This past weekend was cloudy and rainy- the perfect weather for long drives with no real destination in mind. On Saturday, I ventured out on the back roads to Western Massachusetts. After taking a wrong turn, I ended up at the Winsor Dam. I’d never been before, and climbed out of my car to stretch my legs, take a stroll, and check things out. The view was breathtaking, and that’s putting it mildly. I was awestruck. At one point, as if on cue, the sun broke through the clouds, giving me an opportunity to snap some of the above photos.

The others were taken at Quabbin Park Cemetery down the street later on that afternoon. It was such an unusual mix of very old headstones (1800s,) some so faded you couldn’t read a word on them, to not-so-old ones with fresh flowers resting beside them. I was the only one in the cemetery for quite a while, which made it rather nice and peaceful.

On Sunday, I once again found myself heading back to Western Massachusetts, this time to visit a friend for the afternoon. On the way, I stopped at a house resting quietly on a busy main street in West Brookfield that caught my attention almost immediately. Looking long abandoned and in need of more than a little TLC, I think it’s safe to say it’s my dream house. It’s so, so beautiful, a fixer-upper for sure, but beautiful.

I stood out in the rain, happily taking photos of the faded stained glass and the curtains that were still visible in the top windows. I’m in love. The only thing I kept thinking, apart how dreamy it would be to live in it, was how great it would probably be as a bed & breakfast or something.

A girl can dream.