All posts by healy24yang

A Walk in the Sterling Woods

flowers, herons, Mass. Central Rail Trail, Nature, New England, Rail Trails, , , , ,

Sterling1Recently, Yang and I decided to take a Sunday morning walk, while it was still relatively cool, in the wooded rail trail in Sterling , MA – right behind the center of town. As you can see from the sign, DSCN2858the name of the trail is  the Mass Central Rail Trail.  It runs about a mile and three quarters one way, so round trip is about three and a half miles – too short for a bicycle ride, but nice for a walk.

 

Parts of the trail are flanked by swamp and marshes like this, Sterling3where we saw tons of Catbirds, Red-winged Blackbirds, and Song Sparrows.  Using our new binoculars, we could watch a Song Sparrow raise his head and liberate a beautiful song.  I just wish we had a camera that could photograph what we see through the binoculars.  We also saw a ground hog pick his way through the underbrush and onto the trail, but he was too quick for us to get a photo of him.

The trail itself is Sterling6straight and flat with packed gravel, perfect for easy walking and so beautifully shady and cool during a summer day – especially in the morning.  We were lucky to see scads of chipmunks and even a few rabbits.  We weren’t so lucky in finding ourselves sometimes accompanied by mosquitoes – Sterling4but they weren’t so bad here as in other woods we’ve strolled through.

 

Toward its far end, the trail passes across a lake.  This area had once been a vacation resort, but now, as a public trail, anyone can go there to fish, boat quietly, or just enjoy the view. Dscn2868 There are some benches in the woods overlooking the lake that afford a lovely relaxing outlook.  Once, Yang and I took our tea and scones there to sit and have breakfast and enjoy the beautiful vista.  We saw scores of dragon flies and baby fish. We’ve also seen a Great Blue Heron here in the past.  I think Sterling7I might even have done some reading.  Where a bridge carries you over the lake, you come out into the sunshine, and it’s such a pleasurable view!

 

 

Yang really enjoyed using our new binoculars!Sterling5

In the parking lot,Sterling10 I saw these lovely daisies and chicory, so I had to photograph them.  One year, I found loads of Baltimore Orioles, male and female, building their nests in the trees along the lot.  Sterling12No such luck this visit.  I might have come too late in the season.  Still, a wonderful walk.

Summer Birds and Beasts One

birds, black cat, cats, mischevious cats, Nature, tree frog, , , , , ,

Yang went to pick up the watering can for the plants the other evening, and this is who greeted him. Frog2My friend Sarah tells me that he/she is a grey tree frog! We always have plenty of toads in the yard. In fact one used to sit on a floating platform in the fish pond and sing away the afternoon. However, I didn’t even know we had these guys in our yard! Quite the cutie, isn’t she/he?Frog1

Here, you can see, from left to right, a Blue Jay, a Mourning Dove, Birds1and the edge of a shy (or hungry) Red-bellied Woodpecker’s wing. I always get them mixed up with the Common Flicker. I can tell the difference in how they look; I just can never remember which name goes with which bird. Ah, here he is peeking out at us!birds2

 

Here’s a Downy Woodpecker. It could be a Hairy Woodpecker. I know the latter is bigger, but I can’t exactly make the comparison here.DSCN2839 I also know the Hairy has a longer beak, but unfortunately the picture is not quite sharp enough. We get both types, as well as Flickers and Nuthatches. No Piliated Woodpeckers, though!

 

 

Next are a Cardinal and a Mourning Dove. Some of these images aren’t as clear as they could be because I had the screen down on the window and had to shoot through it.birds4

 

Darned old Mourning Dove with a Red-winged Blackbird. The Blackbird is hard to catch. He comes by all the time, but always seems to see me and fly off before I can get a good shot.birds7 I’ll have some more bird pictures later with him in it –– as well as other birds. I would also love to get a shot of our Catbird. She is forever landing nearby and popping around looking for food or getting a drink from the bird bath near the fish pond. All I have to do is hold still and she’s my buddy. I’m happy to say that on our bicycle rides, Yang and I have seen a plethora of Catbirds, Red-winged Blackbirds, and Song Sparrows!

