dwarf iris

A small but perfect (dwarf) iris stands in the garden.

pink

A hellebore in the garden at Long Hill is wearing spring colors.

posed

A robin agreed to pose for me this afternoon.

While some robins stay here during the cold months, some migrate south. Seeing robins hopping about makes it feel like spring.

wicked windy

It was chilly today, and wicked windy. Once the rain moved out I decided to head to the coast, ignoring the windy chill and listening to the call of the beach at the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge. The beach closes on April 1st for the piping plover nesting season; I knew I needed at least one more walk there before the closure.

I should have walked north first then returned to the south. I didn't; I fought the wind the entire walk back.

purple

This afternoon was my first visit to Long Hill this year, a home of flowers that bloom in the spring. While it is a bit early in the growing season given the time it took the snow cover to disappear, I found tiny flowers scattered across the property.

There were snowdrops, winter aconite, and Crocus Tommasinianus.

photos! spring bulb show

Monday's visit to the 2025 Spring Bulb Show at the Botanic Garden of Smith College allowed me to jump forward to spring to absorb the beauty of flowers. I thoroughly enjoyed being surrounded by the bright colors of tulips and daffodils.

Photos can be seen in the gallery spring flowers at Smith College :: 2025.

Click here to jump to the gallery.

tiny

I headed to Maudslay State Park this afternoon to see if any spring flowers had emerged.

While crocus haven't appeared yet I did find snowflakes, snowdrops, and miniature daffodils.

driving to flowers

The annual spring bulb show at the Botanic Garden of Smith College is the first two weeks of March.

Today was my day to drive west across the state, to visit bright flowers in bloom. I needed the color!

I will post again when the photo gallery is available for viewing.

ice remains

While it's March and the beginning of meterological spring, the landscape hasn't caught up to the season yet.

The ground continues to be covered with a layer of snow, and ponds in the area still wear ice.

clouds, reflections

While it is a dry and sunny day today, low tide is late enough that the coast doesn't tempt me today. It did on Tuesday though; here is a view from the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge at just past low tide of clouds, pools of water, and reflections.

warmth

It was a warm day for February. Snow and ice still covers the inland trails where I like to walk with my camera. It is melting, but slowly.

I headed to the coast, again visiting the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge. Isn't it kind of the ocean to clear the beach for walking with the normal tide cycle?

I walked, I listened to the sounds of the ocean, I watched sanderlings skittering, I enjoyed the peace of the refuge.

to the beach

The beach is the right place to walk when trails and sidewalks are coverered in snow and ice. It's good of the ocean to wipe the sand clear for walking.

Today's destination was the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge, arriving about an hour before low tide. Perfect!

a porthole in a fence

As I was walking through a nearby neighborhood this morning I noticed a (new) window in a fence.

I often see the dogs that live there jumping to try to see the people walking by their yard. Today I saw a new porthole window low on the fence, a perfect viewing spot for the dogs who live there.

It's a shame there wasn't a dog looking back at me!

a dream

This is a dream...

We had snow and sleet yesterday followed by cold and crazy wind today. It's mid-February so it feels right to be dreaming of flowers.

For now, here are some crocus that jumped into my camera from the gardens of Long Hill on March 13, 2024.

again!

It seems to be turning into a pattern, snow overnight Saturday into Sunday followed by mixed precipitation.

I woke to snow-covered surfaces and sleet and there is rain in the forecast for later today. While I'd like to get out for a walk my outside activity today depends on whether the roads are clear enough to provide safe footing.

between storms

Today I took advantage of the calm between snowstorms to walk on the beach at the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge. While the temperature was pretty warm for a winter day, the wind was howling so much that I felt the chill.

Snow from yesterday's (small) storm sat on the inland side of the beach while the tide swept the lower side to clear sand.

snow before cold

A bit of snow greeted me this morning, falling overnight and continuing into the daylight.

There was up to 2 inches on the ground, enough to convince me that walking on Merrimack College roads and sidewalks was better than venturing out on town roads. The temperature is in the mid-20s, warm when you compare it to tonight's forecasted low of 4 degrees.

fading

A fading camellia jumped into my camera during last week's visit to the greenhouses of the Lyman Estate in Waltham, MA.

by the sea

The air was chilly, accompanied by a bit of a breeeze. The tide was retreating as I walked on the northern end of Plum Island this afternoon.

It is always good to spend time by the sea.

a greenhouse visit

At the end of January the landscape feels a bit drab.

Today I visited the greenhouses of the Lyman Estate seeking a bit of color. While there were not a lot of flowers in bloom I was still able to get the color fix I needed.

More flowers can be seen in the gallery greenhouse of Lyman Estate :: 2025.

murals in Salem

Knowing there is snow coming tomorrow with cold following soon after I knew I needed to wander someplace different today. I wanted streets to walk rather than woods because there is still a layer of snow on the ground from last weekend's snowfall.

I chose to walk in Salem, hoping to see some new murals. There was a section of new-to-me murals along with many I have enjoyed in the past.

This mural wrapped the walls of adjoining buildings.

Click here to see more photos from today's wander.

winter warmth

It felt almost warm today in contrast to past cold days.

Winter warmth and a well-timed low tide supported a coastal walk so I headed to the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge for a walk on the beach. While the beach was clear, the dunes sported a coating of snow acquired during Saturday's storm.

icy reflection

A slightly warmer day today supported wandering with a camera in my hands.

Ponds at Harold Parker State Forest show reflections of trees in ice.

brrr...

Brrr... it's cold outside! Yes, I know, it's winter; the temperature definitely matches the season.

Here's a tulip from last spring for a bit of color on this winter day.