Category Archives: Massachusetts

Are Aliens Really Coming For Us?

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A disc‑shaped UFO with glowing blue lights hovers in a dark, starry sky, casting a bright beam onto the mist below.

UFOs on Dusty Roads: From Roswell to the Berkshires

The Western Stories We All Know

I don’t know about you, but when I think of Aliens and UFOs, my mind goes straight to the wide‑open western states. It all started with the Roswell incident in 1947 in New Mexico. Then came the Socorro sighting in 1964 — the one many consider the keystone case because of the credibility of the witness. Police officer Lonnie Zamora described an egg‑shaped craft and two small beings, and his steady demeanor has kept that story alive for decades.

Even now, so much UFO lore clings to the Southwest. When I visited Sedona, I heard plenty of stories. I didn’t see anything myself, but the talk was everywhere. And of course, we have the popularity of The Secret of Skinwalker Ranch and the two‑part Destination X deep dive into the high strangeness of the Uintah Basin.

New England’s Surprising UFO Legacy

But New England has its own UFO history — and it’s a lot richer than people realize.

Probably the most famous case is the 1961 abduction of Betty and Barney Hill. Imagine my surprise when I came across the sign marking the location of their encounter just outside Lincoln, New Hampshire.

Massachusetts has more than its share of sightings too, especially in the Bridgewater Triangle and the Freetown State Forest. But even I was caught off guard when I learned about the Berkshire UFO incident in 1969 in Sheffield, MA. This wasn’t just a sighting — it was an abduction.

The Berkshire Encounter That Shocked Massachusetts

On the night of September 1, 1969, Thom Reed and his family were driving across the Upper Sheffield Covered Bridge when a brilliant light filled the sky. The Reeds later said the light felt focused on them, and their next memories were disjointed: being taken from their car, finding themselves inside a huge hangar‑like space, and experiencing strange sensations and lost time. The details were hazy, but the family was eventually back in their station wagon, unharmed and with no explanation for the missing minutes.

A Monument to the Unexplained

The account gained so much traction locally that the Great Barrington Historical Society formally recognized the Reed family’s experience as part of the region’s historical record. In 2015, Sheffield even opened the Thom Reed UFO Monument Park at the site, complete with plaques — including one donated by the team behind Ancient Aliens — commemorating the event.

Sightings Close to Home

And the sightings haven’t stopped. As recently as 2025, reports have come in from Taunton, North Attleboro, Avon, Sudbury, and Pembroke. Massachusetts has logged more than 2,000 UFO sightings overall.

So… Are We Alone Out Here?

So… do you believe in aliens?

As I’ve gotten older, my feelings have definitely shifted. I went from a dedicated Trekkie who loved the idea of boldly going where no one had gone before… to a slightly more nervous observer. These days, I find myself leaning toward Stephen Hawking’s view: intelligent life almost certainly exists somewhere out there — but maybe we shouldn’t be in a rush to make contact. After all, first contact didn’t work out so well for the Native Americans when Columbus arrived in the New World.

What do you think — are we alone out here on these dusty roads, or not?

Haunted Highways: A Spring Drive Into Massachusetts’ Spookiest Road

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North of Boston, in the quiet town of Billerica, sits Dudley Road — a lonely, rural road with a reputation that makes even seasoned travelers check their door locks and crank up their headlights.

🌬️When the Weather Warms and the Roads Call

The warm weather is finally starting to tease us out of our homes. Give it just a few more degrees and we’ll all be cruising the highways and byways with the windows down, letting that first real breath of spring drift through the car before summer heat and humidity chase us back into the air‑conditioning.

And honestly? This is the perfect time of year for a haunting adventure.

A Quick Detour Through the Bridgewater Triangle

Pukwudgie of the Bridgewater Triangle

I’ve told you before about the spooky Bridgewater Triangle in southeastern Massachusetts — a region so paranormally active it’s been featured on multiple TV shows. Drive those back roads at night and your imagination will have a field day. It’s the ideal setting for a spooky interlude.

But recently, I learned about another haunted stretch of pavement… one that’s a bit farther north.

Dudley Road: The Most Haunted Road in Massachusetts

North of Boston, in the quiet town of Billerica, sits Dudley Road — a lonely, rural road with a reputation that makes even seasoned travelers check their door locks and crank up their headlights.

The story begins with the Daughters of St. Paul, who established a convent along this road. According to legend, several nuns were suspected of practicing witchcraft in the early 19th century. And we all know how Massachusetts has historically handled accusations of witchcraft. Just ask the folks in Salem and Danvers.

The Legend of the Condemned Nuns

Following in those old Puritan footsteps, the unfortunate women were condemned without a trial and hanged from a tree along the road. When they learned their fate, the nuns supposedly tried to escape by running across a nearby field — but they never made it.

As if ghostly nuns weren’t eerie enough, the legend goes on to claim that a nearby house where the women practiced their “magic” sank into the ground up to its second‑story windows. Travelers say that if you drive past at night, you might hear disembodied voices or smell strange, unexplainable odors drifting from the area around the so‑called sunken house.

Myth, Illusion, or Something More?

No proof exists for any of these tales — not the witchcraft, not the hangings, not the supernatural house. In fact, the “sunken” appearance is just an optical illusion.

But facts don’t seem to matter much here. Dudley Road has held onto its reputation as the most haunted road in Massachusetts, and locals still whisper about what they’ve seen and heard after dark.

Ready for a Spooky Spring Drive?