Oh, and by the way, Yang and I aren’t the only ones in the house who like to bird watch.birdcat

 

Plymouth, NH Trip – May

Bait and Switch, black cat, book signings and readings, cats, Cemeteries, Claude Rains, Dusty, Film Actors, mystery, Nature, New England, Sisters in crime New England, , , , , , , ,

When we went to Plainfield for me to participate in the Sisters in Crime panel on creating mysteries, we stayed over night in Plymouth, NH at one of our favorite places, the Red Carpet Inn.  For years Yang and I, myself alone, or myself and a pal had stayed there for the Medieval and Renaissance PlymouthForum when it was at Plymouth State University.  It’s always been pleasant.  Look at the beautiful view we had from our window!

 

The next day, we drove over to the Red Hill Cemetery where Claude Rains is buried with his wife Rosemary. Plymouthmay3 He has a beautiful epitaph:   “All things once are things forever, Soul, once living, lives forever.”  His wife’s is a variation on lines from Christina Rosetti’s “When I Am Dead” Sonnet –  one of my favorite poems.  We always try to pay a visit.  Just a simple way of saying, “Thanks for the great celluloid memories.” DSCN2816 It’s a special treat to know that my favorite actor is resting near me.  It almost feels like we’re neighbors.  Don’t they have a beautiful view? That’s Red Hill in the background, which Yang and I try to climb in good weather –– we’re tired afterward, but it’s worth it.DSCN2813

 

 

 

 

 

When we stopped in Center Harbor, I found a neat independent book store, Bayswater Book Co.  (12 Main St.).  Of course, I scoped out the lovely little shop –– and ultimately managed to make arrangements to give a reading Dustyaand signing on Saturday, July 9th, from 1:00-3:00.  Drop by and meet me.  Bait and Switch‘s Dusty will be be on the lookout for you!

 

I always wonder if this pun carries exactly the right connotations to bring in customers.  It must work, ’cause it’s been there for like 20 years!Plymouthmay1

 

Once we got home, we were happy to see that, on occasion, sleepingcats2Rosalind and Natasha can rest peacefully together.  The Moe will lie down with the Curly.

Millerton Rail Trail Birding Adventure

birds, herons, Nature, Rail Trails, Rufuous Towhee, , , ,

 

So, our first bicycle ride on the Harlem River Valley Trail, starting in Millerton, NY,  was a wonderful trip!  We started off after a delightful lunch at Harney and Sons tea outlet – and my buying out most of the store! Must have my Keemun and Breakfast Supreme!

The day was absolutely perfect for a bicycle ride:  not too hot but sunny and clear.  We saw a plethora of the most wonderful critters!  I increased my count of birds seen this year with some unique additions.  Unfortunately, they moved too fast for me to get any good pictures, so I’ll have to rely on other sources for illustration.  When riding past the big pond in the cattle pasture along the trail, LittleblueHeronI saw this heron flash by over the water.  He was too small for a Great Blue Heron –– and didn’t have a crest.  But he wasn’t the right color for a Green Heron; he was a dark, slatey blue.  He reminded me of pictures I’ve seen of the Little Blue Heron, and when I checked several sites on line I discovered that’s exactly what I’d seen.  Here’s a picture courtesy of Dario Sanches via Wikkipedia.  Interestingly, these birds usually aren’t seen this far north.  However, some have been sighted in New York and New Jersey.  So, my conjecture as to his identity seems to be right on the money.

(Photo from Wikkipedia:  By Dario Sanches from São Paulo, Brazil – GARÇA-AZUL (Egretta caerulea; uploaded by Snowmanradio, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=12106836)

 

Yang and I also noted two almost Robin-sized birds cruising over and through the underbrush by the side of the trail.  But they flashed white feathers on the backs of their tails –– definitely not a Robin trait.  Still, I did see rusty red and black on them, but not really in a Robin-design.  My guess was either Redstarts or Rufous-sided Towhees.  We dismounted our bikes; approached cautiously for a good look; and, yep, they definitely seemed to be Towhees.  These guys aggressively hopped around in and kicked up the mat of dead leaves looking for insect-type treats.  There was a male and female.  The BlogEastern towhee malemale had contrasting black and rusty-red coloring, with a white tummy, while the female was mostly all a lovely rusty reddish brown. BlogEastern_Towhee-27527 I tried to get some shots, but I don’t think they came out very good.  Here are the photographs by Bill Thompson and Ken Thomas, respectively, on Wikkipedia

