07.02.2023 Visit to Plum Island

 Do you ever have one of those days when you just have to "get out of here"? Well one day I just had this strong urge to get out of dodge, so to speak, So I let the boys out early, gave them a nice breakfast, and said, see you all in a little bit. I grabbed my bag and headed off to Plum Island, one of my favorite places to visit at any time of year. 

There is a lot of peace and quiet there. One can walk along the beach for miles and watch and listen to the rhythm of the ocean. It is also a good place to look for shore birds in the marches. As I was walking along the road, I heard the faint call of a willet. With a bit of patience, I found her! This is the first time I have found one on my own. Felt pretty good. She was in view for quite a while so I was able to observe her foraging along the shore. Wonder if there are little one hiding somewhere in the eushes?

There also was a bobolink calling from the field, so I took a little time to watch him in all of his glory. 

Do you see him in this photograph?

There are a few purple martin nesting boxes at the main entrance. In and out they went through the openings to the nests. This is an odd looking bird house.

Here is a kingbird on a branch. He was sitting there singing as loud as he could. Hard to miss him.

But my favorite place to walk is along the shore. It us now nesting season for the piping plovers, so many miles of beach are closed to protect the nests. There are always a few people who test the limit of the signs - settling down just at the edge of the boundary. They always make me chuckle.

The walk along the shore was just what the doctor ordered. The water was cold, but I did have to step into it. There were only a few people on the beach so the walk could be spent just enjoying the views. A young man did ask me to hold the leash for his dog while he needed a quick escape. With luck, my own dogs could not smell the new pooch on my clothes!

It was a great break and I returned home refreshed - the whole point of an escape! So close to home yet worlds away. Now it is time to return to the ole routine and tend to the gardens and the pups and everything else in the house. 

And yes, my girl Mimi is now in the water! She was launched 2 weeks ago and I still have a little more work to do on her. That will be my plan for the 4th of July. But she is on her mooring and looking good!

Getting her ready for the trip from Crystal Cove to Cottage Park. I do get alot of exercise going back and forth from the car to the boat carrying her gear.

Here she is on her mooring. Just as happy as can be! It has rained a lot recently, so once it clears, I will be back on her. A day on Mimi is also a nice break in the routine!

Do you ever need a break from the daily routine? What do you like to do to chance pace a bit? 

Hope you all are well and enjoying the summer- rain and all!

Until next time...... 

And Greetings from my boys!

10.18.2020 Being a local tourist

 There is no doubt that the coronavirus pandemic has clipped our wings, so to speak.  But there is still plenty to do and see locally. So on goes the mask and off we go for some nature walks and fresh air.

One of my favorite places to visit is Plum Island and the Parker National Wildlife Refuge. It is a long span of beautiful sand and sea and sand dunes, lots of birds and even a few deer. 

The board walk through the dunes. The sea is just beyond the dunes.

The ocean is magnificent. Nothing better than strolling along the beach listening to the sound of the waves crashing on the shore.

Here I enjoy the sea with a few sea gulls who were just sitting and watching the waves, too.

Some local artwork on the beach.

And those cute little plovers. In the spring and summer beach access is closed in some areas for breeding. Looks like it is a success because they are a lot of plovers here! They are fun to watch as they run up and down the beach on those little legs.

Another local favorite is Gloucester, especially the causeway and Stage Fort. I would like to have a bench there in the park to perpetually observe the sea. I have a favorite spot there and visit it as often as I can.

Memorial to the fishermen lost at sea.

And a memorial to those who are left at home waiting for their husband, father, son and loved one to return.

This is my favorite spot. A bit overgrown but better than overdeveloped. The rocks are largely covered by vegetation - Fionnegan and Gunnarr used to run on them when they were puppies.

A perfect spot to rest and watch the sea.

An old canon at the old Stage Fort.

A drawbridge for taller boats - this one was able to go through without any problem.

Rockport is a cute little touristy town on Cape Ann. Love the teddy bear getting a little sun!

A sea gull watching me watching him. 

It is great to get outside for a stretch and some fresh air. With the days getting shorter and the weather cooler, must take advantage of every opportunity to be outside.  The boys and I walk every week on the trails in town, so they get to stretch those little legs too!

Nice color in the backyard.

Hairy woodpecker at the feeder.

