Words of a Picture

Some time back I wrote a post about a picture that I came across while looking through some stuff my Dad had stashed away.  I just checked to find that the post is dated from April of 2008.  Most of you will remember reading it...hah. Those of you who don't can refresh your memory about the post here.

Most of you will also remember that a couple years ago I went through the mess of settling both my cousin's and aunt's estates.  During that process 'R' and I traveled to South Carolina to sort through lots of their stuff and make arrangements for the clearing out, repair and sale of their home.  I sent a box, that contained a lot of photos, back home to myself.

In that box was this photo:

Remember?  If not, go back to that link I gave you.

Same photograph is in the photograph.
It gets better.
We have the statue that belonged to my grandparents.  The one that the original photograph was propped up against to be photographed.

So......today I finally did this:

Keystone Bridge Gets Trimmed

Just some photos to compare with the ones in my last post.  The DPW has started work clearing out overgrowth around and under the bridge.  All that seems to be left is to cut down some vine-y stuff, clean out dead stuff, and remove the remnants of an old chain-link fence.  The photos.......

Now you can see the bridge!

Beautiful at Flat Ledge Quarry

Flat Ledge Quarry

The arch reflected

Cat Lovers in Dogtown - Trip Six

The advantage of having no snow this winter is that we've been able to do a lot of woods exploring.  The generally freezing, or below, temperatures have kept the nasty bugs (ticks) population to a non-existent level...another good thing.

Our path from Summit Ave to Raccoon Ledges

So we've been making numerous treks woods-ward.  Recently we've explored the ways in to Dogtown from the Rockport side.  From the top of Squam Road and from the top of Summit Avenue we've become familiar with the terrain...on and off path!

The little boardwalk to get to the Ledges ( in background)

Raccoon Ledges  The picture doesn't do justice to the size of this pile of boulders.  Think 2 - 3 story office complex!

I've even managed to take 'A' to see some of the Babson Boulders and, yesterday, to take my Mom to see the same.

It's been interesting to venture into unknown-to-us territory for "R' and me and we've found some interesting sites (and things) along the way.  Mostly it's just relaxing and pretty. 

An old foundation and fireplace northeast of Goose Cove Reservoir

We've decided that we have three major woods adventures to complete before Spring thaw.  One will be to capture our last two Babson Boulders.  We know where they are, we just haven't gotten back that way.  Then we want to walk across the island from Rockport to Gloucester using the paths of Dogtown.  And finally, hoping that we do not get lost in the maze of paths, we'd like to walk from Rockport, near Whale's Jaw, northwestward in to the Norton Memorial Forest.

The reddish bog water

In other news....work is still good, even with the loss of one client.  Every year he tried to work special pricing...as in "I shouldn't have to pay that much for the work".  This year he decided to take his business elsewhere.  So be it.  Some things I can't change and if he hadn't done it this week, he wouldn't have been around much longer as I'm thinking there will be a price increase in the Fall.  Not sure yet.  It won't be much if I do it, but that would have just thrown him over the edge!  Today a box of keys arrived.  No name, no instructions, no payment!  I've sent an email out to clients in the area of the city it was shipped from inquiring as to the sender.  I guess I can take the rest of the day off.

Not really.  I've got a reed organ repair to finish.

A Not So Dogtown Trip

I'm sort of posting this as a companion to Scribb's post today.  Instead of trekking over the snow covered irregular terrain (read: you can't really guess where those rocks will be underfoot) of Dogtown, 'R' and I headed around Goose Cove Reservoir on the service road.  The service road was covered with about 5 inches of new snow trodden in some areas by dogs and owners.  As 'R' commented when we were about 3/4 around the 4 mile route, "It's like hiking 4 miles of sand dunes."  Uh huh.

The section where Commons Road got submerged.

When the Goose Cove Reservoir was formed by the building of 4 earthen dams, a section of Commons Road in Dogtown was submerged. So...it was nearly a Sunday hike in Dogtown.  I suppose it took us just over an hour to complete the loop around the reservoir.  It was chilly out but the exercise soon kept us warm.  There were some pretty views along the way.  Some spots were almost comfy warm in the sunshine and others a startling windswept cold. 

