THE GHOST OF CLAFLIN SCHOOL

Marash Girl and (rahmetli olsun) Harriet Stetson (Marash Girl's best friend throughout elementary school) both loved to read the Nancy Drew Mysteries, a series written by Carolyn Keene. Marash Girl had been gifted a set of these books by a customer of her father Peter. Because Harriet and Marash Girl sat next to eachother in fifth grade and were always abuzz with excitement over the latest Nancy Drew adventure, the teacher decided that the two girls should leave the classroom and retire to the third floor of that 19th Century brick building, (the original Claflin School in Newtonville, Massachusetts,) with the specific purpose of writing a mystery à la Nancy Drew . . . specifically, The Ghost Of Claflin School! Once the girls left the classroom during "English", the teacher never checked on them, and needless to say, the girls never wrote even a first draft of The Ghost Of Claflin School!

Let Us All Celebrate Indigenous Peoples Day!

Photo by MarashGirl©2022

This Red Cardinal Brightens Trash Day in the Boston Suburbs!

Photo by MarashGirl©2022

Meet The Hybrid Petunia . . . And She's Not In An Onion Patch!

Petunia hybrida Vilm., better known as the Hybrid Petunia!

Photo by MarashGirl©2022

Greet The Eastern Daisy Fleabane

Greet the Eastern daisy fleabane, or, as scientists call her, the Erigeron annuus (L.) Pers.

Photo by MarashGirl©2022

What gets fatter as it gets thinner?

"What gets fatter as it gets thinner?" Have you figured it out yet? Drum rolls, please! What gets fatter as it gets thinner? A balloon gets fatter as it gets thinner! Original Riddle by MarashGirl©2022

Yet Another Riddle For You!

Let's see if you can figure this one out! What gets fatter as it gets thinner? Check in tomorrow for the answer! Original Riddle by MarashGirl©2022

"When can a pitcher not hold water?"

"When can a pitcher not hold water?" Figured it out yet? A pitcher cannot hold water when s/he's wearing a pitcher's glove, and pitching a ball from the pitcher's mound to the catcher! Original Riddle by MarashGirl©2022

Another Riddle For You!

"When can a pitcher not hold water?" Original Riddle by MarashGirl©2022 Check in tomorrow for the answer!

This Diligent Gardener Protects Farlow Park . . .

Getting a jump on the season? This scarecrow has been guarding Farlow park throughout the month of June and well into July!

Photo by MarashGirl©2022

The Orange Day Lily Was Greeting All Passersby Last Month!

Photo by MarashGirl©2022

Have you met the Common Dogwood yet?

Here it is for all to enjoy . . . please welcome the Common Dogwood . . . Don't worry . . . it won't bite!

Photo by MarashGirl©2022

Marash Girl asks you again: "When can a loon fly high in the sky?"

You've had over a month, so I hope you've come up with the answer! "When can a loon fly high in the sky?" A loon can fly high in the sky when it's a bal-loon, better known as a balloon . . . a helium balloon! Original Riddle Above by MarashGirl©2022

Remembering Wilbraham and the Storming of the Bastille!

"Here is my memory : "We would set up a “bastille” (jail) using sticks leaned against a tree - the big beech (?) tree in front of the cabin. One year Uncle George was the person “in jail” - he was inside all the sticks and then we stormed the bastille and broke him out 😄 "Also, Papa would always get a whole wheel of authentic Brie cheese - it was huge and I didn’t like how the Brie tasted - but later I learned to love it! Sometimes we would keep the wooden round box that the Brie cheese came in and we would use it to store other things, like small toys." ` Above memory from Ahsin!

"When is a grape not a grape?"

"When is a grape not a grape?" Figured it out yet? A grape is not a grape when it's . . . . a grapefruit! Original Riddle by MarashGirl©2022 (I'll bet many of you guessed the answer to this riddle!)

Riddle Again!

Okay, folks. . . here goes! Get out your thinking caps! "When is a grape not a grape?" Check in tomorrow for the answer! [Original Riddle by MarashGirl©2022]

Meet the Cornus kousa F.Buerger ex Hance

Photo by MarashGirl©2022 Must such beautiful flowers have names that are so difficult to pronounce? Give up? Just take the easy way out and refer to this flower as the Japanese Dogwood.

A Corner In Newton Corner Flags Its Support For Ukraine!

Photo by MarashGirl©2022

Does The Mountain Laurel Grow Only On Mountains?

The answer, as you may have guessed, is a resounding "No!"

[Photo by MarashGirl©2022] This Mountain Laurel grows on the plains just outside of Boston!

Say "Good Morning" To The Hypericum x desetangsii Lamotte Des Étangs' Saint-John's-wort

Photo by MarashGirl©2022

Greet the Hemerocallis lilioasphodelus L.

Marash Girl has requested that you greet the Hemerocallis lilioasphodelus L.!

Photo by MarashGirl©2022 The name scare you? Can't prononce it? That's okay. You can just call it the Yellow Daylily!

