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

The Priscilla Beach Theatre (PBT) restoration continues with steady progress. This view is the southeast and southwest sides of the theatre. Now in their 78th year, PBT is the oldest barn theatre still in operation in the United States. The renovation will be completed in time for next summer's performance season - "Fiddler on the Roof," and "Chicago" are already scheduled. My previous blog post update on the restoration is at this link.

The roofing underlayment and sheathing has been completed on the audience area of the structure (at right  above).  The workmen are just rolling out the underlayment over the stage area (at center above).  I was fortunate to get some images from inside before they finished - I say fortunate because the sunlight slicing through the gaps created some great light and shadows inside.

Downstage left view toward upstage right.

Center stage view toward upstage right.

Center stage view toward upstage left.

Ceiling above center stage. View from stage right toward stage left.

The highest part of the attic rafters of the highest part of the building directly above the stage. The roofers are working above and have already covered the right side in this image.

Minutes after this image was made, the roofers covered over the cracks with underlayment. I just love the way the light was slicing in through the cracks.

 The contractor is replacing damaged floor joists and flooring at upstage left.

The view from the back of the audience area south corner looking toward the stage.

The view from the back of the audience area east corner looking toward the stage.

The next four images were taken a few days later - the roofing underlayment is done, the sheathing done, and the new shingles are being applied.

The backstage southwest wall area structure is almost complete.

The roofing shingles have been completed on the northeast side of the audience area.

And as of yesterday.........

...all the roofing is completed on the audience and main stage areas.

The southwest side wall has been completed and the sheathing applied.

The floor joists for the new restroom area are complete.

And high up on the back side (northwest) of the main stage area, the last remnants of the original red siding boards and subsequent cedar shingles are all that remains of the former exterior.

The barn restoration speciality and structural work has been performed by Colonial Barn Restoration, Inc. of Bolton, Massachusetts. Overall project general contractor is Kelleher Fine Builders, Inc. of Kingston, Massachusetts.  

The End of Summer, White Horse Beach, Manomet, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA

This beautiful weekday morning after Labor Day finds only me and my footprints on the beach. It may be 80 degrees with a light wind but there was no one out here but me enjoying it. Although summer isn't technically over yet, as far as tourism goes it is. Kids are back in school, families are back at home, and the beach is quiet.  

Here's a great tide pool but no kids to play in it.

This view is looking south towards Manomet Point. Carlos Slim, the Mexican billionaire had an interesting idea when he recently suggested that everyone should have a three-day workweek.  That schedule would certainly give people more time to enjoy the beach.

And speaking of enjoying the beach, this trusty four-legger was also enjoying this crowd free day. Unusual to see him so far from his human guardian (just a speck in the distance).  Consider the humble dog, chasing gulls with never a chance to actually catch one.  Regardless, he runs  like the wind at full speed anyway. I think I'd like to be more like a dog - running and jumping and playing in the surf regardless of whether the water is cold or not - just having fun in the moment. Food for thought. 

The Slow Fade, Bartlett Pond, White Horse Beach, Manomet, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA

Summer colors are slowly leaving Amy's garden.  The grass isn't growing much anymore. Reddish brown reeds are visible at the water's edge. Soon, all the growth will start to fold in on itself as the green fades to brown, gray, and gone. Like it or not, another summer is coming to an end.

The recent great white shark attack on two kayakers that made international news occurred about a mile from this location - in the ocean, not the pond.  The only big hazards in the pond are large snapping turtles who don't seem to bother or bite kayaks or kayakers. 

Mixfest, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

Under gray skies in Boston, thousands of music lovers turned out to attend the Mixfest music festival held at the Hatch Shell on the Esplanade. The free event is produced by local FM radio station Mix 104.1. The Hatch Shell is a beautiful venue and of course, the production values were outstanding and the musicians were all stellar talents and performers.

On-Air Mix 104 radio personalities (do they still call them DJ's?) Karson and Salt interview the reggae fusion band Magic! before the show.

I had mixed feelings, no pun intended, about going to the Mixfest.  I am outside their target demographic - frankly way outside it  - but music, like all art forms, often defies demographic stereotyping. Good music performed well has a timeless appeal to people of any age from the hopping four-year-old child to toe-tapping octogenarians. From generation to generation, the performers may be different, the music may be different, but the desire and delight in humans to hear, see, and be uplifted by music transcends age and I think it always will.

But on with the show......

Opening act local Ashleigh Jordan of Harvard, Massachusetts, was the "15 seconds of Fame/ Open for Mixfest" winner this year.

