A light house, beaches, gulls and perennials

I picked a few of my recent favorite shots. Since they are not of a cohesive theme, I'll just call it a mixed bag Wednesday.



Annisquam Light, Cape Ann, MA. From the adjacent beach. It was the middle of the week, in the off season so I was able to park and get a few shots off.

"Back up women, you are a little too close!" or something like that.

I love the colors and the reflections of the rocks in the water. Gloucester Beach.

Finally a close up of some bleeding hearts. I took these in my sister's yard while escaping for a few minutes from my nephew's 18th birthday party.

Gloucester: A working Seaport

I grew up in Natick, MA, but it has been some time since I spent much time in MA. Wanting to get a way for a few days and having a new digital camera I decided to go someplace picturesque.
Seeing Steve B's (Shootingmyuniverse.blogspot.com) and others lead me to Cape Ann or the other Cape as they say in MA.

I had two gorgeous days! The sun was out and it was on the warmish side with blue skies and a few mid-day white clouds.

My first sight of the ocean was in Magnolia (above). The view was breath taking; the water was so blue and the sandstone colored rocks made a beautiful contrast.

Then I rode into Gloucester. I had been here as a teenager but that was eons ago. I walked along the water front and watched lots of seagulls and a few boats but the harbor wasn't very active when I was there.

I went back to the harbor in the evening. I saw this seal lazing on a rock and also took the picture I posted yesterday. I walked along the beach and picked up some ocean washed glass and watched more seagulls and ducks.

Lastly, I always love seeing this old paint manufacturing building in the pictures I see of Gloucester. It was the subject of several of my pictures but this one at sundown was my favorite.

Tomorrow its back to school, but these pictures and memories will keep me going until June.

Thanks for stopping by.

Ahh...

Out and about

Well, my back is healing and it is school vacation! Yes, teachers enjoy every break also, perhaps more than the kids. If they only knew.

I'm on one of my meanders, as I call them. I won't quite make it to Maine, but I have been enjoying some gorgeous weather in MA and NH. It's been raining since I left in NY. I'm taking pictures with my new camera. I've gone digital, finally!! I have to say there is satisfaction being able to know whether you got the shot you wanted immediately. It just might be addicting. I have thought about this for a long time. So I spent a day and a half on Cape Ann, MA. Ate some great clam chowder and fried clams, walked a few beaches and took a lot of pictures, to follow later.

I'm now in N H engaging in my second hobby, genealogy. Spent the day at the archives in Concord, but apparently my relatives didn't let anyone know they were born, married or deceased. I found a few listed but not as many as I expected. I also dropped by the house my gg grandfather owned in manchester. It is now owned by the state. Had a great talk with the head guy there. He is very interested in all the history.

A hope for Spring and painful muscles.

Guess I won't be posting any long stories today. I have pulled a muscle in my shoulder blade that is getting more painful every day. Off to the Dr. tomorrow I hope. Nothing is helping; ice, heat or 2 Aleve even.

So just a beautiful flower for your enjoyment and despite the snow flurries we had on Friday, the hope that Spring is really here.

Beautiful Views, Country Fairs, Summer and Winter...

Every summer and at least once during the winter my family headed north from Massachusetts to Gorham, NH or Bethel Maine. Often we would travel Route 25 that went between Lake Winnipesaukee and Squam Lake. At the junction of Routes 25 and 109 there is a sign to Sandwich, NH. I remember my sister and me joking about, “let’s go to Sandwich and get a sandwich.” Kids say the craziest things, don't they. Little did I know that someday I would regularly visit North Sandwich where a friend from NYC moved. This is a lovely rural area off the main thoroughfare.

Now every summer and sometimes in the winter I still travel to Bethel, Maine. North Sandwich is on the way about 1 ½ hours shy of my final destination, Songo Pond. My friend and I always do something outdoorsy. Twice we have climbed West Rattlesnake, which gives a great view of Squam Lake and sometimes on a clear day Lake Winnipesaukee. It is a modest climb with a path that is maintained called the Old Bridal Path. The climb up is through trees and then you reach the top and there is a large stone outcrop with a spectacular view.

One year I went up for Columbus Day weekend which is always the weekend of the annual Sandwich Fair; a real old

fashioned fair. On Saturday afternoon there was a small parade through town where all the locals line the streets. The colors of the trees in the area were just beautiful.

When I am up there I always look forward to getting out and taking pictures. My friend is use to this now and often offers to drive me around.

One beautiful Sunday morning early, I took several pictures in Center Sandwich, including the picture of the leaves falling and the back of the farm and stone wall.

Last winter on my February trip through NH and Maine I stopped to visit my friend. She and her mother had been hibernating and not answering the phone for about 6 weeks. So I surprised her.

She was glad to see me and we drove around the beautiful snow covered back roads. That’s when I took this picture of the back of the town with one of the churches visible. Wearing my friend’s snow shoes made it easier to get high enough on the snow pack to take the picture.

I almost always make a trip to the Durgin Covered Bridge which is about 2 miles east of North Sandwich. This bridge was originally built in 1869. In a post below there is a picture taken last winter while standing on the frozen Cold River. which the bridge crosses.

Sandwich has become one of my favorite places to visit anytime of year. It is known for its many artists that now live in the area. Oh yes, and lest I forget a favorite stop is always the Old Country Store on Rt 25 in Moultonboro. This store is one of the oldest continuously running businesses in the country dating from 1781. The place is deceiving because from the outside it looks so much smaller than the inside.

This is definitely a place to visit and an area with so much to do, know matter what time of year you choose to go or what your interests are. It is in the Lakes region and close to The White Mountains. Hope you'll visit.

A Rare Snow Day for Brooklyn

[Brooklyn Street in the snow]

New York City Public Schools are having a rare snow day off. The schools in NYC rarely close for many reasons, but the snow today was just enough by morning [about 6 inches] that the Chancellor called it off, much to the delight of the teachers and staff more than the kids I bet. This teacher is enjoying the day off that is for sure! It is still snowing lightly at 1:00 PM and I just heard the first plow go down the street. I will soon have to get the shovel out and do my front walk. We have 24 hours after the snow stops falling to clear the sidewalks and stairs in front of our residences. If we do not comply we risk getting a ticket and the only time that has happened it was about $125.00 and that was several years ago.

My youngest daughter goes to Hunter College in Manhattan. She tried to go to school this morning as they were not closed. But she couldn't get on a subway for almost an hour. So, she got tired of waiting and trudged home again, arriving wet and very cold!

We are cozy and warm now drinking hot chocolate. That is all of us except my older daughter's long haired Chihuahua, Tinkerbell. The snow is almost up to her stomach. We have to carry her out to a place in the back yard where it is fairly covered and not too much snow builds up, for her to get some relief. Then she runs/hops back to the back door covered with snow. She is a cutie.

The picture below is one I took several years ago. It was taken in a plaza by the big Chase Bank on William Street near Wall Street in lower Manhattan. I lived a block from here for about a year. That was before we moved to more affordable Brooklyn.

Our storm was nothing like the snow they got last week in Maine and NH, but enough to make a long weekend for this teacher.