The Changing Seasons: October 2018
Photographs: Marilyn & Garry Armstrong and The Blackstone Valley
Today I ordered “Milestones & Guideposts of Massachusetts and Southeastern New Hampshire.” I know I’m an eclectic reader, but sometimes I’m so eclectic I surprise even me. The worst part of my passion for odd yet historic books is they are expensive. There are no bargains on the only book ever written on this subject. The pictures are all black and white — and not very sharp. You can’t get it for Kindle, either. Not that it would make much sense as an e-book.
No, this is one you need to hold in your hand as you walk through a strange alley in Boston or the edge of a woods in the Valley.
Still, I couldn’t help myself. New England was one of the first places on the continent infested with Europeans. Being of a practical turn of mind, instead of building new roads, they followed Native American trails and set up milestones and guideposts to point the way to the first couple of “cities” in the area: Boston and its harbor (aka “the Bay”) and Springfield.
Marilyn’s October
Once you passed through Springfield, you were in the wilds of Connecticut … or whatever it was called back then. After you got to Boston or the Bay, you stopped … or got on a sailing ship.
I’m hoping to track down some of these spots. There are quite a few milestones nearby. I know there is one in Uxbridge — I found it quite by accident one day while getting lost. I never found it again. There is another in Mendon and a bunch various parts of Worcester County and of course, Boston. Some of these are now alongside major roads.
The Native American paths originally marked eventually became roads and later, highways. Some are in an alley in Boston. Others are hidden in a woods or in someone’s yard. Not all are mapped. For all I know, there might be one buried in our woods.
On days like this, I muse on what the history of this area would be had Europeans not invaded it in the 1500s. If, instead of conquest, societies had melded and produced a decent world for all of us.
It’s a forlorn hope, I know, but it didn’t have to be this way.
Garry’s October
October has been too warm and rain for the first couple of weeks, wet and windy since then. We had some pretty colors yesterday and today, but for the end of October, there’s a lot of green on the trees.
After the storm hits us tomorrow (and Sunday, Monday and maybe Tuesday), I’d be surprised if there are enough leaves left on the trees. Not every fall is a great one.
It has been pretty, but we never really hit our stride. Nonetheless, we did take a lot of pictures of the Mumford in Uxbridge and the Blackstone everywhere.
About The Changing Seasons
The Changing Seasons is a monthly challenge where bloggers around the world share what’s been happening in their month.
If you would like to join in, here are the guidelines:
The Changing Seasons Version One (photographic):
1 – Each month, post 5-20 photos in a gallery that you feel represent your month
2 – Don’t use photos from your archive. Only new shots.
3 – Tag your posts with #MonthlyPhotoChallenge and #TheChangingSeasons so that others can find them
The Changing Seasons Version Two (you choose the format):
1 – Each month, post a photo, recipe, painting, drawing, video, whatever that you feel says something about your month
2 – Don’t use archive stuff. Only new material!
3 – Tag your posts with #MonthlyPhotoChallenge and #TheChangingSeasons so others can find them.
If you do a ping-back to Su-Leslie’s post, she will update it to include your links.
Categories: #DamsAndWaterfalls, #foliage, #Photography, Garry Armstrong
Nature at its best. You capture the fall season in its total splendor. Easy in New England 🙂
LikeLike
As always, exquisite! I stared at each with delighted awe. How gorgeous! Thank you for sharing, Garry and Marilyn. I adore them all!
LikeLike
This is a really good challenge. I don’t know who will take it over next year. Maybe I’ll volunteer unless Su-Leslie is willing to do it one more time. But in this period of changing climate, these pictures from around the world are more important than ever.
LikeLike
So absolutely true!
LikeLike
Some lovely photos there Marilyn. It does seem to be getting late in the season. Sure hope the snow holds off for a month or two. I still have more buds on the rose bushes and with any luck I’lll be able to pick some more of them.
Leslie
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s weird how our roses also keep growing. Sturdy!! It’s not (yet) cold enough for snow, but that could change in a few hours.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I was able to have a bouquet of three lovely buds just about to open at the dinner table last night.
