COLORFUL KAYAKS

Valdez, AK - These kayaks belong to a company that leads kayak trips in the waters around Valdez. The guy on the dock to the right is counting out candy bars for snacks for the kayakers; funny the things I notice.

FORMER CHESTER MA JAIL

Chester MA - In the basement of the Chester Historical Society is the former town jail. Since Chester was a railroad town I wonder if they had any train robbers in there?

CHESTER MA - FIRST AMERICAN EMERY MINES

Chester MA - Chester Massachusetts is where Emery was first found in America. Emery is used in grinding wheels and sanding paper and boards.



Grinding Wheels

Mining Lamps

CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH - CHESTER MA

Chester MA - This Congregational Church doesn't fit the mold of you stereotypical New England church. It kind of looks like a Cape Cod style house with a steeple, that's OK, God doesn't mind.

THE CHAIR AND THE TRAIN

Taken at "Chester on Track" - Chester MA - That is all I have to say about that.

ONWARD CHRISTIAN SOLDIERS...

National Shrine of the Divine Mercy - Stockbridge MA - I assume these are the graves of the priests that live at the shrine. Of special note are the two graves of the Brothers that are World War II vets; I wonder if they were Chaplins or became Brothers after the war?

CORDOVA HOUSE

I thought I would sneak in another Alaska Photo. This house has a terrific view.

MYSTIC SEAPORT LIGHTHOUSE

Mystic Seaport - Mystic CT - This small lighthouse is on the grounds of the seaport.

MYSTIC SEAPORT CHURCH

This church is in Mystic Seaport. Take a look at the baptismal shell in the right corner of the church.

FOREST SUNNY SPOT

I took this photo today walking in the forest with my wife and dogs. It was a perfect day for a walk.

COLORFUL MUSHROOMS

Nothing too exciting to photograph so I got a photo of some colorful mushrooms.

NATIONAL SHRINE OF THE DIVINE MERCY

Stockbridge, MA - This is some photos of the church and rectory on the Grounds of the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy.

Noble and Cooley Center for Historic Preservation - NCCHP

Granville, MA – This drum was manufactured in Granville MA in the early 1860s. It was picked up on the Gettysburg battlefield in 1863 by James Forrest who mustered into the Union army on 6-16-1863 as a musician in the 28th Pennsylvania Mil. Infantry regiment. Over 140 years later the drum has come back to Granville.

Noble & Cooley is in the process of renovating space to house a museum to exhibit the “Yankee ingenuity” in manufacturing from the 1850s to the 1950s. Much of the equipment in the Noble and Cooley Drum Shop is still in working order and is amazing in its simplicity and complexity. The hoops on this Civil War drum were bent on the same bending machine that is still used today to build high quality custom snare drums for today’s musicians.

If you would like to make a tax deductible donation to support the museum project the address is:

NCCHP
P.O. Box 325
Granville, Ma 01034

MAKING ROPE

Mystic Seaport - Mystic CT - In the long building below, they are making rope. The piece of machinery you see is called a truck that pulls the rope down the building



.

The way this piece of machinery works twists the rope evenly so all the strands are equally strong. Before, when people did the twisting, the middle stands were weaker.

BARRELS TO HOLD WHALE OIL

Mystic CT - Mystic Seaport - These are barrels that were used to hold whale oil. In the first photo you can see how the barrels were broken down to save space aboard ship. When the whales were caught, the barrels were assembled by an on board cooper.

WHALING GEAR

Mystic CT - Mystic Seaport - These are some implements used in whaling. You have to remember that whaling is frowned upon today but was very important in colonial times.



These are the tips of the harpoons.



Once the whale was killed these were used to harvest the blubber. This had to be done as fast as possible because the sharks would be taking their portion too.

ALASKAN MOOSE

While up in Alaska I saw a few moose. These are three that just happened to be together. The white spots you see are from Cottonwood trees. This fluff is evrywhere, and I mean everywhere.

CAVIAR

While I was up in Alaska my friend decided to make caviar from King Salmon Eggs. This was the first part, removing them from the skein. Then they are put in a brine solution, then like magic, caviar. These were big eggs and kind of oily. Definitely an acquired taste.

PHOTOS THAT STRUCK ME ODD

I just watched a movie about a photographer that took photos of odd people. So I was inspired to post two photos of odd things. Both of these photos were taken at the National Shrine of the Devine Mercy.


Drinking water? Are you supposed to drink out of the trough? Straight from the garden faucet? Mybe the hose? I just thought it kind of odd.



The first question I had was, why? Why would you have a Knights of Columbus garbage can? Is it special garbage?

BLACK SLUG

I thought I would slip in an Alaska photo. The only place I have seen slugs like this in Alaska is in Cordova. When I lived in Washington state they were everywhere. In Cordova it is very moist so I guess it is a good place for slugs.

WHALE HUNTING*

Arrr...I'm gonna get me a whale with my harpoon.



Hey everyone hold up...thar she blows.



Faster...faster.



Put your backs into it you bilge-sucking swabs.



Arrr...I gonna be cuttin some blubber tonight.

* No whales were hurt in the making of these photos.

A TYPICAL DAY AT THE SEAPORT

Mystic Seaport - Mystic CT - A typical day, the ships are in full of whale oil and everyone is happy.

SHIP'S FIGUREHEAD

Mystic Seaport, Mystic CT - This ship's figurehead is mounted on a wall of one of the buildings at the seaport(the seaport is a museum with whaling ships and 19th century buildings).

I just love the way this photo looks, I have it as my screen saver...until the next photo.

WHALE TRAIL WHALES

Mystic CT - Mystic Seaport - I stumbled upon these two fiberglass whales at Mystic Seaport. Fifty whales were painted in 2005 auctioned off with the procedes going to non-profit organizations.


Pirate Hill Moby - Artist: Del Bach



Marsh Whale - Artist: H. Gray Park IV

More Information: http://www.thewhaletrail.com/southeast/index.asp

AIRPORT HUSKY DOGS

On my way to Alaska from the Bradley Airport in Windsor Locks CT I spied these two "Husky Dogs". The one in the foreground is "Haulin' Husky" the artist is Maribeth Blonski and from the Husky website the dog is called Bradley Husky but the artist was still unknown at the time.

For more information: www.UconnHuskyTrail.com

MORE ALASKA PHOTOS

Here are a few more Alaska photos; I will throw some in every so often.


A fishing boat on a calm sea.



This is a Kittiwake(birds) nesting colony.

GRANVILLE FOURTH OF JULY PARADE - PART 2

Granville MA - Fourth of July Parade 2007


Cart Man ...Peace Man.


Here is a clown with a mentally challanged woman; I think it made her day.


These dogs were in the parade.


I don't know the story behind this woman in the wheel chair but she was at the head of the parade.


Here are some guys from the Granville-Tolland Lions Club cooking up chicken; they were smokin.