BEARS,WITCHES,AND BLUE TREES!

For the first time in the 34 years, we have lived here a bear has tried to enter our house! We are VERY careful about food we know what it can lead to. No birds are being fed. Nothing left outside except our grill which never got touched and our blueberry bushes never got touched! we eat dinner on the porch, and I wipe the table down with Clorox spray and sweep the floor by the table and yes, he tried that door as well but not quite as bad as the back door. 

It happed overnight and I was more than glad our door was locked!

If we have another problem, we will have to inform fish and game.

****

Now on to Salem Mass...

We spent a lot of time in the cemetery. While no one accused of being a witch and hanged for it are buried here. (They have no idea where they are buried as mostly, they were thrown in a crevice. Some of their families under the cover of darkness would retrieve their bodies to bury with no head stones.) There are memorials to the women and men hung as witches.

The stones are old and hard to read but still lovely and peaceful to walk through. The Salem witch trials began in Feb of 1692.

Between 1692 and 1693 over 200 people were accused. 

14 women and 5 men were hanged. 5 died in jail

and Guiles Cory was pressed to death because he refused to plead

In 1693 the governor's wife was accused and arrested for witchcraft.

He ordered an end to the witch trials. 

In the early days the people accused had little or no power. 

They were never able to defend themselves. Such a sad history. 

My mother always said to look at the trees in a cemetery they hold the souls of those that passed. This is a good tree!

We toured the witch house, which really was not a witch house but a judge house. It was owned by the judge who presided over the witch trials. Chief Justice Willam Stoughton

I loved this hand carved cupboard. 

Remember at this time we were still under England's rules and laws.

After dinner a walk to see the sun set over the ocean. This boat was in for repairs so lovely.

I believe she was called the friendship.

It was warm all day with a breeze coming off the ocean just at the right time to cool you off. But the evening turned chilly with a good wind. We put sweatshirts on for our evening walk. 

Today off to the house of the 7 gables. Nathanial Hawthorn wrote a fictional book about his cousin's house. She inherited the house when her father and brother were both lost at sea. Of course, in the 1800s a woman could not inherit so she fought through the courts and won! She never married as she knew that her husband would have full control over her money. She took her inheritance and used it to make herself very wealthy. 

The gardens are just so lovely here and it is right on the ocean. 

The dining room (no flash was allowed)

This would be called the living room today. Very colorful and the original wallpaper was found and reproduced through the whole house. 

Well, yes, I would like a closet like that! So pretty. 

And yes, I would not mind waking up to that view in the morning. 

They also moved Nathanial Hawthorn's home where he was born to the site in the 50s. He only lived there 3 years as his father was lost at sea and they had to move in with relatives. There was a copy of the promissory note his mother signed to pay all his father's debts.

Life was not easy. 

There are lots of lovely streets with very old homes. And wonderful gardens. 

Little pocket gardens everywhere! Homes are very close together there.

Blue trees!?

This is an artist protest of the deforestation of the world. 

At least you think about it when you see the trees. 

While I feel that Salem was very much a tourist attraction

I did find people to talk to about their city. I found a lady who makes brooms and has classes on them. While I missed out on the classes I bought her kit. She has a web site with a video to help. If I have a problem, call her! A waitress who told me about a woman who told the future. Well, she didn't believe in that sort of thing she said but her place of business got flooded and the owner let her set up in the restaurant to tell fortunes, and well the waitress is now a believer. I asked another local what we should see her reply "the ocean" she is right. 

It was a lovely couple of days, husband made all the reservations which he usually does not. He did a great job.

Now back to work tomorrow. 

Have a wonderful week!