If you’re up for an eerie adventure, take a slow cruise down this sleepy rural road in Billerica. You might catch a glimpse of a full‑bodied apparition… or hear the distant screams of the fleeing nuns carried on the spring breeze.

 

 

May Opens in Moonlight and Closes in Song

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: Full Flower Moon glowing in a clear May night sky, marking the first of two full moons this month. Lots of moonlight for spring

🌕 Full Moon Surprise for May

Moonlight and a song. May is showing off — we’re getting two full moons this month.
The first one rises today, the Flower Moon, and the second arrives on May 31, making it a rare Blue Moon month.

A little lunar bookend to kick off May.

 

May Day: The Traditions, the Mischief, and the Magic of May 1st

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🌼“Kids holding colorful ribbons as they dance around a tall maypole on a sunny May Day, with families watching from the crowd.”

I haven’t revisited May Day for a few years — fifteen, to be exact — but who’s counting. If you’re curious (or just in the mood for a laugh), you can see that original 2011 post here. May Day.

May Day is one of those holidays everyone’s heard of, but almost no one can fully explain — which is probably why it’s so much fun to write about. Depending on who you ask, May 1st is about flowers, bonfires, maypoles, ancient goddesses, or childhood memories of weaving ribbons around a pole without tripping over your classmates. And honestly? All of those answers are right.

🌸 A Holiday Older Than… Well, Almost Everything

May Day goes all the way back to the ancient world. The Romans celebrated Floralia, a weeklong festival honoring Flora, the goddess of youth, spring, and flowers. When they reached the British Isles, their festival collided with the Celtic celebration of Beltane, also held on May 1st — a fire festival marking the start of summer. Over time, the two blended into what we now recognize as May Day.

🌿 “Bringing in the May”

By the medieval period, May Day was the spring holiday across Europe. Villagers would wake up early to gather flowers and greenery — a tradition called “bringing in the May.” They decorated homes, barns, and even livestock with blossoms to welcome the season.

🎀 The Maypole (and the Competition to Have the Tallest One)

At the center of the festivities stood the maypole — usually a tall birch tree pulled into town by flower‑decked oxen. People danced around it holding colorful ribbons, weaving patterns as they went. Some towns even competed to see who could raise the tallest or most impressive pole.

👑 The May Queen

Many villages crowned a May Queen, a young woman chosen to preside over the day’s games, dances, and pageantry. Think of it as the original spring influencer — minus the hashtags.

🔥 Bonfires, Dew, and a Little Magic

In some regions, May Day included bonfires — a holdover from Beltane — and people believed washing your face in May morning dew would bring good luck and beauty for the year ahead. (Honestly, that one might be worth trying.)

🌼 And Then There’s New England…

Here in New England, the Puritans were not fans. When an Anglican merchant erected a maypole at Merry Mount (today’s Quincy) in 1627, the neighboring Puritans chopped it down and shipped him back to England. No sense of whimsy, those folks.

So while the Puritans may have tried to shut the whole thing down (party poopers, the lot of them), May Day survived — flowers, maypoles, mischief and all. And honestly? I think that’s worth celebrating. Even if the only dancing you do is from the coffee maker to the couch.

 

Happy Earth Day

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A Day to Celebrate Our Shared Planet

Every April 22, the world pauses—just for a moment—to honor the only home we’ve ever known. Earth Day began in 1970 as a national call for environmental protection, but by 1990 it had grown into a global movement, with organized events in 141 countries and a shared understanding that caring for the planet is something we all hold in common.

The Photo That Changed How We See Earth

One of the sparks that helped shape the early environmental movement wasn’t a speech or a law. It was a photograph.

In 1968, during the Apollo 8 mission, astronaut Bill Anders captured the now‑iconic “Earthrise” image: our blue planet rising above the gray lunar horizon. Small. Bright. Fragile. That single picture changed how millions of people saw the world. It reminded us that everything we love—every ocean, every forest, every city, every memory—exists on this one shimmering sphere floating in the dark. It’s hard not to feel something when you look at it.

More than 50 years after it was shot, Earthrise continues to be seen as one of the most iconic environmental photographs ever taken.

Earthrise photo by Bill Anders

Earth Day Close to Home: The Forever Farm

Closer to home, Earth Day feels a little more grounded.

The Forever Farm holds a special place in my heart. It was founded by my friend — and former supervisor — Nichole Botelho, one of those rare people who turns life’s lemons into something far sweeter. When the pandemic brought an unexpected layoff, she didn’t shrink from it. She dreamed bigger. What started as a quiet idea she once mentioned to me has grown into a thriving sanctuary for farm animals who deserve a second chance.

Celebrate Earth Day With the Forever Farm

And these aren’t the typical “cute and cuddly” rescues you see on posters. Nichole opens her arms to donkeys and pigs, chickens and roosters, and even a miniature horse named Miracle. Watching her take a dream and build it into a place of safety, healing, and hope has been nothing short of inspiring. The Forever Farm is a reminder that caring for the planet isn’t just about oceans and forests — it’s also about the creatures who share our daily world.

Small Actions, Big Impact

Earth Day doesn’t ask us to be perfect. It simply asks us to pay attention. To notice the beauty around us. To care a little more today than we did yesterday. And to remember that even small choices — recycling, planting, supporting local farms, protecting green spaces — add up when millions of people make them together.

A Moment to Reflect and Recommit

So here’s to Earth Day.
To the big blue marble in the sky.
To the places we love.
And to the people, like Nichole, who turn compassion into action and make this planet a little kinder for all who call it home.