When can a horse move while standing still?

"When can a horse move while standing still?" Have you figured it out yet? Here's your answer! A horse can move while standing still when it's a wooden horse on a Merry-Go-Round! [Original Riddle by MarashGirl©2022] Above riddle written in memory of Uncle Paul and Newton's Norumbega Park where Uncle Paul always took us kids on the Fourth of July!!

When can a horse move while standing still?

When can a horse move while it's standing still? [Check in tomorrow for the answer!]

Remembering the Fourth of July on Wilbraham Mountain . . .

Before the tornado . . . before the tornado took with it the cabin that sat on top of Wilbraham Mountain . . . many Armenian-American families originally from Marash celebrated every Fourth of July on top of their beloved Wilbraham Mountain. How did they celebrate? --Raising the American Flag on a flagpole on top of Wilbraham Mountain, signaling the beginning of summer for the Marashtsis in Western Massachusetts! --Building a fire in the stone fireplace built by the Marashtsi men behind the cabin, a fire perfectly designed for cooking the shish kebab that the Marashtsi women had prepared by hand for all to enjoy. --Putting up the curtains and making up the beds in the cabin (the building which had been the first schoolhouse in Springfield, Massachusetts) on the top of Wilbraham Mountain. --Remembering the blessings of this United States of America, the country that had welcomed these folks, many of whom had survived the horrors of the Genocide of the Armenian people. --And Levon and George as young boys, shooting off fireworks to celebrate with their parents, cousins, aunts, and uncles the freedom and wonders of their country, The United States Of America!

Welcome The Coreopsis verticillata L. [The Threadleaf Coreopsis]

The Coreopsis verticillata L., better known as the Threadleaf Coreopsis (below), greets all of Marash Girl's readers as Marash Girl prepares to celebrate the 4th of July!

Photo by MarashGirl©2022

SAY HELLO TO BUSY LIZZY . . . UNLESS SHE'S TOO BUSY TO SAY HELLO TO YOU!

Please allow Marash Girl to introduce you to the "Impatiens walleriana Hook.f.", or, as more popularly known, the "Busy Lizzy"!

Photo by MarashGirl©2022

Greet the Geranium sanguineum L. or, in Plain English, The Bloody Crane's-bill!

Meet the Geranium sanguineum L. or, in plain English, the Bloody Crane's-Bill! Really? The Bloody Crane's-Bill? Such a scary name for such a beautiful flower!

Original Photo by MarashGirl©2022

Now You, Too, Can Admire The Tree Privet!

Known by scientists as the Ligustrum robustum (Roxb.)Blume, the Tree Privet can be enjoyed by all . . . if not in your gardens, right here online!

Photo by MarashGirl©2022

Here For All To Enjoy Is An Early Summer Flower!

Please meet the Ilium giganteum Regel Giant . . .

Photo by MarashGirl©2022

"When Is A Leaf Not A Leaf?" Have you figured it out yet?

When is A leaf not A leaf? (Must be spoken to be a successful riddle!) Give up? "A" leaf is not "A" leaf when it's "B" Leaf (belief)! Original Riddle by MarashGirl©2022 Note: This riddle must be spoken in order to be successfully "riddling"! N.B. With many thanks to Raffi who got Marash Girl started "riddling" all those many years ago!!!

Since Summer Has Arrived, And Leaves Are All About . . .

Please allow Marash Girl to ask you the following question . . . or riddle, should you choose to see it that way! "When is a leaf not a leaf?" (Must be spoken to be a successful riddle!) Check in tomorrow for the answer!

Have You Ever Met The Milk Thistle?

Have you ever met the Milk Thistle, better known in the scientific world as Sonchus oleraceus (L.) L.? If you've never met her before, please pause now and greet the Milk Thistle!

Photo by MarashGirl©2022

"What blade can never be sharpened?"

"What blade can never be sharpened?" Give up? Want the answer? Here goes . . . "A blade of grass can be cut, but a blade of grass can never be sharpened!" [Original Riddle by MarashGirl©2022]

And As This Is Now The Fourth Day Of Summer . . .

As this is now the fourth day of summer, Marash Girl is inspired to ask her readers the following riddle . . . you'll see why when you figure out the answer. "What blade can never be sharpened?" [Original Riddle by MarashGirl©2022] Check in tomorrow to see if you've arrived at the correct answer!

A Walk In The Park A Fortnight Ago . . .

A walk in the park a fortnight ago, and look who came out to greet Marash Girl!

Photo by MarashGirl©2022

"What did the horse in Holyoke, Massachusetts, call the farmer who lived on the farm next door?"

Okay, so "What did the horse in Holyoke, Massachusetts, call the farmer who lived on the farm next door?" Figured it out yet? No? Well, here's the answer! The horse on the farm next door to the farmer in Holyoke, Massachusetts, called the farmer his neighbor, of course! [Original Riddle by MarashGirl©2022]

An Original Riddle Inspired By The Farms Of Western Massachusetts!

