Even though we've had little snow so far this season, the small amount that fell a few days back remains visible on the beach.
I love the play of light in the clouds and along the edges of the ocean. Late afternoon light can feel like pure magic.
I headed to Plum Island for a walk this afternoon.
I thought about walking at Parker River but my tide timing convinced me to head to the north end of the island. The beach at Parker River is very narrow at high tide and the tide was rolling in. It was a good day for a walk by the sea.
It's that time of year, the time when I wander through the photos that I've published during 2021 to find my favorites. It's always an interesting exercise, one that takes time and changes day-to-day until I have made my final choices.
From the beginning of the year, here are my selections.
dahlia
Water on the inland side of the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge is framed by cattails and tall grasses.
along the Hellcat trailSand dunes sometimes provide a home for trees.
These are visible from the trail that starts at parking lot 5 in the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge.
The parking lot 5 overlook at the Parker River National Wildlife Refuges provides a glimpse of the ocean across the dunes.
Sand covers some of the steps at the end of the boardwalk to the lot 5 overlook at the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge.
Walking up was easy. Coming back down required a bit of care.
An image of a raccoon wearing a mask is a sure sign of the times.
hanging on a building, Salem Maritime National Historic SiteDuring the summer, the Punto Urban Art Museum issued a call for art to be placed on a wall surrounding a power station in The Point neighborhood of Salem. This wall is assigned a theme and painted in the fall of the year. This year's request was for artists to submit ideas that would:
use their creativity, communication and advocacy to develop an interpretation of "The American Dream."My favorite of this new set of murals was created by Emily Kwong.
An afternoon walk, a tree wearing woodpecker-driven holes, fallen leaves, evergreens...
It was late on a cloudy afternoon as I walked along the Merrimack River at the northern tip of Plum Island.
A quick visit to the greenhouses of the Lyman Estate allowed me to enjoy some out of season color.
These tiny oxalis flowers show as a pop of yellow against pink and green leaves.
In some places the Ipswich River in Topsfield is out of its banks.
In other places it appears as normal, creating reflections of sky and trees.
This is one of my favorite murals from our Saturday walk in East Boston - and we almost missed it!.
As we followed a map this beautiful creation was to our backs. Luckily the mural map included addresses; when we realized we had missed one we retraced our steps. I'm very glad that we did.
Heart of the Ocean, by Felipe OrtizSaturday was a good day for a walk in Boston, using a mural map to direct a wandering path through East Boston. The air was a bit chilly but a quick walking pace and the right clothing layers kept us warm.
The murals were driven by the organization Sea Walls: Artists for Oceans. Information on the project is here. Here is the statement of purpose from Sea Walls:A total of nineteen murals were created in 2020 and 2021. A mural map, here, provided a path to follow."We aim to ignite ownership for the sustainability of natural resources and to build community around the common cause of protecting the region’s ocean and coast for future generations."
Espiritu Del Mar by Marka27Low tide was approaching as I walked the northern tip of Plum Island last Thursday afternoon. Ripples in the sand and reflections in pooled water caught my eye.
Today's wandering destinatination was East Boston, to visit to the murals of Sea Walls Boston.
"Rising Tides" is a mural created by Sophy Tuttle. It shows possible sea level changes based on global temperatures. It highlights the Salt marsh sparrow, a bird in danger of extinction because of rising sea levels. I'm amazed at the amount of detail in this large scale mural. The feathers are wonderful!
Yesterday's warmish temperatures convinced me to head to Plum Island for a mid-afternoon walk. I headed to the northern end of the island to walk by both the Merrimack River and the ocean.
While there were many footprints in the fenced path through the sand dunes I had the beach to myself.
While most brightly colored leaves have dropped from the trees, there are a few still hanging on.
This one, captured on a walk yesterday, provides a nice pop of red.
As I walked through the woods in Harold Parker State Forest this afternoon I saw skim ice decorating sections of Field Pond.
It feels too early for ice even though tomorrow is the first day of meterological winter. Overnight and daytime temperatures have been chilly for the past few days, allowing ice to start to form along the edges of shallow ponds.
Trees stand tall.
The trees provide a welcome at the end of my walk at Maudslay State Park this afternoon.
The first stop of my Thursday walk along the New Hampshire coast was Rye Harbor.
A few boats floated on calm waters that reflected the blue of the sky.
A last tease of warm air pulled me to the coast for a walk this afternoon.
The tide was rolling in as I walked in Odiorne Point State Park.As I walked along a street on the edge of Boston bright color on a building caught my eye. It was a mural painted on a wall outside of the Exelon Mystic Power Station.
I'm always happy to visit (new to me) murals!
Clouds and trees reflect in the calm surface of a pond.
When I see this kind of beauty I am reminded of my love for interesting clouds.
I'm always fascinated by the color of the ocean.
On some days it is dark. On others it seems to reflect the blue of the sky.
Today was a gift of a day, a taste of warmth in November.
It felt perfect for a beach walk. I checked the tide chart for Plum Island and found that low tide this afternoon was scheduled for 4:59 pm. That's just after sunset, and sunset is the closing time for the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge. Walking at the mid-point between high and low tide felt like it would work. I arrived at the refuge at 2 pm, left the car in parking lot 3, and headed south on the beach. There were a few other people on the beach but I was alone for the most part, walking, listening to the sound of the ocean. It was a perfect time for a walk by the ocean.A tree is wearing leaves in the color of autumn while other trees show bare branches.
I find it amazing to see the different shapes of flowers that wear the same name.
Here are two varieties of chrysanthemums captured during a visit to Longwood Gardens last weekend.
Berries on plants are a sign of autumn.
Small things add a touch of beauty to the environment.
As autumn progresses leaves are fading.
Leaves that once wore bright yellow are now decorated with spots of brown.
The conservatory at Longwood Gardens is filled with autumn color in the petals of chrysanthemums.
While a long-term improvement project has removed access to some of the greenhouses, it was still a good visit. Seeing flowers when the temperature outside is cool is always a treat.
It was a good afternoon for a walk in Valley Forge National Historical Park.
Trees wearing leaves of deep orange pop against a background of muted greens and yellows.
Foreground trees are wearing yellow leaves while those in the background continue to show green. The combination can be striking.
Teasel has a very spiky appearance.
I'm tempted to touch it to see how sharp it is but it really feels like a "look but don't touch" plant.
