Brookwood Farm, Blue Hills Reservation, Milton, Canton, Massachusetts, USA

Since I don't have a dog, I have to depend on chance and the kindness of strangers to get one to walk into and remain within my photographic view at just the right time.  This time it worked out well.

This location is along Maple Lane on Brookwood Farm, a part of the Blue Hills Reservation.

It's a beautiful spot and lends itself nicely to photographing that fall feeling and look.

Priscilla Beach Theatre Restoration, Priscilla Beach, Manomet, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA

This will probably be my last image from this angle that shows plywood sheathing. The final finish siding work has begun on the northeast and northwest walls!  They should get to these sides soon. More on that later in this post......

Priscilla Beach Theatre, now in their 78th year, is the oldest barn theatre still in operation in the United States. The ongoing restoration work by Owners and Guardians Bob and Sandy Malone will be completed in time for next summer's performance season - "Fiddler on the Roof," and "Chicago" are already scheduled. You can read my other blog posts about the construction progress and stage performances by typing "Priscilla Beach" in the search box in the right side column of this blog.

It's a long way and a deep trench from Rocky Hill Road to connect the new 6" water line to the town main.....

....but only the final connecting piece remains to be done.

The electricians are now on site and have just installed the new breaker box......

.....and they are running conduit for all the electrical systems.

This beautiful stack of finish plywood is being applied to the entire stage area. Nearly 50 feet by 50 feet of new, smooth, level stage soon to welcome the footfalls of performers.

Kelleher Fine Builders, Inc. of Kingston, MA, the general contractor for the project, has created these beautiful custom barn-style doors on site using some of the original wood as the internal framing of each of the doors. I watched them cut the pieces with perfect precision - when I try to do something like that I always cut the wrong side of the pencil line and nothing ever fits - good thing I'm not a carpenter/builder.

The stair riser for access to the mezzanine has been attached to the southwest wall.  Soon the new deck will start to appear along this side.

But this is the big news - the final siding installation began this week - fibre cement board siding that will last at least 50 years with virtually no maintenance!

 These views are on the northeast side of the building.

Priscilla Beach Theatre has come a long way since May.......

Priscilla Beach Theatre, May 2014.

Along Old Sandwich Road, Chiltonville, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA

Although I prefer visiting Old Sandwich Road in the late afternoon on a sunny day when the golden light is just right, it also has a special appeal on overcast days. One of the advantages of making pictures on cloudy days is that the light is even, there are no harsh bright highlights or deep dark shadows, and the natural colors can be deeply saturated.

Old Sandwich Road is reported to be the oldest public road in the country. It is one of the prettiest in this area.

Stillwater Farm, Sterling, Massachusetts, USA

On my trip to Wachusett Mountain I happened by the Stillwater Farm. I liked the red barn color common in this part of the country - it looks especially nice when viewed against the fall colors and blue sky. The farm is a 55-acre environmental education facility and is managed by the Department of Conservation and Recreation and includes this farmstead and a mile long trail through the property.

So why are barns up here mostly red anyway?  Well, according to the editor of "The Barn Journal," Charles Leik, "Ferric oxide (rust), a primary component of red paint, is inexpensive and this appealed to the thrifty farmers of New England and New York State. Red is the predominant barn color in that region."  

Wachusett Mountain State Reservation, Princeton, Massachusetts, USA

Managed by our Department of Conservation and Recreation, Wachusett Mountain "rises above the surrounding forest to a height of 2006 feet. Mount Wachusett stands as a unique landmark within the central New England landscape. From the summit, a clear day reveals views of Mt. Monadnock in New Hampshire to the north, the Berkshires to the west, and the Boston skyline to the east. The 3,000-acre Wachusett Mountain State Reservation surrounds the summit and offers a wealth of natural and recreational resources." (Source: Mass DCR) The body of water in this view toward the northeast is Wachusett Lake.

The ride up is brief and beautiful along this curving one-way stretch. 

The low rock walls will probably stop an errant car from going over the edge but I like them low so the view is less obstructed.

This is one of those views. There is a parking pull-out shortly before reaching the summit to enjoy this view westward toward the Quabbin Reservoir and farther, the Berskhire Hills. The road and wall and setting remind me of my youth in Virginia visiting the Skyline Drive and Blue Ridge Parkway (Panorama - click on image to view in full width). 

At the top there is a wheelchair accessible platform at the base of the radio/fire/transmission tower.

I could see faintly on the distant horizon, the tallest buildings in downtown Boston about 45 miles away. And yes, I did have to wait a few minutes for that cloud to drift into the perfect posed position.

I think these folks were training rescue dogs but, they disappeared down a trail before I had a chance to talk with them.  Wearing orange is always a good idea in the woods - and required at certain times during hunting seasons.

And on the way down whether by car.......

....or on foot.....

...or on bicycle, this is a beautiful area to enjoy the fall on our public property.

This viewpoint is eastward on the way down from the summit. (Panorama - click on image to view in full width).

Wachusett is another spectacular property that belongs to us, the people of the State of Massachusetts.  There are more than 140 separate parks throughout our state.

Reflections - Looking More Closely, Manomet, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA

Recently I wrote about seeing more deeply into what is presented in front of my eyes.  Seeing the forest AND the trees, so to speak.  This is a nice scenic view but, it gets even prettier when I look at the details - the reflections in the water.

A slight disturbance on the surface creates this fractured and colorful view.......

....and this.......

.... and this - all differently beautiful and, I think more interesting than the larger view I started with.  The micro versus the macro.

Fall, Hingham, Massachusetts, USA

I passed through the town of Hingham recently and recorded these beautiful fall sights. Hingham was colonized in 1633 and is now an upscale community located about 11 miles (straight line) from Boston. The real estate website Zillow lists the median home value at almost $640,000.  My hometown of Plymouth about 33 miles (straight line) from Boston has a median home value of $293,000.  One pays quite a premium to be close to downtown Boston.

Those are stone dogs, not live ones, watching from the front porch.

There is actually a sidewalk under that carpet of perfectly undisturbed leaves.

Another undisturbed carpet in a a nearby woods.

According to the UMASS Forestry Conservation Program, "Despite many people's impressions of Massachusetts, it is a heavily forested state. In fact, at 62% forest cover, it is the 8th most forested state in the country. At the same time Massachusetts is also the third most densely populated state. There are few places on earth where so many people live among so many trees! The health of our commonwealth is intimately linked to the health of our forests."

"Why Do Fools Fall in Love," Priscilla Beach Theatre, Priscilla Beach, Manomet, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA

"Why Do Fools Fall in Love" is a four-woman cast production of the rockin' musical that features great tunes from the 1960's such as the title song, "Why Do Fools Fall in Love," "I Will Follow Him," "He's a Rebel," and "Goin' Out of My Head," to name just a few.  It's an uplifting show offered in the intimate Geronimo Black Box Theatre on the Priscilla Beach Theatre (PBT) campus.

 

Left to right: Kasey Bishoff, Sarah McClellan, Kerri Wilson-Ellenberger, and Maggie Irvine. These first three images were taken at the beginning of rehearsals.  The rest during the final dress rehearsal. The show opens today. Contact PBT at 508-224-4888 for tickets and info.

The show is produced by PBT owners and guardians Bob and Sandy Malone, directed by Conni DiLego, Musical Director Chris Ricci.

Director Conni DiLego.

The following are from the final dress rehearsal in chronological order of performance.

Support your local community theatre - wherever you live in the world!