Stone, Glass, Wood / 1888-2026

The Gale Free Library of Holden, Massachusetts exemplifies adaptive reuse architecture, where old buildings are updated for modern uses while still preserving their historic character.

Built in 1888, the library was originally a high school.
Historic stained glass windows are being restored.
The original stone exterior melds with a modern interior extension.
An enlarged historic photograph greets visitors to the second floor.
Wood beams and lighting soften the stone, while the rooflighting above floods the space with light.

The Children’s Room is currently being updated, but a peek through the door hints at learning and fun to come.
In the reading room room traditional statuary and stained glass windows are enhanced with tiny golden lights.

Click on post title to view comments and related posts if they are not visible below.

Traveling Uke

Several months ago, I joined a ukulele group. We strum together each week, sharing songs from long ago right up to the present day. We also perform at local nursing homes, senior centers and town events. Our performances last summer included a Christmas in July celebration, a luau and a local town fair. It’s fun to see the smiles that ukulele music brings to the faces of our audiences. We also enjoy being part of the global resurgence of the ukulele’s popularity in the 21st century.

This affordable and portable instrument is capable of a wide range of styles and uses. Here, the ukulelist Cynthia Lin leads a simple Hawaiian rendition of Somewhere Over the Rainbow while hundreds play along. Here, virtuoso Jake Shimabukuro demonstrates the full capabilities of the ukulele with his rendition of of Bohemian Rhapsody.

Click on post title to view comments and related posts if they are not visible below.

Local Menagerie

There is no shortage of wildlife in Central Massachusetts. Here is a sample of photographs from this year.

North American Beaver
Eastern Cottontail Rabbit

Tufted Titmouse
Scarlet Tanager

White-tailed Deer
Eastern Chipmunk
Red-winged Blackbird

North American Porcupine

Eastern Cottontail Rabbit (With Herdwick Sheep)
Northern Cardinal (Male)

Northern Cardinal (Female)
Northern House Wren

House Finch

Eastern Bluebird

Gray Squirrel
Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Female)

Ruby-throated Hummingbird ( Juvenile Male)
American Black Bear (seen in my back yard and photographed from a safe distance through the window).

Click on post title to view comments and related posts if they are not visible below.

Laurel is Hardy

The nearly 100 year old Mountain Laurel in my yard is still going strong.

Mountain Laurel is a common hardy evergreen in Central Massachusetts. It can withstand quite cold and snowy winters in the north of the United States.

The evergreen leaves of the Mountain Laurel offer excellent winter protection for birds. They give crucial shelter from wind and cold.
Diverse, abundant and large lichens are excellent natural indicators of clean air. They are effective because they absorb nutrients and pollutants directly from the air. Birds find insects and spiders hiding under tree lichens. These provide them with energy when other sources of food are scarce.
Mountain Laurel berries are not a favorite food of birds. However, they can provide nourishment when food supplies are limited, especially at the end of winter.

Birdbaths underneath the laurel are covered in black tarps. In the spring, they will be filled again. Fresh water will be offered under the laurel, in addition to the food and protection to be found there .

Click on post title to view comments and related posts if they are not visible below.

The Enchanting Blue Hour

Photographers love the “blue hour”, and I was lucky to capture this phenomenon on Solstice Evening. The blue hour is the period just before or just after the sunset. During this time, the landscape, including frozen ponds like this one, is bathed in deep blue light. In northern climates this phenomena often occurs in the colder months.

Wildlife Pond, Mass Audubon Wachusett Meadow

Beavers have kept a stream of water open. It leads to a water hole on the far left. They use this opening to crawl onto the ice.

A close up of the beaver’s hole. Notice the small sticks and branches left on top of the ice.

Currier and Ives Skies

Currier & Ives produced popular lithographs depicting idyllic American winter scenes during the 19th century. These prints featured snow-covered New England towns, with skies of icy-blue or gray enhanced with subtle color shifts. Here are my “updated” Currier and Ives style selections from the most recent snowstorm here in Central Massachusetts.

Holden, Massachusetts

Winter Morning Currier and Ives/ Public Domain
Winter Pastime/ Currier and Ives/ Public Domain

It’s a Color Blast

The Arctic Blast last evening delivered extraordinary, if fleeting, sunset colors that swirled around my rooftop. After the vivid colors faded, temperatures sunk to 6° F., the coldest of the season. Wind chills felt as low as -5°F. My blog’s title “From My Window” can be taken quite literally in this case.

Holden Massachusetts

A Cathedral in the Pines

A lightly edited version of a previous post.

New Hampshire’s Cathedral of the Pines  is an open-air complex built as a memorial to the American war dead. It includes a multi-denominational sanctuary and features a scenic view of nearby Mt. Monadnock.

Continue reading “A Cathedral in the Pines” →

Chairlift

Unlike classic Adirondack Chairs, these redesigned Ardirondacks at Wachusett Meadow feature ergonomic higher seats and straighter backs, allowing for greater ease of use for those with mobility issues.

These three chairs sit along one of the All Persons Access Trails.

The chairs allow for views of the South Meadow…..

The nearby boathouse…

The Wildlife Pond, and beyond.

