pop!

A pop of red shows on the inland side of the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge.

Autumn approaches.

on the beach

Low tide was at a good time this morning and today is the last day without predicted rain. That meant I was pulled to the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge for a walk on the beach.

The refuge was quiet, the beach used by a few people and a lot of birds. Sea gulls rested, sanderlings scurried across the sand.

autumn color

While most trees in the area are still wearing leaves of green, an occasional maple is wearing bright red.

It's an early sign of autumn approaching.

late dahlia

It's been a good season for dahlias.

I was delighted to find this beautiful bloom in Maudslay State Park during my wander there last Thursday. Here's hoping that they continue to decorate local gardens for a little longer.

outdoor sculpture at Maudslay

It is time for the annual Outdoor Sculpture at Maudslay event. This year's show runs from September 10th through October 1st. I usually try to visit early in the show, often returning for a second look.

On Thursday I headed to Maudslay State Park to wander through the sculptures.

To see more of the sculptures, click here to visit the photo gallery outdoor sculpture at Maudslay :: 2023

celosia

Celosia blooms through the summer - but somehow it makes me think of fall.

early morning

It was quite early when I opened my eyes this morning. The ground was wet from last night's rain but no water was falling from the sky. It felt like a good time for a garden walk.

Even though we are nudging into autum there are still dahlias sharing bright colors.

approaching low tide

Friday's walk on the beach at the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge was delightful. While there were other people around the end of the boardwalk I enjoyed a solo walk.

I walked.
I watched gulls and sanderlings feeding by the edge of the ocean.
I absorbed the beauty around me.

the wait is over

Yay! I woke up at 3:52 AM when the lights and the air conditioner popped on; the power was back!

The power was out for 37 hours. I feel very lucky; the weather wasn't too bad from a heat standpoint, and there are still areas around me without power. Not having power makes me realize how much it affects everyday life. I'm glad it's back.

This photo is from the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge. It is the last photo I took before heading home Friday afternoon, arriving home shortly before the power disappeared.

waiting

My timing yesterday was superb. I managed a pilates class, a walk to and from the class, and a walk on the beach at the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge. I arrived home just as the sky turned black.

While sheltered in the house I watched and listened to a wild storm. There was rain, thunder, wild wind, and hail. Yikes! I can't believe how lucky I was that my badly leaking windows were replaced this week!

The power flickered, then went out completely. When I looked at the power company's web site I saw a projected restoration time of 5 PM. That time came, still no power. I looked again to see that the restoration time was 5 PM on September 9th, a full day after the outage began.

Now, I'm waiting. And I'm hoping the power returns today.

fading

Flower petals fade as the end of the growing season approaches.

black-eyed susans

As the season changes some flowers have faded while others continue to wear bright colors.

Black-eyed susans create a splash of yellow in the garden.

painted slats

A wall outside of Newburyport Art shows a series of painted slats of wood. Each is a separate (and very narrow) painting. Placed together, they almost read as a single piece of art.

still pink

While most coneflowers in local gardens are wearing faded petals, I found one this afternoon that is still wearing pink.

Do you think it held onto the pink because it wanted to pose for a photo?

a spider web

As I walked in a garden yesterday morning I saw a large spider web. Early morning dew highlighted its structure. I saw no sign of the spider creator.

What an intricate creation!

early morning

When my eyes opened early this morning it felt like a good time for a garden visit.

I enjoyed a solo walk through rows of dahlias.

back to the beach

The beach at the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge closes on April 1st each year for the piping plover nesting season, remaining closed until the birds are done with it. Both endangered piping plovers and least terns nest on this very narrow beach. The birds deal with encroaching tides and wildlife; they don't need the feet of humans targeting them as well.

On August 18th a small section of beach reopened to people. The sections of beach from parking lot 2 to the north and from parking lot 7 to the south is now open. While that is a relatively small section of beach it was enough to pull me to the coast for a walk yesterday. I arrived about an hour before low tide, a good target time for walking.

The beach is highly sloped from parking lot 1, with the slope easing as I walked to the south. I walked on both sections of open beach, a wonderful return to a favorite spot for walking.

Thank you birds!

exquisite

Dahlias take many different shapes. This flower wears exquisite beauty.

wet

This morning the sky was gray, there was fog in the air, and the forecast called for rain. I decided to walk anyway, grabbing my bright blinking lights so I would be seen and an umbrella in case the rain fell.

The rain started as sprinkles but before I finished my loop it started pouring. It was as if a faucet had been turned on. I was glad I decided to wear an older pair of running shoes; I poured water out of them when I got home!

It was a good walk even though I was very wet when I returned home.

The water in this photo is a flooded section of road at Merrimack College. It was taken hours after the rain stopped; I'm sure it was bigger and deeper earlier in the day.

dahlia in white

A cool temperature and cloudy skies tempted me to visit the gardens of Portsmouth this afternoon. Many flowers were past peak bloom but many remained in their prime.

