Flowers in the wind

Patterned sky

The weather forecast for today wasn't promising when I looked last night, calling for rain after noon. I was delighted this morning to find that the weather wizard had stumped the forecasters; I didn't need to choose between a camera walk and a bike ride.

Ah, a morning walk and an afternoon ride. Perfect!

Walking to tulips

I promised myself that I'd visit the Stevens-Coolidge Place often to enjoy the gardens. I headed out for a walk this morning with flowers floating through my thoughts, hoping that there would be color popping.

It was a good day for a visit... tulips everywhere!

Jump to my gallery, Patterns in petals, for more images from today's visit.

White against blue

A beach full of rocks

I thought about a quick weekend escape to Acadia, but an iffy weather forecast for Sunday - plus the fact that it is a good 10 degrees cooler up there - made me rethink. An escape to the sea was needed, but I decided to stick with a day wander from home. I headed out not sure of my destination.

My first stop was Parson's Beach on the southern edge of Kennebunk. It's a privately owned stretch, with owners that allow (well-behaved) strangers to wander. I have to admit, I didn't even know it was there. I was driving south on Route 9 when I saw a line of cars (parked) off in the distance. I took a chance and turned down a narrow road heading to the coast. Ah, a reward - a new beach for wandering!

Next stop was a favorite one of mine, the Wells Reserve at Laudholm. I was surprised by a full parking lot and parked along with scores of others on the grass next to the narrow entry road. There was an Earth Day celebration there, lots of families wandering, but quiet places still available for walking along the sea. The coastline seems to have changed a bit with the recent storms. That plus the fact that it was low tide left a sea of rounded rocks along the beach.

One more stop... it was time for a visit and a walk in a very small piece of the Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge. Beautiful.

More photos from today can be seen in the gallery South Coastal Maine - 2010.

Delicate

Beauty in ash

The forces of nature can cause destruction and wonder at the same time. The eruption in Iceland falls into that combination, destruction, wonder, beauty.

Monday's The Big Picture on boston.com presented some amazing photos of the eruption and aftermath. Click More from Eyjafjallajokull for some amazing sights.

Yes, you're right. I am sorry I couldn't have been there myself. I'll have to settle for other photographer's photos for now. Someday...

So green...

Sunlit, glowing

Dodging raindrops

Rain, dry, rain... It was a bit of a wet weekend. I walked in light rain yesterday, managing to get home just before the skies opened up. Today the prediction was for more rain, but the air switched back to dry by noon. The sky was still gray, but somehow it seemed like a good time to head to the coast.

I drove through rain not too far from home. I even thought for a brief moment about turning around, but I didn't. The rain continued in spurts. Rain, a little blue sky, rain, gray, rain, blue. The changing light made it a magical day to wander with a camera. And I didn't get too wet.

More photos from today's wander can be seen in the gallery New Hampshire's short coastline - 2010.

Striving for balance

Over the years I've learned to balance work and play, but somehow I seem to be in a bit of an unbalanced state right now. Last week I started heading to work an hour earlier than my norm with the thought that I would be able to leave at close to four (my usual end-of-day), leaving daylight for late afternoon walking and riding. That was a good thought, but I managed to leave later than normal. Hmmm, that didn't quite work out as planned, did it? I really didn't plan on tacking extra hours on both ends of my work day!

Sometimes work takes over, and this seems to be one of those times.

I'm trying to keep a balance in my life; I need time for both work and play. Luckily walking, biking, and playing with my camera all serve to help me keep balanced, happy.

Balance is important. I'll remember...

Erasing 30 years

A friend from college, someone who I haven't seen in a long, long time, sent me an email a few months ago. She qualified for and was planning to run in Monday's Boston Marathon.

Today? We erased the thirty years that had passed since we last saw each other. When I opened the door to greet Maureen & Smiley, it was as if those years just vanished. The last time we remember seeing each other was back in 1979, and we haven't been in touch for many years. Those years just disappeared as we reminisced, moving past the memories to catch up on current lives.

Please join me in wishing Maureen a good marathon day.

Cool, wet

It's hard to believe that the temperature here edged into the 90s just a little over a week ago. Today we are back to normal spring weather, cool & wet.

And yes, it was (still) a good day for walking. Isn't every day?

Afternoon? It's time to ride!

I feel like I never stopped today...

I started with a good walk in the chill morning air. New flowers seem to be popping up every day, so yes, my camera came with me!

Then, I needed to make a quick run over to the Stevens-Coolidge Place to see if there were more flowers there for a bit of macro play. There was a strong wind. Ah, photographer sometimes sways, flowers move in the other direction, yikes! I still came away with a few images, and I intend to visit often to gather other colors into my camera. It's only a mile and a half from home, so it won't be difficult to make the time to get there.

