This weekend's adventure took us up to the Maudslay estate in Newburyport. Strange to be on the North Shore, but not in sight of the Atlantic. Instead, we got to wander a ways along the Merrimac River.
Though leaf-season's largely over in this part of the state, we did see some indications that at peak it must have been stunning.
This park was, at one point, a second home to a wealthy family. Interestingly enough, all one could see was traces of the former estate: foundations of buildings, carriage trails, the layouts of some formerly spectacular gardens now gone to seed.
(Hal really got into photographing these ornamental grasses in one open area)
As always, the trusty assistant kept herself busy and in not too much trouble during the obsessive photoshoots.
(One could do worse than be a climber of trees.)
While wandering through a grove of rhododendrons (and it was a grove - these bushes were at least twice our height), we happened upon a small graveyard. Originally thoght it might be one of those old New England family plots. Turned out it was a plot for pets. Six or seven of them, if I remember correctly.
A great picnic spot was on the hill where one of the original houses stood. How wonderful to be out enjoying the sun, good company, a view that once only very wealthy people could have. Makes ordinary turkey sandwiches and apples that much nicer.
2 comments:
You really DO have a good life! Thanks for sharing it here.
The professor always calling on the MSM line cracked me up but good.
Good find, Be.
McSweeney's is a pretty cool organisation - they sponsor literacy/writing programs for kids all over the country. They also put out a writers' journal which I like a lot. I try to throw them a few $$$ every now and again.
As for the 'good life,' we have our ups and downs - just try to focus more on the ups than downs, which can be difficult sometimes.
Anyway - thanks for the appreciation, and thanks for finding my little outpost! That's the best part of this essay - meeting nifty others out there.
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