Sunday, May 9, 2021 was a sad day; it was the day Mom took her last breath.
I think the flowers knew. Suze picked up a bunch of tulips for Mother's Day. As the day went by a single white tulip drooped down while the other flowers stood tall. When Mom died the flower was barely holding on. This morning the white tulip was standing tall; I'd like to think it means that Mom is now at peace.
Sherry Goldberg: May 16, 1930 - May 9, 2021
This delicate daffodil is known as a poet's narcissus.
It agreed to pose for me as I wandered in Maudslay State Park this afternoon.
While many trees are wearing green already, some of the leaves are just emerging. The new leaves show as a lighter shade of green.
Last Thursday's rainfall left many rivers in the area out of their banks.
As I walked this afternoon I was fascinated by the patterns created by trees reflecting in the still flooded Ipswich River.
As spring days pass, early blooming flowers fade.
Even faded flowers catch my eye. I think this daffodil wears a different kind of beauty.
Yesterday afternoon was dry with variable clouds. Some of the clouds looked like they held rain, others seemed to be for decoration. Walking along the Topsfield Linear Common provided this view of trees reflecting in a pooled section of the Ipswich River.
McKaig Nature Center was a good place to walk this morning. Leaves are emerging, painting the landscape with shades of green.
I love wandering through gardens to enjoy the different shapes and colors of the current season's flowers. I have a strong preference for seeing flowers scattered through both garden beds and the surrounding green areas.
Here's a pop of yellow from tulips scattered on a hill of green.
I wandered through Jenkins Arboretum this morning, following paths surrounded by floral color. Azalea was starting to bloom, flowers close to the ground added color, and there were trees wearing flowers too.
Early spring flowers present a simple beauty. This vinca creates a pop of purple in a sea of green leaves.
While decidious trees are not yet wearing green, evergreens provide a pop of color among the trees.
Yesterday I walked a loop in Topsfield, passing by a farm that houses rescue animals.
This little goat wanted to come out and play!
I was already familiar with the deep blue purple of tiny Siberian Squill but before this year I don't remember seeing these striped beauties. Using a photo-based plant identification app I found that this variety is known as Striped Squill.
Small spring flowers provided color on this very gray day.
A periwinkle posed for my camera as I walked through the gardens of Long Hill.
I was walking on a local trail this afternoon when a bit of purple caught my eye. I looked down to find patches of tiny violets in full bloom.
Maudslay State Park was once a large estate populated by a large number of azalea and rhododendron. The flowers bloom across a couple of months, and while it is very early in the blooming season I found a single azalea wearing pink when I walked in the park yesterday.
Swaths of exposed granite create a footpath between thick vegetation in a coastal section of Halibut Point State Park.
The bright yellow of this daffodil is enhanced by the background blues of tiny glory of the snow.
Wednesday's Long Hill visit was delightful. In some spots there appeared to be a carpet of very tiny flowers spreading color across the early spring landscape.
This was my earliest visit there. When I looked back through past year's photo galleries I can see that my usual visit time at Long Hill was in early to late May. Heading out at the end of March allowed me to enjoy early season tiny flowers; it's time for a new visit habit! I plan to return often to watch the flowers change.
A walk in the gardens of Long Hill yesterday allowed me to enjoy the bright color of tiny flowers.
This afternoon's wander at Halibut Point State Park was close to the time of high tide. That allowed me to sit on rocks closed to the ocean's edge without the worry of getting wet.
Walking a loop in Topsfield that we call "the critter walk" provided an opportunity to visit with some donkeys. They walked close to the fence and this one even agreed to pose for me.
While it's still too early in the spring to see buds on deciduous trees, evergreens lend a touch of color to the landscape.
As I was walking in Harold Parker State Forest yesterday I came upon these Canada geese paddling in a pond.
Yesterday's surprise was seeing dwarf iris in a garden that I passed during my exercise walk. Yes, I really did go back later with a camera!
I headed back to Maudslay State Park late yesterday afternoon to share the tiny flowers with a friend.
We discovered that one of the two flowers we thought were snowdrops were actually spring snowflakes. These are spring snowflakes:
Today was the first day of the state's next stage of reopening. One of the new rules states that quarantine on entry to MA is no longer needed if you are "returning to Massachusetts after being out of the State for fewer than 24 hours". That meant today was a good day for a wander on the New Hampshire coast. It's been a long time since my last visit there.
I headed to Odiorne Point State Park for a wander along the coast and through the woods. Before I entered the park I headed to a small rocky peninsula just south of the park where people have left stacked rocks above the tide line.
This mural was created by Mariela Ajras for the Beyond Walls festival in Lynn in 2018.
A statement from the artist:"A mural about the female universe. An embrace. An implied sisterhood among every woman. A net of support when times continue to harvest inequality. The expression of deep frustration when our bodies are still a field of political forces and are still subjugated to those in power who wish to control every inch of it. and in the middle, our spirits, resilient and resisting, screaming with strength of history, for a revolution of the mind."My first glimpse of this beautiful piece was during my wander in Lynn this past Wednesday. I'm not sure what made me walk down the street where it lives but I'm very glad that I did!
The tiny daffodils scattered in the grass at Maudslay are perfect replicas of their bigger relatives.
Maudslay State Park was calling to me today. I needed to check for the appearance of early spring flowers.
When I arrived at the first spot where I thought there might be some color I didn't see any. I stood still and looked again. The color was there, but the flowers are so tiny that it didn't stand out on my first glimpse. I saw clusters of miniature daffodils in yellow, snowdrops in white, and just a few crocus wearing purple. I'm glad I've learned to always look twice! As I walked into another part of the garden I saw a few chionodoxa, also known as glory of the snow. Next, I walked through the opening in a wall to find a hillside of snowdrops. It was a good day for a Maudslay visit. I plan to stop by often to check on the flowers.
Today I headed back to Lynn with a friend. Our goal? to search for more murals.
It was a successful journey through the district where the murals live, followed by an interesting drive home. I was using Google Maps on my phone, and when it suggested an alternate route to avoid some traffic congestion I decided to accept the suggestion. In the beginning it felt like we were heading in the wrong direction but that changed pretty quickly. Instead of sitting in traffic we were driving on quiet neighborhood roads, a nice change of pace. My favorite mural today was this one, titled COMFORTING SOUNDS and created by Evoca1.
A bit of color decorates last season's dried leaves as a crocus emerges. These tiny flowers are a wonderful sign of spring.
This past Wednesday I headed to Lynn, MA for a change of scenery, a wander through the murals that live in the center of town. The last time I visited was back in 2018. New murals were added in both 2019 and 2020 so I knew it was time for another visit. I saw a lot on this visit but I missed a lot too. I plan to return soon to find more murals.
The organization that organizes the public art in Lynn is Beyond Walls. I will watch the site for information on new installations. The portrait on the wall below was created by Helen Bur.
