folded

This almost opened poppy wears an interesting shape. Two petals are fully open, two fold inward.

still waters

The quiet waters of a pond in provides a canvas for reflections.

in Harold Parker State Forest

from petals to seed pods

I find it interesting to see the transition between flowers in full bloom and the next stage of floral life, seed pods. Visiting tthe same garden across the seasons allows me to see the changes.

summer's iris

One of my favorite flowers is iris. It presents an intricate bloom encompassing a number of variations. When the earlier in spring varieties have disappeared the flatter topped Japanese iris (also known as Iris ensata) are a delight to see.

kinetic

Yesterday I headed to Lowell for a walk along the canals, an exploration of sorts.

I was fascinated by a moving sculpture, Pawtucket Prism, created by Michio Ihara. The sculpture was created 30 years ago and it was restored last year.

Created by sculptor Michio Ihara, of Concord, in 1987, the old silver- and gold-colored cubes were water-powered, intended to be spun by water. But the cubes had corroded with the water-powered system too difficult to maintain. The metal cubes are now new and balanced in order to be moved by the wind, the work done by Ihara. from the article Pawtucket Prism reborn in the Lowell Sun

I stood for a bit to watch the movement of the cubes. It was both mesmerizing and calming.

Photos of buildings, canals, and assorted art jumped into my camera as I walked. You can view the photos in the gallery a walk in Lowell, 2017.

cactus flowers

My sister has some cactus blooming in her garden, a misplaced but thriving plant in the southeastern corner of Pennsylvania. My first outside cactus blooms popped up today; as I was driving down a street not too far from home a splash of yellow caught my eye.

I didn't expect to see flowering cactus thriving outside in northeastern Massachusetts. What a wonderful surprise!

green

As I headed to the area of Maudslay State Park where stands of mountain laurel flourish, I walked by the end of Flowering Pond. Reflections of trees in the still waters of the pond created serenity.

mountain laurel

One of the things Maudslay State Park is known for is "...one of the largest naturally-occurring stands of mountain laurel in Massachusetts". I had never before walked in the area of the park where the mountain laurel live; today I set out to correct that lapse.

It was simply amazing to be in the woods surrounded by a sea of exquisite white flowers.

solstice

It seems that the flowers in the garden know that the summer solstice has arrived. The beauties of late spring - the iris and the peonies - are faded and almost gone. Summer blooms are starting to arrive.

While I prefer the cooler temperatures of spring and autumn, the longer days of summer can be a treat. Technically the solstice started at 12:24 AM today, making yesterday the longest day of the year.

If you're curious about the solstice you may be interested in the article Summer solstice is here. What does it mean? in today's Boston Globe.

back to the beach

Today felt like a good time to visit the completed sand sculptures at Hampton Beach. While the light later in the day would have been kinder from both a photographic and a looking point of view, I chose to listen to the forecast of a severe thunderstorm watch for the afternoon, heading to the beach in the early morning.

I headed straight for the sand sculptures, comparing the in progress work in my mind with the finished creations waiting to delight the eye.

I walked on the beach for a while, eventually moving to the sidewalk as the water encroached on the sea wall. The air inland was a bit muggy but there was cool air rising from the ocean, a wonderful feeling.

Photos of the finished sculptures can be seen in the gallery emergence :: Hampton Beach 2017 starting with this photo.