Spotswood's Folly

I confess that I haven't been pointing my camera skyward lately. I've been concentrating more on street scenes. I did, however, recently happen to catch these clouds over the Governor's Palace. Due to various passing cold fronts, there have been some very interesting cloudscapes lately.

By the way, the ornamental iron gate normally in front of the palace has been temporarily removed, I presume, for restoration, part of Colonial Williamsburg's preparation for next year's 250th anniversary celebration.

 Again joining Skywatch Friday.

Observation Deck

Views from inside the High Knob Fire Tower's observation deck.

Inside

Inside the High Knob fire tower. 

Mind your step. Lots of bat guano.

Joining Skywatch Friday.

Frat House

A once grand old house in Harrisonburg, now serving as-- ugh!--a frat house.

Hotel Madison

The Hotel Madison in Harrisonburg, Virginia.

Garden Wall

Just a parting shot from another one of Naumkaeg's lovely gardens.

Chinese Temple Garden

Naumkaeg

Stockbridge, Massachusetts

Linden Garden

Naumkaeg

Stockbridge, Massachusetts

Study

Linda, the other day, commented on the staff that would be required to keep Naumkaeg, with its 44 rooms, clean. Well, in addition, to hiring people to do that, he also employed a secretary (note the desk in the foreground) and, eventually, a butler and footman. I'm told he employed the latter after a visit to some of the great homes in England.

Library

Naumkaeg

Stockbridge, Massachusetts

Dining Room

  

 

A number of visitors touring Naumkaeg's dining room commented rather unfavorably on the dark green bamboo-like wallpaper. I confess, I hadn't noticed it. Being a tea drinker, my eye was drawn instead toward the number of tea pots on the stand to the right. Fantastic! But where were the teacups??? Nary a one in sight. Hmm. . .

Afternoon Garden

According to the National Trust for Historic Preservatio, the Afternoon Garden, complete with its Venetian poles  was Fletcher Steele's first landscape project at the Naumkeag estate in the Berkshires. The  boxwood hedges were shaped to resemble an Oriental rug.

Blue Steps

 

(View from below)

One of the first features people see upon visiting Naumkaeg, depending on how they approach the house, are its iconic Blue Steps. According to the Library of American Landscape History, Fletcher Steele "used industrial materials—cast concrete and metal pipe—and the Italian Renaissance form of the water staircase, planted with lithe white birches that uncannily mimic the stair railings."

 

(View from above)

Naumkaeg

 

According to Wikipedia, "Naumkeag is the former country estate of noted New York City lawyer Joseph Hodges Choate and Caroline Dutcher Sterling Choate, located at 5 Prospect Hill Road, Stockbridge, Massachusetts. The estate's centerpiece is a 44-room, Shingle Style country house designed principally by Stanford White of McKim, Mead & White, and constructed in 1885 and 1886." I stopped by for a visit shortly after attending the BSO's rehearsal at Tanglewood.

Winsor Dam

 

Nothing quite prepares you for the size of Winsor Dam. 2640 ft (805 m) long, 35 feet wide (10.7 m), with a maximum bottom width of 1100 ft (335 m), it's breathtaking. 

 

 

Built to help create one of the largest unfiltered water supplies in the United States, the 412 billion gallon reservoir covers 39 square miles with 181 miles of shoreline.

 

Nothing I did with my iPhone camera could adequately capture it's vast dimensions. But in this last photo, if you expand it, you might just be able to make out the form of someone hiking in the shadow of the trees along the trail in the center right.

  

Bridge

I've photographed this bridge many times over the past few years. The last time was last year on the Fourth of July. It's become something of a go-to destination every time I visit this region.

According to Wikipedia, the "Norwottuck Rail Trail Bridge is an eight-span steel lattice truss bridge. It crosses Elwell Island in the middle of the river, providing no access to the island in an attempt to keep the island otherwise untouched. Riding over the bridge shows eight spans, with two of them over Elwell Island. It was built by the R. F. Hawkins Ironworks Company. The bridge was redesigned by Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc. of Watertown, rebuilt by MassHighway, and opened in 1992 to bicycle and foot traffic as part of the Norwottuck Rail Trail."

View of the Connecticut River and Elwell Island

Wesley House

After singing at Great St. Mary's, I happened to pass by the Wesley House. Curious to see more, I was very cordially welcomed by the staff and even given a brief tour.

"Wesley House was founded as a Methodist theological college in Jesus Lane, Cambridge, England. It opened in 1921 as a place for the education of Methodist ministers and today serves as a gateway to theological scholarship for students and scholars of the Wesleyan and Methodist traditions from around the world. It was a founding member of the Cambridge Theological Federation, an ecumenical body of theological colleges in Cambridge which is affiliated to but independent of the University of Cambridge." -- Wikipedia

Cambridge

Panoramic view of Cambridge University from atop Great St. Mary's tower.

Stephen Hawking

Interesting note: Stephen Hawking's (1942–2018) funeral was held here at Great St. Mary's on 31 March 2018 prior to his cremation and interring of his ashes in Westminster Abbey.

Great St. Mary's

From the post office in Cambridge, it was on to Great St. Mary's (aka University Church) for yet another rehearsal.and final concert.

"In addition to being a parish church in the Diocese of Ely, it is the university church for the University of Cambridge. As such it has a role in the university's legislation. For example, university officers must live within 20 miles of Great St Mary's and undergraduates within three. The church also hosts the 'University Sermons' and houses the University Organ and the University Clock. The latter chimes the 'Cambridge Quarters' which were later used by the clock tower of the Houses of Parliament ('Big Ben')." -- Wikipedia