Parade of Sail Gloucester

Parade of Sail Gloucester MA 30th Annual Schooner festival Ariana and I attended this event and had a great time despite some rain.  Some of my favorite Vessels from the weekend.

Schooner Adventure

Schooner Ardelle

Schooner Rose Way

The Schooner Fame Replica of a War of 1812 Privateer

Historic New England's Newburyport houses (3) Spencer-Peirce-Little Farm

 I had been to Spencer-Peirce-Little Farm a few years ago for a Revolutionary War encampment and battle.   Its a very cool house, the tour was not so good but I realy like the house you can see how it has grown over the years.  The property is know as "the Farm" and given the number of farms that means something.

 The oldest part of the home is done in the style of an English Manor home. 

 Some time latter a more "modern" federalist section was added becasue the owners wife found the older section too cold and dark.

I think this is an original Lightning Rod! The Guide didn't think they had them in the 18th century but set her straight about one of Ben Franklin's most important inventions.

This is the back of home were you can also see the tenant farmers home that was attached to the main farm house and shared the kitchen.

Now the coolest thing about this location is the are running a full animal rescue program.

 A quater horse "Schooner"

 Ariana saying hi to Schooner.

 and 800 lbs pig

 These sheep and are used in scheering, spinning and weeving demos

what a farm with out chickens.

Historic New England's Newburyport houses (2)

Our next stop was Tenderfoot Farms because it was unbelievable hot and we needed cold drinks.

 We were told this was a good place and it was very cool a working farm with its own store selling fresh produce, and meats. 

 Ariana nautualry grab my camera and photgraphed all the animals.

Historic New England's Newburyport houses (1) Cofin House

Saturday Historic New England was hosting an open hose with free admission to all its 35 or 36(I heard both numbers) historic houses. We went to Newbury as there are 4 houses clustered in a small area.  The first stop was the Coffin House the oldest of the homes we visited. The Street facing front of the house is actually an addition the original front of the home faced south to take advantage of the sun for heat.

They have the very nice gut away that shows the brick used to build that would have then been covered with stucco but this did not hold up so over the years varius wood covering have been used.

In side we were required to were these little booties.  They have a wonderful collection of artifacts that due to their unenlightened policies I could not photograph.  Most of the artifacts are original to the house.  The kitchen table with two tops one for every day use and one for special occasions was especially interesting. The adult cradle was also quite interesting.  Traveling though the house is traveling tough several stages of US history form the late 17th to the early 20th century as we seen the house modified and updated by successive generation.  This home is unique in that it was in the same family for its whole history prior to its acquisition by Historic New England.

Franklin Park Zoo

Daniel Webster Wildlife Sanctuary Marshfield

 After Lunch with Mom and Nana I decided to take a walk at the Daniel Webster Wildlife Sanctuary or the Daniel Webster Farm as we used to call it.  I have not been here since my college years and things were both much the same and very different.

 Still a lot of turtles hanging out in the sun...

 The observation blinds were popular with the bird watchers though I only saw a few swallows here

 I believe these bird houses may still be the ones I help Steve Carver make some time back in 1991 or so.  It was the first Eagle project I worked on after transitioning form Cub to Boy Scouts.

 If they are not the same they are exactly the same design... This one has a Red-winged black bird always a favorite of mine for its nick-name the Sargent Major Bird.

 I think I saw a fawn in the bush to the left... I am not sure but I am sure I can see a dear trail in the grass... sadly it was much more evident in real life then in the picture.

 Flowering treas are fairly common on the property probably left over from the farming days.

 This bridge is new, next visit I will have to cross and explore that side of the Green Harbor River

 Bench like stone.

 Fox hill the highest point on the farm... maybe 15 feet over the surrounding elevation.

 Front and back panoramas of Fox hill.

 I think this might be a Mill stone... Makes me wonder if it was brought here and dumped or if there was a mill at this location (possibly a windmill, or maybe animal driven.)

 Its the secret trail don't go telling every one!

 This part is fully familiar I recall walking this trail many, many times in my youth.

 Back into an open field...

 then Back into the woods, for some reason looking down a trail in the woods just seems full of possibilities and adventures.

 another flowering tree.

 Same pond from the opposite observation blind.

One problem with the Daniel Webster farm the goose dropping... and it looks like that will be problem for many, many years to come.