summer flowers

The solstice is just a few days away. Summer flowers are emerging, decorating gardens.

on the wall

Yesterday I headed to Salem to (re)experience the murals of the Punto Urban Art Museum. I discovered a couple of new murals and also enjoyed walls that I had seen before.

Painted stacks of brick in a courtyard of a building were disappearing; only one remained. I wasn't totally surprised given that these were not immovable objects. The one piece remaining was wrapped in plastic.

Although I haven't found any articles about timing of new additions this year, I believe this project is intended to be ongoing. I look forward to seeing new art in Salem.

For more information, check the Urban Art Museum Punto web site or read the article in the Peabody Essex Museum blog.

More photos are available in the gallery murals in Salem :: 2018.

clearing sky

The weather today was cool and cloudy with a bit of rain early in the morning. By mid-afternoon everything changed. The sky was painted bright blue with clouds in shades of white and gray and the temperature started to move up a (little) bit.

It was a good time for a walk.

delicate

Flowers continue to adorn local trees and shrubs. I've always been fascinated by the delicate blooms of the mountain laurel.

a wild rose

Flowers were dancing in the wind I wandered through the garden this afternoon. This wild rose was hugging the side of a greenhouse in a perfect pose.

looking inland

As I walked back to the Portsmouth side of the Sarah Mildred Long Bridge last Friday I looked inland. The I-95 bridge pops above the horizon, adding to the sky's decorations.

curled

Leaves curl, bending over, allowing glimpses of chamomile flowers in the next bed.

bridge celebration

A few weeks back I saw a notice for a bridge walk celebration on the new Sarah Mildred Long Bridge. I blocked the time on my calendar, planning to take advantage of the celebration to walk on a bridge that normally doesn't allow pedestrians.

Yesterday dawned with clear blue skies, a good day for a celebration. I headed to Portsmouth early. I had plenty of time to walk the bridge and to talk to others (people and dogs on leashes too) enjoying a morning on the bridge before the scheduled speeches started. While I initially thought about going only to walk on the bridge, I stayed for the speeches. The speakers included Senators Susan Collins (of Maine) and Maggie Hassan (of New Hampshire). It was interesting to hear from both of them.

I was fascinated to see the surface of the lift section of the bridge. The bridge serves both as a transit point for motor vehicles and as a means for trains to enter the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. The lift section has a set of railroad tracks between the two driving lanes. When a train needs passage, the bridge is lowered to connect to the railroad tracks that are much lower than the road deck. The bridge deck sits much higher than the deck did on the old bridge; it is estimated that the new bridge will need to be lifted 65% fewer times than the old bridge. Amazing!

I looked through the expansion joint to see the (connecting) railroad tracks far below.

a view of the bridge from the Portsmouth side


looking up at the lift towers

It's a beautiful bridge.

More photos of the bridge can be seen in the gallery new Sarah Mildred Long Bridge.

color in the woods

Maudslay State Park continues to burst with color.

Azalea and rhododendron are scattered through the property. Different varieties bloom at different times, providing an extended bright color season.

buttercups

Tiny yellow flowers decorated a field, popping up in the grass. They were in a state of constant motion in a light wind.