a sad (dog) day

It was time to say goodbye to Baxter today. He was a miniature dachshund who lived with my mom and sister. Baxter was loved by all (with the exception of Gracie, the cat who believes she owns the house).

Baxter joined the family late in 2015. He was adopted from a rescue and was about 9 years old at the time of his adoption. It took him a few days to get comfortable in his new home, and while he was loved he has always had issues. His refusal to do stairs meant that he had to be carried up and down the stairs. Because he needed to be with his people, leaving him on a lower level wasn't an answer.

He was always a food hound. His last meal at home was eggs cooked just for him, and the vet provided a dish of treats too.

We say goodbye to Baxter, a dog who brought smiles to every day.

soon after he joined the family, still happy to walk on a leash!


relaxing on his last morning

purple

Crocus continue to provide a pop of color.

to Parker River

As the beach closure date (for the piping plover nesting season) at the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge approaches I like to get in a few final visits.

It was a sunny, warmish, and very windy afternoon when I arrived today to find both dry sand and swirling water. Since the tide was heading in I kept an eye on the ocean as my feet walked the sand near the water's edge.

It's always beautiful at Parker River!

opening

Snowdrops sit in the grass on a small hill.

miniatures

I headed to Maudslay State Park this morning for a walk in the woods and a search for early flowers. The park is an old estate that is full of azalea and rhododendron (blooming later in the spring and into summer). It also has spots where early spring flowers tend to pop.

I walked by my usual crocus spot thinking there wasn't anything blooming. I was so wrong! When I looked a second time I saw snowdrops, miniature daffodils, and crocus in bloom.

The miniature daffodils are amazing! The flowers are 1 to 1 1/2 inches long - tiny in comparison to their normal-sized siblings.

striped petals

It's taking a while for flowers to realize that spring is here. I keep my eyes peeled for glimpses of color close to the ground when I am out.

At the end of my exercise walk this morning I saw two crocus in bloom in a garden that is usually home to many. I assume the others will follow shortly. After I finished my walk I grabbed my camera and headed back to ask the crocus to pose for me.

The small pop of color was delightful.

tide outbound

It's a joy to walk on the beach as the tide is heading out, allowing smooth sand to emerge.

raindrops on snowdrops

Light rain is falling on this chilly day.

I snuck into the garden to see if the snowdrops had opened further since my visit on Monday. The flowers are still closed; today they are decorated with raindrops.

ice & water

Many ponds in the area are still wearing a coat of ice while some show a mix of ice and water.

The mix feels like a sign of spring.

Collins Pond, Harold Parker State Forest

to the beach

It was a sunny day with temperatures flirting with the 50 degree mark, a good day for a walk on the beach. I headed to the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge knowing that there are only another 11 days before the birds take over. The beach in the refuge closes on April 1st each year for the piping plover nesting season; I'm happy that they share it with us for the rest of the year!

The tide was heading out, a good time to be on the beach.

early crocus

A pop of yellow caught my eye as I walked to my mailbox yesterday. There's a small patch of ground (facing south) where crocus bloom very early in the season.

While I haven't seen any pop up in the grass or in any other gardens yet, I'm always delighted to greet this early symbol of spring.

snowdrops

It's still early for flowers here but a few early spring blooms have started to pop. I managed to sneak through small trees and bushes to visit with some snowdrops this afternoon.

on the wall

It was early in the morning when I headed down Elm Street in downtown Manchester, NH. I was moving quickly but still keeping an eye out, absorbing my surroundings and looking for interesting sights.

As I walked past an alleyway, color on the walls caught my eyes. I was delighted to find a set of paintings of cats, and I was even more delighted that I had my cell phone with me so I could capture the memory.

poppy dance

This bright red poppy caught my eye as I wandered through the greenhouse at Smith College last week. It looks (to me) like it is dancing.

blue on blue

Sunshine and late morning light creates a sea of blue, blue sky reflecting on wet sand.

edged

A tulip in yellow wears a delicate edge of pink around its petals.

I'm happy to have greenhouse flowers to provide the color I crave while I wait for the arrival of spring.

dunes and snow

A layer of snow decorates the edge of the sand dunes at the Parker River National Wildlife refuge.

listen...

Can you hear the sound of the ocean?

I felt the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge calling to me this morning. The beach will be open for 3 more weeks before it closes for the piping plover nesting season on April 1st. With the air wearing a reasonable temperature I headed to the refuge, arriving about an hour after low tide.

The wetlands on the inland side of the island continue to wear snow and ice.

I headed down the boardwalk to the beach, carefully placing my feet in the spots that still wore snow and ice.

The water had swept the sand, leaving a smooth surface for walking. I watched the ocean as I walked, aware that the inbound tide would encroach on the sand. It's so much easier to keep my feet dry when the tide is heading out!

As I walked I felt the wind and I heard the ocean waves.

photos! spring bulb show

You can find my photos from yesterday's visit to the spring bulb show at Smith College in the gallery seeking flowers at Smith College :: 2019.

The beautiful blossoms of spring were cultivated and cared for by horticulture students. Flowers included tulips, daffodils, and poppies, with additional varieties scattered through the exhibit.

The process begins in October, when Smith College horticulture students pot up the bulbs and put them into cold storage. Starting in January, the bulbs are moved to the greenhouses. It takes careful timing and temperature control to orchestrate their colorful and fragrant debut in March.

It was a treat to experience an early taste of spring.

To experience an early spring through photos, click here.

seeking spring

The Botanic Garden of Smith College holds a spring bulb show each March, starting on the first Saturday of the month and lasting for two weeks. This morning felt like a good time to visit flowers.

The spring flowers live in two of the spaces of the greenhouse. They are positioned in the center of each space as well as around the edges, leaving a space wide enough for two people to walk side-by-side around the center tables. As it turned out, I am not the only person who is anxious for spring; there were a lot of people sharing the flower's space.

There were many varieties of tulips and daffodils, brightly colored poppies, and lots of little flowers too. I'm very happy I was able to convince myself to drive to Northampton to visit the flowers. It was an early taste of spring.

compacting

Even with the current brrr... cold temperature, the snow is compacting and shrinking. The weather wizard predicts one more day of below normal temperatures before melting arrives.

snow cover, captured mid-morning on Monday

photos! Longwood Gardens

Photos from last week's quick visit to Longwood Gardens can be viewed in the gallery Longwood Gardens :: 2019.

I feel lucky that my visit coincided with the Orchid Extravaganza. The structure and color of these flowers is simply amazing!

winter white

I woke up this morning to find that winter has returned. The world is covered in a layer of snow.

dancing flowers

As I wait for tonight's predicted snow to start falling I look at photos of dancing flowers and dream of spring.

curves

The curves and color of an Iceland poppy provide a bright spot on a day when snow covers the ground.

Visiting flowers in an indoor habitat always makes me happy.