Seeking shaded roads

Weather... in the midst of a span of predicted 90+ degree days. Hot...

Late yesterday afternoon I chose to ignore the hot, steamy weather, heading out for a ride. I was dripping with sweat by the time I returned home. A ride, a cool shower, it was time to relax.

Crack! Thunder rumbled, and then I heard the sound of rain pelting against the windows. I walked outside to feel cool air. It seemed that the temperature dropped 20 degrees as the storm passed through.

Morning dawned with still reasonable temperatures. I headed out for an early morning ride, before the heat returned. Rolling, circling, choosing roads lined with trees, seeking shade...

Clouds over blue

Green

Dashing through raindrops

The weather forecast was a bit of a moving target today. When I checked it last night, it called for rain starting by 11AM. This morning's forecast pushed off the start of the falling drops to 2PM. Hmmm....

I headed out early on my bike, determined to have a dry ride. The sky was somewhat gray & cloud-filled when I started, but it morphed to a bright blue with fluffs of white. Nice.

I decided to risk a wet afternoon wander. Destination? The New Hampshire coast.

Fuller Gardens pulled me in for another visit. I walked, eyes absorbing the colors of the roses. Ah, a loud clap of thunder... and then the rain came. I wasn't ready to leave, so I ran back to my car to fetch the umbrella that I should have had close to hand. I walked through the roses sheltered by fabric, chatting with a couple who also refused to leave. Heavy rain changed to sprinkles, and then stopped.

I can't tell you how long I was in the gardens; time just disappeared.

Continuing my wanders along the coast, I carried one lesson with me - an umbrella traveled with me as I walked. From dry to raindrops, to dry, back to light rain, dry again, repeat. I was very lucky though - just after I pointed my car towards home, the skies opened up. Rain...

---

Hey, I need to write a little today too! Yes, I was wandering with Denise today, although I have to admit I hid in Denise's camera pack during the heavier rain. I wonder... do you think I can find a big umbrella that would attach to Denise's shoulders to shelter me and her camera as we walk in the rain? I searched on the web and I did find a silly umbrella hat, but that just won't do. It is much too small - it would protect Denise's head but not me and not her camera.

--- Rover

More photos from today can be seen in the gallery New Hampshire's short coastline, newer photos at the top of the gallery.

Early evening

Friday, early evening, summer warmth, winds, clouds moving, a good time for a wander on two (bicycle) wheels...

Replacing bridges

My commute to work starts with a few mile wander through quiet neighborhoods and then moves onto I-495, 3-lanes northbound, 3-lanes southbound, usually moving at a pretty good clip. There's a two to three mile section of I-495 that has been under construction since the start of my commute to Littleton in early October of 2009. The under-construction section moves one lane of the northbound highway to the southbound side. The remaining 2 lanes were scrunched to the left of the northbound side. That changed a couple of weeks ago so those 2 lanes are now to the right.

Until now, I hadn't a clue about the ongoing work. In fact, the apparent lack of workers on the road for weeks on end really made me wonder.

The mystery revealed itself this week. Heading north on the far left, on the southbound side of the road, now provides a view of the ongoing work that before was quite hidden behind jersey barriers. Amazing! They are replacing three bridges by totally removing the old. When I first noticed the work, the road surface had been removed. Now the steel beams are missing too, and beneath the reopened right lanes it is clear that the under-structure of the (right side of the) bridge is totally new.

I find it fascinating that this type of work can be completed without (totally) closing the highway. Yes, the travel lanes have been moved and scrunched into less space than normal - but the road is definitely open and moving.

A walk in the ocean

Yes, I really do mean in the ocean. I started walking by the sea, but the water enticed me to move away from dry sand. And yes, I did have a camera slung around my neck!

Let's start at the beginning though...

I thought about heading to the coast yesterday afternoon after I finished riding. Thought, but didn't go. And oh! I'm so lucky I waited until this morning. Why? Yesterday's sky was a pure uninterrupted blue, and today's was decorated by bright white clouds. Beautiful.

I walked today at the Wells Reserve. I emerged from the woods onto the beach to find the reserve beach (the portion of the beach to the northeast of my entry point) to be quiet, populated with walking humans and walking and flying birds. The beach to the south sprouted colorful towels and umbrellas, but within the reserve it was a good walking spot.

I started walking on the hard sand near the water, but I very quickly found myself walking in the water. My feet were clad with perfect protection plus water-happy sandals, happy. The tide was low, so low that it was possible to walk across the estuary in just over ankle-deep water. After wandering in the area behind the beach along the snaking water I saw that people were now crossing in water that was at or above their knees.

There are more photos in the gallery Wells Reserve - 2010. The gallery is ordered with the newest photos first. When you get to photos showing brown grasses and a bit of snow you've moved beyond the photos that jumped into my camera today.

Spikey

Water lilies... open!

Paint by reflection

Late day... I headed out on my bike in search of water lilies. The last time I rode past a pond in Harold Parker State Forest it was full of lilies, and I thought I would capture a few images.

Clearly I wasn't connected to reality since water lilies open and close each day - and their closing point is earlier than my two-wheeled wander.

But look! there are reflections in moving water, looking almost like an impressionist painting.