(1)Male  By Bill Thompson of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Northeast Region – Photo of the Week – Male eastern towhee at the Quabbin Reservoir (MA)Uploaded by Snowmanradio, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=15297291 (2) female (Photo from Wikkipedia, By Ken Thomas – KenThomas.us (personal website of photographer), Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3423294; 2.

 

I may also have seen a Red-eyed Vireo.  I’m not sure what color his eyes were; he was too far away, and he was wearing shades.  blogred eye vireo sanchesWe also saw tons of red-winged Blackbirds, Catbirds, Grackles, and Robins.  We were treated to some lovely bird song from all these feathered critters.

Vireo image:  On Wikkipedia, by Dario Sanches – originally posted to Flickr as JURUVIARA (Vireo olivaceus), CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=8792302)

What four legged beasts did we come across?  Lots of rabbits, a garter snake, and chipmunks.  We even saw baby chipmunks that were really tiny.  Only gray squirrels showed this day, though I have seen red ones here in the past.  And the funniest thing was to see a groundhog galloping through the woods below us.  Those suckers may be plump but they move fast.  Better here than anywhere near my garden –– or my friend Amber’s, if they know what’s good for them!

River Hawks Bookstore Lowell – Reading on My Old Home Turf

1940s mystery, Bait and Switch, black cat, book signings and readings, cats, Dusty, mischevious cats, mystery, New England, suspense, UMass Lowell, writing, , , , , , , , , ,

 

So, on May 28th I gave my final reading of the month at my alma mater’s bookstore, River Hawks.  It wasn’t exactly a trek back to Tara, but it was a wonderful experience for seeing so many old friends at UMass Lowell.Lowell4

First of all, the day was a scorcher:  in the 90s!  Of course, I had to have a hot cappuccino before my performance!  Thank God this place is air conditioned – but the nice, comfortable kind of air conditioning, not the Arctic temps that make polar bears shiver, which you find too often once May rolls around.  Lowell5Here, I’m sitting, looking over my notes and finishing my coffee in the lobby.  The building is really nice, with lots of windows and airy space.

Ham bone that I am, I had to get a picture of myself with the display for my book! Lowell1 The young woman clerking at the counter was nice enough to do the honors.  Like the dress?  Yang made it for me by copying a vintage dress I’d bought on Ebay.  This way we get the beauty of authentic vintage design combined with the convenience of material you can hand or machine wash!  There’s not much he can’t do:  from using physics to move boulders to building an oxygen R08chamber for a kitten recovering from double pneumonia.  Note the luxurious quarters:  litter box, bed, blanket, toys, and inspiring pictures (Rosie the Riveter, Rosalind in AYLI, and Rosalind Russell).

Before the session, I had a nice chat with Abbey and Christina, who had taken charge of setting up the space for me.  As you can see from the pictures, it’s a great area for doing a reading.  Lowell7What I could really kick myself over is that I had such a wonderful time seeing old friends that I forgot to have my entourage (Yang) take any pictures of folks.  Damn! Not even a group shot!  So, who’s on the red – or here royal blue-  carpet?

Sue Thorne-Gagnon and her husband Bobby were first to arrive.  Sue and I were at ULowell together at the same time, but darned if we never met until years later when we were working at BASF systems before we both went back into teaching.  She’s a wonderful teacher and flutist.  Next came Lisa McCarthy and her daughter Hedda.  I’ve known Lisa since the late seventies, and we’ve been through everything together from rambles around Boston, hikes through the woods, and Star Trek conventions.  My nephew Phil and his wife Steph also appeared on the scene.  Steph is responsible for addicting me to Psych; Monk; Murder, She Wrote; and Miss Fisher’s Mysteries.  Can I get her hooked on Murdoch?  Steph is a teacher and Phil is a filmmaker – check out his co-production of My Name Is Jonah.  When he and his older brother were kids, Sharon&GeoffI used to hold them under the arms and swing them in a circle, which they loved.  Now they can do it to me, but not at the reading. Here’s a picture of my giving Geoffrey a whirl.

