at high tide

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.

visiting

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.

trees

While it's still too early in the spring to see buds on deciduous trees, evergreens lend a touch of color to the landscape.

paddling

As I was walking in Harold Parker State Forest yesterday I came upon these Canada geese paddling in a pond.

dwarf iris

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!

snowdrops and snowflakes

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:

And these are snowdrops:

We looked inside the petals of the snowdrops to find an intricate design.

trio

A trio of crocus in purple emerge from the grass.

back to New Hampshire

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.

women on a wall

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!

daffodil miniatures

The tiny daffodils scattered in the grass at Maudslay are perfect replicas of their bigger relatives.

Bigger daffodils in the garden next door are wearing buds; I imagine they will be opening soon.

flowers at Maudslay

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.

If you'd like to see more of today's tiny flowers, click here.

back to Lynn

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.

tiny

A bit of color decorates last season's dried leaves as a crocus emerges. These tiny flowers are a wonderful sign of spring.

beyond walls

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.

More photos of the murals can be seen in the gallery beyond walls :: 2021.

first flowers

The snow-melting warm air of yesterday and today encouraged tiny flowers to emerge, a first sign of spring. As I walked today I saw both crocus and snowdrops.

I welcome the flowers!

masks

As I walked in Lynn, MA yesterday I saw two images of a woman in a mask. One was a mural, one a poster. Both caught my eye.

pink

A splash of color is provided by a cyclamen wearing shades of pink.

slow melt

The forecast calls for warm days this week. I wonder if a few days with temperatures in the 50s and 60s will be enough to melt the remaining snow and ice.

Yes, I'm ready for spring!

a low tide walk

The beach in the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge is set to close on April 1st - just three weeks from now - for the piping plover nesting season. Today was a bit chilly but it felt like a good day for a walk on the beach.

I arrived at the refuge an hour and a half before low tide. While a few other people were there I had the beach to myself for most of my walk.

string of pearls

When I went looking for the name of this plant the first name I found was "string of pearls". I believe its formal name is Senecio rowleyanus.

I love the look of this succulent vine.

seeking color

While warm days have helped the snow melt much of the ground is still wearing white. It's too early for spring flowers so I headed to the greenhouses of the Lyman Estate this morning to look for tiny splashes of color.

With less than half of the greenhouse open to the public I was happy to find some flowers in bloom.

emerging

The Charles River creates patterns in ice as the river emerges from winter.

through a window

I was watching the movement of a kinetic sculpture in the Museum of Science in Boston when I looked beyond it to take in the winter scene outside of the window. Trees and the window frames highlight ice floating in the river.

It wears the look of a painting.

The sculpture is titled "River Loom"; it was created by Reuben Heyday Margolin. If you're interested in more information you can click to the artist's page here. A video showing the movement of the sculpture is available here.

meteorological spring

It's the 1st of March, the first day of meteorological spring. While recent rain and (relative) warmth has started the season of snow melt, tiny spring flowers have not yet started to appear.

courtesy NOAA / NWS

I'm ready for spring flowers, even though the odds of experiencing more winter are pretty high. Today feels like spring with a temperature in the low 40s; tomorrow will feel like winter with a predicted high temperature in the 20s.

I leave you with a touch of warmth in this image of a clearwing butterfly perched on a flower.