To Bright Tomorrows

As the year draws to a close, I wish you all bright tomorrows.

It's been 365 consecutive days, so I've decided to take a break.
See you around.

Watching a Hole

It was around 17 degrees Fahrenheit today with a wind chill factor of around 4 or 6 degrees. A perfect day to watch water turn into ice and maybe catch a few fish while you are at it. Thankfully this man was well prepared. He was warmly dressed, was wearing an orange vest (to warn oncoming fish) and had tied himself to a tree on the nearby shore. This fishing hole is on Heard Pond located just over the border of Sudbury in Wayland. It is part of the Sudbury River watershed.

Let's Go See a Movie!

It looked as though everyone went to the movies yesterday. Did you see a movie over the holidays? If so, what did you see and was it worth it? If you didn't go to the movies, did you go to the mall with everyone else to return unwanted gifts?

Observations

Today it rained, washing away all the snow. But in the wake of the storm, a new winter wonderland appeared. One of dark clouds, sunshine and shadow.


And as mere moments passed, the landscape kept changing as the clouds opened up making way for the sun.

Finally, the sun's rays found the raindrops that clung to the branches of the willow trees.

First Parish of Concord

It appears as though every community in New England has its own First Parish Unitarian Universalist Church. As you can see, this congregation first gathered in 1636. I believe, however, that this is its fourth physical home, built in 1900, replacing its predecessor which was destroyed by fire. That seems to have been a common occurence in these parts.

At Home in the Woods

This old home, free of paint, blends in with its surroundings near the head of the cross country ski trail.

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas from our home to yours.

Skating on Thin Ice

As the sun starts to set on Warner Pond in West Concord, this family enjoys a quick game of hockey on this newly formed ice. Yikes, I hope the puck doesn't get too close to that open water to the left. You wouldn't catch me out there!

I did a little research on Warner Pond and discovered it is not a natural pond. In the 1800's Nashoba Brook was dammed to generate power for a mill. It covers 54 acres and includes 3 islands. There are fears though that it will soon become a stream system with wetlands due to external influences causing it to lose it's value as a recreational area. Among those influences are invasive plants, concentrations of lead from old lead works and storm drains emptying into the pond.

Blue Jay Way

I'm an equal opportunity blogger so since I've already featured a "red" bird, it's now time to feature a "blue" bird. The two never land on the feeder at the same time. (Sounds like the U.S. political system, doesn't it.) Actually, the blue jay is the playground bully and doesn't like to share the feeder with anyone, not even another jay.

Red Adirondacks

Adding a little color to the landscape.

Waiting Out the Storm

And...waiting for his turn at the bird feeder. It was a very busy place as fall said goodbye and winter boldly introduced itself.

Blizzard's a Comin'

Blizzard warnings are out and people are stocking up with milk and other essentials and non-essentials. New Englanders remember the Blizzard of '78 and prepare for the worst. The parking lots were jammed as were the aisles in the grocery store. Add to that, the last minute Christmas shoppers and you've got the potential for frayed nerves.

Captain Jim and First Mate Zach, however, kept lines moving and the customers smiling.

Grinnell Park

This bridge and pond lie in Grinnell Park in the historic center of Sudbury. I think most of us refer to it as Memorial Park. It's a very small parcel of land which belonged to Henry Ford. A store once stood at this spot but in 1929, Henry moved it to Marlborough. It is still doing business as the Country Store. In 1931, the town Planning Board decided to locate a World War Memorial here because it would beautify the Town Center and eliminate "detrimental" building. The maintenance and upkeep of the park is an ongoing project of the Thursday Garden Club of Sudbury.

By the way, this is my 365th post on Sudbury Daily Photo. Thanks to all who continue to visit and comment. You have been my inspiration.

Skywatch Friday

Moon rising over Lincoln Town Hall.

American Folk Art

This Concord horse farm reminds me of a primitive American folk art painting, sparse, with simple buildings and the evergreen providing the only hint of color.

MCI-Concord

Did I ever mention that amidst the history and bucolic setting of Concord, lies a medium security prison? Yes, MCI-Concord, opened in 1878, is the oldest running state prison for men in Massachusetts. Notable among its inmates is Malcolm X who was a guest for 15 months in 1947 and 1948.

Damonmill Square

Damonmill Square is one of the few mill buildings left in Concord. Since the mid-seventeenth century, the area where Damon Mill stands today has been home to industry and manufacturing. It sits on the banks of the Assabet River which supplied power for an iron works, saw, grist and fulling (cleansing of cloth) mills. In 1834 the old mill was purchased by Calvin Damon, a textile manufacturer. After filling a large order for the U.S. Army in 1861, the mill burned down. In 1862, Damon's son had the mill rebuilt in the Italianate style. Business prospered until demand for the particular textile manufactured here started to wane in the late 1800s. For 50 years, the mill served as a cold storage facility for apples. In the 1970s, the mill was falling into disrepair until a developer had the foresight to turn it into business and office space.

Lovely Bones

In winter, grand old trees show off their lovely bones.

Grist Mill - #3

On this particular morning, I was not the only one hoping to capture a special picture of the Grist Mill. There will many families there hoping to take the perfect family Christmas photo. We were all thwarted in that the grounds are now apparently off limits in the winter.

Longfellow's Wayside Inn - # 3

I especially like the way the shadow of the tree seems to be emanating from the front door.

Blue Moons for B Squared (Skywatch Friday)

I thought these blue twinkling lights were beautiful and tried my hand at night photography. I obviously need some practice, for when I transferred the photos to my computer, two blue moons mysteriously appeared.
Ironically, B Squared reminded me while commenting on yesterday's post that December is a blue moon month, a month in which there are two full moons. So B Squared, to you I dedicate these two blue moons. For some reason, this photo seems to be right up your alley.
By the way, we had a winter thunderstorm last night, also called thundersnow. Rare and mysterious.

Good Morning Moon

Revolutionary Cemetery

I have been showing you too many blue skies of late so I thought I would put a black and white spin on this photo to give you a feeling of how old this cemetery is. Some of these gravestones date back to the 1600s.

Martha Mary Chapel

Henry Ford's Martha Mary Chapel with a dusting of snow.

Currier & Ives

This morning, Sudbury awoke to find itself a character in a Currier & Ives painting.
I stumbled upon this man in his fedora, pausing for a moments rest from shoveling the walk to take in this spectacular morning.

Winter Window Boxes

Window boxes at The Toy Shop of Concord.

Stone Fence

Another gray stone fence deep in the woods.

Deck the Halls

Winter Whites

Winter Shadows.

Caught.....

In the act of window dressing.

Theme Day: Waiting

These magnolia buds don fuzzy winter jackets to keep out winter's harsh cold while they patiently wait for spring's warm sunlight to unfold their delicate petals.

Click here to view thumbnails for all participants in this month's Theme Day.