A Post from Danny:

Labor Day was quite different for the Dustin Family this year... For the first time in my marriage, I spent more than an overnight away from Liz and my kids - in this case it was a trip to Boston with my dad, my brothers Steve & Scott, brother-in-law Todd & nephew Tyler. My brother Donnie, who lives in Colorado was unable to join us - we really missed you Donnie - you missed a great time! Dad found a 4 day tour to Boston to see the Orioles play the Red Sox for a 3 game series. Those of you who know me probably realize that I'm not the biggest sports fan, but I certainly wasn't going to turn down some male bonding - especially the opportunity to spend some time away with my dad.

The trip was quite an adventure - literally... I got up at 3:15am Labor Day morning to be at the bus (yep, I said bus), which left Hagerstown at 5:00am sharp. It was a sold out tour, so every seat was full. I was fortunate to get to sit with my dad the whole 11 hours there - I must admit that after that long trip, it was a bit challenging to go to the game & sit again... We arrived in Boston just after 4:00 & had time to get settled in our room before the game that evening. Our hotel was absolutely wonderful - the Sheraton at the Prudential Tower in Copley Square. It was in a great location, within walking distance from Fenway Park, gardens, many colleges, restaurants, etc. - pretty much anything we needed was nearby. It was great that Dad blessed us all by giving us this "all expenses paid" trip. However, I'm not sure any of us realized the cost it would have on our families - 5 wives were left behind to fend for themselves. I left knowing I would miss the kid's first day of school & our traditions that went along with it - but to my surprise I came back home to find that the teacher had decided to delay the start until the following week! What a great teacher! (one of the joys of homeschooling...) Seriously though - it was hard for me to leave Liz - in our entire marriage I have never left her alone other than to be with the boys or an overnight Men's retreat. I am living proof that the old saying "absence makes the heart grow fonder" is true! I missed my darling dearly, and though I had a wonderful time with my dad & brothers, I was very happy to be back home with her!

Here's Dad at our 3rd game (the "Green Monster" behind him). We had seats in different locations for each game - it really gave us a better flavor of the park. At 71, dad was just as energetic as anyone else - in fact, probably more! In fact, he put me to shame when I came out of the bathroom the first morning to see him doing calasthenics - part of his normal daily routine... no wonder he gets around so well.

Tyler, myself, Dad, Steve & Scott outside the hotel, just before heading over to Fenway Park, which was about a 15 minute walk.

On Tuesday, dad rented a van & we headed up to Haverhill, MA to see the Hannah Duston monuments. A brief bit of history: Hannah Duston (over the years, the family name has 'evolved' to Dustin - both are still used) was the first female in the US to have a statue erected in her honor - it's a bit controversial since she was honored for killing and scalping several Abekni Indians after being captured in 1697 - feel free to search the web - a good overview is at http://kingsley.locke.net/gen/dustin/hannah.htm

Here's our gang in front of the Duston-Garrison House, the home Thomas & Hannah Duston were building when the Indian raid started. It is normally only open on weekends, but a distant relative with "connections" opened it for us - I was surprised to see all the artifacts - of course I also enjoyed the design & construction of the all brick home.

Well, I really enjoyed the trip. While I certainly missed my family back here in Maryland, I had a wonderful time with my dad & brothers. I got to know them all a bit better - something I wish could have happened sooner. We had perfect weather - every day was in the 70's - sunny & beautiful. Thanks Dad for a great time - I love you! Danny.