Great Barrington from Trash to Barbecue

Elizabeth had an Authentic Movement Session in Great Barrington yesterday, so I decided to ride along and just hang out there a while to amuse myself on a very rainy day here at Burden Lake.

I poked about in the shops and bought almost nothing. These funky town shops are so over priced. Even the thrift store wanted $3 for a cap. Imagine!! I was wearing my favorite Fort Bragg cap which was only 50 cents at the Fort Bragg, California thrift shop. It is fast becoming one of my favorites, although being very radical about our lower carb diet at the time we did not have one of the B and C Bruno Sandwiches. Actually, we did not even go to the B and C Grocery, but only to the thrift store. Still favorites come sometimes for even irrational reasons.

If you click on this photograph, the hat will enlarge. This is true for all the photos in this post.

But I digress.
I did enjoy walking around Great Barrington
and seeing the sights. There were plenty of young, pretty girls and fine old buildings.
I only took photos of the buildings.

The Episcopal Church(TOP) and First congregational (bottom)

And of some flowers. These impatience turned out the best.




Here is a photo of me reading the Full Tilt Poker book Peter gave me for Father's Day. You don's see me because I had to interrupt my reading to take the picture. This was a fine, quiet little park behind city hall. A chess or checkers grid was sliced into the table top, but all the squares were the same color on the same granite top. That must make for a frustrating game.

A cute little theater.

I did buy one thing. Wine. Okay...........two things. Wine ................and Wine. Both Bordeaux and both under $10. I don't know much about wine, but to carry the Bordeaux name the grapes must be raised in that area of Franced. In spite o knowing nothing about wine, I have very high standards. I could tell these would taste just perfect because they were red and in glass bottles.
If the wine is white and in glass bottles, I will buy it for Elizabeth and then I will drink it with her. If the wine is pink and in glass bottles I will let others buy it and drink it with them. If the wine is in a box I will only drink it at parties.
I liked getting these from a "Package Store." They were "packaged" in brown paper bags so as not to offend any women from the WTCU who might see me exit the store.

The highlight of my visit were the trash bins. Well, technically, these are the bottle/can recycling bins. Apparently, at some point, perhaps when other cities were having those art contests around a theme of cows or fish or buffalos, Great Barrington wanted to get in style and so they had artists create different renditions of bottle/can recyling containers and set them out along Main Street.

http://www.epa.gov/rcc/2006news/12-bins.htm

http://www.cetonline.org/recycling_services/ArtBins_photos.php

http://wasteage.com/Recycling_And_Processing/waste_beautiful_bins/

It is a fine idea. They made the common sidewalk a little art gallery.
I have been lobbying that other places (like casinos) get the idea to put some art into parking garages. They could take some inspiration from these pieces.
On the other hand bottle/can recycling containers as ornate as this explain why I could not afford anything in the shops.

This only looks like your basement plumbing. Each side was unique too. Here is two other sides.



This only looks like a filling cabinet.

This one was most appropriately placed. It fit the colors of the old granite.

This was really my favorite, but you had to touch it to really get a sense of it. Wonderfully thick , heavy brass. This photo does not do it justice.

Here is one that collected in collage the kinds of sights you see on Main Street.

And here is one for the kids, like me.

I wish I could have caught the sound of this train in this photo. I barely had time to shoot the photo so a video was impossbile even if I knew how to shoot a video. I was sitting in the car and listening to NPR while I waiting for Elizabeth to end her movements. I heard the hoot of the train get closer and closer and then I realized I was right at the old train station and the train would pass me right by. So I hopped out and pushed the camera button.

Elizabeth joined me and we did go out for supper, but not at this cute little diner.

We actually went to this barbecue joint just down Route 7 for some of the best food we have eaten. We split a mixed barbecue and had some New England Chowder for starters. The chowder was very unique, laced with bits of ham and delicious. The barbecue was wonderful. We split a mixed plate "for one" ($28) which was enough for four. Included was a sample of ribs, brisket and a sandwich of coarsely pulled or chicken.

Everything was tender and juicy and it was not swimming in some tacky catsup-like sauce, but delicatedly flavored with a bottle of their home brewed sauce on the table that could be added to taste. With it I had a refreshing glass of sangria.

I failed to photograph the grill . Perhaps I was too lethargic after being over fed with barbecue.

http://www.route7grill.com/

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