Category Archives: attraction

WMEO — King Richard’s Faire Update

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This is a WMEO Faire Update- We Meow – You Listen

WMEO BREAKING NEWS: King Richard’s Faire Update live from the WMEO News Desk, where professionalism rules and metal clothing is strictly off‑limits.

Banner: King Richard’s Faire is now in full swing in Carver, Massachusetts. The kingdom is open weekends only — Saturdays and Sundays — through October 25. There’s one remaining Monday opening on Columbus Day, October 12, for those who enjoy jousting on a federal holiday.

Please note, that means no weekday jousting. If you show up on a Wednesday, you’ll be dueling with the empty parking lot.

Banner: What medieval mischief is this now?

Balboa: I am Sir Balboa of the Shiny Shirt, Protector of the Realm!

Banner: You look like you lost a fight with a colander.

Balboa:At least I dressed for the Faire. You dressed for a tax seminar.

Banner: I am dressed for journalism. You’re dressed for a Renaissance‑themed tin can recycling program.

Balboa: Jealousy is unbecoming of a peasant.

Banner:  Call me a peasant again and I’m reporting you to the Department of Cat Armor Safety.

Final Notes on King Richard’s Faire

Banner: King Richard’s Faire continues every weekend through October 25, featuring jousts, artisans, food, entertainment, and questionable fashion choices. Review ticket prices for your chosen date, enjoy free parking, and pick a costume that won’t make you sound like a bag of forks falling down stairs.

Balboa : Duty calls. I’m off to the jousting tournament — someone has to defend the newsroom’s honor.
>Banner: Just don’t poke anyone with your lance before the credits roll.

Banner : This has been your WMEO update. May your turkey legs be large, your jousts be loud, and your cats be… less like this.

 

A Throwback to King Richard’s Faire

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“Person dressed in medieval-style armor with chainmail and metal shoulder plates, resting a hand on a polished helmet placed on a blue wooden structure. Colorful flags and people appear in the background at a renaissance fair setting.”

✨Medieval Madness – King Richard’s Faire✨

Armored jouster riding a white horse draped in maroon and white cloth, holding a red‑and‑white striped lance. The rider wears a red tunic over armor. Spectators stand behind a blue wooden fence watching the event at an outdoor renaissance fair.”

 

Being Behind the Camera… Except This One Time

I don’t step in front of the camera very often. Most of the time, I’m the one behind the lens, chasing the moment, lining up the shot, and making sure everyone else looks good. But every now and then, someone catches a moment of me, and it becomes one of those rare photos I actually treasure.

This picture — taken years ago at King Richard’s Faire — is one of my absolute favorites. It’s not glamorous, it’s not staged, and it’s definitely not one of those “I planned this” moments. It’s just me, standing there with a Harris’s hawk perched on my arm, looking like I wandered straight out of a medieval falconry guild.

Holding a Raptor for the First Time

“Person standing outdoors with a large hawk perched on their shoulder, wings spread wide. The person is wearing a jacket and small horn-like accessories on their head. Green bushes and a dark fence appear in the background.”If you’ve never held a raptor, let me tell you: it’s unforgettable. There’s a weight to them — not just physical, but presence. This hawk was calm, steady, and absolutely aware of everything happening around it. Meanwhile, I was trying to look composed while thinking, “Wow… this bird could out‑hunt Banner and Balboa without breaking a sweat.”

The cats think they’re fierce hunters, but this hawk had the real credentials. If“Black cat sitting inside a cardboard box while wearing a metallic knight-style helmet that covers most of its face except the eyes and ears. A wooden bedpost and light blue wall are visible in the background.” WMEO ever expands into a “Raptor Division,” Balboa would volunteer immediately… right up until he realized the bird is bigger than he is.

The Faire Has Changed, But the Magic Hasn’t“Person dressed in a green medieval-style outfit with a white undershirt, brown belt, and pouch, wearing pointed elf-like ears and a leafy headband. They are walking outdoors on a sandy surface near a blue wooden fence at a renaissance fair.”

I haven’t been to King Richard’s Faire in years, and so much has changed — new location, new stages, new shops, new experiences — but the heart of it is still the same. It’s still a place where you can step out of the everyday world and into a kingdom full of jousts, jesters, artisans, performers, and yes… birds of prey who look at you like they know all your secrets.

 

You Still Have Time to Visit

If this post sparks a little nostalgia — or curiosity — you still have time to make your own memories. King Richard’s Faire runs weekends through October 25.

If you’re thinking about going, don’t wait too long. The kingdom doesn’t stay open forever.

