inland waters

As I was driving to the coast yesterday afternoon I saw the Parker River. It was high tide; the river was full.

asters in pink

Bright asters decorate autumn gardens.

on the edge

A pop of red shows on the curled edge of a maple leaf.

standing tall

Some flowers continue to bloom as the nights are wearing an autumn chill. Zinnia in the garden is still standing tall.

mushrooms

Some mushrooms caught my eye today as I walked in the woods at Harold Parker State Forest. These weren't single mushrooms but a couple of large groupings at the base of a tree.

chasing butterflies

Wednesday morning is volunteer time at the Stevens-Coolidge Place. As I worked in the gardens this morning I noted some flowers that needed portraits so I returned in the middle of the afternoon. I spent some time chasing butterflies; there were several monarchs happily feeding on the flowers.

autumn color

While most of the trees are still wearing green, some are starting to show pops of autumn color.

on the beach

It was a warm and windy day, a day that drew me to the ocean. I walked a bit at the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge, enjoying the beach at low tide.

seasonal change

As the last day of summer dawns, signs of the season's change are visible. There are leaves starting to change to their autumn colors, flowers that are well past prime bloom, and other flowers still showing summer color.

This sunflower appears to have served as a good feeding ground.

salvia in pink

The color and texture of this flower jumped out at me. When I asked its name I was told that it is a variety of salvia.

I didn't know there were so many different flowers wearing this name.

delicate

It was a challenge capturing this delicate flower yesterday; the wind insisted on almost constant movement.

autumn crocus

As I walked in Chanticleer Garden this morning I was delighted to see autumn crocus popping up across a large field.

It resembles the crocus we see early in the spring but it has a much larger flower. It is an autumn blooming plant, a member of the Colchicaceae plant family.

cats

This is my first visit since two (new) cats joined the household.

I was delighted to meet Nera and Bianca yesterday. The cats moved in with Mom & Suze back in July; they are already sure that it's their house.

Meet the cats!

Nera


Bianca

sunflower morning

Many of the sunflowers in the garden are well past their prime but this species continues to show happy flowers.

floating

This sculpture, suspended on wires, appears to float above the ground.

I think he's looking at me!

"Alien Sunglasses", created by Chuck Mead :: Outdoor Sculpture at Maudslay

bee on aster

Bees were active in the garden this afternoon. There were quite a few flitting about, enjoying the newly opened asters. One stayed still long enough to pose for me.

felted

I'm sure I missed some of the sculptures in the Outdoor Sculpture at Maudslay exhibit as I wandered there this week.

I was happy to find this set of felted creatures in a back corner of one of the gardens. This wonderful collection is the work of Susan Gately.

new flowers

There are still many flowers in bloom in the garden but I have to admit that I was surprised to see new varieties opening this late in the season.

Asters are opening, creating a new splash of color.

outdoor sculpture

The 2019 "Outdoor Sculpture at Maudslay" show opened on Sunday. Once the sculptures were in place I headed to the park to see this year's creations.

Here is a bit of information on the show:

"This year's show is our twentieth show at Maudslay: the first was 1998, and we have taken two sabbatical years since, so this is our twentieth. The show has always been organized and run by the artists on a volunteer basis.

The show has never been juried - it's open to artists young and old from the Merrimack River area who are interested in creating site-specific sculpture outdoors. Artists range from experienced well-known sculptors, to children, to anyone inspired with an idea to build something. Many wonderful, beautiful, challenging sculptures have been created for the show, and we believe that the high quality of the work comes partly from the exploratory freedom the show offers."

Information on the 20th Sculpture at Maudslay show for Journalists & PR
written by Bert Snow

I suspect that I didn't find all of the sculptures. Some were spread across swaths of lawn; some were a bit more hidden.

It's hard to pick a favorite. For today I'll share some photos of "Recycled Fantasy Garden", created by Myra Suraci & Mia Thurlow. The main sculpture appears to be a dragon or serpent made out of recycled (large) water bottles and sporting a painted cardboard head. Its tongue is made of slices of cans, falling down into a birdbath full of discarded and colorful plastic.

Nearby I found a rabbit and a dog also created from recycled plastics.

If you're interested in seeing more of this year's creations, jump to the gallery outdoor sculpture at Maudslay :: 2019.

across the Merrimack

Standing at an open spot in Maudslay State Park, I looked across the Merrimack River.

searching for names

Sometimes I feel like the name of a flower is hovering just out of my grasp. This one was making me a little crazy - I thought I should know the name but it just wasn't coming to me.

A web search for flame shaped flowers sent me to Celosia. Looking a bit further I found that the name of this beauty is Celosia spicata. It is part of the Amaranth family.

happy bees

A visit to the gardens of Prescott Park yesterday surrounded me with bright flowers. The bees were busy, happily feeding on dahlias.

by the sea

I felt a need for a walk by the ocean this morning.

The tide was heading out when I set foot on Jenness State Beach leaving firm sand for walking. I shared the space with a few other people, with sea gulls and sanderlings too. As I walked I heard the calming sound of the ocean.

pink

As I walked into one of the 19th century gardens at Maudslay State Park yesterday I saw a bed of dahlias in bloom. It was a sea of pink!

deep color

A flower wears the color of the setting sun.

Cherokee Sunset (Rudbeckia hirta)

early apples

It's apple season!

Yesterday's farm stand stop made me very happy. In addition to the tomatoes, pickling cukes, and squash that I stopped for, there were bins of local apples. Today I had my first taste of this year's Zestar! crop, yummy!

The Zestar! is an apple that was developed by the University of Minnesota. It is described as "an early season apple with a crisp, juicy texture, and an exciting zesty flavor with a hint of brown sugar!".

dahlia delight

While some flowers are fading, dahlias remain in prime condition.

posing

A rabbit was sitting, eating, enjoying quiet.

It appears that I didn't scare him when I wandered outside with my camera. He decided to pose for me.