February 2, 2020 – Louisa May Alcott’s Orchard House

Today Shadow, Wilma, and I Adventured to the ground of Louisa May Alcott’s Orchard House in Concord, Massachusetts. The Orchard House is most famous for being where Louisa May Alcott wrote and set Little Women back in the 1800s. The Alcott family resided in the home for many years. It currently is a historic museum.

We had a simple Adventure to the Louisa May Alcott Orchard House. Poor Wilma hurt her paw/claw on Friday so we rested yesterday, and just took a short, local walk today. I thought it would be fun to explore one of the many local historical homes, so I chose the Orchard House. So I decided not to research the home to see if it was dog friendly, as I assumed it was not, so of course we only explored the grounds. We had the property all to ourselves, walking around the property, peering in the windows, taking photographs, and of course enthusiastic rolls for Shadow and Wilma. There was not much to explore from the outdoors, but the buildings were quite scenic. I am sure, even more lovely in the non-winter months of New England. So not necessarily a “normal” Adventure but glad we could get out to add some variety to our weekend of rest. Definitely many historical hot spots in New England (Adventure will not be rated as only the grounds were explored).

Throwback Adventure – Mount Wachusett – August 2014

I will have sections of my blog that I will title “Throwback Adventure”, and will plan on posting them every Thursday. These are journeys we have taken before I started the blog, but are well worth sharing. Many of these Throwback Adventures will include our Buster, who was known for his crazy tail, his happy howl, and his zest for life. We miss him dearly…he is forever in our hearts!

In August 2014 Shadow, Buster, and I Adventured to Mount Wachusett located in the towns of Westminster and Princeton, Massachusetts. Mount Wachusett is popular for skiing, hiking, and biking. It is part of Wachusett Mountain State Reservation which includes 3,000 acres, and a Mountain peak of 2,006 feet. The Mountain is one of the highest points in Massachusetts.

We had a great workout on our Adventure to Wachusett Mountain. I recall many rocky paths, grass for resting, picnic benches, and great views. We have not often climbed many mountains, so it was fun to visit the well-known Mount Wachusett for a hike. I did my best to gather some photographs from our Adventure to Mount Wachusett. A fun day for all! (Throwback Adventures will not always be rated).

Weekly Video/Photo

If you regularly follow my blog, and the weekly/video photo I would recommend skipping on to paragraph three, specific to this week’s video/photo. I have decided to add a weekly video/photo section to my blog. This blog will display a video or photo, usually highlighting an Adventure, while I might also sneak in some that are humorous, adorable, or just other fun dog moments.

So if you have followed my blog from the beginning you will know that I adopted Shadow as a puppy, and about a year later adopted Buster as a puppy. We had many wonderful years together before experiencing the devastating loss of Buster at just seven. It took a long time for our hearts to heal, but almost a year later we welcomed little Wilma into our world.

Today’s feature is a backyard, Fall photograph of Wilma. I love this photograph, a relaxed Wilma lounging as she searches for squirrels. I am always amazed at how fast Fall goes by, and we often are missing it, the best New England season. Counting down until the next…nine more months!

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January 26, 2020 – Stacy Esplanade/The Lucy Brown Davis Pathway – Massachusetts

Today Shadow, Wilma, and I Adventured to the Stacy Esplanade and the Lucy Brown Davis Pathway in Gloucester, Massachusetts. I debated blogging this Adventure as I found limited information identifying specific details on these locations. However, after researching for a bit I discovered we had walked on the Stacy Esplanade and The Lucy Brown Davis Pathway. The Lucy Brown Davis Pathway commences at Fort Stage Park, and appears to end where the Esplanade begins. Along the Esplanade you will find landmarks, including: the Blynman Bridge, the Gloucester Fishermen’s and the Fishermen’s Wives Memorial. The Esplanade is also part of the extended walk of the Gloucester HarborWalk.

We had a wonderful coastal walk along the Stacy Esplanade and Lucy Brown Davis Pathway. It was an unusually warm day, the blue sky filled with spectacular clouds. We enjoyed our walk, the warm sun streaming down upon us. There were several places where we were able to walk down and explore the beach. I am guessing the tide must have been out. The water was gorgeous, the waves small but singing grandly. Shadow and Wilma enjoyed sniffing and exploring on the beach, while I appreciated the coastal scene. We visited the statues along the way and imagined how gorgeous the walk would be with the flower beds in bloom. It felt like a spring day, just perfect. A simple, but scenic walk today (Rating: 3).

