Happy Halloween! I will be busy teaching on Tuesday and wanted to wish everyone a happy Halloween today. The top image is the scarecrow sculpture in our yard. I made the scarecrow last year from logs in our yard, and we dressed it up for the season. The other image is from our trip to Rail Explorers in Rhode Island.

During our drive to and from Madame Sherri’s castle, we encountered some excellent views. The first two are of Mt Monadnock taken from The Cathedral of the Pines in Rindge, NH. The final image was made from the main road running through Chesterfield, NH.

I last visited Madame Sherri’s castle about three years ago. It is the stone foundation of the former summer home of a New York designer. She used to throw lavish parties. It was built in the 1930s and burned down in the early 1960s. The “castle” is located in a beautiful but remote corner of New Hampshire near the Vermont and Massachusetts border. I am not sure how much longer it will be intact. The arch has degraded considerably since my last visit. Last time, we took turns going to the top. Now, I am not sure it would be safe.

While in Portsmouth, Rhode Island, we also visited Green Animals Topiary Garden. It is reputed to be the oldest and most northern topiary garden in the United States. It has a number of sculpted plants and wonderful flowerbeds all set on Narragansett Bay. It is part of a former estate and is now managed by the same group that manages many of the Newport mansions. Note: The rabbit was quite real.

Last week, we went with friends to Rail Explorers in Portsmouth Rhode Island. They give you the opportunity to pedal quadricycles along closed rail tracks. They have locations in three states. Rhode Island is the closest and also offers ocean views along part of the trail. After three miles, you stop and get out for a break. While you do, the staff uses a hydraulic turntable to turn the quadricycles around for your journey back. Of course, the tracks were all decorated for Halloween.