Thursday, October 8, 2009

Fall Foliage, Part 1


All the people who told us we were too early for fall foliage were crazy –OK misinformed. Locals have told us that the foliage is particularly spectacular and early this year due to all the rain in the area this summer. We had a glorious ride yesterday from MA to VT. We woke up to rain and wind, but it was almost ethereal---the leaves were gently drifting down from the trees—at first I thought it was snow. It rained off and on most of day, but the rain made the glistening trees even more beautiful.

Our first brief stop was a reform synagogue of about 400 members. We were surprised to find a congregation that size in a small New England town.

Next we visited the Norman Rockwell Museum. Originally I hadn’t wanted to go there thinking Rockwell was too sentimental and trite. Was I wrong! I love his art! Just looking at the Saturday Evening Post magazine covers (the museum displayed one of each) it is impossible to appreciate what a fine artist he was. He painted with incredible detail, humor, warmth, and pathos. One painting shows a young boy (Rockwell’s son) eating in a diner on a train. It is possible to read the comic book visible in his pocket, a ticket stub on the table, and a menu. The only other figure is an older black waiter, who smiles kindly at the young boy. He is definitely not the typical stereotype of a black man. Rockwell searched for the perfect model, which he almost always did, so the figure is a definite individual painted with great care.

The most moving painting for me dealt with Civil Rights and the integration of schools. It depicts a young black girl accompanied by U.S. Marshals (they are visible only from the waist up). In the background is a wall with racial epithets. The portraits of Eisenhower, Lincoln, and Kennedy are superb.

The rest of the day we “oohed and aahed” as we drove through quaint New England towns, scenic back roads, and even scenic highways going from MA to VT. Against the expanse of green lawns (who mows them?) and purple mountains (majesty?) is a patchwork quilt of multi-hued trees in yellows, tawny orange, scarlet reds, and vibrant rusts. On the two lane roads, the branches formed a delicate, graceful canopy over our heads. Dan stopped suddenly so many times to take pictures it’s a miracle we didn’t have an accident. We spent the evening with Dan’s cousin, who lives in the area and the morning with an old friend we met on a cruise many, many years ago. I’m going to spend a whole blog on the people known and unknown we met on this trip.

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