What did the farmer in Holyoke, Massachusetts, call the horse on the farm next door? Or rather, let's put it another way: what did the horse on a farm in Holyoke, Massachusetts, call the farmer who lived on the farm next door? (Check in tomorrow for the answer!) [Original Riddle by MarashGirl©2022]

"When is a joke not funny?" Figured it out yet?

A joke's not funny when the joke's on you! Original Riddle by MarashGirl©2022

Welcome the Mandeville laxa (Ruiz & pav.) Woodson Chilean-Jasmine!

Admittedly, this flower is a lot prettier than its name!

Photo by MarashGirl©2022

Yet Another Riddle!!!

When is a joke not funny? Check in on Monday for the answer!

Marash Girl Welcomes The Oriental Iris To Her Humble Front Garden!

Please meet the Oriental Iris (Iris orientalis Mill.), an iris which made its way all the way from the orient to the gardens of New England!

Photo by MarashGirl©2022

When is a lock not a lock?

Have you figured out the answer to this riddle yet? If not, read on . . . Riddle: When is a lock not a lock? Answer: A lock is not a lock when you see it! (i.e., when you "c" it.) When you "c" it, a lock becomes a . . . . CLOCK!!!! Original Riddle by MarashGirl©2022

Another Riddle For You . . . Let's See If You Can Figure This One Out!

When is a lock not a lock? Original Riddle by MarashGirl©2022. Check in tomorrow for the answer!

Yet Another Riddle For You!

"When can a loon fly high in the sky?" Above Original Riddle by MarashGirl©2022

When is an apple tree a crab apple tree?

When is an apple tree a crab apple tree? Have you figured it out yet? An apple tree is a crab apple tree when it gets up (or rather grows up) on the wrong side of the bed . . . the flower bed, that is! Original Riddle by MarashGirl©2022

Here's a riddle for you!

When is an apple tree a crab apple tree? Check in tomorrow for the answer! Original Riddle by MarashGirl©2022

Cheer Up, All Ye Who Pass!

Photo by MarashGirl©2022

Cello Concert In The Park!

Photo by MarashGirl©2022

This Flowering Dogwood Brightens The Local Park

Cornus florida L. LC Flowering Dogwood

Photo by MarashGirl©2022

Allow Marash Girl To Introduce You To The Iris pallida Lam. . . . The Sweet Iris?

All Iris are not alike, even though they may look alike! And an Iris with the same name may not be the same color!

Photo by MarashGirl©2022

Please Welcome The Hesperis matronalis L. Better Known As The Dames Rocket!

Please meet the Hesperis matronalis L., better known as the Dames Rocket . . . and NOT the same flower as the flower you met yesterday!

Photo by MarashGirl©2022 Wait . . . Don't go away yet! Look at this!

Photo by MarashGirl©2022 And this beauty!

Photo by MarashGirl©2022 Above Photos by MarashGirl©2022

MEET THE PURPLE DAMES ROCKET!

Photo by MarashGirl©2022

And Allow Marash Girl To Introduce You To The Japanese Spiraea!

Photo by MarashGirl©2022 Above please view the Spiraea japonica L.f., better known as the Japanese Spiraea!

This Buckley Crimson Clematis Views The World Through the Slats Of An Old Wooden Fence . . .

How do you view the world?

Photo by MarashGirl©2022

And Here In All Its Glory Is The Blood Iris (Iris sanguinea Donn ex Hornem, According To Botanists)

Photo by MarashGirl©2022

Say Hello To The Dames Rocket (Hesperis matronalis L.), If You Dare!

You may think you have alreadu met this dame, but have you met a dame that is white with five petals? A Dame's Rocket has four petals, while Phlox has five! Just count those petals!

Photo by MarashGirl©2022

Quince? Really? Awww . . . You Mean To Say Cydonia oblonga Mill., Right?

Photo taken mid-May by MarashGirl©2022

Have you ever met the Cyanus montanus (L.) Hill Perennial Cornflower?

Here's your chance!

Photo by MarashGirl©2022 And here are three of them!

“So polite 😇 … waiting for treats 😄”

Photo by Nisha!

And Before The Month Of June Arrives, Please Enjoy The Flame Azalea!

The Flame Azalea, known by botanists as the Rhododendron calendulaceum (Michx.) Torr. Flame Azalea, graces the gardens of the Boston suburbs during the month of May! (And possibly the early days of June?)

Photo by MarashGirl©2022

When is it impossible to tie a ribbon in your hair?

Have you figured it out yet? When is it impossible to tie a ribbon in your hair? (Drum Roll!) The answer? It's impossible to tie a ribbon in your hair when the ribbon is ribbon candy! Original Riddle by MarashGirl©2022

Marash Girl Just Met The Purple Toothwort! Would You Like To Meet Her As Well?

She's a lot prettier than her name!

Photo by MarashGirl©2022

A Look Back At That Not So "Common" Periwinkle - Vinca minor L. Common Periwinkle In May!

Photo by MarashGirl©2022