Mead Art Museum at Amherst College

Thursday, March 2, 2023 - On Thursdays, I like taking advantage of already being at my "Breakfast-in-Boston", and using that as a jumping-off point for a Day of Adventure. Because of Covid, the Mead Art Museum at Amherst College had been closed to the public for a couple of years, and had only recently become Open-to-the-Public. They have a wonderful selection of paintings that I would like to see:

Having a specific destination, not too far away, allowed me to cover a lot of territory:

And I still have the "Post Offices" bug - my "Before Picture":

My "collection" after today, with today's Post Offices in light blue:

I like going into Boston by going down Route 1, then taking 99 down through Everett. I see kids going to school, people waiting for busses, double-decker houses, Dunkin Donuts, the Library - just the regular activities of humanity. It makes the world seem a bit more Real. At the Everett-Boston Line is the Encore Hotel/Casino, and they often have a shift just getting out, or one starting soon. I then take a right around Bunker Hill Community College and cross over to Cambridge, where I take a left down in front of the Museum of Science. Then onto Storrow Drive, off at Arlington Street, and then I park on Boylston across from the Four Seasons and walk up to the Union Club. Between Labor Day and Thanksgiving, I have to leave the house at 5:50, but the rest of the year it can be 6:05 or 6:10

Today, as I was going from Bunker Hill Community College toward Cambridge, I saw Black Smoke in front of me - not a good sign:

I turned the corner, and saw the worst car-fire I have ever seen:

That is DEFINITELY something I do not see every day. God Bless Us All.

I might as well put in a plug for my Thursday Men's Breakfast:

I have been attending for about 35 years. That sounds like a long time, but it is just one day a week. An excellent sit-down breakfast, coffee that makes your backbone straight, wonderful fellowship, and an excellent Bible Study/Teaching. I find that by coupling this with "Church on Sunday", my "Spiritual Needs for the week" are satisfied. I hope (and pray) that everyone finds an appropriate "Spiritual Balance" in their lives, and this works for me.

As a volunteer, I also do a lot of work for TMB - sending out a weekly email, and recording-and-posting the Teachings. Keeps my days full, and puts a smile on my face when I go to bed at night.

After The Breakfast, I headed through Cambridge and out Route 2, angling up to the area between Route 2 and the New Hampshire Border. My first Post Office up here was Forge Village (an area of Westford):

From there I just wandered through Massachusetts Cities and Towns, grabbing Post Offices. I think my favorite was Royalston, MA 01368:

A FUN VIEW at Leverett Pond:

(I think those colors are so bright that they will melt that snow, all by themselves!)

I reached the Mead Art Museum at 2 PM:

They had "Old Art" on display today:

Francesco Guardi - "Landscape with Ruins", 18th century oil:

Leonardo Coccorante (attributed to) - "The Storm", ca. 1730 oil:

Giovanni Battista Piranesi - "Remains of the Aqueduct of Nero", n.d. etching:

Giovanni Battista Piranesi - "Ruins of the Supposed Temple of Hercules in the City of Cori (Rovine del Tempio supposto di Ercole nella cita di Cora)", 1769 etching:

Assyrian Reliefs, 883-859 BCE alabaster:

My hike around The Mead:

And the it was time to head home, through West Brookfield, MA 01585:

and Rochdale, MA 01542:

Home late afternoon, in plenty of time for dinner! Thank You God for this GREAT Adventure/Art Day!

Music for today - more physical cds:

starting the day with jazz - Joey Calderazzo - Amanecer, 2007

Boom Forest - Boom Forest, 2014 1st album

This guy opened for Counting Crows on their 2018 tour. The "Blossom Music Center" in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio:

Drive-By Truckers - It's Great to Be Alive!, 2015 3-cd package

GREAT ALBUM, ending with a 13-minute version of "Grand Canyon"!

Neil Diamond - Hot August Night, 1972 double-album

Excellent live versions of his hits.

Counting Crows - Across a Wire: Live in New York City, 1998 3rd album/double live album

cd 1 is acoustic, from VH1 Storytellers. cd 2 is electric, from MTV's Live from the 10 Spot show.

The Doors - Waiting For The Sun, 1968 3rd album

The Doors - The Soft Parade, 1969 4th album

After all these years, I still like listening to The Doors' studio albums.

Shameless Plug: if you enjoy this blog, you may like my other one about Hiking the 4,000 footers in New Hampshire/Vermont/Maine/New York:
hyperlink: dixonheadingnorth
http://dixonheadingnorth.blogspot.com/