After the reading started, I was so excited to see, first, Barbara DeMeuth then Mary Lou Beausoleil slip in!  These guys have been my friends since grammar school!  Clearly, they have much forbearance.  It was fantastic that they came to support me!  Barb is actually my oldest friend – not in age but in duration.  We met when we were going into the fifth grade.  Mary Lou is only a few months behind.  But we can’t get together as much as we’d like, so it was fantastic to catch up!  Mary Lou was one of the earliest readers of one of the earliest versions of Bait and Switch – and she still came, anyway!  Barb and I have managed to stay in touch on the phone or over an occasional lunch lo! these many years.  Both have wonderfully wicked senses of humor!

It was an absolute delight to see people I care so much about, and who showed me they cared by being here to share in the success of Bait and Switch. And thanks to Maria Shusta, Christina, and Abbey at River Hawks for doing a wonderful job of setting everything up for me and making the day run so smoothly.

So, if you’re a friend from the Merrimack Valley, old or new, who missed the reading but still would like to get Bait and Switch, they have copies awaiting you at the Dusty1River Hawks Bookstore, 220 Pawtucket Street, Lowell.  Dusty from Bait and Switch will be watching for you.

“We’re Not Making this Up”: Plainfield Library, Sisters in Crime New England

1940s mystery, Bait and Switch, book signings and readings, Ellen Perry Berkeley, Film Noir, Gothic, Joan Bennett, Kevin Symmons, mischevious cats, mystery, New England, Sisters in crime New England, Smart-Talking Gals, suspense, World War II, WWII, ,

Last Saturday, I was lucky enough to participate  with two other mystery writers in a Sisters in Crime New England panel, “We’re Not Making This Up” at Plainfield11the Plainfield Library in New Hampshire. Nancy Norwalk is the wonderful lady at the library who set up our panel,  and advertised and arranged for event. I was the newbie and the two veterans were Kevin Symmons, who does romantic thrillers, sometimes with a gothic twist, and Ellen Perry Berkeley, who does gritty mysteries with a historical basis – as well as some interesting nonfiction, Maverick Cats and At Grandmother’s Table:  Women Write about Food. Kevin’s latest is Chrysalis and Ellen’s is Keith’s People.

 

IMG_1936The Library is a beautiful little brick buidling that, like the Tardis, is much bigger on the inside than it appears on the outside.  Just to make sure we knew where we were going, Nancy’s signs pointed out our way into the charming, old New England building. IMG_1940Once there, I shared a table for displaying my books with Kevin Symmons, and the three of us got started talking about our writing and answering questions from a nice turn out of about 15 people. Kevin was our adept moderator.

 

We had some interesting discussion of the merits of small, independent publishers over the big-ticket conglomerates.IMG_1942  You may not get huge advances or get as much promotion (though the latter advantage is not always available), but you also aren’t under pressure to sell 10 to 100s of thousands of books – and you don’t have to pay back an advance that low sales don’t erase. Just as good, your books tend to stay in print longer – and you tend to have more control over content.  We also had some fun and funny discussions over sex vs. romance (in the novels), how do we carve out the time to write, and do the characters spring direct from Plainfield7the unconscious or do we base them on people we know.  I ended up talking about how I like to cast my novels like a movie full of classic actors, with a few more modern folk sprinkled in.  But we all agreed that characters have a way of taking the reins and telling us what they intend to do, no matter what our original intention was – and we love it!

It was also fun to discover how we all did our research through talking to people in different fields, drawing on our own personal andPlainfield8 professional experiences, reading and immersing ourselves in the environments that would become our characters’ worlds:  whether it was WWII New York, show- horse farms, or post Viet Nam America.

I did “shock” my two panel members by admitting that I have to write my first draft with pen (no pencil- too soft!) and paper.  Otherwise, the muse just won’t flow.  She needs to travel from my mind to the paper via that sharp pen point.  Computers are for editing as far as she is concerned.  What can I say!

