Weekly 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.

My photo feature today is from an absolutely spectacular Adventure that Shadow and I had to Lonesome Lake in Fraconia Notch of the White Mountains. It is only reachable by a long hike, and is just a spectacular location. I posted this Adventure previously, but wanted to post a beautiful photograph of Shadow swimming in Lonesome Lake, framed by gorgeous mountains.

One of my many favorites photographs of Shadow at Lonesome Lake, truly summarizing our perfect day on this Adventure.

If you would like to read more about Adventure to Lonesome Lake type it in the “search box” for more information on this Adventure. (On a mobile phone you can find this at the very bottom of the page, and on the computer you can find it to the right of the blog.)

Lonesome Lake 2

February 9, 2019 – Fruitlands Museum – Massachusetts

Yesterday Shadow, Wilma, and I Adventured to Fruitlands Museum in Harvard, Massachusetts. Fruitlands Museum is a museum celebrating multiple visions of America on the site of a utopian community. It connects nature and culture with a variety of exhibits. It is on 210 acres of property which also includes hiking trails, a store, special events, and a cafe.

We enjoyed a gusty Adventure to Fruitlands Museum, a place we have been to on at least on two other occasions. We started off in the museum area, with lovely views, perfectly shaped buildings, and unique statues along the road. The area is always perfectly groomed, although little landscape to see in the winter months. We walked through the exhibits heading down the hill, the wind incredibly breezy, almost pushing us back. We appreciated the museum area visually before heading to the trails.

We spent most of our time exploring the trails on the property. The trails were marked well with color, winding through the woods, up and down some hills and through a field. We saw some deer from afar, enjoyed some boardwalk trails and dodged slippery ice patches along the way. The trails were very simple, and somewhat blah in the brown of winter. There were kiosks along the way providing information, and numbers to label different parts of the trails. We especially enjoyed the hike through the field adding a variety in the color, with some perfect hay-like grass for Wilma and Shadow to partake in some synchronized rolls. The hike was somewhat eerie with squeaking trees, not a person in site, and gun shots from afar. Although I had called to make sure there was no hunting at this site, the sounds caused some worry, and masked the “normal” relaxation of the hike. However, we carried on and were glad to get some exercise on this February winter day.

So as you know, we only explore part of the Fruitland Museums property as the Shadow and Wilma were not invited into the museum buildings. Therefore we will not rate this Adventure for our readers, but definitely a unique local spot for an Adventure. Below you will see photographs from our visit yesterday, and a past visit with Shadow, Buster, and My Mom (although this past visit was more a relaxing time viewing the sunset, versus exploring.)

February 9, 2019

Fall 2016

February 2, 2019 – Norris Reservation – Massachusetts

Today Shadow, Wilma and I Adventured to the Norris Reservation in Norwell, Massachusetts. Norris Reservation is a 129 acre park run by the Trustees of Reservation. The Reservation includes: boardwalks, ponds, a small brook, a boathouse, and many trails. Some of the trails parallel the North River. The area is popular for walking, snow shoeing, dog walking and fishing.

We had a wonderful Adventure to the Norris Reservation on a chilly February day. I recently had been reading about the wonderful parks under The Trustees of Reservation and was excited to check out the Norris Reservation, free of charge. We started off our hike along the main trail, walking past an icy-filled babbling brook, and a frozen pond. We soon veered to the right eager to follow the Gordon Pond trail, complete with boardwalks! Although occasionally you could see the road to the right, overall the trail was lovely, many boardwalks, benches, bridges, and some square stones grooming the trails. The ice was making cracking, and gurgling sounds, one feature I love in the frigid New England weather.

From the Gordon Trail we looped around on the outer loops of the various trails which followed the North River before looping back to the parking lot. The River was a bright blue framed by tan grass along the shore. We walked out to the River’s edge on several occasions checking out the ice, and water. Shadow and Wilma were enthused with this detour often rolling in the grass and engaging in energized play. Along the way we also found the beautiful boathouse. We sauntered through the house enjoying the windows with the perfectly framed scenery and the view from the front porch. Quite a lovely and unique structure along the way.

The trails were simple but the features, and water along the way made for an absolutely lovely hike. It was nice to see maps available at the entrance, and along way to guide your way. Throughout our Adventure we saw numerous dog walkers, and others out on this cold day, many stopping to chat and say hello. It was a refreshing day at this special Reservation. I do hope we will be back again (Rating: 4). (The videos are currently having difficulty downloading, so may be added at a later date).

