Mr. History post number 10: Powder House – the oldest stone building in Massachusetts, built around 1703! Oh yeah, there was some other pre-revolution history to it, too. Over the years it’s been used to store munitions and even pickles!
Category: Scenic Photography
May the 4th Be With You!

Started out the day walking a trail in Wellesley that I’d been meaning to do for quite some time but never got around to it until today. We had to be in the area so I decided to take the oppurtunuithy to get some steps in. The Fuller Brook Trail is really beautiful. Such a lovely trial to walk and enjoy.
After that I decided to treat us brunch over at The Cottage.
It was also Somerville Open Studios weekend so I decided to relive visiting the Museum of Modern Renaissance.
Time to Start the Garden!
Went to the home improvement store yesterday to get some plants and get a feel for the beginning of our garden season. We also had to get a CO2 monitor since the last one decided at 2:30 in the morning the other day to wake us up and let us know it finally reached it’s end of life. So there I was, groggy and 2:30 am trying to figure out how to shut the damn thing off. I got it eventually although it took me a few minutes. No wonder I was tired later on that day. Anyways, we got some plants, including a lemon tree which I’m apprehensive about keeping alive but we always wanted one so we’ll give it our best shot. We feel pretty good about the yard work we started to do today.
It’s a Duck Weather Kind of Day Today

Currently Reading: As soon as I finish the memoir I’m reading now it’s off to read Save Our Souls: The True Story of a Castaway Family, Treachery, and Murder by Matthew Pearl.
Finding the Daffodil Fields
Finally got a chance to check out the Daffodil Field over down in Dartmouth. It’s at the end of a short hike over a scenic trail to get there. I believe there’s also something similar somewhere in Rhode Island which may be worth checking out some time. Anyways, according to local lore, the daffodils were planted by Raymond Pettey in the 1940s to sell during WWII when the U.S. was unable to get bulbs from Holland. The war ended and the flowers remained!
Hiking the Mattapoisett Rail Trail
This scenic and spectacular mile that crosses the Mattapoisett River estuary, salt marshes, and Reservation Beach at the head of Mattapoisett Harbor connects neighborhoods and conservation areas with car-free biking and walking. I also caught a glimpse of an American Oystercatcher, a first for me!
This one is so awesome, especially where the river meets the sea!
The last few pics for from Ned’s Point Light which isn’t too far from the rail trail.
Make For For Ducklings with Umbrellas
Another one from yesterday,

Looking to Brighter Days Ahead!

It’s been cold and rainy up here for the past couple of weekends, including this last one. But I know that can’t last forever and that scenes like this one that I took some time ago can’t be too far off!
Distance

Distance means so little, when life means so much. Resharing some of my memories to pass the time.
Mr. History Post #7: The Viaduct!
Canton may be best known at the moment for Karen Read, but this awesome structure precedes her by 190 years! The Canton Viaduct, a stone arch bridge that spans the Neponset River, was constructed in 1835 as part of the rail line connecting Boston and Providence, Rhode Island, and it remains in use in the 21st century!
Ended up watching some really old 48 Hours rerun and they had this story on about an event that happened in Falmouth down on the Cape back in 1979. I found it so interesting I had to download the book about the events so, Currently Reading: The Year We Disappeared.
Mr. History Post #6: The Echoing Bridge!
Mr. History post #6: The bridge that echoes! A National Historic Landmark, this handsome stone bridge, built in 1876 by the Boston Water Works, contains the Sudbury Aqueduct, with a pedestrian walk on top. Visitors standing under the arch can make echoes and view the deep river gorge, waterfall, and steep hemlock-covered banks. Spectacular views atop the bridge! Crazy to think this is basically next to Route 9!
Mr. History Post #5: Harvard Square Edition!
Up first, the Harvard Lampoon Building. Sometimes referred to as the “Lampoon Castle,” it was built in 1909 by Edmund M. Wheelwright, who took inspiration from the local architecture of Jamestown, Virginia. From the front it bears an obvious resemblance to a human head wearing a Prussian helmet. At the top of the building is a four-foot copper ibis, the mascot of the Lampoon. This ibis has been stolen and returned several times since 1909. Same famous peeps who worked here are Conan O’Brian and Colin Jost.
Since I was in the area I also swung by the puppeteer tiny bronze. The bronze statue is a replica of the “DooDoo” puppet used by street performer Igor Fokin. Igor Fokin was a puppeteer from St. Petersburg, who delighted passersby on the streets of Cambridge with his hand-carved marionettes that frolicked and danced to traditional Russian music. Fokin passed away of heart failure in September 1996, and the sculpture and accompanying plaque were commissioned to pay tribute to Igor and all street performers.
Finally passed by the old theatre. I haven’t been to the square in years, it’s looks almost the same, but a lot if it is very different.
Feeling Springtime!

