Tidmarsh Wildlife Sanctuary, Mass Audubon, Manomet, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA

Once a cranberry farm, this 450-acre property underwent the largest freshwater ecological restoration ever completed in the Northeast United States. It is now the Mass Audubon Tidmarsh Wildlife Sanctuary off Beaver Dam Road south of Gellar's Corner in Manomet Village in Plymouth. (The display board above is at the entrance to the property). Note: The facility will be open to the general public in late November.



On a perfect fall afternoon, hundreds gathered to officially celebrate the opening of this latest jewel in the Mass Audubon crown. Mass Audubon is the largest nature conservation nonprofit in the State of Massachusetts with more than 36,000 acres under their stewardship.



Many of the 650 donors who helped secure the property rights and fund restoration work came out for the event.



There was a little bit of speechifying under the big tent........



.....led by Mass Audubon Board Chair, Jared Chase........and others......



.......and finishing up with Lauren Kras, the Director of this new sanctuary..........



..... and then it was time to set off on foot to explore some of this natural wonderland.



This overlook location will soon have a viewing platform deck that will be accessible for all-persons to enjoy.

Every great conservation effort begins with a vision - a dream - a seed of an idea - and the willingness to stick to it through thick and thin to achieve the end goal. Glorianna Davenport and Evan Schulman, above, are the two people with that vision - the former principal property owners who wanted to restore and protect this special landscape into perpetuity.  And they did it!

They, along with many others both private and government, "re-created more than three and half miles of meandering stream channel, sculpted the land's surface, and removed nine dams to reconnect the headwaters of Beaver Dam Brook to the ocean for the first time in more than a century." (Source:  Mass Audubon).

Never underestimate the power of a dream and the perseverance to see it through to fruition!

A Touch of Fall at Rabbit Pond, Manomet, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA

Late afternoon is a great time to wander around the perimeter of Rabbit Pond looking for lovely fall images.



















Fall is never a disappointment in New England.

A Stormy Day, White Horse Beach, Manomet, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA

One of the things that a photograph doesn't always capture well is wind - and the wind was howling so hard I could barely hold the camera steady against the onslaught. I especially like how the ocean and sky almost blend into one.  (Panorama - click to view full screen width if your device supports that action).

"Little Shop of Horrors," Dress Rehearsal, Part 1 of 2, Priscilla Beach Theatre, Priscilla Beach, Manomet, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA

Priscilla Beach Theatre (PBT) recently opened the final main Barn Stage production this season with the ever popular, "Little Shop of Horrors." 

These images are from the first of two final dress rehearsals. Part 2 is at this link.

The story line: "A sci-fi musical smash hit with touch in cheek comedy! The meek floral assistant Seymour Krelborn stumbles across a new breed of plant he names 'Audrey II' - after his coworker crush. This foul-mouthed, R&B singing carnivore promises unending fame and fortune to the down and out Krelborn as long as he keeps feeding it, BLOOD. Over time, though, Seymour discovers Audrey II's out of the world origins and intent toward global domination." (Source: PBT)

Many members of the PBT team that make all this happen behind the scenes include:

Owners, Guardians, and Producers: Bob and Sandy Malone

Director: Matt Torrance

Choreographer: Ashley Evans
Production Manager: Joshua Patino
Stage Manager: Ross Magnant
Musical Director: Christopher Ricci
Lighting: Ellie Rogers
Sound: Chris Conti/Clear Line Audio
Production Assistant: Richard Danehy

Director Matt Torrance, a Plymouth native, is a multi-talented singer, dancer, actor, and director who many of you will remember for his outstanding role in PBT's 2015 opening summer season production of "Chicago." Many of you local PBT parents will remember Matt for his kind and endearing manner as a director of many children's productions here at PBT.

The following images are in order of appearance in the show. (Click on an image for a higher resolution version if your device supports that action).

And yes, I realize some images are similar to each other. That is purposeful. None of these are posed, rather, they are moments frozen in time during a live performance. They are basically snapshots. An individual actor/actress may look better in one than the other. It matters if you are the individual actor/actress - perhaps not so much if you're a random reader looking at this blog post - please indulge me for the benefit of the cast. They often use these images to share with family, friends, and to build their portfolio.







































































































































































































Season tickets for the 2018 season go on sale in December.  Buy some!

Here's the line-up for next season:

"The Last Five Years" in May,
"The Drowsy Chaperone" in June,
"Guys and Dolls" in July,
"Bye, Bye, Birdie" in August,
"Damn Yankees" in September, 
"Dames at Sea" in October.

Come out and support this incredible local resource in our community.