Afternoon, the morning chill and gray skies gave way to sunshine and springtime warmth. It was time to ride...

Now? I think it's time to rest.

Tulips in the morning

Patterns

I decided to bounce along with Denise when she headed out for a walk this morning. And oh! I needed to borrow Denise's camera for a photo. She only had her big camera with her - and that one is too heavy for me to hold stable. I saw the image though, and she helped by holding the camera for me.

Isn't this an interesting pattern? Do you know what it is?

--- Rover

Wandering in the wind

There was a spring chill in the air, howling wind, blue skies. It was a good day for a wander, somewhere. I didn't think too long before heading to Maine.

My first wander was at Saco Heath. It's still too early for spring colors; instead I was treated to views of reflections along the very wet trail to the boardwalk.

That was my inland walk. Next? I crossed the Saco River into Biddeford, then headed to the coast and the village of Biddeford Pool. It was time to wander at the East Point Sanctuary. While the trail stays on level ground, the location calls for a bit of scrambling on coastal rocks. And yes, I was careful to put my feet on dry rocks rather than slippery seaweed-covered spots!

It was a beautiful day for a coastal wander, accompanied by the sound and the feeling of constant wind.

More photos from today's wander can be seen in the gallery South coastal Maine - 2010. I plan to add more photos to this gallery through the year; the most recent photos will always show at the beginning of this gallery.

Look up

The sky is gray, mist in the air. Trees are wearing blossoms and early season baby leaves.

Pink

Summer in April

Ah, a summer day... The temperature jumped to 90 degrees, sun blazing, summer for a day. Tomorrow? Spring is predicted to return.

Goose honking

Oh! I've been wandering with Denise on our bike this weekend. The weather feels like summer. I know that cooler days will return before long, so I just had to play outside for a bit.

Denise & I were standing by a pond in Harold Parker State Forest. Denise stopped the forward motion of our two-wheeled steed so we could soak in our surroundings for a bit. It was so quiet. And then... I heard the honk, honk of a Canada Goose. I looked up, and I saw him flying low along the road. That road was a narrow pathway between tall trees, a path through the air as well as on the ground (for ground-dwellers like Denise & me). The goose swooped down the road, turned, and splashed down in the pond.

Some days, sometimes, I wish I could fly too!

--- Rover

Morning petals

Dam, rushing water

It was a summer-like day in April, a day for riding. I thought for a bit about what roads to follow, and then... I knew that I needed to see the water flowing over the dam across the Merrimack River in Lawrence, and I needed to see it with camera in hand.

It was sunny enough to let me catch some reflections of old buildings in one of the canals.

.

After a quick stop by the canal, I headed for the river. I hoped to see the dam from water level as well as from the bridge. That wasn't possible today. The water level is still extremely high. The path along the river had emerged from the water, but the rocks I needed to scramble across were still underwater.

My first view of the water was just above the dam and to the side. Quickly flowing water, smooth along the edge, crashing below into a river that is much higher than usual.



I moved onto the bridge, marveling at the difference in the height of the falling water from the last time I had seen it. None of the structure of the dam was visible, just the falling water.

Here's a view from the bridge from yesterday:



And here's a view from the same spot from April of 2009:

A calming ramble

Warmth. blue skies, dry weather...

For some reason my work week seemed to get crazier and crazier. Really, I think it was just me; sometimes I allow the pressures of the workplace to intrude on my normal state, and this was just one of those weeks. I needed to end on an up note, a return to my usual. So, this afternoon...

I left the office a little early, escaping just before 3 PM. A blue sky and warmth was beckoning. It was time for a quiet two-wheeled ramble.

It's been a long time since my bicycle and I shared the road with those 4-wheeled fossil-fuel-powered vehicles driven by people who apparently wanted to get home fast. Yikes! I readjusted to the company on the road, stayed on smaller roads whenever possible, rolled down roads I knew and some I didn't too, and came home feeling much better.

Being outside on a beautiful day, rolling down the road on my bicycle, seeing peeps of color brought by early spring flowers, listening to the bird song - all brought my normal sense of sanity and calm back to me. Wonderful!

Fog

A clear sky hung above me as I started my drive to work this morning. Halfway there, something changed. I could see gray ahead, and then I was engulfed in fog.

The fog lifted partway through the morning, and the blue returned.

Foggy days can be beautiful too.

Sunshine

It took a while for the fog and clouds to burn off. By late afternoon the sun had returned and the temperatures were edging up. Happy day!