Today was plenty of hiking after a yesterday of snow shoveling.

A Warm Saturday Afternoon

A place with possibilities

Just some shots from our walk on Rocky Neck.

Needing work at Gloucester Marine Railways

Sign along the way

An enormous swan at the beach

Mall Avoidance

'Tis the season.

Almost.

We always try to beat the crowds and get the majority of Christmas shopping done before Thanksgiving.  There are normally a few little things left to find and purchase after Turkey Day has passed to get one out among the throngs of crazed, to-the-mall drivers to sustain that holiday spirit!

Step in to the past

So...a few days ago 'R' and I trucked on up to Newburyport to look in the specialty shops there for one specific gift.  No luck.

The old luncheonette

But we had a good morning of it anyway and stopped for coffee at Fowle's.  Not much has changed there since it was built although now it's just a fully stocked newstand in one half and a counter or booth luncheonette in the other.

We roamed around long enough to have to stop for lunch on the way home.

A step back in time time.

Plane Show Sunday

Different weekend than Car Show Saturday.

B-24

'R' wandered out of his office with a question, "Are there any airports around here that would have some military planes?"

B-17

Probably not exactly what he said.....

So I told him about Beverly Airport and said that they have a website.  "Why?"  Seems he heard something military sounding overhead.  From a cellar office with the windows closed!  I think that I was running some machinery in the shop, too!

B-24

With a quick online check, he determined that there was a show at the Beverly Airport of some WWII planes.  The list included a B-17, the same type of plane that my Uncle Hughie was aboard when it crashed during a training flight.  My mom has wanted to see a B-17, a real one, not just a photo.  She was ten years old when her brother, Hughie, was killed in that crash.  He was the first serviceman from their city, New Bedford, MA, to die in WWII.  The Standard Times reporter that was sent to the house to tell my grandparents the terrible news found that my grandfather had just come home from the hospital after a heart attack.  The reporter then chose not to tell them that their son had been killed in a crash.  They heard the news later...on the radio.  You can read about the crash and the memorial that has been erected at the crash site here.

So, back to yesterday.  We decided to drive mom down to the airport.

Mom at one of the B-17 props

Truthfully, both 'R' and I wanted to go see the planes, too.  Along with the B-17, there was a B-24, a P-51, a T-6, a Corsair, and a Stearman biplane.

We spent a little more than an hour looking around and taking lots of photos.

Mom, me and R reflected at center

And......we got to go aboard the B-17.  Quite an experience for my mom to see what the plane was like and to imagine her brother aboard.

Mom at the starboard gun

So glad 'R' heard that plane overhead on Sunday morning.  So glad we went.

Car Show Saturday

Yes, I've taken time away from work.  Well, at the time there wasn't much work in the shop.  So we went up to Skip's for a car show and I played around with snapping some artsy shots.

Artsy shot number one:

Artsy shot number two:

And yes, artsy shot number three:

Finally, "Self-portrait with White Walls"*

*'R's clever title...thank you 'R'!

Schooner or Later...

if you take thousands upon thousands of photos you are bound to get at least one or two that are worthy of being called 'artsy'. 

This morning 'R' and I went to the Parade of Sail which precedes the annual schooner races.  I took 130 photographs.  There are a few decent ones.  But then there is this one.........

The One.  The One has been printed and shall gain framing.  It may even get a spot in the Contributing Members Show at the RAA this Spring.

Before the Storm

Generally speaking I've found that a few days before a major storm there is some rather lovely weather.  True this week and we took advantage of it.  Yes, I suppose that the good weather is given as opportunity to do the preparedness thing for the bad weather to follow...we've done a bit of that...but we took the day off on Wednesday to travel to 'the other Cape'.

The four of us loaded ourselves and some cut flowers into the car at 9 a.m. and headed for my dad's grave at the National Cemetery in Bourne.  As expected it was beautiful weather, not expected was the miserable traffic.  'R' makes fun of my complaints about highway traffic around here (I know, I know, it's not like real traffic in CA). Anyway, mid-week-after-morning-rush-hour and it should have been better on the roads.