LikeLike
Hold back that season we dread to mention.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m doing my best Garry….no promises….
LikeLike
Your Autumn colors are always beautiful Marilyn
LikeLiked by 1 person
New England. We do autumn well 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
Beautiful pictures. Thanks for sharing.
LikeLiked by 2 people
I actually started blogging because I had so many pictures, I needed someplace to share them 🙂 Glad it’s working out!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Working perfectly. Enjoying your post and the pictures. Thanks
LikeLiked by 1 person
I have loved this challenge. You can really tell a lot about the world from the “weather” pictures, month by month.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Indeed, the changes are documented. Thanks for sharing
LikeLike
I sometimes go back to previous months in other years and see what has changed. Probably less here than along the coast, but it has been a LOT rainier.
LikeLiked by 1 person
There has been a definite climate change and global warming. High time to change ourselves too.
LikeLike
Your guide posts resonated with me, having just discovered their existence on the Derbyshire Moors. A decree went out in the early 1700s apparently – to mark wilderness paths in this manner. I like the notion of Native American paths. Just to think of them opens up pathways in one’s mind, even if they have now become roads. That is also a very big thought – what would America be like if the Europeans hadn’t invaded. I remember thinking that when we were in London, Ontario and at the local pioneer museum where the docent in the Printing Shop spoke of the great spiring trees that were among the first casualties. It felt like an irredeemable violation. Great photos, you two.
LikeLiked by 2 people
The old forests were the first to go. There are almost no white oaks left … all were turned into masts for ships. European “conquistadors” were incredibly vicious and aggressive. Maybe that’s how you got the funds to do the exploring, but they were not nice people. In fact, they would have fit right into our modern “leadership” decor!
All the old forests have been largely cut down. Some are growing back, but between the huge fires and the minimizing of our National Parks, I wonder how much longer. Those giant old trees are slow growers. VERY slow.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It is sad – the loss of them. What brigands we Brits were (are).
LikeLike
Yeah, but you just beat out the OTHER brigands. You were very successful for such a small nation, by the way. Most of the other brigand nations were a lot larger. Look at China. They don’t even bother to attack. They simply absorb and kill anyone who doesn’t like it. Tibet didn’t want to be Chinese, but they are. And India. Japan made a stab at it, but they were too small. Now — the U.S. mostly didn’t “colonize” much because most places were already tagged by someone else, but we bribed and bullied and occasionally, invaded. And it’s not like we don’t have enough room in our own country.
Brigands are us. If you weren’t a brigand, it wasn’t because you didn’t want to be. You just didn’t have the power to get the job done.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Tish, this would’ve made for a nice TV News feature. Too bad it never entered my mind. My time was usually occupied with “If it bleeds, it leads”.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Beautiful pictures❤️
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you!
LikeLike
Wow. So much color here, Marilyn. This could fill several blogs!!! Nice photo of you, by the way.
LikeLiked by 2 people
I think we are almost out of good pictures. We took hundreds, but many weren’t great. There’s an advantage to shooting a lot. Sometimes, that way, at least you get enough good pictures to make a few posts.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Yes. I do the same.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Garry does too. I have to (one of these days) go through all those folders and dump the pictures I’ll never use They take up a lot of room.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Well, we certainly have more than a few pics for selection.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I know it hasn’t been one of your more spectacular autumns but when you look back you still got some beautiful pictures.
LikeLiked by 3 people
The trees along the river usually change, even if nothing else does. That’s why we check each of the river parks first, in the hopes that we’ll find some color. Even there, it was slow and many trees stayed green. They might have changed by now, but who can tell? We took a huge number of pictures and we got some pretty pictures. We went out any time the weather allowed. It rained so much we had to grab the time whenever it came along. I’m glad we did because it’s raining. Again.
LikeLiked by 2 people
“New England was one of the first places……INFESTED……..by Europeans”. Love that line. So true.
LikeLiked by 1 person