Group of people dressed in ornate Renaissance-style costumes standing outdoors among tall trees. They wear velvet and brocade garments with crowns, hats, and capes. Timber-framed buildings decorated with colorful banners are visible in the background at a renaissance fair.”

 

A Landmark, a Coffee Shop and a Steaming Kettle

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A large golden teapot sculpture hangs from the corner of a downtown Boston building, with real steam rising from its spout. The teapot is mounted high above the sidewalk against a brick façade with rows of rectangular windows.

The Mystery of the Steaming Kettle

Boston’s love affair with its oddball icons

Quirky Little City Treasures Bronze sculptures of a mother duck and her ducklings line a cobblestone path in a park, each duck wearing small decorative hats and ribbons. Benches and trees sit in the background, creating a charming Public Garden scene.

Boston is full of landmarks and statues — quirky little city treasures like the ducks in the Public Garden. When I first started working in downtown Boston back in the late ’70s, there was a little coffee shop in Government Center where we always grabbed a pastry on the way to work.

A large golden teapot hangs from the corner of a downtown building while pedestrians walk below. The street is lined with multi‑story buildings, including one with a “State Street Bank” sign, creating a busy urban scene.The shop was distinguished by a giant teapot that actually spouted steam. I kid you not. The shop was named for that teapot — The Steaming Kettle — and everyone knew it. Everyone recognized it. It was one of those things that made Boston feel like Boston.

From Scollay Square to Government Center A historic street scene of Scollay Square shows people walking along cobblestone roads with horse‑drawn carriages and early automobiles. A small building with a clock tower and a red‑tiled roof stands at the center, surrounded by brick storefronts and vintage signs, capturing the lively atmosphere of early 20th‑century Boston.

But as so often happens in life, things change. I changed jobs and became a suburbanite. Government Center was revamped yet again.

At one time the area was known as Scollay Square — you may remember it from the Kingston Trio’s song about Charlie on the MTA. “Charlie’s wife goes down to the Scollay Square station…” But alas, Scollay Square is no more.

We now have the big brick expanse of Government Center. But through all the upheaval, the Steaming Kettle stayed.

A Teapot With a Past

A vintage street scene shows pedestrians in early‑20th‑century clothing walking past a storefront with a large teapot mounted above the entrance. The shop’s sign reads “Tea Company” and “Home of Best New England Teas,” and surrounding buildings display period advertisements, creating a lively old‑Boston atmosphere.The kettle was built in 1873. It originally hung outside the Oriental Tea Company, whose owners quickly realized they needed a hook — and the giant teapot provided just the thing.

In 1875, they ran a contest to guess the weight of the kettle. Participants had to buy a ticket to log their guess.

Part two of the contest was even better: guess how many people could fit inside the kettle. When the kettle was lowered to the ground, eight boys and one very tall man popped out of it.

Then came the official weighing. Boston’s sealer of weights and measures recorded the result: 277 gallons, two quarts, one pint, and three gills. That weight was later inscribed right on the kettle itself.

The Oriental Tea Company lasted until 1966, when it finally closed its doors. But Boston doesn’t give up its icons easily. A large golden teapot hangs outdoors against a blue sky, suspended by metal supports beside a modern building. Text on the side lists its measured capacity in gallons, quarts, pints, and ounces. The owner opened another shop in the same area — The Steaming Kettle Coffee Shop — and brought the now‑famous kettle along.

The shop changed hands several times, eventually becoming a Starbucks. Except for a brief period in 2016 when the kettle was damaged, it hung proudly from its installation back in 1873.

And Now… a Boston Mystery

Today, the whereabouts of the kettle are a mystery. The Starbucks location closed in 2025, and after that the kettle seems to have gone missing.

But this is Boston, folks — a city that loves its oddball relics. Who knows? Maybe some historical group or an enterprising entrepreneur will locate that giant teapot and reinstall it in its rightful place, as iconic as the Old State House.

I hope they do. That kettle is a part of my Boston heritage.

A large golden teapot is mounted on the exterior of a curved stone building, supported by metal brackets. The shiny teapot stands out against a bright blue sky and tall windows, creating a striking landmark on the city street.

 

The Wolf Hollow Quest: Paused, Not Abandoned

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A group of five gray wolves resting together on a snowy forest clearing, with one wolf standing while the others lie in the snow.

The Wolf Hollow Expedition Is Back on Hold

I’ve been exploring my options to visit Wolf Hollow. Wolf Hollow is a wolf sanctuary located in Ipswich, MA. It was conceived in 1988 and became a state‑ and federally‑licensed 501(c)3 non‑profit organization two years later. Wolf Hollow opened its gates to the public in September of 1990.

