Despite an initial bout of rain and otherwise raw weather, Cindy, Rob, Jeanine, and I decided to attend Tulip Mania at the Garden at Elm Bank in Wellesley, sponsored by the Massachusetts Horticultural Society. Even though it was the last day of the event, we found the tulips in full bloom and quite magnificent, as were the other features of the grounds. The price of our tickets included 5 cut tulips each, which we collected at the end of our visit to create a beautiful bouquet that now adorns our dining room table.

Lassen thought our second stop at the Arnold Arboretum was much better. Here, he was allowed to join the humans as they explored the 281-acre grounds, including the Bonsai and Penjing Pavilion, rather than napping in the car.

Our good friends Cindy and Rob Shurtleff are visiting us for the weekend. They have been on the road in their RV for the last 9 weeks, traveling from their home in Washington State with their dog Lassen. After reciprocal tours of their mobile home and our stationary one, we did a 4-mile hike through Wright Woods to Walden Pond and on to Fairhaven Bay. Unfortunately, Lassen, the most well-behaved dog you will ever meet, was not allowed to join us since he has a knack for picking up ticks. We wrapped up the afternoon with a car tour of historic Concord and a brief stop at the Old North Bridge.

Later, we jointly prepared a lovely gnocchi dish and salad, followed by a Blueberry Crumble Cake that Jeanine had made earlier this morning, served with ice cream.

Living so close to the river, we are witnesses to almost everything that transpires, be it wildlife sightings or human activities. Today we watched as two jet skis raced down the river at very high speed (watch the video above, taken by one of our security cameras). The Massachusetts PWC (Personal Water Craft) regulations that apply to jet skis require operating at a no-wake speed of 6MPH or less when within 150 feet of, among other things, a shoreline. Given the average width of the Sudbury River in our area is about 200 feet, you cannot race a jet ski here.

I reported both operators to the New Hampshire Marine Patrol, since the jet skis had New Hampshire-issued registration numbers on the bow.

I hope that they are properly warned to limit high-speed cruising to open water and also reminded that personal floatation devices are mandatory.