It’s Week 2 Jan 6. My photo of the day today is Foggy Woods. This was taken in Foster , RI.
Category Archives: Rhode Island
Rhode Island
Rhode Island is a definite yes in my count down. Its my neighbor state to the south. I’m closer to Providence than I am to Boston. I may not have “vacationed” there but I think the new rage of “Stay-cations” would count my many visits to this state.
Rhode Island is the smallest in area, the eighth least populous , but the second most densely populated of the 50 US states behind New Jersey. Rhode Island was the first of the 13 original colonies to declare independence from British rule, declaring itself independent on May 4, 1776, two months before any other colony. The State was also the last of the thirteen original colonies to ratify the United States Constitution.
It’s little wonder that Rhode Island should have such a feisty attitude for a little state. It was founded by Roger Williams after he was banished from Massachusetts Bay Colony for his religious views.
Today the Ocean State has a lot to offer the curious visitor. Some of my favorites are Newport and Narragansett. I first “discovered” Newport when my brother was stationed there at the Naval War College. That was an experience in itself! I also was invited to experience the America Cup Races. I was excited and climbed aboard one of the privately owned boats to watch the race. Unfortunately that was the day I learned that I was prone to sea sickness, having the worse bouts with that nasty feeling that I’ve ever had the misfortune to endure.
Better times were coming for Newport and me. I spent many weekends at the Viking Hotel for Arthur Murray Competitions before moving on to the mansions and the cliff walk.
Newport Mansions and Cliff Walk. In the 19th century socially prominent families like the Vanderbilts and Astors built seaside “cottages” to escape the summer heat of the cities. 
Of course , their idea of a cottage and mine (and probably yours unless you are an aristocrat) are miles apart.
Today these grand mansions are open for tours and events. The Cliff Walk is a 3.5 mile national historic trail that hugs Newport’s Atlantic Shoreline. No gentle beaches here, the trail is rocky and wild but offers some great views of many of the Mansions and gardens along it’s path.
The Newport Tower. The Newport Tower is located in Touro Park just a couple of streets from the heart of Newport. Newport Tower has been the subject of much speculation and lately made the reality series, America Unearthed. It’s really an interesting bit of architecture and worth a stop to visit.
Narragansett. I like Narragansett, RI. A few years ago I took a drive down and they had a glass bottom boat that did evening tours. You could watch the phosphorescence pass under the boat and see a lot more lobsters and crabs than are active during the day. Narragansett is also home to Rose Island Lighthouse. There’s a museum and you can actually stay in the lighthouse. You pay to be a keeper for a day or week. Interested?The link is www.roseislandlighthouse.org.
Roger Williams Park and Zoo.
A very active zoo set in a beautiful park, Roger Williams has events like the Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular which winds through the zoo, to swan boats on the lagoon and a carousel park.
Sorry, I’ve run-over but I have to mention Waterfire, a series of bonfires on the rivers that run through Providence. I’ve never seen it but I want to. Friends give it a big thumbs up. And Block Island, a wonderful, quaint village on an island off the Rhode Island Coast…2 light houses!
Well, that’s all for this post. The tally now stands at 14/ 25 and still counting. 🙂
Baby Alpacas
If you have been following my posts for awhile you may remember a post from last November about a “Teeny, Tiny, Farm-ette”. In that post I introduced a friend’s little farm where he tends to Silky Chickens, alpacas, pygmy goats and horses along with dogs, cats and a parrot or two.
About a week ago he called me to ask if I still liked taking pictures of baby “critters”. Of course I said yes. At the time of the call he had a 2 day old Alpaca baby. I couldn’t go visit right away so the baby was about a week old when I got there.
The baby had a friend, another baby Alpaca that was 2 weeks old and an”older” friend that was about a month old.
I was surprised how big they were for so young but as grazing animals they would have to be able to get around quickly if they were in the wild to escape predators. I had a chance to pet one, not just take pictures and I understand why they are so valued for their wool. They are so soft and fluffy. They are softer than they look.
Mama didn’t like too much attention being showered on her young one but she behaved, no spitting but she did stick out her tongue once to show her displeasure.
They had more baby pygmy goats but when I went into the pen they crowded around me so much I couldn’t get any pictures. They were funny as they tried to chew on my jeans and nibble on my sneakers.
