The weeds grow larger, but the adventures with Rory, large and small continue.

Rory and I visited Frances Avery and her model of A.L. Avery’s General Store, an essential supplier of what we need. This small model of the store includes tinier models of everything in the store, clothes, hardware, office corner, kitchen stuff, groceries and EVERYTHING!

Mrs. Avery’s brother in law and his family lived over the store for many years. It took her a long time to make the model, which includes some doll dishes from her own childhood.

We saw large works of art at Mass MoCA.  Rory said when he grows up he would like a house filled with Sol Lewitt’s paintings.

The Major told us about the Natural Bridge State Park, right near Mass MoCA and we went on a  quest to find it. As it turns out, it was easy. There are paths, and fences and steps so you can get good views of the Marble Dam and the Natural Bridge and the gorge, but you can’t  stand on the  Bridge.  I didn’t really let Rory climb dangerous rocks either, but it was a good photo op. He picked up his State Park Passport and got his first stamp.

He stamped his book, and again when the  Major took him to The Great Falls Discovery Center in Turners Falls, after they stood on a foot bridge at the beginning of the Canal.

Water in the Canal powered paper and cutlery mills.

At the top of Mt Sugarloaf you get panoramic views of the Valley and the Connecticut River. And get a stamp for your Park Passport, too.

Rory finally had to bid us adieu, so the question is what is happening in the garden besides bigger weeds.

Well, before he left Rory did help me add new bedding to the  worm bin, and feed the worms.  They are surviving, but I cannot say they are thriving.

We did plant dayliles we got at Lorraine Brennan’s daylily sale, ate sugar snap peas, wept over the squash plants that have forgotten they are supposed to  grow and rejoiced over the Pink Grootendorst rose that we planted this spring.