A Tail From “Camelot”

Cassie, the dromedary camel, lives at Lilac Hedge Farm in Rutland, Massachusetts . (Two video shorts are included.)
“What a beautiful day!”
“Perfect for catching a few rays.”
And now, a quick snack!
“What’s that I hear?”
My friends, the donkeys, are down there.”
“Hi Friends! Nice to see you!”
Oh, happy Day!

January Light

Catching the last of the afternoon sunlight at Wachusett Meadow Wildlife Sanctuary.

The bird blind overlooks a section of the 85 Acre Beaver Wetlands.

The Observation Platform is a popular stop for photographers.
An American tree sparrow blends in perfectly with sumac bushes.

This tree sparrow does not breed in Massachusetts, but is a common winter visitor here.

A singular northern red oak towers over the South Meadow.

New Year’s Inspiration

A strange egg shape appeared on the Wildlife pond during a New Year’s Eve walk at Wachusett Meadow.
What could it be?
A North American Beaver rests on the ice. No wonder it stays warm with its sleek furry coat!
In Native American tradition, the beaver symbolizes wisdom, hard work, persistence, productivity and cooperation.
May we remember these beaver traits in the coming New Year.

Ice Breaker

An icy pond at Wachusett Meadow Wildlife Sanctuary won’t stop this beaver from “going out for dinner”.
A beaver can break off large chunks of ice with its body, chew off smaller pieces, or swim underneath the ice to churn up warmer water from the bottom.
Aquatic plants can be dinner for a beaver, along with bark, bushes and grasses.
This beaver is likely munching water lily roots in the last of the late afternoon sun.

Time to head home…
Past the bird blind….
Near the Wood Duck box….
And finally, home!
The beaver has left behind a perfect trail to visit another day, but human visitors, beware!

Meditation Gift

A late autumn walk in the wetlands at Wachusett Meadow Wildlife Sanctuary ended with the discovery of a thoughtful gift.

A boardwalk ends with a quiet resting place.
Something caught my eye.

I found a bracelet, a branch, a stick and an acorn sensitively placed.
Later, I met the gift creator. For his meditation, he braided the bracelet using nearby cattails, then left this humble and generous gift for another to enjoy.

Cottontail Cottage

Holden, Massachusetts

The rabbits in my yard have been satisfied with clover so far this season. However, I’m still keeping a watchful eye on my:
Rainbow Chard,
Early Peppers,

Bronze Fennel,
Eggplant,
Blue Lake Pole Beans,
Pickling Cukes,

Premier Kale
Sweet 100 Tomatoes,
And Scarlet Runner Beans.

Wish me luck!

Cathedral of the Pines, Part Two

The Peter J. Booras Museum at the Cathedral of the Pines in Rindge, New Hampshire houses hundreds of artifacts that have been donated to Cathedral of the Pines over the last 60 years, most of them from WWII.
A section of the museum celebrates the service of women in Armed Forces.

A wide variety of uniforms from all the armed forces are displayed throughout the museum.

Models of important planes of WWII are featured, along with information about them.

More than 59,000 nurses served during WWII, often near the front lines. This short video contains archival footage of the nurses arriving on the beach four days after D-Day.
Rosie the Riveter was an iconic poster that inspired women to serve their country at home, as well as by joining the armed forces, much like the real life “Rosie” shown above.

Cathedral of the Pines, Part One

New Hampshire’s Cathedral of the Pines  is an open-air complex built as a memorial to the American war dead. It includes a multi-denominational sanctuary and features a scenic view of nearby Mt. Monadnock.

The Women’s Memorial Belltower is believed to be the first monument in the United States devoted to women’s service and sacrifice.

The Altar of the Nation was recognized by Congress in 1957 as a  National Memorial to American men and women who lost their lives in war. The stones that make up the main body of the Altar come from all fifty states and from every United States President since Harry Truman.

Breakfast With Mary’s Little Lamb

“Mary had a little lamb,
Its fleece was white as snow,
And everywhere that Mary went
The lamb was sure to go.

It followed her to school one day,
Which was against the rules,
It made the children laugh and play
To see a lamb at school.”
-John Roulstone

This beloved children’s rhyme is actually a true story, which had its origin in the little town of Sterling, Massachusetts. You can read a fascinating history of the rhyme here.

Mary Sawyer, born in 1806, did have a lamb she loved. And the lamb did indeed “follow her to school one day” (with a bit of help from Mary and her brother).

The architecture around the town common, some which dates back to the 1800s , would have been a familiar sight for Mary and the lamb.

Signs remind us of other historical links of importance, as well, such as a visit from General Lafayette…

Or that the world’s first sewing pattern featuring multi-sizing was invented in Sterling by Ebenezer Butterick over 150 years ago.

Who wouldn’t enjoy breakfast overlooking Sterling Common while imagining how a little lamb (as well as a French general and a creative sewing genius) played a part in the town’s history?
Consider this!

¡Delicioso!

Third Generation farmers from Nicaragua roast and sell coffee from around the world in this delightful Holden, Massachusetts coffee shop.

Wall murals help customers visualize coffee beans on the vine.
Brilla means “shine” in Spanish.
Learn more about the farms and coffee here.
A coffee bean ceiling!

Roasted coffee can be purchased in-store or online.
The on-site roastery.
French Toast and Huevos Rancheros on a bagel.
Traditional style furnishings.