upside down

I think our day today was upside down because we were planning to walk from our B&B to the Wild Gardens of Acadia via Jesup Path this morning - but we didn't head down that trail until the end of the day. Denise says that's not an upside down day, but I think it is.

It was a good day though, no matter the order of our activities.

When we looked at the weather forecast last night it called for rain early, then clearing. The forecast was a bit flipped this morning - sprinkles in the morning, then rain starting later. Since Denise doesn't mind walking Jesup Path in the rain we moved it to later in the day.

Our first stop of the day was Schooner Point. The view at the end of that trail is amazing, and the ocean was quite active. Next we parked by The Tarn, walking through the woods to the Wild Gardens. When we finished there we headed back to Park Loop Road for a combination of driving and walking. Our longish walk was out and back, a nice distance doubled. There were occasional sprinkles, but nothing to convince me to jump into Denise's camera bag to stay dry.

We stopped at a beach of rounded rocks, one that doesn't seem to have a name. I know, it must have one but I can't find it! Denise finds the round rocks to be difficult to walk on but she likes to visit there because the waves and the rocks create their own kind of music.

... the waves rattle the stones, as if a child has dumped over a large bucket of marbles. Bob Trebilcock, "In Defense of Maine's Cobblestones", Yankee magazine, April 1988

By the time we arrived at Jordan Pond it was raining sideways. We kept on driving, heading up Cadillac Mountain to check the crazy conditions. It was cloudy, foggy, and very wet. We didn't stay too long!

When we arrived back at our home at the Holland Inn the air was clear. After a few minutes rest we headed out to walk to Sieurs de Mont. As always, it was a good walk and a good day.

--- Rover

walking, watching

It was a day of walking short trails, a good mixture of flat and hilly. Whenever I walk with Denise I see new things; she is teaching me to look around as I bounce down the trail. Sometimes I like doing a long trail but I'm learning to like stopping and looking around. It's hard to walk with Denise without picking up that habit!

The sky was mostly clear in the morning but in the afternoon interesting looking clouds started to accumulate. I first noticed the clouds when we were walking near Jordan Pond. I thought we were going to head to Cadillac Mountain in the early evening - before sunset - but when Denise saw the late afternoon sky decorations she decided we needed to change our plans. It was windy and a bit chilly at the top of the mountain. The cloud paintings were wonderful!

The weather wizard says it might be a bit wet here tomorrow. It's possible we may be doing some walking in the rain.

--- Rover

garden morning

We started out this morning with a focus on gardens.

Before the flowers, we bounced down a short trail to Hunter's Beach. I think it's a bit odd that the name says "beach" because that word makes me think of sand. This is a beach composed of round rocks. Denise say they are hard to walk on; that must be because she is bigger than me. I was able to bounce across quite comfortably. It's too bad it was low tide when we visited; at high tide the water makes the rocks roll against each other creating a kind of music.

The first flower stop was at Thuya Garden in Northeast Harbor. We walked a winding trail up the hill, then wandered through the garden. It was too early in the season for most of the flowers at Thuya; the garden was very green, with just a few blooms. It was a good walk though.

Next we absorbed the color at Asticou Azalea Garden. It's been a while since we visited when the azaleas are in bloom. Some of the azalea were past peak, some were in prime conditions, and others were still in a bud stage. What a delightful place!

The last garden of the day was the Charlotte Rhoades Park & Butterfly Garden. Flowers in bloom included a few tulips and a couple of thriving patches of very purple dwarf iris. I'd love to see this garden as summer approaches; a garden designed to attract butterflies seems like it would be a good place to visit often.

--- Rover

to Schoodic

Our first wander of the trip was at the tip of the Schoodic Peninsula. We've decided that Schoodic Point is a place of pure magic.

The tip of the peninsula is made up of very walkable big granite rocks, with black, basalt dikes drawing patterns through the pink granite.