February 2, 2019 – Hemlock Gorge Reservation – Massachusetts

Today Shadow, Wilma, and I Adventured to the Hemlock Gorge Reservation in Newton, and Needham, Massachusetts. Hemlock Gorge Reservation is an urban state park that is approximately 16 acres in size. It is on the Charles River and is especially known for the Echo Bridge, and a waterfall.

We had a unique Adventure to the Hemlock Gorge Reservation on this dark and chilly February day. I found this Reservation when planning a visit to the Echo Bridge, soon finding that the Bridge was located in the Hemlock Gorge Reservation. We began our journey following a very simple, snow covered trail. The trail was in close range to the Charles River, located to our right. The trail weaved up and around, soon leading us to a lovely waterfall. The waterfall sang a beautiful song, and was framed by frozen ice, and snow covered icicles, quite the picturesque scene. We enjoyed the sound of the falls, and the winter scene before turning to our left where we saw the Echo Bridge. The Bridge was grand in size, with arches below. We walked to the water’s edge to get a better view as Shadow and Wilma enjoyed the ice and some sips from the River.

We then headed to the top of the Bridge and noticed we could walk across the top, displaying a lovely view from above. We met a nice young lady, with a sweet little dog named Charlie. The dogs said hello and she filled us in on the area, which was great as there really was little detailed information available. We then continued over the Echo Bridge, down the stairs, and across the street to the well known platform said to have a special “Echo”. I was completely awed at the grand echo from my voice, and quite humored by the dogs’ reaction looking around as they heard their names. I attempted a video below, but the echo is very faint in the video. It was quite the fun moment, definitely meeting all my expectations from my readings.

After enjoying the echo for a bit we headed back to a trail over to the “Island”. We took a wrong turn before finding the trail leading to the “Island”. There was a simple, but beautiful snow-covered bridge crossing over to this location. We walked around a bit checking out the view of the River and the Echo Bridge from afar. The busy roads were not far, reminding us that we were in an urban park, however there were very little visitors making it quiet in its own special way.

Although the Hemlock Gorge Reservation was a very simple urban park, it really did exceed my expectations. I still am awed by the echo, loved the walk high atop the bridge, and enjoyed the picturesque winter waterfall. If you are in the area definitely a fun little place to check-out (Rating: 3).

Throwback Adventure – Stonington Harbor Lighthouse – Connecticut

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 January 2017 Shadow and I Adventured to the Stonington Harbor Lighthouse in Stonington, Connecticut. The Lighthouse was built in 1840. It no longer is a working Lighthouse, but is now open as a museum.

We had a special Adventure to the Stonington Lighthouse, one of our many stops on a fun-filled day of exploring. My throwback memories are not always as vivid as I hope they would be, however I remember enjoying the visit on a frigid day. The Lighthouse was in a little harbor neighborhood. It was surprisingly made of stone, quite the charming structure. We posed for some photographs and ambled around for a bit. We were pleased to have the entire spot to ourselves, definitely an off season perk. Always a special day with my Shadow.

Shadow CT 6 032 Lighthouse January 2017 CT Stonighton Harbor

January 26, 2019 -Borderland State Park – Massachusetts

Today Shadow, Wilma and I Adventured to Borderland State Park in the towns of Easton and Sharon Massachusetts. Borderland State Park is a 1843 acre Park known for its history and recreation. The Park has over 20 miles of trails and is popular for hiking, biking, fishing, horseback riding, boating, and disk golf. It also includes the Ames Mansion built in 1910, and owned by Oakes and Blanche Ames who created a nature preserve. The State of Massachusetts later acquired the property and opened it as a state park.

We had an ice-filled Winter Adventure to the Borderland State Park. This was our second, or possibly third visit to Borderland State Park. We spent about three hours at this magnificent Park, starting at the Ames Mansion. We walked around the lovely structure checking out the unique architecture, and the landscaped property. Memories of previous visits with Buster, and my Mom flashed into my mind on a much colder and snowy day. A simple, but lovely mansion.

From there we headed to the Pond Walk Trail, map in hand. We soon arrived at the Swamp Trail, and although not quite swampy on this Winter day, there was mud filled ice along the way, and several boardwalk bridges, many plastered with ice. I was thankful to keep my balance, and to have worn my waterproof boots. We soon arrived at the Pond Edge Trail, before following various trails along the way. One of the features I love on a hike is a water view, so that often guided our turns. The trails were lovely, many parallel to the water, through the fields, and often lined by trees and boulders. We found several bridges, and even a mini-waterfall along the way. There were many dog walkers out enjoying the trailers.