This beautiful dahlia is a target of bees and bugs.

summer flowers

As we move through the last month of meterological summer, gardens continue to showcase flowers.

gloriosa daisy

When I went searching for a name for this flower it matched as a blackeyed Susan. I've always seen that flower with clear yellow petals; apparently there are variations with the dark color of the flower's center extending into the yellow.

It is also known as a gloriosa daisy and wears the formal name of Rudbeckia hirta.

Sunshine brightens the petals of this beautiful flower.

pink

Coneflowers continue to wear pink even as the flowers' petals begin to show jagged (nibbled) edges.

photos! two gardens

Wanders in two gardens last weekend made me feel like fall is approaching. The flowers were beautiful but nibbled by bugs and starting to fade.

The flowers live in Bowman's Hill Wildflower Preserve and Chanticleer Garden.

Click to see more photos in the gallery two gardens :: 2023.

a tiger swallowtail

In spite of the heat my sister and I visited Bowman's Hill Wildflower Preserve early yesterday. We walked between sun and shade, looking for flowers.

As we walked past a small pond we saw tiger swallowtail butterflies feeding on the flowers.

dahlia delight

Fuller Gardens in North Hampton, NH has a wonderful dahlia display garden that runs the length of the greenhouse. While most of the beds in the garden are the home of roses, the focus of this week's visit was dahlias.

I love seeing the beauty and variety of these flowers.

rabbit, rabbit

I went to visit the flowers but I also spent time watching baby rabbits.

Bunnies enjoyed the grassy areas at Fuller Gardens, resting, eating grass, watching people watching them.

sunflower colors

When I think of sunflowers I usually picture yellow petals.

Sunflowers come in different colors. This variegated red and cream flower caught my eye as I wandered through a garden.

daylily in red

My eyes popped open about an hour after sunrise today; it was time to move.

I took advantage of the quiet of early morning to wander in a nearby garden.

malachite butterfly

A malachite butterfly sits with wings folded. It wears many wonderful shades of green.

bright

While the flowers are relatively small, this looks like a type of sunflower to me.

Yellow petals provide a bright splash of color.

painted wings

Today I felt the need to visit some butterflies.

I am lucky to have 2 butterfly conservatories within a reasonable driving distance from home. While my preferred conservatory is Magic Wings in South Deerfield, MA, at 91 miles from home it's too far for a quick trip. I chose to visit The Butterfly Place in Westford, just 21 miles away. It was a good visit, a time for a bit of camera play and a time to chat with other visitors, to feel butterflies land on me and fly away again.

This beautiful creature didn't share its name with me. I'll keep searching.

If you'd like to see more butterflies, the first 20 photos in the gallery flitter, flutter, butterfly! 2023 are from today's visit.

a thistle and a fly

As I was walking yesterday I saw a garden decorated in bright pink thistle. When I returned later with my camera a fly was enjoying the flower.

cornflowers

The petals of a cornflower are interesting; they almost look like individual flowers pieced together in a circle.

pretty in pink

Coneflowers are starting to bloom.

The early flowers I've seen have all been wearing pink.

fog

The sky at home was blue with puffy white clouds. As I approached the coast on Plum Island I saw a bank of fog sitting on the water.

Walking by the sea always feels like pure magic.

larkspur in blue

Today was a good day for a wander in the gardens of Prescott Park in Portsmouth, NH.

The shade of blue this larkspur is wearing is wonderful.

painted

The petals of a Japanese iris almost appear to be painted.

at Halibut Point

I headed to Halibut Point State Park this morning for a change of scenery.

It was a good day to wander along the rocky coastline.

bright

A dahlia in yellow decorates the garden, brightening the day with its version of sunshine.

patterns

Fencing in the water folds and reflects, creating interesting patterns.

This was captured just north of the Sarah Mildred Long Bridge in Portsmouth, NH. It is in water that is fed by the Piscataqua River.

coastal fog

Fog decorated the coast, lifting a bit as I walked by the sea.

morning peonies

An early morning walk in the garden was a good time to visit peonies. While most are past their peak bloom this one is still pretty in pink.

mountain laurel

I found mountain laurel in bloom in an expected location today.

These beautiful flowers popped up along a trail in Harold Parker State Forest.

peonies in pink

The predicted rain stayed away this afternoon so I took advantage of the dry weather to wander at Maudslay State Park. I found peonies in full bloom in two gardens in the park.

What a wonderful shade of pink!

deep purple

A bearded iris in deep purple caught my eye as I wandered through a perennial garden early this morning.

tiny

This tiny blue flower wears the name germander speedwell.

It posed for me while I was visiting the perennial garden at Fuller Gardens.

nearing low tide

Waves create patterns in the water as low tide approaches.

iris in purple

The complex structure of iris always pulls me in.

This beauty in purple decorates a local garden.