As I was preparing to leave I found out that some baby “silkies” had just hatched so a quick stop by the nest box yielded a picture of this tiny chick.
It’s easy to see how Animal Planet can make a series called “Too Cute” about baby animals because they are just that…too cute!
Barn Babies
About a week ago I had the awesome honor of photographing my friend’s daughter.
You saw one of her pictures on the Mother’s Day Card posted on my card page. Dawn was a great little model for one so young doing everything I asked of her and hanging in until I was done. Such patience in a young one deserves a reward so Nancy, Dawn’s mother suggested we take Dawn to see the Barn Babies at the Westgate Mall.
Now my little friend Dawn is as much of an animal lover as I am so that was easy to agree to and off we went.
Set up was inside the mall with hay bales to sit on and plenty of plastic to cover the floor. The lamb wore a diaper and the puppies and tiny little pig were in mini enclosures. There were plenty of Barn Baby staff to assist and parents or adult friends were also allowed into the enclosure. I’d be lying if I said it was quiet. It was not ! It was crowded and all of the kids were excited but the staff had it down to a science.
Each child had a sticker with the time they came in. Every half hour or so a bell was rung and the children who had been there the longest had to leave to make room for a new group. A child could get back in line to go in again but had to wait their turn.
The children could hold bunnies and kittens and chicks. Each baby animal was swaddled in a blanket by a staff member before being placed gently in the child’s hands. The children were then told to sit down quietly. To my surprise none of the babies seemed to be nervous or upset.
I asked the staff about that as I held a bunny that was dozing in my arms. They said the swaddling gives the babies a sense of security and keeps them calm. If they get stressed they burrow into the swaddling cloths and that keeps them from scratching the child by trying to get away. They also watch for signs that a baby is getting stressed and if so rotate them out for a time so they can calm down.
After we left I got to thinking about all the baby animals I saw especially the kittens and chicks and bunnies. I know how many cats are abandoned and need homes and how around Easter the Humane Society and other rescue groups beg the public not to get bunnies and chicks as pets because they are so often abandoned or surrendered shortly after they are brought home for the holiday.
So I wrote to Barn Babies and asked them what happened to these animals after they were too big for the traveling zoo. I was gratified to get a quick response. Having witnessed their gentle care in the chaos of the mall and with the quick response I feel comfortable giving them a hearty Thumbs Up.
So here in their own words is was I was told:
Barn Babies works closely with local farmers and breeders. Many of the babies you saw on Tuesday already have “furrever” homes, which are families that we approve to adopt them after they retire from Barn Babies. We socialize them so often that many families are attracted to our pets.
We are a USDA licensed business as an “animal exhibitor” which means many things, but relating to your question our USDA license means that we must track where every baby comes from and goes to, the state keeps track of all our babies & where they end up (as well as how they are taken care of when they are with us).
Please let me know if you have any questions.
Newport Tower
Our Mystery photo from Monday was the Newport Tower. Located in Touro Park in Newport, RI. The tower masquerades under many names : Round Tower, Touro Tower, Newport Stone Tower and Old Stone Mill.
I got to thinking about this tower because it was recently featured on a program on the History Channel called America Unearthed. In AMERICA UNEARTHED, forensic geologist Scott Wolter, trys to reveal that the history we all learned in school may not always be the whole story.
For years the tower was thought to have been built in the 17th century as a windmill but more recently there has been speculation that the structure is really centuries older. Some of the current theories are that the tower was built as an observatory.
Another theory by the author Gavin Menzies is that the tower was built by a colony of Chinese sailors and concubines from the junks of a Chinese explorer. This theory is said to have been debunked.
There’s also the theory that Portuguese navigators built the structure as a watchtower.
But my favorite theory is not the most popular but maybe the most “romantic” and it is the theory that Scott Wolter tries to prove in his episode about he tower. That theory is that the remnants of the Knights Templar came to the New World and built the tower as a signpost for other to follow. He highlights the astronomical alignments and draws comparisons with known Templar built structures .
I have a soft spot for the Templars and would love to have this theory proved true however remote the chance. But even if the tower is eventually proved to be something as mundane as a windmill it will have been fun speculating about its origin.