We noticed a bunny checking out and hopping into one of the pots last night out on the back deck. You know what that might mean! Lots of baby bunnies have been born in that pot. I wonder if it’s generational – like, was this bunny actually born in that same pot, and is returning to continue the trend? Or is it just some other rabbit looking to use the pot? Does anyone know?
Currently Watching: Started watching Good American Family on Hulu – based off the Natalia Grace story (what a doozy that was), It’s … a little weird.
Mr. History Post #4: The Viking Tower
The viking tower in Weston. Beginning in the mid-to-late-1800s, a food chemist, inventor, and major donor to Wellesley College named Eben Norton Horsford became obsessed with the idea Vikings were in New England around 1000. We know Leif Erikson and other Europeans visited North America before Christopher Columbus. However, Horsford deeply believed Erikson had established settlements in the Boston area.
Some maps from the 1500s refer to New England as “Norumbega,” and there were stories about explorers seeing mythical cities and houses made of gold. However, much of that information appears to have been misconstrued or invented. Most of Horsford’s assertions about Vikings in present-day Boston were rooted in bad science. Evidence from his “archeological” digs didn’t provide solid proof of links to Vikings.
In any event, Horsford had the money to erect various plaques and statutes in the Boston area to memorialize his beliefs. Along the banks of the Charles River in Weston near Waltham he erected Norumbega Tower. The tower stands at the site Horsford believed housed a fort protecting the legendary Norse city of Norumbega. Horsford asserted that the city of Norumbega was located just downriver in Watertown, where he erected a memorial plaque.
Again, there was never any real evidence of a Norse fort or city here. Perhaps more than anything, the tower is a monument to how money can shape history. Thanks to Wikipedia for the write up.
A Lighthouse Post

Been a while since I did a lighthouse post!
Another Sun Shot for Everyone

The thing about dark skies and rainy days is that, if you wait long enough, the sun will always shine again.
Gametime: A new remake of The Minotaur. I’ve always loved this game.
Mr. History: Entry #1 The Oldest House in America!
Starting a little something new here on the blog, although maybe not really because I’ve posted stuff similar to this before. Ladydoc is always calling me Mr. History because I get intrigued about certain things and how they came about. I’m always reading plaques around the states and stuff to learn about the local history. So I figured I’d start with something really close to us to get this new venture off. The oldest house in America. that’s still standing! Anyways that’s kind of cool. So much history right in our back yard!
Love This Little Guy!

A Happy Little Cape Getaway Weekend

We had a nice little weekend getaway down the Cape to help celebrate LD’s birthday month. Here’s some of my highlights. I will say it was an awfully windy weekend down there but it was beautiful. Some fun stuff we got to do were some Chocolate Sparrow trips, dinner at a great place we like called Island Blue Crab (where our favorite Bulgarian waitress works), hanging out in such a cute little Airbnb right next to the water, grabbing another Dedham Pottery item to the collection, checking out the sunsets and just overall chilling out. Even set up a future trip in the area for August already! More pics from the trip over on the Instagram account.
Finding Colorful Turkeys in Town
Went into Brookline today to go check out some of the turkey sculptures! After finding some of them we went to Legal Seafoods and I bought LD lunch as part of this thing I’m doing for her birthday month which is everyday I do a little something, could be big, could be small, like yesterday’s corn muffin. Sort of like an Advent Calendar of the Ladydoc! Haha! We made use of the restaurant participating in Boston Restaurant Week so that was cool. After that we got some vegan ice cream and a place next door called Van Leeuwen. I ended up getting a hot chocolate while LD got some delicious vegan ice cream flavored treats.
So Meta, An Artful House Begets an Artful House begets…

I don’t remember where I first heard about this location but I’ve driven by it at least once a week for years. More info on the actual house here https://www.thesomervilletimes.com/archives/93191. It seems like during open studios you can actually go inside and take a peek at everything inside. I think I want to do that come May!
The house is home to a unique display of creative splendor, lovingly rendered in glass and found objects . Anyway a while back they added this little Friend Smithsonian Museum to house different art projects. At this particular time one creative artist decided to replicate the actual house including all it’s various artworks in miniature form. It’s really quite amazing. If you look in the bottom right corner, there’s a copy of the museum with a model of the house again ad infinitum!
Here’s a better picture actually that I didn’t take with the covering taken off: https://www.cambridgeday.com/2025/01/26/miniature-masterpiece-detailed-replica-brings-martha-friends-house-to-life/
Longing to See These Scenes Again

The scene above was from last summer, at a location that is very close to where we stay at Earth-3. I always liked this picture, it’s one of my personal favorites. I can’t wait to get back down there again and soak up some rays.
I renewed my annual AAA membership and that’s fine and all but I don’t particularly care for it being all digital now. Call me old school but I liked having the plastic card in my wallet. I would imagine this saves them money yet I didn’t see the fees go down at all. Interesting.
Currently Reading: Hitchcock’s Blondes: The Unforgettable Women Behind the Legendary Director’s Dark Obsession
Love Wins

Currently Watched: Carry-On and Woman of the Hour, both on Netflix.