The house where we lived

One of the most beautiful displays at MASS MoCA in North Adams several weeks ago was this tree in its courtyard. (Click on photo for large-scale view.)

I know. That shot has nothing to do with the house where we lived. But looking out a window at MoCA you can see it off Houghton Street. In the photo below its the one on top.

It is a wonderful  Victorian house with a cruciform layout and a big yard. It was our first place. Babbie and I rented the bottom floor from 1960 to 1965 for $65 a month plus heat.  Shannon and Eric were born there.

Babbie was a nurse at the hospital and I was a reporter at the North Adams Transcript.

We had some great upstairs neighbors during that time. But one couple complained because I sang or whistled in the bathroom in the morning. Stifling happiness is a bad business.


From the big window in our bedroom at night, we could see the flames of a blast furnace at Hunter Machine, located where City Hall is now. That was beautiful.

We had some pretty wild  parties there. Everyone got so smashed at one, they spent the night, sleeping where ever they could find a spot. For some reason, I slept in our car. That was before we had kids.

Going off subject again this shot of operating piping, gages and shut-off valves at MoCA is a piece of art in its own right.