Author Archives: Marjorie

A Passover and Easter like no other

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Raised garden beds, ready for planting.

Early last week we shared a family Passover service on Zoom. Typically the service happens in family dining rooms, and the focus of the service is around the dinner table. The traditional foods help to tell the story of the first Passover, and offer symbols of remembrance, of trials and deliverance. Part of the classic liturgy of the service asks four questions, and one question brought laughter as we gathered in front of our computers and were connected in a virtual envornment, “Why is this night unlike all other nights?” Why, indeed?  It was for sure a night unlike any other we had experienced up till then. Continue reading

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Sewing Memories

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Tools of the trade, and some finished face masks

Marjorie Turner Hollman is a writer who loves the outdoors. Link to all Marjorie’s books.

Along with many others, I have pulled out my sewing machine, gathered my stashed sewing supplies, and found multiple videos and directions for making cloth face masks for ourselves and others who are in need of them during this health crisis we find ourselves in. I am not a sewing expert, nor an exacting sort of seamstress. Sadly, my sewing meets the standard of “getting the job done,” but then again, cloth face masks in the middle of a pandemic are not exactly fashion statements. Continue reading

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Hughes Property, Hopkinton, MA

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A wide path invites visitors to come and enjoy the trail through the woods

Marjorie Turner Hollman is a writer who loves the outdoors. Link to all Marjorie’s books.

When I started resarching trails for my Easy Walks in Massachsuetts book series, I wondered if there would be enough open space for me to write about. Seven years later, I wonder if I can keep up with new trails being developed in nearby towns. I visited the Hughes Property in Hopkinton, MA several years ago with John Ritz, chair of the Hopkinton Hiking club, who described the area to me as having been recently donated to the town. Continue reading

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Skull Rock Lock, along the Blackstone River, Uxbridge, MA

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Upstream from Skull Rock Lock, along the Blackstone River

Marjorie Turner Hollman is a writer who loves the outdoors. Link to all Marjorie’s books.

We looked for a smaller place to walk that might have fewer visitors to avoid in this time of physical distancing. While intending to head to one destination, we passed the small parking area on Rt. 122 in Uxbridge, Skull Rock Lock, south of the town center, that offered access to the Blackstone River. No one else was there. Just what we were looking for. Continue reading

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Along the Connecticut River

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View of French King Bridge from Cabot Cove, Montague

We recently visited friends who live near the Connecticut River and enjoyed getting out with them for some local walks. They took us to a spot underneath the French King Bridge, where we walked alongside the river and watched ducks searching for food in the frigid waters. We had often stopped at the bridge itself to gaze up and down the river, but we gained a very different perspective from down at river level. Continue reading

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Powdermill Ledges, Smithfield, RI

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Boardwalk through potentially wet area in springtime, with stone walls along the way

We often spotted the sign on the highway for Powdermill Ledges, in Smithfield, RI, but had never followed through to track this open space down. I read that it was the headquarters for RI Audubon Society, so I was glad to finally get there (before the global pandemic, when everything was shut down).  It was an easy drive down Route 295 to Rt 44 west to Rt. 5. We were able to obtain a map from the visitor center, which was helpful. Continue reading

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Mercy Woods, Cumberland, RI

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Marjorie Turner Hollman is a writer who loves the outdoors. Link to all Marjorie’s books.

A perfect spot to sit and rest awhile along the trailMercy Woods in Cumberland, RI is a new property added recently to the Cumbland Land Trust outdoor spaces open to the public. 229 acres of open space with trails offers a great option for visitors to explore the trails. The trails are well-marked, wide, and relatively smooth. The landscape is hilly, and the trails offer a lot of elevation change. Continue reading

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French River, Webster and Dudley, MA

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Views of the French River from the trail

Marjorie Turner Hollman is a writer who loves the outdoors. Link to all Marjorie’s books.

In this time of “all things virus-related” worries, we decided to explore a small trail in Webster last weekend along the French  River, the French River Greenway, site of the former Perryville Cotton Mill. Continue reading

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Staying close to home: Fort Nature Refuge

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Beaver pond at Fort Nature Refuge

We decided to stay close to home when we ventured out a few days ago. Searches in nearby towns turned up Fort Nature reserved in North Smithfield, RI, a short drive from our home just on the other side of the border in Massachsetts. This small (235 acre) property offers some nice variety of outdoor experiences. But you will find no forts here–the name refers to the Fort family, which donated the property to be kept as open space. Continue reading

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Sea, sand dunes, and marshes at Sandy Neck Beach, Barnstable

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Miles of beaches await at Sandy Point

We visited Sandy Neck beach on a mild winter’s day. We were not the only visitors. A number of others strolled the beach, but with 6.5 miles of beach to walk, it was not crowded. Unlike most beaches, Sandy Neck allows, with multiple conditions, motorized vehicles and horses on certain portions of this beach. It is not every beach that requires stop signs. Permits are required to access these trails with motorized vehicles. Continue reading

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