Monthly Archives: September 2019

The Memorial Chapel

At Northfield Mount Hermon School.



The walls are made of Connecticut River stone, dragged
up from the river some hundred years ago by the pupils!


The healthy tradition of putting students to work at NMH continues, my son having done sterling duty on the farm, mucking out sundry beasts and making maple syrup.

Doubtless there are numerous child labor laws to prevent this sort of thing today, but the cadres thus protected are not exactly tomorrow’s leaders.

Panny GX7, 12-35mm pro zoom.

In Philadelphia

The city of brotherly love.

While the primary purpose of our trip to Philadelphia was for my son WInston to tour and interview at Haverford and Swarthmore, we made a point of hitting some highlights of this varied city.



Tony Luke’s Philly Cheesesteak sandwiches are reported to be the best so where else for our first ever taste? This denizen, ‘wife beater’ and all, was enjoying his, along with a gallon of water. The restaurant is in the worst area imaginable. The sandwiches were fine!


We pose at the Rocky statue outside the Museum of Art.


The Philadelphia Museum of Art houses a tremendous modern art collection.


Milton Avery’s ‘Black Jumper, 1944, offsets a visitor.


This too, apparently, is Art. Con Art.


Independence Hall where both the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution were signed.


Yeah, right.


Independence Hall is very well maintained – here’s the clock tower.


The Court Room inside the Hall, a suitable venue to try the untreated syphilitic in the Oval Office today.


The architecture has withstood time well.


The Hall room where the Constitution was debated.


The Liberty Bell, crack and all. Maybe they should have bought Chinese?


The forecourt of the Barnes Foundation, home to one of the finest collections of 19th century French art on the planet.


The Barnes is a no expense spared institution.


Just for openers – Seurat’s luminous ‘Bathers’ and Cézanne’s ‘Card Players’.


A final view of the Barnes.


Despite vast disparities of wealth – we saw the best and the worst of the city – Philadelphia was incredibly welcoming, a quiet politeness pervading the air. Not once was my atrocious driving honked at.

All snaps on the Panny GX7 with the 12-35mm pro zoom.

The Senior Year commences

Winston checks in.

My son checks in for his final year at Northfield Mount Hermon School, an institution which has taken a child and made a man:



Ready for the 2019/20 academic year.


By all accounts the Junior year is the toughest so Winston is greatly looking forward to enjoying his last year, having enjoyed stellar personal and academic growth since September 1, 2016.