Opening act local Alex Preston of Mont Vernon, New Hampshire, was last year's "15 seconds of Fame/ Open for Mixfest" winner.

Then on to the Big Names: The international star Toronto-based reggae fusion band Magic! performed next.

Magic!'s lead singer Nasri.

Much to the delight of the screaming crowd, he strolled down closer to the audience during a song as a photographer captures the moment.

International star singer-songwriter United States based artist Christina Perri was next.

Christina Perri.

Unannounced and unpublicized until he took the stage was surprise special guest Jason Mraz with the band Raining Jane.  Mr. Mraz is a highly successful and world renown United States based singer-songwriter, philanthropist, and multiple Grammy award winner. (And originally from my home state of Virginia, too).

Jason Mraz.

Jason Mraz and half of Raining Jane.

Jason Mraz and the other half of Raining Jane.

Many people may choose to deride the United States' music and star-struck culture. I see it a little differently. These top-notch musicians have, through sheer talent, grit, focus, and determination, risen to the top of the highly competitive music business  and are deserving of any and all recognition they receive. These folks labor in obscurity in garages and basements and bars and coffee shops for years honing their craft and repertoire and hoping for a big break. There are millions of them all with the same dream. The odds are very long and those who do make it put their skills and talent on display and at risk every time they take the stage. Not many of us live a life with such stakes every time we ply our craft, trade, or profession. They have earned recognition and deserve to be compensated well. I thank them all for sharing their talent, passion, promise, and vision with us.

In case you've wondered what the performer faces when he/she stands at the microphone, here's the view before the show.  (Panorama - click the image to view in full width).  I'd say walking up to that spot and singing all by oneself must be an intimidating and heart-pounding moment for many people.

And yes, if truth be told, I often listen to Mix 104.1 on my car radio - wrong demographic or not - singing along way too loudly and badly.  And wrong demographic or not, many folks my age do the same.  Peace, love, rock and roll - we boomers invented it - or so we say.............

It was a great show, class act all the way - I look forward to Mixfest again next year.  Maybe I'll color my hair other than white and lose the old man look and pretend I'm young again............

(Wimp that I am, when the rain arrived I left early without hearing and seeing the other star performers O.A.R. and Phillip Phillips.  I am sure they were equally outstanding).

Old Sandwich Road, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA

Plymouth, even though geographically it's the largest municipality in the State of Massachusetts, only has about 60,000 people. Much of the town is not heavily developed and trees and a rural feel are common. The Old Sandwich Road is supposedly the oldest public road in the United States. It is along the route of a well travelled walking path that was used by the Native American Wampanoag tribe before the arrival of the pilgrims.

Sometimes I walk along and with no other traffic, it seems like I am the only one on the planet. There is barely a sound except an occasional birdsong or a light breeze whispering through the pines to break the silence.

Some folks want the road paved and some don't. While that debate continues, I'll continue to enjoy slowly walking or driving along its bumpy rutted length and seeing the light slicing through the forest.

Sunset at Plymouth Rock, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA

These three similar images were made over the brief period of time at sunset. Plymouth Rock is under the columned structure at left.

The two-master vessel Mayflower II is visible at right.

The end of another beautiful summer day in America's Hometown.

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

The Priscilla Beach Theatre (PBT) restoration continues with rapid progress.  This view is the southeast and southwest sides of the theatre. Now in their 78th year, PBT is the oldest barn theatre still in operation in the United States. The renovation will be completed in time for next summer's performance season - "Fiddler on the Roof," and "Chicago" are already scheduled. My previous blog update on the ongoing restoration is at this link.

This detail of the southwest side shows the sill and lower wall construction completed.

View of the entire southwest wall.

Work on the final portion of the southwest wall is now underway.

The northwest wall is the back of the stage and prop storage area and is ready for final exterior finish. 

I captured the next series of images two days after the batch above.

Southeast and southwest sides.

Southwest side.

Southwest side.

The northeast side.  Note the plywood sheathing for this area of the roof has been installed.

This poured foundation by the northeast wall will house the new restroom complex. 

The entire project has been driven by the vision and oversight of Owners and Guardians Bob and Sandy Malone and watching it unfold has been a fascinating experience for me.  To see a piece of history preserved and restored in this day and age is not the norm in my view.  Too often, a wrecking ball is the solution.

The barn restoration speciality and structural work has been performed by Colonial Barn Restoration, Inc. of Bolton, Massachusetts. Overall project general contractor is Kelleher Fine Builders, Inc. of Kingston, Massachusetts.