Sugarloaf St Cemetery, South Deerfield

There are so many stories, emotions in such a tiny gravestone.

In memory of a Son and a daughter of Mr Azariah and Mrs Mercy Cooley, who was born March 22nd, 1796 and died the same day.

Locate Sugarloaf St Cemetery @ Google Map

Montreal Cityscape IV - Market

Jean Talon Market

Abandoned in Montreal II - Silo No. 5

This is the king of silo, period.

As I mentioned in the previous post about abandoned structures along the Lachine Canal, this 14.5 km long canal opened in 1825 used to be a bustling hub of industry and transportation until the opening of the St Laurence seaway in the late 50's.

Refereed as the "bread basket of the world", Canada was the major source of grains just after WWII.  The major beneficiaries of the export were European nations whose agricultural industry was left with little recovery.

Montreal cityscape III - Montrealers in summertime

Summer on Sunday means Tam-tams! At Mt Royal Park, Montealers and tourists gather to join this wild assemblage of human beings. The rhythm of drums and percussion draws people's psyche into this festive, chaotic, and primitive atmosphere that any enforcers of city ordinances would have no idea where he/ she should begin to regain, or say, create "order" from scratch.

Kid A: "Daddy, what's the funky-skunky-tobacco-like-smell?"

Abandoned in Montreal I - Lachine canal

The Lachine Canal is a riverway goes through the southeast of Montreal. Connecting St Laurence River and Lake St Louis, this 14.5 km canal began its operation in 1825. Through the several extensions and a deepening, it became the transportation artery and attracted various forms of industry and manufacturing.

Crane Ltd.: a plumbing company. This used to be a part of an iron plant built in 1918. (Source: Crane Plumbing Co.)

Montreal cityscape II - Cat, cat, cat

Even some places like this:

You'll come across a cat or two...

Montreal cityscape I

Oddities in Montreal I - Fear is the Mind Killer

What's on the banner photo?

This is from Medfield State Hospital, the first post I've ever done through the venue called "Creepy-chusetts, Strange-chusetts". It was... about 2 years ago. Medfield State Hospital is a now defunct psychiatric hospital open to public to wander around.

What's the instrument? It looks like for something with music or art therapy. Everything I saw was a great mystery or "discovery" waiting to tell its story. Looking thorough the past pictures, I feel the purpose of my blog (or even my life) is to function as a medium between our everyday life and forgotten or neglected.

I only have 10 days or so in Boston. There are so many places I wanted to visit. Perhaps, I should visit Danvers State Hospital and its cemetery again.

Lyme Disease Alert!

Hi all,

I've been away from blogging for last one month. I have been feeling unwell for a month, and after seeing a few doctors: I have Lyme Disease!

I always explore the places I introduce in this blog with heavy protection -- boots, long pants, long sleeve, and bug spray -- because I know there are lots of bugs and poisonous plants in the woods. A interviewer in the past warned me about Deer Ticks, so I knew the danger of it. 

I was off guard when I visited the Minuteman National Park in late May. It was a Sunday type, spur of the moment decision so my gear wasn't as sufficient as it should be.

I saw a brown bug sticking on my leg few days later. I thought it must be a deer tick so I decided to be cautious for next one month. I need to emphasize that no bulls eye rash developed on my skin!

Three weeks later, I began noticing a tenderness around an armpit area. I thought it was a hair removal fail; the tick didn't bite there. A few days later my temperature reached 100 f, which is very high for me. After the temperature broke I recognized a red rash around the armpit area.

First doctor I saw was a MESS. She quickly disregarded my concern because I DIDN'T HAVE A BULL'S EYE!! Over 20% of patients don't develop one! Instead, she diagnosed me with other kind of bacterial infection and prescribed a Cephem antibiotic, which is useless with Lyme Disease. I was completely unhappy with the visit. Ok she did a Lyme Disease test but it turned out to be negative, I believe, because they didn't call back for the result.

Even after taking all the antibiotics prescribed, the rash got worsen. I began noticing a rash on my back, too. I developed a sensitivity on an area of my skin. So I decided to see another doctor, which was about a week ago.

Oh boy, he listened to me! He administered a blood test again, telling me that it is not always accurate. Then he prescribed Tetracycline for 2 weeks. The rash began diminishing next day. It's working!