We writers made some nice connections with one another and with our audience – Plainfield9and I hope that we inspired some of them to keep on with their own writing and perhaps be published, themselves! And, of course, it’s always nice to sell some books!  We writers even ended up getting some reading material from each other.

Plainfield4Next, it’s on to Lowell tomorrow (5/28/16) from 2:00-4:00, where I go solo with Bait and Switch.  Maybe I’ll see some of you folk there!

Book Fair Nevins Library, Methuen

1940s mystery, Annie's Bookstop, Bait and Switch, book signings and readings, mystery, , ,

Methuen10Last Saturday, I had the good fortune to be part of the local author book fair at the beautiful Nevins Library in Methuen, MA.  This library is an elegant red brick building with gothic arches and lovely stained glass windows inside.  What good fortune to be able to spend an afternoon reading or doing research in such classic surroundings.  Methuen8

 

 

 

 

 

 

All the authors, about ten of us, Methuen7were set up in the Great Hall, an aptly named chamber with hard wood floors, tall arched windows topped with stained glass, and wood paneled walls. If you look carefully, I’m waaaay in the back right corner, contemplating how best to set up.  The line of chairs in the front of the picture faced a podium where the audience (they really did pack the seats later – honest!) sat while each of us authors gave a little chat about who we were and what we wrote.

As you can see, I was very proud of my little table and brought plenty of books and book marks! Methuen3 I did make some actual sales – and not just to people who were related to me! It was really fun to see people I hadn’t seen in years, since my brother lives in Methuen and his family and my sister-in-law have lots of connections there. Methuen4 I even met a wonderful woman whom I hadn’t seen in years who used to work with my sister-in-law!  Especially fun, at the table next to me was Liz Mugavero, who writes the entertaining Pawsitively Organic mysteries!  I had met her at a reading and signing she did at Annie’s Bookstop, and got a kick out of her novels that revolve around a woman who reinvents herself from  a high powered public relations sort to an organic pastry chef for pets – helping in animal rescue and solving murders along the way.  Highly recommended reading – right after you buy and finish reading Bait and Switch!

Finally,Methuen12 some of my family did show, including my brother.  Here’s a picture with my nephew Geoffrey’s wife Jessica;  daughter Noelle; my brother Leo; me; and the ever present, ever handsome Yang.  Quite the rogue’s gallery, wouldn’t you say? This time Yang and Leo didn’t wear the exact same shirt.  Really!  At my niece Shana’s mother’s day brunch, I realized their shirts were perfect matches!

My thanks to the vivacious Sarah Sullivan who organized this fun and exciting event. Several authors wrote about gritty crime fiction, mostly with a New England setting; some wrote historical mystery and romance; another man talked about his memoir of growing up an African-American trying to find his identity and dignity in a society that denied it; and another man wrote on growing up in the foster care system in Massachusetts.  The profits of this latter book by Jeff Ives and Larry Giordano will be donated to creating a bridge house for kids aging out of the foster system but still too young to be completely on their own.  I’m already planning some summer reading from this experience! Here’s a link to the list of authors who were there.

English Honors Celebration at WSU

Barbar Pilon Poetry Contest, Kathleen Downey Short Fiction Contest, , , ,

We are fortunate in the WSU English department to have some of the brightest, funniest, talented students.  It’s always a pleasure to honor them at the aptly named English Honors Celebration – where we commemorate students’ scholarly and creative achievements.  And I have been lucky enough to have many of these folks in my classes.  So, I managed to record some of them with my handy digital camera.

Each year we have the Barbara Pilon Poetry Contest and the Kathleen Downey Short Fiction Contest, open to students from the entire campus.  English Honors5 Not all those who took awards in these contests were present, so we have a photo of combined contest winners here.  From left to right are  Mary Schroth (Downey), Grace Cook (Downey), Noah Goldfarb (Downey and Pilon), and Melissa Dognazzi (Pilon).  I have had the pleasure of having Mary in several of my courses.  She is a bright student and a beautiful writer. Though I’ve never had Grace in class, I’ve seen her wonderful performance on stage in the college’s production of Goodnight Desdemona, Good Morning Juliet.

