Only Sissy could see the ghost

 

 


Sissy the Cat was a sleepy pet. She spent most of her days and evenings napping on Ruth Miller’s lap. Sometimes she dozed on the arm of Mr. Howard Miller’s chair.

In the evenings the Millers would sit in the parlor of their 19th-century home in Wassaic working on a scrapbook of photos and articles about the olden days in the hamlet. They loved to read about the former owner of their home, Noah Gridley.

It just so happened that Noah Gridley, who owned the iron foundry and most of the real estate in the hamlet of Wassaic in the mid-1800s, built the Miller house more than 100 years ago. Gridley himself slept in the master bedroom on the second floor, right above the parlor. It was his habit to come downstairs to the kitchen every evening for a glass of milk before bed.

How did Ruth and Howard know this? Because every single night sleepy Sissy perked up her ears, swiveled her head around to look toward the stairs, and jumped down to go meet Noah Gridley on his way to get his evening milk. The Millers never heard a creak, no footsteps on the stairs, no doors opening and closing, but Sissy never missed the sound of Noah’s ghost, even though she appeared to be asleep only a few moments before.

"Here comes Noah down the stairs," Howard would remark. Soon Sissy would be back, yawning, stretching her little paws and going right back to sleep.

And what has happened since then? Nobody has any idea if the ghost is still there because no person and no other cat can see the ghost of Noah Gridley. It is said by some folks in the little hamlet of Wassaic that early in the morning a shadowy figure is seen in the window just upstairs from the parlor. Could it be Noah looking for Sissy?

Latest News

Club baseball at Fuessenich Park

Travel league baseball came to Torrington Thursday, June 26, when the Berkshire Bears Select Team played the Connecticut Moose 18U squad. The Moose won 6-4 in a back-and-forth game. Two players on the Bears play varsity ball at Housatonic Valley Regional High School: shortstop Anthony Foley and first baseman Wes Allyn. Foley went 1-for-3 at bat with an RBI in the game at Fuessenich Park.

 

  Anthony Foley, rising senior at Housatonic Valley Regional High School, went 1-for-3 at bat for the Bears June 26.Photo by Riley Klein 

 
Siglio Press: Uncommon books at the intersection of art and literature

Uncommon books at the intersection of art and literature.

Richard Kraft

Siglio Press is a small, independent publishing house based in Egremont, Massachusetts, known for producing “uncommon books at the intersection of art and literature.” Founded and run by editor and publisher Lisa Pearson, Siglio has, since 2008, designed books that challenge conventions of both form and content.

A visit to Pearson’s airy studio suggests uncommon work, to be sure. Each of four very large tables were covered with what looked to be thousands of miniature squares of inkjet-printed, kaleidoscopically colored pieces of paper. Another table was covered with dozens of book/illustration-size, abstracted images of deer, made up of colored dots. For the enchanted and the mystified, Pearson kindly explained that these pieces were to be collaged together as artworks by the artist Richard Kraft (a frequent contributor to the Siglio Press and Pearson’s husband). The works would be accompanied by writings by two poets, Elizabeth Zuba and Monica Torre, in an as-yet-to-be-named book, inspired by a found copy of a worn French children’s book from the 1930s called “Robin de Bois” (Robin Hood).

Keep ReadingShow less
Cycling season: A roundup of our region’s rentals and where to ride them

Cyclists head south on the rail trail from Copake Falls.

Alec Linden

After a shaky start, summer has well and truly descended upon the Litchfield, Berkshire and Taconic hills, and there is no better way to get out and enjoy long-awaited good weather than on two wheels. Below, find a brief guide for those who feel the pull of the rail trail, but have yet to purchase their own ten-speed. Temporary rides are available in the tri-corner region, and their purveyors are eager to get residents of all ages, abilities and inclinations out into the open road (or bike path).

For those lucky enough to already possess their own bike, perhaps the routes described will inspire a new way to spend a Sunday afternoon. For more, visit lakevillejournal.com/tag/bike-route to check out two ride-guides from local cyclists that will appeal to enthusiasts of many levels looking for a varied trip through the region’s stunning summer scenery.

Keep ReadingShow less