Highlights on today’s Adventure included: Wilma playing and digging in the ice, Shadow rolling in the grass, lots of new smells, muddy ice, fun little bridges and of course enjoying some exercise in the great outdoors. We also enjoyed the continual water views, the Ames mansion, and the little waterfall along the way. Definitely a Park we will return to in the future, hopefully sooner then later (Rating: 4).

January 2016

January 6, 2019 – Chandler Hovey Park/Marblehead Lighthouse – Massachusetts

Today we Adventured to Chandler Hovey Park, also referred to as Lighthouse Point. This Park is known for being the location of the Marblehead Lighthouse. Marblehead Lighthouse was built in 1896, and is a 105 foot cast iron skeletal tower. It is the only one of this type in New England. The Park is less then four acres total, cornered by gorgeous ocean views. It has benches, pavilions and numerous rocks for climbing.

We were lucky to have three little Adventures in Marblehead today. The Chandler Hovey Park was one of our stops. This was our second Adventure to the Chandler Hovey Park and Marblehead Lighthouse, as we had been there before with Shadow and my Mom. This is a small park that provides absolutely stunning views from Marblehead Neck. We were lucky to choose yet another sunny, and breezy winter day, clouds perfectly aligned in the bright blue sky. Both Shadow and Wilma were enthused at this location enjoying lots of grass rolls, and play. We walked around the park enjoying the picturesque sky, crashing waves, and rough rocks. We posed continually with the Marblehead Lighthouse, as you will see below! It was the prefect kind of day at this special location (Rating: 4).

Today, January 6, 2019

February 2017 (If I locate any additional photos I will post at a later date!)

October 22, 2018 – Bath-Haverhill Covered Bridge – New Hampshire

Today Shadow, Wilma, and I Adventured to the Bath-Haverhill Covered Bridge in Bath, New Hampshire. The Bridge was built in 1829 and covers the Ammonoosuc River. It is suspected to be the oldest covered bridge in New Hampshire. It is open to foot traffic only.

We enjoyed our Adventure to the Bath-Haverhill Covered Bridge. It was nice to find a pedestrian-only bridge, allowing us to saunter under the lattice truss architecture. The views from the bridge were beautiful, filled with fall foliage and mountain scenes. As we began walking across we heard roaring water and were pleased to find yet another bridge with a water feature below. I was humored by a sign indicating a maximum number of people, (where usually the bridges display a car maximum).

After walking past the bridge we kept going and were soon enthused to find a trail down to the River, with a splendid view of the bridge. Shadow enjoyed a nap in the sand, Wilma sniffed around, and I snapped away. We spent some time at this bridge location before heading off to our next Adventure. We were pleased to wander around the Haverhill-Bath Covered Bridge today. (Rating: 4)

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October 22, 2018 – Bath Covered Bridge, New Hampshire

Today Shadow, Wilma, and I Adventured to the Bath Covered Bridge in Bath, New Hampshire. The Bridge was built in 1832 and spans the Ammonoosuc River. It is one of New Hampshire’s oldest covered bridges.

We had a fun Adventure to the Bath Covered Bridge. It was another long bridge with red on the ends, a light colored wood on the side, and some small waterfall features below. Initially it looked like we would not get a good side view of the bridge, but the more we walked the more we discovered. Eventually we were under the bridge, and were able to walk along a work road that gave us a spectacular view. We went down to the River’s Edge for for some sticks, and sips, digging, even enjoying a short game of tug-a-war. Shadow and Wilma posed for some great photographs with the Bridge. I am especially enthused when I find a covered bridge that you really can explore, and the Bath Covered Bridge definitely provided this feature. We were quite happy to find the Bath Covered Bridge on our Adventure today (Rating: 4).

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October 22, 2018 – Swiftwater Bridge – New Hampshire

Today Shadow, Wilma, and I Adventured to the Swiftwater Bridge in Bath, New Hampshire. The Bridge was built in 1849 and covers the Ammonoosuc River. It is one of the few original bridges in New Hampshire. The Swiftwater Bridge has a small waterfall, and is a popular swimming hole in the summer.

We had a nice Adventure to the Swiftwater Bridge. It was a picturesque, and long bridge with a waterfall, and rocky area below. We had trouble getting down the trail due to the rocks, but soon found another trail. We hopped carefully on the rocks and closer to the Bridge. The sun was streaming down in our eyes, so it was hard to get a great photograph. However we did our best and tried all angles and spots we could find. Of course we could not resist heading down to the River’s Edge for some puppy sips. I found that the footing around this location a little challenging for Shadow, so we had a short visit to the Bridge. Although a quick stop we still found the Swiftwater Bridge to be a lovely spot (Rating: 4).

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