The most striking bedrock feature at Schoodic Point is the array of black, basalt dikes which cut through the pale pink granite. Basalt is a smooth, dark colored rock that forms from rapid cooling of molten rock. In places where the molten rock erupts on the earth's surface, as in Hawaii or Iceland, basalt is a volcanic rock (lava). credit Maine Geological Survey

Tomorrow we'll be wandering on Mount Desert Island, in Acadia and in some spots outside of the park too. I really like it here!

--- Rover

driving north & east

We had a pretty early start today, jumping on the road at 7:30 AM (just a half hour later than Denise planned to leave). I think that was pretty good, don't you?

I wondered if we would run into holiday traffic but Denise told me she thought it was probably too early. We saw a pretty long line of cars heading towards north towards Bangor on Route 1 as we were heading south. That was just after 11 so I guess that might have been folks heading home from Acadia.

The weather was pretty good. It was cloudy when we left home. By the time we started across the bridge across the Piscataqua River in Portsmouth the upper sections of the bridge were covered by fog. Then it rained just a bit, staying gray until we turned toward the Schoodic Peninsula.

I thought it was a good drive. I know, I know, I was just watching, not driving - but Denise said it was a very reasonable drive.

--- Rover

waiting

Iris has always been a favorite flower of mine. As I walk through the garden I see a few that are open, with many others showing buds in different stages of flowering. I'm looking forward to seeing the intricacies of these soon to open beauties.

bright

Poppies create a bright splash of color in the garden.

soon...

Wow, I just realized that it's been a really long time since I wrote. I try to help Denise by writing blog entries when we travel to very cool places. That gives her more time to play with her camera without the need to think about words too. I just looked back, and the last time I wrote was during our visit to Acadia National Park last fall. Yikes! I guess I need to start gathering a list of travel places for later this year.

Over the past several years (or maybe more than that!) we have been trying to visit Acadia twice a year, once in the spring, and once in the fall. We usually go in early May but Denise says that some things got in the way of that this year. When I saw that the end of the month was coming I started telling her that I need a trip to Downeast Maine even if she doesn't. I'm so glad she listened to me; she said she needs a wander there too! Happy, happy...

I just checked the weather forecast for Bar Harbor and it looks like it could be a little wet while we're visiting. I know Denise likes cloudy days; if it's wet I can always jump into the camera bag to stay dry. I guess I'd better remind Denise to bring her rain jacket for wandering in possibly wet conditions.

Soon... we'll be off and wandering!

--- Rover

on Jesup Path in Acadia, during our visit last October

early iris

As the spring evolves, the flowers in bloom change. As I walked in the garden on this rainy afternoon I saw my first iris of the season. I've always been fascinated by the delicate and intricate designs of these flowers.

pink pops

Maudslay State Park was created from an old estate that was full of flowering plants and trees. Walking in the woods in the season of flowers can be a delight; the colors of both azalea and rhododendron pop from the surrounding green.

buttercups

Tiny yellow flowers decorate the landscape; it's time for buttercups!

almost open

A few azalea and rhododendron are in full bloom but many are just starting to open.

a walk in the woods

This afternoon I headed to the Harold Parker State Forest for a walk in the woods. Clear skies and quiet waters allowed trees to form a perfect reflection.

lilac

I started by focusing on the full bloom of a lilac, walking close enough to smell the flowers. Then I realized it was the individual tiny flowers that were pulling me closer.

periwinkle

Periwinkle is the star in this sea of flowers.

petals

The petals of a flower open, wearing a bright color and subtle signs of decay at the same time.

forget me not

A tiny flower wears a name that asking to be remembered.

As I walked the gardens at Long Hill today I saw carpets of blue forget me nots, simply beautiful.

More flowers from today's garden visit can be viewed in the gallery Long Hill :: 2017

simplicity

I find the simple beauty of a single flower to be amazing.

a tulip wearing bright pink

wet and windy

Today's weather was wet, windy, and a bit chilly with temperatures hovering in the mid-40s for much of the day. Before my volunteer time in the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge this afternoon, I headed to the refuge for a wet walk, starting on the inland side of the refuge.

While the beach in the refuge is closed for the piping plover nesting season I was able to walk to the sand north of the closure point and look to the south. It was almost high tide, and the ocean was quite active.

