of us

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Hardy, rugged mountain men

Hardy, rugged mountain men

The views, man, I'm telling you. You just can't beat 'em.

The views, man, I’m telling you. You just can’t beat ’em.

Fatigued by the climb, I became delusional and thought I had already conquered the summit

Fatigued by the climb, I became delusional and thought I had already conquered the summit

Once we had reached the top, we had an amazing 360 degree perch from which to view the surrounding counties through buffets of wind gusts. We even got all artsy and such:

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And finally, Dad giving proof to the old adage that, "What comes up, must come back down."

And finally, Dad giving proof to the old adage that, “What comes up, must come back down.”

LOTS more to come, so (and this is even good by way of a coming attraction… how’s that for multi-tasking?) “See ya real soon!”

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