The other day, I looked at quabbinite’s blog post regarding Gate 5 which was the subject of two recent posts of mine. He mentions his first view of the Quabbin tower from there, so while photographing the dawn the other morning, I made a quick click of the tower and am posting it for his nostalgia.
And here is an older image from a much closer vantage point.
James Hunt remarked on another post how clear the water was. I had noticed a couple of the rocks in that area and made an image of them that highlights the clarity of the Quabbin’s water. Of course, this is only a few inches deep, but the detail through the water is quite clear. I enjoyed the reflected clouds and the way it changes the textural impression along with the contrasting blue and clouds.
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Stephen Gingold Nature Photography Blog 
Love the thought of Towers, Steve, always have… and this one does stir the imagination.. so no wonder it holds tight in nostalgic terms. .. Would really love those two rocks in my garden… . but filching fingers aside. a beautiful place to sit and reflect… xPenx
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Would you drop your plaited tresses from this tower for me, Pen? 🙂
The freight for those rocks would be prohibitive. I am sure they are like icebergs and the greater of their mass is hidden in the sand.
Nostalgia is the word for the Quabbin. It was once four towns, Pen. In the late 20s and early 30s all the homes and businesses were razed or moved, cemeteries too, and the rivers running into the valley were dammed to create this huge body of water so Boston could have a drink. If you have a spare 60 minutes here is a video about the taking (short) and what lies beneath (most of the film).http://video.wgby.org/video/2365046325/
So, while very unfortunate for all the people displaced, it is now indeed a wonderful place, called The Accidental Wilderness, for enjoying nature.
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someone always plays it seems, Steve, but for a change not Nature, … Somehow that makes me feel so glad, .. Is that bad? … Tresses eh? My short hair would not be up to it, sighll … 🙂 laughing now imagining the scene!!! But those rocks are that big eh? I did wonder when I mentioned them, I couldn’t get a fix on their actual size, ah well… I can dream.. I’ll drop by to view the video, I’m using Norbert, my Tablet, and he’s very unpredictable, (notice male eh? 🙂 ). Keeps hopping here and there without my say so.. Tsk!! .. x
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I am not sure unpredictable is the right word for us males, Pen. Maybe….predictably unreliable? 🙂 Norbert seems so.
I am going to say that the rocks are probably the size of a large watermelon but, of course, much heavier. It might be possible to paint them watermelon camouflage and mix them in with a shipment to your local produce vendor. 🙂 It’s been a long day and my fatigue has made me a bit dodgy.
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Great pictures of the tower and love the pictures of the rocks and the clear water. I think the clarity of Quabbin waters was probably the one thing I had always taken for granted, so thank you for bringing it to my attention and thank you also for the nostalgic shots of the tower. Just out of curiosity, what kind of zoom do you have on that lens to get such a clear photo of the tower from the water’s edge at Gate 5. As I remember it, the tower was quite a distance!
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I used a 300mm telephoto with a 1.4 teleconverter, q.
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I like the distant view very much Steve. The water is incredibly clear. Nice to have this close at hand.
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Thanks, Andrew. The Quabbin is a drinking and flushing supply for that backwater known as Boston. 🙂
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Great views of this tower!
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Thanks, Phil.
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Wonderful images Steve !!
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Thanks, Bernie.
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The second photo is my favorite. The gate could almost pass for a ighthouse. All these photos are such great records for the area of New England that you frequent
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Thanks, Yvonne. The tower does have a commanding view of the valley.
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I particularly like the photograph of the rocks. The clear water in foreground juxtaposed with the cloudy reflection works very well. I didn’t know they drank water in Boston…
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Thanks, Rod. Shockingly, they bathe and flush with it too. 🙂
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