I feel a sense of calm whenever I visit the refuge.

to Maudslay

This morning felt like a good time for a visit to Maudslay State Park. It had been several weeks since my last visit; I wanted to check the state of the flowers.

Maudslay, the former Moseley family estate on the Merrimack River, has azaleas and rhododendrons scattered through the property. These wonderful flowers usually bloom in May and June. Today I found dogwood in full bloom with the azaleas and rhododendrons just starting to show color. It's always a good day for a walk at Maudslay; I know I'll return to check the spring colors more than once.

Some trees show full leaves, others have leaves just emerging in light shades of spring green.

As I was walking I looked up to enjoy pink rhododendron, and down to see pops of purple periwinkle in a sea of green.

flowering trees

Bright colors jump from flowering trees creating delightful scenes.

tiny

Sometimes it's important to look down. Tiny flowers in purple hug the ground, sharing their intricacy with those who look for beauty.

viola sororia

bridge of flowers

After yesterday's visit with butterflies I headed to Shelburne Falls for a first visit to The Bridge of Flowers. I'm lucky that a friend told me about this wonderful place recently; that was the first I'd heard of it.

The Bridge of Flowers lives on an old trolley bridge crossing the Deerfield River in Shelburne Falls. Two years after the street railway company went bankrupt, a local woman proposed turning the bridge into a garden. It was opened in 1929 and was repaired in 1983 after concerns about deterioration of the bridge structure. The bridge serves as a home to a beautiful garden and it also carries an 8-inch water line carrying up to half a million gallons of water a day. I suspect that the presence of the water line added to the push for restoration. I'm glad the work was done; it's a beautiful sight!

The entry to the bridge warns against 4-legged visitors.

The bridge was full of tulips and other early spring flowers. Tulips at home are fully open and nearing the end of their bloom; those on the bridge were just opening.

When I finished communing with the flowers I walked along the river, heading towards a dam on the Deerfield River.

More photos can be seen in the gallery a bridge, a river, flowers!

butterflies!

It was a good day for a butterfly visit. I headed out early with a destination of the Magic Wings Butterfly Conservatory in South Deerfield, Massachusetts. Since it was a school day there was a good chunk of time when I was the only visitor, sharing the space with conservatory staff and the butterflies.

I wandered with my camera, but I also took time to just stand and absorb my surroundings, to watch the butterflies flit through the air, to feel a butterfly or two landing on me for bit of a visit.

More butterflies from today can be seen in the gallery butterflies :: 2017 starting with this photo and ending here.

look to the trees

Flowering trees are part of the magic of spring. The blooms disappear quickly; they are beautiful while here.

painted petals

The petals of this tulip almost look as if they are painted.

motion

Can you see the wind? I love to try to capture flowers in all conditions; the wind created a sense of motion in this photo of a dwarf iris.

photos! two gardens

Photos from my quick wanders last week at Jenkins Arboretum and Chanticleer Garden are available for viewing in the gallery two gardens.

I'm lucky that these two beautiful properties are quite close to my mom & sister's house. The gardens always entice me to wander through the flowers.

The flowers confirm my thought that the seasons here in coastal Massachusetts lag those in southeastern Pennsylvania by several weeks. The tulips here (at home) are still emerging; those in the gardens I visited in Pennsylvania are nearing the end of their bloom.

fluted

A tiny flower in pink wears a fluted shape.

water droplets

Walking in the garden after a rain is a treat. It's wonderful seeing the decoration that water droplets add to the flowers.

perfectly said

I was reading a column in the Boston Globe this morning when some words about the president of our country caught my eye. The description of him is a perfect match to his behavior.

............... The Leader of the Free World is a man with the emotional maturity of a colicky infant. (And don’t even get me started on his latest “Don’t know much about history” moment when he asked, during the interview, why the Civil War was necessary and couldn’t be “worked out.” Maybe he should give Frederick Douglass a call.) ............... credit Renee Graham, Boston Globe

The full Boston Globe article OK, then, Mr. President, I’ll just see myself out is well worth reading.