Discovering a Sanctuary Close to Home

I first became interested in Wolf Hollow when I was searching for a place to photograph wolves. I’d been to Yellowstone, where tourists sometimes get lucky enough to see wolf packs in the wild. I wasn’t one of the lucky ones. I’ve seen gray wolves in zoos — they always looked so sad — but I still haven’t captured a photo that reveals the true wolf essence.

I heard of a sanctuary in New Jersey, but weather interfered with that trip, and then life got in the way. Closer to home, I learned about Wolf Hollow.

Transportation Troubles and the GoWithGuide Detour

Their website doesn’t provide ticket pricing, so I’ll need to do more research. Since Wolf Hollow is located in Ipswich, transportation is a challenge. I contacted GoWithGuide and was given the name of a Salem‑based guide. I emailed him with what I was looking for, but he chose to pass.

At this point, I think I’ll need to plan a car‑rental day.

Weather, Timing, and the Photography Challenge

As much as I hate the cold, I also think winter might be the best time for photos. With overcast skies, the lighting should be soft, and the wolves’ winter coats should be in full glory.

Checking on Wolf Conservation Status

I was concerned about the status of the sanctuary, since there seems to be a lot of turmoil in the conservation world these days. The Endangered Species Act is being slowly stripped and downgraded by the current administration. But my research showed that despite years of political back‑and‑forth over wolf protections, gray wolves are currently listed as endangered in most of the United States, including all of New England. Sanctuaries like Wolf Hollow continue to play an important role in education and conservation.

A February 10, 2022 federal court ruling reinstated ESA protections for most wolf populations after a previous nationwide delisting attempt. The 2026 USFWS update confirms that this protection remains in place.

Putting the Trip on Pause — Not Canceling It

So once again, my quest for a wolf portrait has to be delayed — but I’m not giving up. I’m just sidelining it for a bit until I can get all my ducks in a row.

WMEO 9 BREAKING NEWS- Back Bay Braces for… Elephants?

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Filed by Anchors Banner & Balboa Dateline: Commonwealth Avenue Mall, Boston.. WMEO 9  We Meow-You Listen

🎙️ Banner (Orange, Overcaffeinated, Zero Chill):

LADIES, GENTLEMEN, AND ALL WHO APPRECIATE A GOOD PARADE OF ABSURDITY— We interrupt your regularly scheduled bird‑watching to report that Boston has officially lost its mind.

Moving trucks are clogging Back Bay again, but instead of college kids hauling futons, they’re unloading elephants. Not real ones. But 100 life‑sized elephant sculptures, which is somehow even more chaotic because you can’t bribe them with peanuts to move.

I repeat: ONE HUNDRED ELEPHANTS. FIVE BLOCKS. This is the greatest thing to happen to Boston since someone finally fixed the Green Line.

I attempted to climb one for “journalistic purposes” but was removed by a volunteer who said, and I quote, “Sir, please stop narrating loudly.” I regret nothing.

🎙️ Balboa (Black, Soft‑Spoken, Perpetually Worried):

Thank you, Banner. I would like to reassure viewers that these elephants are friendly, quiet, and unlikely to bite—unlike some anchors I could name.

The installation is part of The Great Elephant Migration, a global fundraising initiative bringing awareness to conservation efforts. The sculptures will line the Commonwealth Avenue Mall, creating a peaceful, tree‑lined corridor of gentle giants.

I personally inspected the scene. The elephants appear sturdy, respectful, and uninterested in stealing anyone’s kitty grass. I approve this event.

However, I must note that the moving trucks were loud, and I hid behind a hydrangea for several minutes. This is normal. This is fine.

🎙️ Banner (interrupting):

BALBOA HID BEHIND A HYDRANGEA. THIS IS THE BEST DAY OF MY LIFE.

🎙️ Balboa:

Please ignore him. We encourage all residents to visit the installation, take photos, and appreciate the artistry—while also remembering that climbing the elephants is not allowed, even if you are a very handsome orange cat with a press badge.

A grassy slope in front of a large brick building is filled with dozens of life‑sized elephant sculptures. The sculptures vary in size and pose, arranged across the lawn and near rocky areas at the bottom of the hill. The scene looks like a herd moving together, but the elephants are clearly art installations rather than real animals. The contrast between the realistic sculptures and the formal building behind them creates a striking, surreal visual.

WMEO 9 SIGN‑OFF

This has been Banner & Balboa reporting live from Back Bay. End of bulletin. Please resume your regularly scheduled scrolling.