Deerfield Woodpeckers Update

I was able to find about an hour and a half yesterday to make a few miles on this painting. I reworked the industrial building right of center, which is actually one of the many buildings owned by Yankee Candle. At one point in time it was a car museum housing the collection of Mike Kittredge, the founder of Yankee Candle.



Several years ago I worked on his swimming pool in his home in Leverett, MA. It is in half of a Butler building with a domed ceiling painted as a sky. We fabricated a fake mountain out of concrete, complete with caves, passageways and a water slide that went through a waterfall before emptying into his pool.



My job was to climb all over this mountain and paint it to look like granite. It was a surreal experience. Outside the pool is a fake Italian Villa that you walk through to get to the professional stage area, bowling alley, arcade and basketball court complete with the old Boston Garden's parquet floor. Whatever you think of Mike Kittredge, you have to admire him for building an empire out of an ancient technology in today's high tech world.



South Deerfield is to the left here. Often when I drive down Route 116, I stop here for cider donuts and bread at Elm Farm Bakery. Across the street is the Hot L Warren, a local hangout, and down the street is Sienna restaurant, Wolfies restaurant and the GoNomad Cafe.

Please be sure to click an ad or two in the right pane. I put them there and will eventually get a check for $100 from Google if enough of you use them. I'm at about $46 after a couple of years. I'll be sure to toast you all with a drink when I take the family out for dinner with the windfall.