imagine

This sign caught my eye as I was walking yesterday.

I think it's a reminder to let my imagination fly.

cooling thoughts

As the latest heat wave continues in both the northeast and the northwest I am thinking and dreaming of cooler days.

Here's a photo taken in Portsmouth, NH just a week ago on a cooler day. The sky was decorated by a pattern of clouds.

fading iris

The color of these Japanese iris has faded a bit from their initial bloom. Even with the change the flowers continue to paint a corner of the garden in shades of purple.

in the distance

The Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse - located on the edge of New Castle Island - can be seen in the distance.

speedwell spikes

Veronica spicata decorates the garden with spikes of purple flowers.

This plant is also known by the common name speedwell.

curves

Garlic scapes create interesting patterns in the garden.

green

The grass along the coast in Odiorne Point State Park is wearing an amazing shade of green.

magic light

I headed to Portsmouth, NH yesterday morning to visit the gardens in and around Prescott Park.

I'm glad I broke away from the flowers long enough to walk across the bridge to Peirce Island. The light shining on the Piscataqua River was amazing.

sand sculptures

The 21st annual Hampton Beach Sand Sculpting Classic was held last week. The sculptors prepared their sites on Wednesday, sculpting their creations on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. I visited twice, on Friday afternoon to see the sculptures in progress, and early Sunday morning to see the finished sculptures.

My favorite is titled "Miss You, My Friend". It was created by Justin Gordon of Groveland, MA.

More photos of the sand sculptures can be seen in the gallery sand sculptures :: Hampton Beach 2021.

hosta flowers

Delicate flowers rise above the leaves of a hosta.

patterned

The inside of the tubular flowers of foxglove wear interesting patterns.

a pop of pink

Wild roses bring a pop of pink to the coast.

on the beach

Late afternoon is a wonderful time of day for a quiet walk on the beach.

Yesterday I visited Crane Beach in Ipswich, MA with a friend. The entry point to the beach was crowded with humans of all sizes but as we walked to the south we shared the beach mainly with the birds.

a single rose

As I drove up the New Hampshire coast on Friday I made a quick decision to visit the roses at Fuller Gardens. The rose gardens were a sea of color, simply amazing.

I plan to return later in the season to visit the dahlias.

If you'd like to see more flowers, click to the gallery Fuller Gardens :: 2021.

clouds on the coast

Yesterday was cool and cloudy, perfect conditions for a walk along the coast.

late blooms

It is late enough in the blooming season that most of the azalea and rhododendron in Maudslay State Park have already dropped their flowers. When I walked there yesterday afternoon I saw only a few that continued to decorate the landscape in shades of pink.

morning light

A bearded iris glows in early morning light.

mountain laurel

I'm fascinated by the delicate flowers of the mountain laurel.

I don't remember seeing these flowers until a couple of years ago. This year I've seen them in quite a few locations near home.

continued heat

A heat advisory for this area continued into today; it is expected to stay in place until 8 pm.

I'm happy to have a cool place to be when the temperature is this high but I also feel a need to be outside. While my exercise walks have been slotted into the somewhat cooler early morning hours, I have still managed to return home dripping in sweat.

This afternoon I decided to ignore the very warm temperature, taking a short, slow walk in Harold Parker State Forest. As I walked I started to hear thunder. Rain began to fall just as I reached my car. The rain stopped quickly; perhaps it will return.

peonies in pink

An early morning walk in the garden showed a space decorated by peonies in pink.

sculpture & flowers

Bedrock Gardens in Lee, NH is a delightful place to visit.

I headed there last Thursday for a wander among the sculpture and the flowers. It's always fun to discover changes and to see favorite sights from previous visits.

More photos can be seen in the gallery Bedrock Gardens :: 2021

purple

Most of the rhododendron I've seen in bloom this year have been wearing shades of pink and light violet.

A visit to Long Hill this morning showed me some in a wonderful shade of purple.

in the woods

Harold Parker State Forest was a good place for an afternoon wander. The predominant color was green but as always I was constantly looking for color.

Pink lady's slippers were hiding in plain sight along the trails, and I found a single yellow iris standing next to Collins Pond.

Seeing these beautiful flowers brought memories of my mother. She was an artist who taught me (and my siblings) how to see.