Pine Cone Holiday Party Flashback

(From left: Nana, Uncle Paul, Grandma, Mike, Jay, Poppy, Author. Note the high school photo of Uncle Paul atop the piano. )

I found this photo in a box and remember seeing it on Grandma's refrigerator many years ago. The photo was snapped before the folks went off to a Christmas party. We were left as a sleepover, obviously. I saw a ghost that night.

Reader responds: the year must be 1971. michael was born in jan 1970. what wonderful fun times. yes, i remember you telling me about the ghost. grandma told you it was uncle paul, coming up the stairs and not a ghost. still believe it was a ghost?

It was a ghost, for sure.

Pine Cone Walkabout: Let's check out the dam!

We start out on Canal St. in South Hadley falls. The river is high so we think it best to check on our old friend.

The churning waters splash up to the hanging branches. We've paddled here many times. Not today!

We like how the Texon building stands bravely as the water pours over the dam. The old building knows the rules and has an intimate relationship with the river and its tempestuous nature.

Over the bridge, we walk into Holyoke and up Canal St. and take a right on Lyman. The engineer sits and waits on tracks near Gatehouse Rd. We wave to him but he ignores us. He's eating a sandwich. 

 

We walk down Gatehouse Rd. to view the dam from the Holyoke side. A driver stops and asks where the road ends. We tell him it's a dead end. He turns around. 

We turn up John St. and come across Ye Olde Bud building. VanDog posted some nice shots of this building earlier this year. 

Turning onto High St. we look over our shoulder and see the Caledonian staring down at us. We see the Trustees of Reservations has an office on the first floor. We've noticed their sign at the Dinosaur Footprints on Rt. 5. 

We're getting hungry as we start home. Is that kielbasa and kapusta we smell? Perhaps it is our imagination. Gramps is close by. Let's go!

We like all dogs. Their owners? Well?

Sign on Mt. Holyoke College grounds. We like the dog talk. We guess Bark, Woof means the dogs should at least consider waiting till they are off campus to poop. We're not sure how to translate Grrrrr.