still frozen

While warmer air temperatures translate into very comfortable walking weather I wouldn't set foot onto the ice that continues to cover local ponds. It's still way too cold to risk falling through to the water!

clear

I'm fascinated by the clear wings of glasswing butterflies. According to an article on Wikipedia the glasswing's "unique transparent wings allow it to camouflage without extensive coloration".

ice & water

While the rain overnight on Saturday washed away most of the snow, some patches of icy white remained at high tide yesterday.

high tide

Water, water, everywhere! It was about an hour after high tide this afternoon, and I was looking north from Plum Island Turnpike in Newbury, MA.

Do you think this is a sensible location for a house?

apple envy

Today's treat was the taste of Envy apples.

Envy was created by crossing Braeburn with Royal Gala apples, resulting in an apple that is crispy and sweet.

women on a wall

I headed to Lawrence this afternoon hoping to find new things to photograph in a familiar environment.

I walked through a parking lot and by an old mill building under renovation. My eyes were drawn to a splash of color, a mural that was wide enough that I needed more than one photo to capture the women on the wall.

Here are two pieces of a single mural.

lighter layers

The temperature edged up into the low 40s by early afternoon. It was delightful to be able to walk wearing lighter layers.

If I really need warmth I can always look at butterfly photos & dream!

upside down

Some butterflies rest upside down.

I wonder what triggers the preferred positioning when they are still.

Malachite butterfly

endorsements

I was surprised to see that the New York Times has broken with tradition and endorsed two democratic presidential candidates, Elizabeth Warren and Amy Klobuchar. I'm volunteering for Elizabeth Warren's campaign but I will happily vote for Amy Klobuchar if she wins the nomination. I believe they are both strong candidates.

"In a break with convention, the editorial board has chosen to endorse two separate Democratic candidates for president, Amy Klobuchar and Elizabeth Warren" is the introduction to the editorial, The Democrats’ Best Choices for President.

image courtesy of the New York Times

blue & white

Last night's storm left a coat of snow on the ground.

This morning's blue sky highlights the white snow.

a splash of pink

It's cold and gray outside today as we wait for predicted snow.

It's always good to have photos of flowers to provide some color!

intricate patterns

I find the patterns on this butterfly's wings to be simply amazing.

butterflies!

Yesterday I felt a need to stand among butterflies, to absorb a bit of beauty.

I headed to the Magic Wings Butterfly Conservatory to enjoy warmth and butterflies. It's just under a 2-hour drive from home, reasonable for an out and back day. And luckily although the temperature outside said it was winter, the roads were dry and free of snow. There was a bit of fog lingering as I neared the conservatory but driving conditions were reasonable.

I stood in the warmth watching the constant movement of the butterflies. I walked, watching flight, trying to capture the beautiful creatures with my camera. It was a good butterfly visit.

There are more photos in the gallery flitter, flutter, butterfly! 2020.

in an alley

As I was driving through the village of Turners Falls early this afternoon I slowed as I approached a red light and caught a glimpse of something on a wall. I looked again to see a mural painted on a wall in a narrow alley. Yes, of course I stopped!

The mural was created in 2016 by Pin8, an Ecuadorian graphic artist.

gray

It was a gray and chilly morning with snowflakes in the air. Yesterday's strong wind disappeared allowing still water to form perfect reflections.

warmth & sunshine

The last two days have been a treat of warmth & sunshine, a break from winter's normal weather. The days were good for walking, and good for dressing in a single light layer, no gloves needed!

The temperature is dropping now, moving from a summer-like high around 70 this afternoon to a predicted low tonight of 25, a return to winter cool.

edged

This tiny flower didn't share its name with me but it did share its beauty.

I love that the petals are edged in purple.

camellia in pink

One of the greenhouses at the Lyman Estate is the home to camellias that usually bloom in February and March. When I visited yesterday I was delighted to find some of the plants already wearing flowers.

a day off

While I spend some time exercising on most days I know the importance of taking rest days; I usually manage a day off every week or so. I realized on Saturday that my last rest day was a good 2 1/2 weeks in the past, yikes! That triggered a plan for a rest on Sunday.

That almost worked. I didn't go for an exercise walk but I did go for a walk on the beach before volunteering at Parker River. That non-exercise walk turned out to be close to a 3-mile walk. In hindsight, that wasn't a rest day! When I woke up this morning without my usual energy I realized that my Sunday rest day wasn't one. I took a day off today, resting, reading, visiting flowers in a greenhouse.

I feel reenergized!

ice & water

With the temperature swings we have been experiencing I was a bit surprised to see ice on the ponds in Harold Parker State Forest. I found the mixture of ice and water to be interesting.

patterns

It's always interesting to see changing patterns on the beach as the tide recedes, exposing smooth and textured sand.

wild wind

The sun was shining, the air was chilly, and the wind was blowing at 21 miles per hour with gusts above 30.

I chose to walk on the beach at the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge before I started my volunteer shift in the visitor center. It was an out and back walk, walking to the south to start, heading north to return. The strong wind was coming from the north, making the return a bit more challenging.

Walking by the sea is special; it makes me smile.

river view

I looked to the north, my eyes following the river that forms the boundary between New Hampshire and Maine (in the Portsmouth area).

The three bridges crossing the Piscataqua River are visible in the distance.

across the water

A blue sky and white clouds enhanced the view as I looked across the water to Peirce Island.

The water in the river follows the tide; edges of land can be seen just 2 hours past low tide.

first day

I woke up on this first day of 2020 thinking about where I wanted to wander today. I chose to walk along the New Hampshire coast.

For a winter's day, the air was almost warm (with the temperature in the mid-30s), the sky was blue with white cloud decorations, and there was a bit of wind. It was a good day for walking.

It apparently was also a good day for surfing, and I even saw a couple of folks in bathing suits jumping into the water. The surfers wore drysuits but the swimmers, brr!