The doctor called me yesterday that I DO have Lyme Disease. I hope I can clear the bacteria, I'm anxious. The doctor is optimistic about my recovery because it was caught in the early stage.

Everyone! Watch out!!

PubMed Health: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0002296/
Lyme Disease Map Project: https://sites.google.com/site/lymediseasemapproject/

It's a shame that I couldn't visit places last month, because I'll be moving to Western Massachusetts soon.

Public Alley 439

Back Bay, Boston

Quonset Hut, Newton

A Quonset Hut is always in an unexpected place. The first one I came across is an abandoned hut in my neighborhood which used to store Emerson Iron Lungs. The Iron Lung might look like the horrifying symbol of Polio, but it helped saving countless children and adults from the acute paralysis of respiration muscle. Without an Iron Lung, no breathing was possible.

Tide Pool Planets

Halibut Point State Park, Rockport

Hillcrest Cemetery (Grafton S. H. Cemetery), Shrewsbury 2-2

From Hillcrest Cemetery, Shrewsbury 1-2

So, why is there an abandoned tower in the state hospital cemetery property? There is an interesting discussion about the original purpose of the tower speculating it was: a Civil War era watching tower, Irish tower commemorating Irish immigrants held in the hospital, water tower for the hospital, etc.

Hillcrest Cemetery (Grafton S. H. Cemetery), Shrewsbury 1-2

From Grafton State Hospital, Grafton

After visiting the former Grafton State Hospital, I dropped by Hillcrest Cemetery where approximately 1,041 male and female patients held at Grafton State Hospital are buried. Their identities are only distinguished by the numbers on austere concrete blocks.

There is always a mystery in Massachusetts woods. A state hospital on the hillside and its hidden graveyard are some of those mysteries. Even the residents would not imagine there is a graveyard in their backyard, but the local teenagers find it anyway; they seem to be strangely fascinated by those numbered gravestones.

Hillcrest Cemetery has one of those Massachusetts mysteries, but there is a further puzzlement that nobody knows for sure.

Time flies, season changes

Halibut Point State Park, Rockport

It's been four months since Longtime No See post. Same location. Time flies, season changes.

Grafton State Hospital, Grafton

Grafton State Hospital was established in 1901 as a farm colony of Worcester State Hospital.  Worcester was the oldest state hospital opened in 1830, and their expansion reflected  a mandate passed in 1900 that state has the responsibility to take care of its indigent insane. A massive influx of patients from town and city level institutions was expected; prior to the mandate, a local poorhouse was the destination for the those who were less fortunate.

Crane Beach, Ipswich

Newton Almshouse, Newton

Toolhouse est.1938

When I published a post about Working Boys Home in Newton about a year ago, I was also fascinated by the "infirmary" just northwest of the Home. Was there any connection between the infirmary and the Home? Were they operated by the same organization? If so, did the parents (most likely unwed mothers) at the infirmary have to be separated from their children to Working Boys Home (and Working Girls Home) ?

An impression sand makes III

Wingaersheek beach, Gloucester

It's not snow! The finest sand I've ever seen!

And of course, that mansion:

Early spring is the best time to spend a sunny weekend with your dog, friend, family, or even by yourself...sans fee and crowd!

Old Burial Hill, Marblehead 1-2

A graveyard is an excellent place to learn symbolism. You can learn how the culture surrounding you perceives the concept of death and afterlife as well as how the historic transition of those concepts affects the design of gravestone.

If you are an alien, a gravestone is sort of the Arecibo Message on the earth...Well, at least for a foreigner like me. 

Prospect Hill Tower, Somerville

Prospect Hill Tower (1903)

I don't know why, I've been to this tower and taken pictures thinking about posting it here...at least 3 times. My attempts were never fulfilled. I am not even sure why I have been so mentally blocked  about doing it. Along with Powderhouse, Prospect Hill Tower is easily one of the structures that represents the city of Somerville.

The Old Spite House, Marblehead

Old Spite House, Marblehead

Long time no see. Now, I'm back.

Looking through the list of places I made during the last few months, the first thing I wanted to cover was a house called the "Old Spite House" in Marblehead.

8 on the water

Coolidge reservation, MA

Long Time No See

Halibut Point State Park, Rockport