Musings

I didn’t anticipate any more photos of the lupin pair that I’ve posted several times, until I saw them this morning en route to the beach this morning. Nipped in the bud. Or almost the bud. By deer, I’m sure.

Also deer-nibbled: apple branches that were low enough for the herbivores to reach in the winter starvation times.

At the beach, the water level has dropped since we arrived, but it’s still waaaaay too high IMHO.

Orchard view: petals are dropping, and leaves continue emerging, so that the petal-white is becoming overwhelmed. Still pretty, lovely, and wonderful, however.

Posted at 10:32 PM | Comments Off on Nibbled &more

I did some outdoor chores this morning, which turned out to be a good decision because trace smokiness arrived in the afternoon, which meant I’d rather not be outside…so, instead I read some, and fidgeted with odds and ends of screen-and-internet activities.

Let me apologize for the run-on sentence/paragraph above with a morning photo of a gull and a pontoon boat offering visual interest in this lake view.

Posted at 9:32 PM | Comments Off on In the details

Across the orchard, almost all the blossoms opened, and some of the petals began to fall in the late-day breeze.

With even better scent, the lilacs began to open.

In non-vegetation news, I was out just before the the sun descended…I didn’t stay to photo the setting.

Posted at 8:59 PM | Comments Off on Blooming day

These tracks were in the water this morning the whole length of “our beach.” Big, so perhaps a great blue?

Also, it’s forget-me-not season. I’ve been unable to take a shot that’s in focus until this one—which is close.

Here’re the ferns by the door, but the view from the cottage into the yard.

Posted at 10:05 PM | Comments Off on Unthemed

I postulate that this is one of last year’s spotty fawns. It hangs with about five others, and they all have this tawny color at present. I think it hasn’t lost all its winter fur. I got to enjoy watching this visitor’s slow progress around the cottage as I sipped my first cuppa coffee (photo through screen, cancha tell?).

The lake was so still this morning; this was 8:20am.

Mid-afternoon, I found this lupin with just the barest bit of purple showing. Also, around the orchard are many more buds than I saw three days ago.

Posted at 9:51 PM | Comments Off on Color commentary

We departed our VT sanctuary well fortified with coffee. This involved braving a steady rain. But not for too terribly long.

Soon, however, we basked in open skies, almost sunshine…and did (more or less) for the rest of the day. [If I had to name this photo, it’d be something about rest area (temporary) cones contrasting with everyday functions like picnic tables. I think.]

At a later rest area, irii (my plural of iris) exhibited in multiple colors. Here’s a medium purple one with yellow highlights, oh so lovely.

Posted at 9:28 PM | Comments Off on Leaving New England

The benefits of staying with a friend who’s a baker are obvious…and tasty: apple pie.

Trees at night…not yet leafed out. BTW, this far north, today the mowing guys did our friends’ yard for the first time this year. As is common, the mowing guys change out their equipment and clean the driveway through the winter.

Posted at 8:20 PM | Comments Off on We are sated

Flowering plum (?) on dunes.

1917 approach, Provincetown memorial.

New plaque, installed around 2010.

The historic main street in Provincetown, dating back to such olden times, is narrow, and now one-way. This section is residential, but most is partly commercial, and no doubt a horror for deliveries.

Tidal flats, very overcast and tide neither in nor out. Saw small crab remains, about 3cm in diameter.

Also, we’ve seen turkeys, one per day the last three days.

Apologies for the late post. I picked the photos, then fell asleep early, trying to fight off the cold (sniff, blow) that came over me Sunday night.

Posted at 10:22 PM | Comments Off on On Cape Cod

We went through the core business district of Newport, saw looming masts, shops of various sorts, and many tourists. Then, we looped around among the fancy houses, and I mean fancy. However, this is the only photo I took during that entire circuit, and I don’t know who it is…just driving by, ya’know.

I read up a bit on Rhode Island as we drove along, and wondered where that island was, as the state is mostly not-island. Turns out this island, now more commonly called Aquidneck Island, is historically tagged as the island called Rhode, Ile of Rods, or Rhod-Island. BTW, if you can see dots out in the surf, they’re surfers. They only get short rides, but then they don’t have to paddle much to set up again.

Today’s drink I’m sure I never had: a coffee Fribble at Friendly’s (one of the dwindling few still in business). Egads, it was sweet. And huge.

I enjoyed this large knotical display 🤣 🤣 🤣 but you only get to see a few examples.

Technically, the border is more complicated, but this canal is commonly considered to separate Cape Cod from the mainland, which is where I’m standing and the cormorant is posing.

Our late-day adventure was a visit to Nauset Lighthouse, at the beach where The Guru and his fam used to hang. It was relocated in 1996 because coast erosion threatened to topple it. This lighthouse originally stood in a different town from 1877–1923, when it was moved to this area. So this is the third spot for it (I hope I’m making sense 😄; g’night).

Posted at 9:01 PM | Comments Off on Nautical-ish

Obv, our travel today was on land, yet water was a near-constant companion. We began by heading north on the Jersey side of the Hudson River. Here’s a view south back toward NYC. I think the haze is humidity (ish).

Then we turned east(ish) for the rest of the day. Here’s a swing bridge that crosses the Mill River in New Haven.

We got a fancy lunch, stuffed lobster tail for me and Eggs Benny for the Guru. The Benny was exceptional, and included avocado. My pickled beets side was prepared in a way I’ve never had before, with mustard seeds, then with fresh onions and bay leaf added before serving, and was not very sour/vinegary. The other side is a Cole slaw that may have had a salt treatment to soften the cabbage before dressing.

We also split an egg cream, like we were teenagers on a date. I think I had it once before and thought the same now as then: it tastes like watered-down chocolate milk.

We took a sunset tour of the west side of the mouth of the Connecticut River, not far from our hotel.

We found a pair of swans, keeping their distance, so I have only shots of one at a time. That’s the railroad bridge over the lower Connecticut in the background.

Here’s today’s version of Fort Saybrook; construction began in 1636, directed by Lion Gardiner (1599–1663). Gardiner’s wife Mary Willemsen Deurcant (c. 1601–1665) accompanied him, and their first two (of three) children were born at the fort before his contract ended in 1639. They then moved to what is now called Gardiners Island off the east end of Long Island. The Montaukett sachem/chief Wyandanch (c. 1571–1659) deeded it to him in 1639 independent of the colonies extant at that time. The 6×3 mile island remains in the Gardiner family, whose many descendants include Alexander Graham Bell’s wife, Mabel Gardiner Hubbard.

Next to the fort remains are railroad remains, including this roundhouse. The railroad opened in 1871.

At another stop, we watched the ebbing tide, the clouds, and a few airborne water birds.

Posted at 9:17 PM | Comments Off on Watery places, lunch