The English Department also racked up points through the Commonwealth Honors Projects,Picture2 with the first two awards going to Amy Angell (on the right) and Kayleigh Berger and Kasey Wazniak (left to right). Amy’s work was The Goodbyemoon—A Memoir of Loss, with Dr. Elizabeth Bidinger as her advisor.  Kasey and Kayleigh’s was Introducing Elizabeth Bishop, Poetry, and Writing as a Process, with Dr. Heather Treseler as their advisor.  Not knowing Amy well (though I’ve heard wonderful things about her!), I can’t speak to her project.  Maybe one of my readers out there who knows the whole story can add a comment to this post!  I do know that Kayleigh and Kasey did extensive, detailed research on Elizabeth Bishop’s background and writing processes, looking over actual records and manuscripts  to create a paper and drawing on that research to create a lesson plan on writing and revision for their own future teaching as well as for other teachers.

Here is the crew of primo English Majors who are inducted into Sigma Tau Delta.  Not everyone was present. Englishhonors7I’m highlighting the names of those I’ve been lucky enough to have in class:  Melissa Dognazzi, Molly Barrett, Caitlyn Brennan, Monica Valente, Sean Scannell, Lily Curtis, Kasey Wozniak, Danielle Grimaldi, Margarite Szezepanek, Anna-Lisa Norman, Heather Cameron, and Kayleigh Berger.

And here are just some shots of the students as their names are called out for induction.  Please forgive the fuzziness.  Between my having to jump up to get the picture and my not being able to avoid having the sun in front of me, some shots came out a bit fuzzy or a bit dark.  I still think you can see these guys’ intelligence and genuineness shining through!

Here’s Lily Curtis, Englishhonors1who braved Shakespeare and Witchcraft in Medieval and Renaissance Lit with me.  A beautiful writer, a sharp wit, and a good kid.

Next is Kasey Wozniak. Englishhonors2 I always look forward to reading what she has to write, and her comments in class hit the nail right on the head.  Students are going to be so lucky to have her for a teacher. Look at that beautiful smile!

So will be Kayleigh Berger’s students!  She’s lively, bright, funny.  I can still remember how Englishhonors3energetic and excited she was when I had her in class freshman year for Creative Thinking and Critical Writing.  And like Kasey and Lily, she’s a good kid, as my Mom would say. Both Kayleigh’s and Kasey’s guidance in the writing center has been invaluable to  all my students that they’ve helped.

I don’t really know Danielle Grimaldi Englishhonors4(picture 1) or Melissa Dognazzi (picture 2), but I’ve heard great things about them.  I do know that Danielle is already writing news stories professionally.  WSU English majors are accomplished!Englishhonors9 Again, any readers who know them, chime in and sing their praises!

Finally, Lily Curtis was sweet enough to want to take a picture with me!  Englishhonors8This girl even gave me a hug after the agony of taking a final for the class I team taught with MaryLynn Saul (I’m not taking that rap alone!).  I’m so excited because she also wants to write a paper for next year’s Undergraduate Shakespeare Conference!

We’re tremendously lucky to have students like these guys, and so many others.  I know it sounds corny, but these moments kind of make up for the agony of tracking down plagiarists, slogging through grading papers that make you want to cry out, “Lord, take me now!, or getting up to perform in the classroom when an assault by the flu has you dying to crawl into bed and sleep for a decade.  I’m going to miss these guys who are graduating, but I’m happy that they have hopes and plans to carry them into a life that fulfills them.

(P.S. please forgive typos in here.  I’m doing this with my eyes still dilated from an eye exam!)

Spring Bicycle Ride

abandoned factory, black cat, cats, Nature, New England, North Central Pathway Trail, Rail Trails, , , ,

We recently did the North Central Pathway rail trail. It technically extends between Gardner and Winchendon, though there is a break of about a mile that has not been developed yet.  It’s a beautiful paved trail that runs through clear, lovely, green woods in a straight path.  At the Winchendon end, we cycled down toward a sports/recreation area,Winchendon1 but right off the trail is this cool abandoned factory and what appears to be a ware house. It’s all next to a set of falls and canal off the river. Since there weren’t any “No Tresspassing” warnings or locked gates, we  checked out the area, being careful not to take any risks of falling or hurting ourselves.