January 25, 2020 – Sea Flower/Sea Urchin – Massachusetts

Today Shadow, Wilma, My Mom, and I Adventured to the Sea Flower/ Sea Urchin in New Bedford, Massachusetts. The Sea Flower is an abstract sculpture of a sea urchin, designed from wood and steal materials. The sculpture was installed in 1978 by artist James Suris. It was quite controversial for many years, as many did not feel it was appropriate choice for a town known for its whaling history.

We had a fun Adventure to the Sea Flower, located in front of the Federal building in the downtown area of New Bedford. We spent much of the day exploring New Bedford, and the Sea Flower was the only new location that I had not yet blogged about, so here I go….

I was excited to find this original, and unique sculpture. We discovered it where expected but yet in what seemed an odd location for this creative artwork. After parking we wandered over to the Sea Flower to snap some photographs and see this handiwork. There was not much to it but definitely unique, and innovative. My Mom was quite unenthused with the Sea Flower, but I however enjoyed this unusual landmark. Glad to we could locate the Sea Flower for some entertaining posing today (Rating: 3).

Throwback Adventure – Upton State Forest – Massachusetts

In November 2014 Shadow, Buster, and I Adventured to the Upton State Forest in Upton, Massachusetts. Upton State Forest is a 2,660 acre, publicly owned forest that encompasses the towns of Upton, Hopkington, and Westborough. It is popular for skiing, mountain biking and hiking.

We had a brisk Fall Adventure to Upton State Park. As you may often “hear” if you follow my blog, I do not always remember details of our Throwback Adventure. However I do recall enjoying a nice walk, finding some boulders, and appreciating the end of the Fall foliage season. Since Upton State Forest is such an expansive forest, we of course could only cover a portion of the property on this Adventure. We will definitely have to visit the Upton State Park again in the future (Throwback Adventures will not always be rated).

Weekly Video/Photo

Today’s feature is a sunset photograph of Shadow and Wilma at one of my favorite local parks. It was taken in the summer of 2017 when Wilma was just a little puppy. This photograph is what I would describe as a typical scene on our Adventures, Shadow in the water and Wilma looking on. It is the perfect snapshot of our lives of Adventures. We will have to plan another sunset Adventure soon.

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January 20, 2020 – The National Monument to the Forefathers – Massachusetts

Today Shadow, Wilma, and I Adventured to The National Monument to the Forefathers (also referred to as the Plymouth Monument) in Plymouth, Massachusetts. The National Monument to the Forefathers was dedicated in 1889 and honors the Mayflower Pilgrims. This granite Monument is approximately 81 feet in height and is suspected to be the largest solid granite monument. It is managed by the Department of Conservation.

We had a grand Adventure to the National Monument of the Forefathers. I was quite impressed upon arrival, the Statue towering from atop a small hill, the sun streaming down. The entrance gate was closed so we parked on the side of the road and sauntered in. We began by walking the road around the statue before heading up close to view it. I was impressed at the size, almost too large to visualize the details from below. It was just spectacular, and definitely one of the larger sculptures I have seen. It was a little difficult to photograph with the sun brightly shining, however I did my best, even enjoying some snapshots with the timer. There was little else to the area besides the Monument but definitely worth the visit. So glad we could see the National Monument of the Forefathers (Rating: 4).

Throwback Adventure – Derby Wharf Light Station – Massachusetts

Shadow and I Adventured to Derby Wharf Light back in January 2012. The Derby Wharf Light Station is a historic lighthouse located in Salem, Massachusetts. It was built in 1871 and is approximately 20 feet in height. The lighthouse is located at the end of Derby Wharf and continues to aid boat navigation.

We had a fun, blue-sky Adventure to the Derby Wharf Light Station. Our day was filled with many Adventures, and the Derby Wharf Light was one of our stops. We walked out to the end of the Derby Wharf to check out this structure. It was fun find the lighthouse at the end of the wharf. Derby Light was unique in shape and location. The area was busy with other guests but we were able to snap a couple photographs before others joined us. So glad we could visit the Derby Wharf Light Station (Throwback Adventures will not always be rated).

Salem Lighthouse Shadow

Weekly Video/Photo

Today’s feature is photograph of Shadow and Wilma that makes me chuckle. Shadow is a very calm and focused dog which I feel often makes him misunderstood. An example I think of is that when I am in the pet store people often say he is “shy” but he really is just focused on where he can find a treat. So with that said I still wonder what is going through his head in this photograph… It makes me laugh whenever I look at it. What do you think he might be thinking?

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