Traveling from Jackson , we stopped at Canaan last Saturday . Later, we ate hummus bought in Norway at a farmers' market . We were on the way to Woodstock via Lebanon!
Well that's a set of sentences that I hadn't expected to write , and is illustrative of the extraordinary mix of place names we have found in New England, USA ! Later in the week we stopped for coffee and book buying in Manchester . I could go on but I won't ! Do look at a map and see the scattering of UK place names.
More of the hummus being eaten in Woodstock
Our trip continues to the themes of art and nature , with a strong seam of local appreciation for the past, and patriotism thrown in. And of course we have charted the colours of the leaves and realised that with the gorgeously warm weather, has come some delay to the full reddening of the leaves .
Leaving Jackson, Maine
Art comes in many forms and we enjoyed the Pentangle Light Garden in Woodstock with its completion for the best light sculpture; sadly we did not learn the result. I'd have given it to the balloon sculpture.
Pentangle Lights in
Woodstock public garden square
Throughout the week we have continued to see wildlife though they have been less dramatic species than last week ( when whales,eagles and seals were so impressive.)
No, this week it's been small rodents that were the revelation.
These are chipmunks and they were busily and successfully foraging for acorns in Woodstock. They are delightful little things, quite unperturbed by us. We also saw red squirrels in the forest,but they were shy and we were unable to capture a snap.
We have been told of bears in the national parks of the white and green mountains, but the closest we came to a sighting was this! We may not have seen bears, but a sprinkling of rain on a close day brought the mosquitoes out in the forest and my ear and neck were food to several ! I'm still suffering.
At Billings farm, Woodstock , a working farm and a heritage site charting farming and conservation in the area , we saw sheep,chickens and learned a great deal about cow care from enthusiastic George. We enjoyed apples from the orchard , pumpkins growing overseen by a scarecrow and bought spoons and a cheese board from wood turners.
Billings farm
The purchase of the day though, was our replacement Mr Fox for Merry, our dog, when we get home. Her current Mr Fox, a favourite toy since day one, has been resown many times and is dog eared . We hope she will like the new Mr Fox .
Mr Fox with Penny in Woodstock
Sunday night brought not just the eclipse and the red moon . Whilst watching in the crisp cold night by an open air wood fire , we bonded with a great trio of women also visiting Woodstock from New Orleans. Gwen managed to find "Moonlight in Vermont" by Willie Nelson as requested by Cookie, and we swayed to the eclipse and shared the delight as the moon later turned red.
These resourceful, positive business women shared stories of family life and work in New Orleans and Texas . Our conversations continued the following night . To hear first hand of the devastating experience of Hurricane Catrina a decade ago , was moving and inspirational. Gwen and her husband had to endure a year out of their house whilst it was rebuilt . They lost everything. Yet she did not complain but was grateful that she had been able to afford insurance, and that they were evacuated and survived unscathed; 1100 citizens died.
Gwen, Cookie,Penny and Candy
The hearth we chatted by at the highly recommendable Woodstock Inn
We enjoyed the turning colours of the trees on the journey from Woodstock, Vermont to Stockbridge, Massechusetts .
The visit to Stockbridge in the Berkshires started with a very welcoming small Inn whose engaging hosts took great care over afternoon wine and cheese; the quality of coffee; and inventive tasty breakfasts. This was a memorable place to stay. It also gave us the chance of an immersion experience with the art of Norman Rockwell ( 1894-1978) , illustrator and artist, and chronicler of the development of modern America and its people. His magazine covers found a huge audience and wide appeal. His methods were painstaking , involving models, sets and many preparatory drawings. He said that he liked to tell stories with pictures and he succeeded. I was particularly struck by his illustration of President Roosevelts commitments to "four freedoms".
Freedom from want
Freedom of speech and expression
For me, the most powerful picture I saw was of Ruby Bridges, painted for "Look"magazine cover in 1963. It tells the true story of the young,black Ruby Bridges, being the first non white child making her way into a newly desegregated school in Louisiana. She is accompanied by US marshalls and stays close to them. The picture is rich with symbolism - of both prejudice, and its rejection - by a country now tackling racism and inequality.
"The problem we all live with " 1963
En route to Newport, Rhode Island, we stopped by the living museum of Old Sturbridge village , telling the story of a rural working village from the 1830s . Peopled by historian actors we saw many crafts in action- potting, black smithing, preserving and cooking. We also enjoyed the farm animals especially the black pig and horned cattle.
Farm animals at Old Sturbridge village
The Fall colours were lovely to see.
This is Thompson bank in Old Sturbridge !
It turned out that a short lake boat trip would signal the beginning of the end of the fine weather for this trip. We learned about beavers wreaking havoc on the trees ,but saw none of course.
A boat trip on the lake at Sturbridge
Soon we were on the road again and the rain had begun. We motored in lashing rain, to the Rolling Stones as our soundtrack And the rain continued , marring spectacular views from the bridges we crossed to reach Newport , and reminding us that we have been supremely lucky to have had such unseasonably warm,dry weather for the trip thus far.
Newport is a well appointed seaside destination on Rhode Island ( the smallest US state) - home to yachts, mansions , a University and a naval college.
Newport proudly marks the first street gaslight in the United States , thanks to David Melville in 1806.
Today , Hurricane Joaquin is somewhere off Boston and the result has been incessant rain. Not put off, we have explored the environs . Penny found her best BLT ever in a cafe outside Portsmouth. We then visited Newport Art Museum and found a beautiful building and a couple of gems .
Julia Overing Boit (1878-1969) Interior, Spixworth Hall England, c1924
Dora Atwater Milliken - Steel
The floors,staircase and ceilings of what was built as a summer "cottage" for a wealthy New York family in the early nineteenth century were beautiful .
Newport Art Museum interior
We also enjoyed an exhibition "Reviving Durr Freedley(1888-1938)- Newport's forgotten artist" .
I especially liked this portrait.
Eron, cotton plant, Mississippi, 1927
Ethel King Russell 1928
The torrential rain had put us off undertaking the whole of cliff walk we had been told about , but a drive to see some of the famous Newport mansions offered the opportunity to brave the rains at least for a part of the walk. The result was a great picture if the Vanderbilts' home, Breakers , and getting soaked through to the skin!
"Breakers" a Newport cliff top mansion
The cliff walk in lashing rain
Cliff path plus wet intrepid walker !
And so we end the week with the last leg of the trip in sight . Tomorrow we will be heading to Sandwich, Cape Cod , and on Monday back to Boston and the return home. It's too early to reflect on the whole heady adventure in New England ; except to say it's been fab! However , we will be ready to get back into our own home , to cook again and not just assemble picnics. Most of all we will be pleased to see our beloved offspring, rest of our family and friends.
