GONE FISHIN'

Yes it is that time of year, I have "Alaskan Fishing Fever". I will be taking a short break to do some fishing. I will have photos to show when I get back; who knows, I might even be able to post some when I am away. That is me in the yellow and my friend Dan next to me.



This is Dan hauling out our catch, a long raincoat is a must unless you like slime down your back.

RED SOX TOPS

Hey, everything New England including milk bottle caps. These Hood brand milk bottle caps earn schools five cents for everyone sent in, like the Campbells Soup lable promotion. The school with the most caps per student will have a Red Sox player visit their school

KEYSTONE ARCH BRIDGES - DOUBLE ARCH

This is just one of the Keystone Arch Bridges, the Double Arch Bridge (I will go back and photograph the other bridges). These bridges were designed and built by Maj. George Washington Whistler and William Gibbs McNeill. (Trivia Alert – Maj. George Washington Whistler is “Whistler’s Father”, his son is the artist James Whistler). These bridges were built between 1848 and 1841 without reinforcing steel or mortar. There were 10 bridges built some as high as 70 feet, 5 remain; three were washed away during floods in 1927, two were removed by the railroad during realignment.

Info: A sign at the trailhead.

TRAIN TRESTLE OVER THE WESTFIELD RIVER

Chester MA - I was driving down the Keystone Arch Bridges Trail looking for the "Arch Bridges". I did photograph one(more on that in the future). Anyway the road got a little too rough (see photo below). I was afraid of ripping out the transmission of my wife's truck so I did not go any farther; the photo doesn't really show how rough it was. I had already done a lot of hiking and didn't feel like hiking too far so I went down to the river and found this railroad trestle crossing the river. It reminded me of a bridge in the mountains out West somewhere even though it was just the Berkshires.

WINDOW TOMATOES

The tomatoes were ripening in our kitchen window.

Lourdes Grotto Replica

Stockbridge MA - National Shrine of the Divine Mercy - This is a replica of the Lourdes Grotto where Bernadette Soubirous sees the Apparition of the Virgin Mary in 1858.






A statue of Bernadette Soubirous. I noticed that people left a lot of rosary beads around. The rosary beads looked like plastic bead that you would not mind throwing away. I wonder if they sell them in the gift shop there?

Fr. Stanislaus Papczynski - Founder of the Marians

Stockbridge MA - Shrine of the Divine Mercy - This statue is of Fr. Stanislaus Papczynski founder of the Marians of the Immaculate Conception. A religious order founded in Poland in the middle of a time when Poland was being attacked by many other nations. It is an order devoted to Mary's Immaculate Conception. This statue is on the grounds of the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy in Stockbridge MA.

Read more about the Marians at: http://www.marian.org/marians/history/index.html

BLACK AND WHITE FOREST

This is a photo I took about a month ago of the forest before the leaves were on the trees. Kind of a surreal look don't you think?

MEDITATION

While at the Shrine of Divine Mercy I photographed this man in a moment of silent meditation.

VIOLETS

I believe these are wild violets. I took this photo in the woods near a river. I was reading about "Wild Violets" and from the sound of them they sound like one step above poison ivy. I guess they are nice in the woods but have a habit of taking over your lawn. So, enjoy the photos or in the woods but keep them away from your lawn.

PEASE CLOTHING STORE

Chester, MA - While in Chester I went into this store and I will tell you one thing it has a lot of character. It reminds me of the L.L. Bean Store in Freeport Maine before they built the one they have now. It is the kind of place you can go and get good quality work clothes or a nice wool coat. The store was built around 1892 and is very Victorian. You can just imagine the railroad workers wives buying material for a new dress or maybe the railroad bosses wives picking up the latest fashions that came in on the train from New York or Boston.


Here is a boy trying on a hat at the glass case in the front of the store.


On the wall are these sewing notions. Now I don't know hold old these are but I remember my mother having these in her sewing kit in the early 60's. Hooks and Eyes, 15 cents...cheap. They are probably worth more as antiques.


They even have a sleigh and old wood cooking stove in the window.

RAMP GARAGE POEM

Portsmouth, NH – This poem is posted on the wall of a ramp garage which I thought a little strange, but culture is where you find it. On the bottom of the sign it says,”This is a favorite poem from Mrs. Potter’s 1998 – 1999 English class at Portsmouth High School. It is brought to you by Robert Dunn, Portsmouth’s Poet Laureate, and the Portsmouth Poet Laureate Program.

LOOKING FOR CREATURES

Chester MA - I was crossing over a bridge when I spied this boy looking for some sort of creature. I remember long ago as a boy doing the very same thing. Whether it was crayfish, salamanders, or some kind of bug larva, it was always interesting. I just noticed that his jacket says, "Northwest Jr. Flyers Racing Pigeons". I wonder if that has anything to do with what he is catching? Do pigeons eat creatures?

THE ROAD OUT OF TOWN

Chester MA - This is just outside of Main Street, on the left is the Historical Society.

A YARD OF IRON ART

Chester MA - This house which is downtown Chester was quite unusual. The yard has a lot of iron fences and pieces of iron work throughout the yard. Normally I would say junk, but it seems to work for this house; very Alice-in-Wonderlandesc.

Here is a display of some rusted toy cars and trains, I like it. Like I said before, it works for this house. I just noticed that these cars have little people in them.

MISSION HOUSE - REV. JOHN SERGEANT

Stockbridge, MA – This stone marks the spot where Rev. John Sergeant, the first white resident of Stockbridge, built the “Mission House” for his wife Abigale Williams in 1739. Rev. Sergeant ( 1710 – 1749) was a Protestant Missionary among local Native Americans in the Spring of 1936. Along with a group of Indians established “Indian Town”, what is now known as Stockbridge Massachusetts. The town of Stockbridge was named after a town in Hampsire County England during its incorporation on July 3rd 1739. The house has been moved to Main Street and is open to the public.


I posted this house once before April 17 2007 but I did not know the story behind the house...now we know.

Info: From a sign posted near the stone which is located at the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy (I will be posting about that soon)

RIVER IN BLACK AND WHITE

I was busy doing office work today so I did not get any new photos. But, I had this photo in stock, I just love Black and White.

GENERAL HENRY KNOX MONUMENT

On the way back from "Chester on Track" I zigged when I should of zagged and got lost, or I guess you can say."Found another way home". I think I was in Russell MA when I came upon this monument to General Henry Knox. Gen. Knox carried by Oxen, 50 cannon from Fort Ticonderoga to Boston. Evidently, he passed through this area and this monument was erected in 1927, just over 150 years from when he was there. He set the cannon up in the Dorchester Heights area of Boston. The British General Howe realized that his troops were in danger of an American bombardment left Boston.

Info:Historical Valley Forge