Listen, can you hear the sound of the sea?
The day dawned cold with the temperature rising enough to create a good walking environment. I headed to the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge to enjoy a low tide walk on smooth sand, a walk accompanied by the sound of ocean waves.
It's that time of year, the time when I wander through the photos that I've taken during 2025 to find my favorites. It's always an interesting exercise, one that takes time and changes day-to-day until I have made my final choices.
From the beginning of the year, here are my selections.
peaceful
Warmer temperatures over the past few days have released ponds in the area from much of their ice cover.
Reflections and ice alternate on the surface of Field Pond in Harold Parker State Forest.
Warm(ish) temperatures this afternoon pulled me outside to walk in Harold Parker State Forest. While the ground was mainly clear of snow the ponds wore a solid surface of ice.
It was a good day for a walk in the woods.
The end of the boardwalk approaching the beach entrance at parking lot 3 at the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge is covered with drifted sand. A bit of railing is much lower than it was when the steps to the beach were created; it's amazing how much sand movement there is.
Today's light snow and cold tells me that yesterday was the right day to visit the beach.
Chill air, cloudy skies, and approaching low tide drew me to the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge.
I shared the beach with sea gulls, sanderlings, and a few other people.
I walked in still snowy Maudslay State Park today. While only 1 to 2 inches of snow fell last Tuesday, the air has been very cold; trails continue to be snowy and icy.
I was delighted to find a tiny snowman and snowdog sitting on the stone railing of a bridge.
Yesterday's weather went from snow to freezing rain and back to snow again. The freezing rain removed some of the snow depth.
While it is meteorological winter I didn't expect to see snow on the ground this early in the season.
It was chilly and it was wicked windy, a good day for a walk at the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge.
I saw a few other people and a handful of birds. I saw sand blowing across the beach. I felt the wind pushing me, trying to control my forward progress.
Today was a day of unseasonable warmth and an ever-changing sky.
Clouds moved from dark to lighter then moved aside a bit to allow some blue to peek through.
It's been chilly during the day and cold overnight - cold enough to start forming a skim coat of ice on some of the ponds in the area.
As I walked in Harold Parker State Forest this afternoon I noticed signs of emerging ice.
It was good day for a low tide walk in the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge. The sky showed blue with changing clouds, moving from bright white to dark gray and back again.
While it was chilly and windy, it was wonderful.
As the weather transitions to late autumn a few trees cling to some leaves showing occasional pops of yellow and red.
Trees, some bare, some clinging to color... Wandering in Acadia National Park this week was wonderful. The air was chilly, the sky changed each day, and many trees continued to wear autumn color.
The park was busy when I arrived on Sunday afternoon but the rest of my time there was quiet. It was a wonderful visit. Photos can be seen in the gallery late autumn, Acadia.
I enjoyed a cloudy last morning in the park before it was time to drive home. I walked along Park Loop Road, listening to the ocean, looking at the rocks, absorbing the beauty.
Sometimes a short trip is perfect; this one made me happy.
Wow, it was wicked windy today! There were times when I had to jump into Denise's camera bag so I wouldn't blow away.
It was a day of wandering, of stopping whenever something interesting grabbed Denise's attention. Once we were done with quick stops we bounced down two different trails. First we did an out and back walk on Wonderland Trail on the southwest side of the island. Later we circled Jordan Pond. It was another good day!--- Rover
The forecast for this afternoon was a bit iffy, and while it did sprinkle a bit the heavier rain waited until we finished our walk in the park.
I chose the Witch Hole Pond Loop on the carriage roads. I like that because the carriage roads are wide which leaves a lot of bouncing space for me. I did jump back into Denise's camera pack when there was water in the air. There were lots of red and yellow and orange leaves. Denise said she wasn't sure that the leaves would seill be on the trees when we arrived here, how great that we got to see the autumn colors!--- Rover
It was a funny weather morning. Clouds followed us as we drove to the Schoodic Peninsula but once we arrived we bounced under blue skies with some white fluffy clouds.
Oh! I haven't written in Denise's blog in a while so maybe I should introduce myself. My name is Rover and I'm a little red dog. I travel with Denise and with my friend Blue. Oh, and I always use italics instead of regular letters so you can tell it is me writing.
--- Rover
It's getting close to the end of October, late enough that it felt like a good time to visit Acadia National Park.
Acadia always calls to me outside of heavy tourist season; this week is late enough to have a good (low!) level of visitors. While there are still quite a few people wandering in the park it was relatively easy to find quiet space for myself. My day started with a long drive - not terrible, but 4 1/2 hours still feels long! I arrived in the park by early afternoon, leaving me time to wander.
looking east from a spot on Mount Desert Island north of AcadiaWednesday's walk along the coast was accompanied by a changing sky.
As I walked south I saw dark swirls of clouds. When I turned back to the north I saw long lines of bright white interspersed with the darker blues.
Autumn colors pop in unexpected places.
Today I saw bright colors in trees growing in sand just a bit back from the coast in the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge.
On Wednesday I headed to Pingree School in South Hamilton, MA to visit this year's Flying Horse Sculpture Exhibit.
I wandered the campus with a friend, moving from sculpture to sculpture. It was a delightful walk.
While many flowers fade into autumn, this rudbeckia hirta maintains its bright color.
A walk along the coast in the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge sounded good to me today. Low tide was at 9:43 AM, perfect!
I drove there under clear blue skies. The weather wizard listened to my wishes though; the sky was decorated with patterns of white clouds as I walked.
The rain eased up this morning triggering me to wander outside with my camera. As soon as I started walking the rain returned.
It was a wet walk but it was good too.
While most maple trees in the area continue to wear green one tree shows a pop of red at the tip of a single leaf.
A thistle in pink tops spiky parts of the plant.
It decorates a garden as autumn creeps in.
I don't know what triggered me to check the tide chart for Plum Island yesterday afternoon but I'm glad that I did. Low tide at 4:27 pm created a space for a good walk at the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge.
As always, it was beautiful!
Meterological autumn started yesterday, a good time for an early evening walk in a garden. While flowers continue to bloom, colors are darker or fading.
This deep beauty is a dark purple drumstick allium.
I shared the beach with birds this morning. There were gulls, cormorants, and (I think) tree swallows.
It was a good morning to walk at the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge.
An echinacea in pink is fading, showing ragged edges and uneven color.
It's late summer, a time of change in the garden.
The gardens of Portsmouth, NH are bursting with color. Late summer is a great time to be wandering through gardens.
Here are some false sunflowers in yellow interspersed with purple salvia.