Still some pretty flowers in the garden.

 Fionnegan, Shorty, Gunnarr pose for the camera. Yes, they were asked to line up and they did!

Shorty, my Yapese dog, just as happy as ever.

I hope you all are well and safe. And I hope you enjoy the pictures. Until next time be well ......

05.27.19 Memorial Day - Decoration Day

This weekend is commonly known as the unofficial first day of summer. But in the USA, it is much more than that. It is celebrated as Memorial Day, previously called Decoration Day, a day to celebrate and honor the lives of those men and women who died while serving in the United States Armed Services. Many will take fresh flowers and flags to the gravesites, there are ceremonies and tributes and parades to honor those who had fallen so that we may enjoy our many, many freedoms. And with all of these freedoms come responsibilities - a fact not to be ignored.

It was really good to have the weekend off. Not often do I have so many days back to back where I can wake up without an alarm. Even my boys slept late, too. While doing a bit of yard work, I found 16 pink lady slippers in my woods. They are gorgeous. In the past I had noticed one or two, but never so many in  my yard. Being very careful not to step on one, I did get a few pictures.

Also in my yard, fairly close to the house, was a huge bone dropped by some animal (coyote? or hawk?). It looks like a femur and has a circumference greater than what I can circle with my fingers. The marrow was gone, probably by rodents. But I am very curious why it was on my walkway! We heard the coyotes at midnight - the entire pack ranging from pups to adults howling! It was all I could do to keep the dogs quiet. Maybe they dropped off a snack!



The weather was perfect, so I took advantage of this treat and did a lot of yard work, gardening and cleaning the decks and porches. The house does look nice with new flowers planted in the flower boxes and everything clean.

Also went to Plum Island, one of my favorite places in Massachusetts. I eased the guilty feeling of leaving the boys at home by taking them for a walks in two of their favorite parks. They are good for about two hours of walking then they are beat. Yes, they do sleep well at night!

Plum Island was beautiful. I love the sea and the feeling of just walking along the beach. Much of Parker Wildlife Refuge is closed to people because the plovers are nesting, but the state park is open as well as all of the refuge not accessible to the ocean and beach. So bird watching it was and I saw my eagle. It passed quickly and I was driving, so no pictures. But the chance to see an eagle was one of the reasons for going there. Saw some common birds and watched a few males performing their enticing mating rituals. Observing bird behavior, as well as any animal and human behaviour, has always fascinated me.

Here are a few pictures from this gorgeous day.

Perfect beach day, not too many people on this small beach.



A single mute swan. I wonder if she was lonely.

Two photographs of a tern diving into the water fishing and surfacing. He was fishing, but no fish caught in this present dive.

 

A male red winged blackbird was trying to impress the female. She was not too impressed so he persisted in his displays.





Look in the far right lower corner to see the female. She wasn't even watching him but we did and he was fascinating putting on a mating display show!



Pretty little song sparrow, singing in the bush.



Mallard duck quacking as he flies! Vibrant colored feathers, they are always a delight to watch. I also have a few in Heron Pond, close to my house.






Eastern kingbird seen while walking. He also followed the car for quite some distance, perching on roadside branches, so we frequently stooped to watch him.



Not too many seagulls today, but he was quite willing for a photograph or two. Watching us watching him!
 

My favorite bird to observe was the semipalmated plover. He was feeding and moving right along without too much concern about us walking nearby.

 



There were a few more birds we observed including scaups, grebes, killdeer, robins, herons and egrets, and we also heard and quickly saw many warblers - names unknown as they quickly flew past us!

After a nice late lunch of ice cream and a shared lobster roll (in that order) at Bob Lobster along the road to Newburyport, it was time to head home. A wonderful holiday weekend, one for the memories.

Once home it seemed the boys didn't mind that I left them. They are always happy to see me, even when it is bath time! So baths for the boys, a cup of tea for Momma Bear, and a nice end to the day.



Gunnarr watching me through the fence while I photographed the lady slippers. He follows me everywhere.



Fionnegan being a adorable as always, before the bath. He is a little more independent minded, but always within site.

Shorty, grooming his paws. He keeps them trimmed for me. Good boy!

Until next time...……..

May your days be many and your troubles be few. And may all God's blessings descend upon you.