A few words about myself … I live in a small central New England town. I teach in a neighboring, even smaller, town. I have worked as a full-time news reporter and as a freelance writer, covering government and politics, environmental issues, and nature. After leaving full-time journalism, I spent several years working as a teacher-naturalist for the Massachusetts Audubon Society. I gravitated into classroom teaching more or less by accident.
Starting a blog was a spur of the moment decision made after thinking about it for a long time. I liked the idea of starting it on the Winter Solstice, though a day had elapsed by the time I got my first posting done. I liked the idea of writing about something from home, because even though I like going to a lot of different places and doing a lot of different things, they always start here.
Martin Laine
Perambulations & Ruminations 
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September 14, 2013 at 1:34 pm
boblarkin
My four brothers and I preceded you in the Pratt St – West St – Pleasant St – West St terrace neighborhood. We discovered your piece on Dead Horse Pond the other day. We’ve been feverishly speculating among one another … who could this be? Finally my brother Jim (current Lunenburg Historian) found your blog. Like you, we never did find the dead horse. We loved Dead Horse Pond … or Dead Horse Lake, as some called it. My dad, the ever ready humorist, called it Horse Neck Pond. it was one of our favorite skating ponds. From 1951sh thru 1957sh it was a great skating surface with minimal obstructions (grass, branches, etc.). On the West Street Terrace shore-side was a large tree with a thick branch extending low, and over the ice surface. It was shaped in a hammock-like curve, making it the perfect seat/bench for skate lacing. Another scene mentioned in your blog was “the road leading to the swamp” that was down the hill from your house. In our day, we called that “Secret Pond”. It was not as widespread swampy back then. While not seen from the street, there were little pond areas around the swamp that also made for decent ice skating, although not as extensive as Dead Horse. We lived on Pleasant Street from the early ’40s until adulthood starting in the ’60s. In our pre-teens there were few homes and three farms (Dustin Farm & Arnold Farm on Pleasant Street; and Brown Farm on West Street). We indulged in all the farms and felt like the whole neighborhood from Electric Ave to John Fitch Highway belonged to us. It was a time of joy and great memories.
September 14, 2013 at 4:54 pm
perambulations
14 September 2013
Thank you for your interesting comments. I’ve neglected this blog recently mostly because I’ve just been too busy. My family moved to 317 Pleasant St. in 1961 or 1962. I was entering the 6th grade, so I was somewhat younger than “the Larkin boys”. I did have some acquaintance with Johnny and Barry Peterson, your next door neighbors. From your house headed toward West St., we were the next to the last house on the left, next door to the McGraths, if you knew them.
It was and still is a great neighborhood. As a child I roamed the fields and woods, and still do so today. I left the area when I went to college and did not return, except for occasional visits, until about 10 years ago to help my parents in their final years. My mother has since passed and a few weeks ago I finally had to put my father into a nursing home because his care became more than I could manage. I teach, now in Ayer at the high school, though for several years I taught at the middle school in Shirley. Before that I had been a naturalist for Mass. Audubon and before that I had been a news reporter for Associated Press in many different assignments.
Thanks again for your comments, and I hope all is well with your family.
Martin Laine
September 14, 2013 at 5:57 pm
boblarkin
Yes, we knew the McGraths, and I remember your house. In fact, early on when we were trying to figure things out, my brother Rich speculated, “the Dead Horse Lake blog might be by a kid from that house by McGraths”. He was right on …. just could not remember the name.
I’m sorry about your father. Hopefully this will go well for him, and bring you some deserved relief. We are all remarkably well, given that we are getting so close to the finish line. We recently had a nice family reunion around a nephew’s wedding up in Falmouth, ME.
Your blogs are enjoyable reading. When I get some time, I’ll catch up with the past entries.
Best wishes from one old Pleasant Streeter to another,
Bob Larkin
P.S. My dad had a law office in Ayer. My brother Rich succeeded him, and now has a smaller semi-retirement office there.