 

 

Here’s a picture of a smoke stack;Winchendon2 somehow the rest of the factory seems to have fallen away – although there was a building behind it that looked as if it might have been part of the original manufacturing site.  Look at how gorgeously azure-blue the sky was that day.  The sun was so bright, I had to wear my shades – prescription, of course, or I’d have been riding off the road.

In this other Winchendon3shot of the chimney, you can better see the tree growing up around it and what’s left of the building behind it.

 

 

 

There were man-made falls next to the buildings and a canal running along it for water power. The scene was beautiful.  Winchendon5I have no idea what they made here.  Since this town was the rocking horse capital, perhaps that’s what they produced?

 

 

We got back on the trail for our return ride, passing a pond that had some Barrows Golden Eye Ducks.  Would that they  had been close enough to photograph.  These are diving ducks.  So it was a hoot to watch the flock sit up on the water, flap their wings, then dive down and disappear beneath the surface for a stretch.  Then, up they’d all pop.  Now you see them, now you don’t, now you do!

We did get to photograph some cute critters, though – at least I think they are cute.  So, here’s the trigger warning:  PICTURES OF A SNAKE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

I almost ran over a little one of these guys when he was trying to cross the trail. I guess he wanted to get to the other side.  Playing chicken?  He was too small for me to see right away, but Yang assured me he was okay. Winchendon9 Then, I came across his big sister right here.  A beauty, eh?  I don’t know what kind this one is.  His/her color is coppery with darker markings, so it doesn’t look like a garter snake to me.  What do you think? Can anyone answer my query?

Here Mr. or Ms. Snake seems to be saying:  “I’m ready for my closeup, Mr. Demile!”Winchedon8

So, for those freaked out by this lovely creature, here are some soothing images.  First, the ginormous (for us, anyway) Winchendon13pumpkins Yang and I grew last year.

Then, Yang, himself, always a calming influence. Wynchendon6

And, of course two of the most adorable black cats in the world, NatashaWinchendon14

Winchendon15and Rosalind.

 

 

A musical weekend

black cat, flute music, Swing music,

So, I’m home sick today with this sinus thing that is apparently going around.  Maybe I had too good a weekend?  After I squared away reading and preparing for my literature classes and grading a stacks of papers, I managed quite the musical weekend.  Yang and I went to a concert of Byzantine Chants at the intimate and acoustically wonderful Brooks Concert Hall at Holy Cross! The Orthodox sacred music and the harmonic timber of men’s voices lulled all our tensions away.

Saturday night, we went the opposite direction with Dan Gable’s High Society Orchestra playing hot 1920s swing at the Point Breeze restaurant in Webster, on Lake Chargoggagoggmanchaugoggagoggchubunagungamaug.  I think I spelled that correctly.  Does anyone really have the time to check the spelling?  The music was popping and, although Yang and I are more ’40s-style dancers, we managed to get in a waltz ( a fast one!), a swing, a rumba, and what we refer to as the “Daddy dance” for “As Time Goes By.” Dan Gable has his bands in three incarnations:  the hot swing of the twenties ( High Society), 18-piece big band (Abletones), and the Dectet ( scaled down big band).  The playing is superb as is the vocalizing of Elise Roth.  You can just listen if you don’t want to dance – they’re that good!

Finally, we closed out the weekend with a concert by The Flute Choir at the Parish Arts Center in Westford, MA.  The music was wonderful, soothing the grading-frayed nerves of two professors. My friend Sue Thorne-Gagnon plays piccolo. Even better, Yang and I got to see her parents and her husband there, too. The program was just the ticket with both dreamy and lively selections to  aurally and spiritually delight – and, yes, “The Sleeping Bear” made me cry, damnit! They’re playing the same program this Sunday (4/30/16) at

Trinity Lutheran Church Worcester MA

73 Lancaster St, Worcester, Massachusetts 01609

Now it’s back to bed and trying to put this cold to sleep.  Move over Natasha!Natashanurse