Goodbye Cruiserface, Hello Happyface: The (old) Long and (new) Short Of It All

Another Ride, Another Investigation. I spotted this monument at coordinates 42.348800, -72.198763 several days ago, took a picture and rode on. As always happens, I got more curious when I got home and learned it was a fountain honoring someone named Calvin Paige. Well, I love town fountains, however big (e.g., Fontana di Trevi) or small and have to investigate this one next time through if and when it is working and if I can find anyone who knows something about it.



It's always something.

Posing By The Park: Another photo refurbished and resized by AI for this and another forum. Taken some years back at coordinates 42.548534, -72.396833 in Wendell MA.



Note: There is an oddball house just across the street. With that, my work (that I promised) is done for the night.

Naturama: I remember seeing this bucolic little pond and stopping to enjoy the serenity and view, not to mention stretching the old legs.



After taking the above pic, I noticed the heron across the pond and got a shot of him/her also.



I've no idea where this was.

What? What makes a man smile more than planes and/or motorcycles?



Kevin was quite happy at that moment, perhaps as much as when he's riding.

I'd be curious to know what you find out. I don't think that fountain has run in a loooong time. Nice spot there for a coffee and breakfast sandwich. If you want pastry, as you know, you need to follow 32a south a bit more.

I've learned that the fountain was constructed in 1911 by Lydia Paige Monteagle to honor her uncle, Calvin Paige. Calvin was a U.S. Representative and President of Central Cotton Mills Company, the Southbridge Savings Bank and the Edwards Company. I read that nobody seems to know when it stopped working and if it will ever be fixed. I've one more contact to try in the town's historical society. Should that happen, I will take a proper picture of the structure. For now, here's an internet pic of the fountain.

Just A Little Bridge: This was just a quiet little bridge off the beaten path.



Below the bridge was this quiet little stream.



When you get older in years, these are the kind of places you like to stop and enjoy while you can.

On The Dance Card: One of the things on my 2021 dance card is a return to this place - the Seashore Trolley Museum.



The museum is located at coordinates 43.407510, -70.489595 in Kennebunkport, ME. The will supposedly open May 1.

Amazing experience.

Yes indeed. My dad gave me my first airplane ride in the front seat of one of those when he came home from WWII. He stacked several seat packs (i.e., parachutes) so I could see out. On another ride, he jury-rigged a harness so I could stand up in the seat. Great adventure for a young kid and a hell of a wind-in-your-face experience for anyone who's never flown in one.

Speaking of memories, I believe you took this pic.



Those were cruiser days, yours and mine.

Redhead And The Red Shed: I remembered another photo of this structure that had the redhead posing in front of it.



The building was definitely worse for the wear than before. Chances are good it will be gone once the covid scare is over.

Nothing Finer Than An Old Time Diner: I think this picture epitomizes the old, inner-city diner and I believe this one was once awarded Best Diner In MA and Best Diner in USA.



I came across this previously, not posted image while in the process of updating old pics, especially older RAW images that hadn't been converted as well as they could have been. This is one of those.

Every time I go by that place is not a good time to eat. I've wondered how the food is.

Is the stearman still in Sterling?

I will try to stop there one of these days and let you know. The reviews are good, though. My likes are based on two things: One, how good is their breakfast and can they fix eggs the way you like them? Two, is the meatloaf and gravy up to par? Their MENU looks interesting.

In case anyone else is interested, the diner is located at coordinates 42.253870, -71.806672

Not sure. I think the old guy ground-looped it sometime after we were there and, later on, passed away (but not from the accident). Want me to find out?

Ottauquechee Revisited: With temps in the high 20s this morning, I did some route planning rather than riding. After updating the Nav V and Garmin's Basecamp app with their latest NA map today, I started thinking about some IFR rides (i.e., I Follow Rivers) along the Ottauquechee and White rivers in VT. Remembering that the former had four, picturesque, covered bridges; I started going through my files to see if I had pictures of all of them. Those four bridges would be the Lincoln CB, Middle CB, Taftsville CB and Quechee CB; all of which are along or not far off VT Rt. 4. Well I had pictures of all but the Middle CB in Woodstock VT. I happened to pull out the Taftsville picture and spruce it up. Shown below, the bridge was mint when i took the picture.



You can tell from both the outside and inside that it had substantially refurbished in the near past.



Like some of the other bridges on this river, the Taftsville CB was heavily damaged by Hurricane Irene back in 2011. Below is an internet pic of the bridge after the event.



I need to see the Woodstock Bridge.

Yes, please.

Were one or two companies commissioned to build all these bridges at the time? Or, were they community projects?