Weekend Three

My 60th Birthday Weekend began on Friday evening with an opening across the river at Manchester Community College. It was the big student show and we had a great time talking to the kids and taking their pictures. Also met the college president who, it turns out, was an art student once. Besides the large gallery being packed with Art, there was more on the hallway walls, and in other smaller galleries. We saw only a sample of the show, but couldn’t stay long as we had to be in Northampton, Mass before 8:00. We had tickets to see Bruce Cockburn at the Calvin Theater.

Rachel Rubenbauer

Jennifer Kelly

Quron with college President Dr. Gena Glickman, former Art student.

This was our first venture north into my home state since we arrived. And while not much had apparently changed from the view from the I-91, the town of Northampton certainly had. The first thing we noticed were the many people who were clogging the sidewalks. I remembered that this was one of Smith College’s Alumni weekends, but it was also, seemingly, an evening of open galleries and more. All the buildings were the same; the old stone retail fronts along King, Pleasant, and Main Streets. The Northampton Hotel is it’s usual regal self in the evening light, and Fitzwillie’s is still there packed with revelers, as is Thorne’s Market, the maze of shops. I noticed the Pleasant Street Theater where I remember seeing a very long Napoleon movie one snowy night. But now every store was filled with Arty, Crafty, Trendy. We had a little time before the show, so walked around marveling at the crowds, the many restaurants filled with patrons. The old diner next to the tracks is still there, but I think the tracks are now a bike trail. We also took a longer walk at intermission and saw more of the new shops, including a beautiful commercial gallery in a former bank building, but we will be returning to Northampton for a more thorough visit. It is, after all, one of the top Art towns in America, and the place Jenny Lind honeymooned and named Paradise Pond. We got an even longer walk around during intermission.

The Calvin is a delightful restored former movie house-turned-concert space. They also have an impressive schedule of performers. Marie wanted to see Bruce. The rest of the audience was also gray of head and long of tooth. Show was opened by a young woman named Jenny Scheinman who strummed her fiddle while singing interesting, original songs.  Very nice playing with her bow as well. She was also one-third of the Bruce Cockburn Trio, when you added a percussionist Gary Craig. Haven’t yet come up with the proper word to describe Gary. I’ll just say he was all drummer and very interesting to watch. Bruce’s guitar instrumentals were my favorite, but the whole show was really nice. After a few encores, Bruce said they would be in the lobby to sign autographs, etc. We didn’t really want an autograph so we headed home, forgetting to buy a copy of the new cd. Drat.

Bruce

Jenny

We left early the next morning for our drive to Salem, which went smoothly, my being on familiar footing. Even had time for a yard sale or two before parking downtown. After enjoying some of the residential architecture we went to the Peabody Essex Museum.

Many years ago I did research at what was then the Essex Institute, now Peabody Essex Museum. Greatly enlarged, containing collections of Nauticaliana and Asian everything,  We didn't pay extra to see the ancient Chinese residence.  There was even a woman wearing tights the same shade as my yellow socks, but not so much of what I like to see.

Deborah Butterworth's Willy

Though the weather was cool and cloudy (it kept down the tourists), we had an enjoyable time walking around.  Stopped in a graveyard.

Visited with some of the locals:

And down to the waterfront for lunch at a place called Capt’s Waterfront Grill, that had a nice view of Salem Harbor and the schooner Fame. While we got a nice window-side table, the server was very bad and the food was fair at best.

The Masts of Fame

Mud Plucker

Salem Willows doesn’t change much, anymore. Families were out enjoying the day, even though blustery, by my standards. This beautiful peninsula jutting out into Salem Harbor became a municipal park in 1858, graced with majestic, 200-year-old white willow trees.

It was here in 1906 that Everett Hobbs and William Eaton offered America the first ice-cream cone. And “Blind Pat” Kenneally introduced the Spanish “double-jointed" peanuts from his cart at the Willows. Duke Ellington played at the old Charleshurst Ballroom in 1923, as did Count Basie and Louis Armstrong. It’s now the Willows Casino.

The original horses on the 1866 Flying-horse carousel carved by Joseph Brown were sold to Macy’s in 1945 for window displays. The horses have been replaced and kids were there to ride them. Mostly, from my observation, with single dads. Marie had a ride, as well.

We cruised along the coast road of Cape Anne on our way to Gloucester. Beverly, Pride’s Crossing, Manchester-by-the-Sea (where we saw the stone library whose trim was painted by me long ago), and Magnolia. Past fancy mansions private schools, and Hammond Castle. Just a quick note on this medieval-style castle from the 1920’s filled with artifacts. Second only to Edison, John Hays Hammond, Jr. had over 400 patents for over 800 inventions. He’s known as the “Father of Remote Control.” Another famous inventor from Gloucester was Clarence Birdseye who perfected his quick freezing techniques on Gloucester’s fish. His summer home is on Eastern Point.

We also passed the famous statue of the Fishermen’s Memorial by Leonard Carske. Installed in 1925, it was based on a 1901 painting by Gloucester artist A.W. Buhler. There was also a memorial for the Fishermen’s Wives erected in 2001. Neglected to stop for pictures, so here are someone else’s:

Dinner at the Gloucester House is always a memorable experience, but even more so when you are surprising an old friend whose family opened the seafood grail over fifty years ago. I’ve known Lenny for over thirty years, and he’s CEO now, but I don’t think I’ve seen him for twenty. I knew what he looked like because he stars in some of the videos on preparing seafood available on the restaurant website. Gray, but essentially Lenny. When he walked into the bar and saw us there right away. He kept kissing me, crazy man. It really was great to see him, and his wife Dot. But it was too early for dinner and he, as always, had work to do. So we head up to Main Street.

It was after 5 on a Saturday afternoon and the street was pretty much deserted. Lots of empty storefronts as well. There were a few galleries, but mostly closed except for one: Bodin Historic Photo. They were having an opening for a show featuring two women artists and, of course, Fred Bodin and his prints from historic negatives. Jean Byrd and Kathleen Miller are painters. Their work was displayed wherever they could find an open space in the shop.

Artists Kathleen Miller

Back at GH, we got a table and had the lobster specials, then pried Lenny away from work to say our goodbyes. We’ll go back to Gloucester in the Fall, when the restaurant business slows down and Lenny and Dot have time to visit.