This trip we would not be staying overnight at my cousin's house.  They already had company from out of state.  So.....the BIG drive there and back and a tour around all in one day trying to get home before too much night driving yet after Boston rush hour......phew.

We arrived at the cemetery before noon and found that they were doing some renovation work just where we needed to get by.  A slight detour brought us back on track with the first stop at my aunt and uncle's grave.  Then back to dad's.  'A' was surprised to find that her penny was still on his stone (well, slightly off the edge) from when she placed it there last year!  She put it back at top center and added another.  I guess it's 'a penny for your thoughts' kind of thing.

After the cemetery we headed along Rte. 6  west and stopped for lunch with my cousin 'D'.  Then on to cousin 'P's house for a quick visit with her and her family (those out-of-state guests).  By this time it was getting to be mid afternoon and we still had more traveling and stops to make.  Onward to New Bedford where we toured around the south end where my mom grew up and where we made another cemetery stop.  Rural cemetery is where another uncle and my grandparents are buried.  More flowers to deliver graveside and then off again!

Our next stop was to waste some time!  Yep, even though it seemed we had been traveling foreverrrrrrrr, it was too early to finish and head home.  It was only 4:15 p.m. and I didn't want to be on the road north until 5:30ish.  Had to miss that late afternoon traffic around Boston and Boston was only an hour away.  So we stopped at the Friendly's in Dartmouth for a drink  (lousy service!) before heading further west on Rte. 6 to check out the remains of Lincoln Park.

One of the spots where we could see through the fence (The Comet in the background)

Lincoln Park was a local amusement park from 1894 to 1987.  You can read a brief history here.  If you search for "Lincoln Park, Dartmouth MA" you'll find a lot more.  Our family spent many happy days at this amusement park from the 1940's through the 1970's and over more recent years have watched as the park closed, fires consumed familiar buildings and vandals left their marks.  We were curious as to how much would remain.  The answer?  Not  much at all except for a portion of the roller coaster.  The Comet, which lost it's BIG hill to collapse under the weight of snow in 2005 (I think).  When the park closed, all the rides were auctioned off.  The carousel was preserved and moved to Battleship Cove Park in Fall River. MA.  Neglect and fires destroyed what remained of the park's ballroom, rollerskating building, concessions, funhouse and arcades.  As much as the desire exists to discover old, hidden treasures within the off-limits grounds, they are just not there.

All that is left of a spot that brought so much joy.

So after a bit of peering through the chainlink fence for photo taking, we drove back east a mile or so to take a look at the house my grandfather built in the 1920's.  Then on to the highway and home, stopping only to get dinner at our local Friendly's.  It was still daylight when we arrived there but dark by the time we left for the final few miles to our door.

Guilt

Yes, I'm feeling a bit of it as I had promised to post about the Fourth of July.  The most I have the energy to say about it is that it was fun, hectic, and managed to include a massive thunderstorm right in the midst of parade time.

The bandstand colored by a stunning pink and violet sunset

None of the celebrations were called off, even with the storm, and everyone seemed to take all the lightning and thunder without much of a thought of safety.

RFD keeping control over the bonfire at Back Beach

As you have seen, I've included a couple of my favorite pictures. 

Super Sized

That's what the full moon was supposed to be on Saturday night.  So...I picked 'A' up from work, we grabbed a snack, and headed to...

Land's End with a view of Thacher Island.

I correctly assumed that it would be THE spot to view the moonrise.  So did many other people.  The usually vacant area of rocky coastline was crawling with moon-gazers.  It was rather difficult to find a spot to park in the little, muddy cul-de-sac but I managed to scoot the truck up a hump along the edge and 'A' and I hiked out on the rocks to wait.

And wait.

I was glad we had arrived early considering the crowded parking situation.

There were several 'pros' out there with their very cool camera set ups.  Long lenses for getting those 'squished' shots that would really accentuate the size of the moon as it made it's ascent in the sky next to the lighthouses.  They had tripods, too.  I own two tripods and forgot to bring either of them.  Should have remembered.

Thankfully the moon cooperated and peeked over the island, rather than further north or south which would have caused a massive, crazy exodus, and it was super-sized.  A funky red-orange colored globe rising between the two lighthouses of Thacher Island.

So I took a slew of photographs and cursed myself for no tripod...oh well.  And my moon doesn't look as spectacularly large as the ones that those with the long lenses will see. We had fun anyway.

In the Bleak Midwinter

I find it necessary to just set everything aside once in a while and take some fun, exploring time.

This afternoon we did that.  Not that we hadn't been to this spot before.  But never in winter.  Today we were amused by some form of pheasant.  They crossed the drive in front of our car and lined up at the door like they were waiting for a restaurant to open.  Several peered in the window, but mostly they squawked incessantly.  I don't know if that's because they were darn hungry and were overdue a feeding, or if they were quite perturbed that our car was somewhat blocking their exit from the doorway.  Nevertheless, an amusing flock.

After our visit through New England Biolabs, we took the long route home...oceanside.  Along the coast through Beverly, Pride's Crossing, Manchester, Magnolia and Gloucester.  What wasted the entire afternoon in driving and sightseeing was a needed mid-winter break.

Saturday's Adventure

Snowshoed Path

'A' and I headed for a walk in the snow at the Moseley Estate and I do want to note a couple things.  They got a heck of a lot more snow 'off-island' than we did 'on-island'.  Easily close to two feet in some places.  Big icicles, too, hanging in rows from eaves.  Where it had been windy, the icicles were hanging at 45° angles.  It looked funny.

Anyway, being a Saturday and the first day of a three day weekend, the parking lot was jam packed at the Moseley Estate (Maudslay State Park).  Lots of cross-country skiers and families with sleds in tow.  I never realized that it would be that popular a destination with snow cover.

'A' and I struggled to walk down the lane to the area where Helen's house used to be.  We tried keeping to gently walking flat-footed in the path flattened by skis.  With a good deal of care only about every fifth or sixth footstep sank deep in the snow.  It made walking very difficult and tiring, and ankles and legs began to ache by the time we had reached the house site.  Having endured enough of that walking nonsense, we turned to head back to paved road and simpler exploration. 

Gate to the Main Road

On the way home we passed through Newbury.  We were delighted to read a couple signs directing to the Tree Burning Bash!  Evidently the town of Newbury allows residents to drop off their Christmas trees at a local field where they are then stacked.  Saturday night was the massive bonfire 'burn'.  Sounds like a pretty cool tradition.

A Visit to My Boulder

Today I took 'A' on a ride to Annisquam to show her my boulder.  I parked on the main road and we walked up the big hill to see it.  When I took the original photo, I hadn't the time to really look around.  'A' and I walked the area just around my boulder and as we turned to leave, this stunning view greeted us.

Annisquam Lighthouse

Someone picked a good boulder for me!

There is a huge area of trails that eventually lead down to Ipswich Bay.  When we have more time than we did today, and on another good weather day, we plan on doing more exploring.

Well, I Don't See Your Name On It!

Everyone should be given the gift of something that's nearly everlasting.  I found my gift yesterday.  It's real name is Squam Rock, but someone, sometime, decided that I should 'own' it.

Click to enlarge to see my name on it

Yep, folks, my name is on it.

Christmas Elegance

Despite the excessively cold weather 'A' and I decided to go for a walk this afternoon.  One of our favorite classy houses on Pleasant Street is tastefully adorned for Christmas.

Five and a half hours later and I'm still chilled.  I must say, add in the wind chill factor and brrrrrrrrr...

It's Beginning to Feel Alot Like Winter

It looks a lot like it, too...minus snow...so far.

Mill Pond Without Ducks

Mill Pond has iced over and, by the foot prints and shoe slide marks, it looks like daring children temporarily replaced our duck friends.  I wonder if they will be skating there this weekend?  There are a dozen or so ducks left in the mostly unfrozen little pond in the meadow. That little pond is a bulge in the overflow stream from Mill Pond as it flows through the meadow toward the ocean.

Sometimes the harsh cold gray of winter weather can make everything want to lose color.