A Murmur of Birds

Quill Pond Great Blue Heron

Snowy Owl enjoying a high perch on Plum Island

Found Bird Nest

Young Great Blue who visited us for a day and a night.

Osprey Egg taken out of nest when it never opened..off for research.

Chris Williams Exhibit @ Cox Reservation.

Prize winning Green Belt Art in Newburyport.

Bird take away...from art exhibit on Birds

Walking in a Quiet Neighborhood in Newbury, MA

Winter Rains Growing Fungus on Trees

Rain not snow this winter.

We are having a winter with almost no snow. Our temperatures range from the 20s to the 50s. They say it is El  Nino; I say that as a New Englander  that "It is beyond weird".  I will admit that it is a treat to walk down the street in mid February wearing just a fleece jacket and no snow boots. But, it is not cold enough & long enough to kill mosquito larva, eliminate ticks, and the deer have a clear path without running through the snow to our gardens.

I miss the quiet of the snows storms. I never grow tired of waking up early and finding a surprise  winter wonderland. Right now my snow shoes are getting dusty in the hall closet. I did have one great hike in the woods with my snow shoes. The quiet is so relaxing. The only sounds are a distant bird call, my breath, and an occasional train. But this winter, I am going back to the noisy gym. I do hate the inside stale air, the sweat, and the sight of  ugly tattoos on uglier bodies.

Graffiti out in the woods. Old Man of the Mountain?

I love to find & photograph graffiti. I have been shooting graffiti for many years now. One day, I shall blog my best shots. I  stay away from Neon Spray Tags. They are too common,  destroy property and I am not sure of their message. But I love small, very compact pieces of art tucked away like a treasure when one finds one. Someone painted two small waves on a bridge over the marsh. Love walking by those waves. It is almost like a poem.

Unsigned art in the quiet woods. What could be better way to spend an outdoor afternoon by oneself?

Memories in pictures of Bruggs, Belguim

Another snow storm, and I sit daydreaming about Brugg. We visited this ancient city last September.

 There is something wonderful about cities that have canals. The light reflects on the ancient buildings, the boat trips open up the water wonderful vistas and reflections of oddly shaped brick buildings flash in my brain. 

Memories of a wonderful breakfast in the town square, great bread, cheese and oh yes, rich coffee. The local beer halls,  its customers, and good cheer. Wandering into a chocolate haven. Too many choices of rich fresh and delicious chocolate treats.  

Waiting for the boat trip, watching the shadows of this fair city.

Skyline of towers.

Classic building designs.

Hidden gardens.

Slow boat tour around the old city.

Old brick walls.

Ancient fish market with a movable loom.

Ancient churches aglow with stained glass stories.

Old city gates.

Chocolate choices.

Great breakfast outdoors.

Back in our air b n b, with hand picked Belgium delights.

Day dreaming of a past year, and looking forward to a new year.

I woke up with a smile this morning. It snowed all day yesterday. We had about 8 inches of heavy snow. I opened my eyes in the morning and looked out to a winter wonderland. Our trees were covered in the heavy snows. The sun was out and the sky was a winter shade of light robin egg blue.
As the day progressed the snow started to melt and drop off the trees at a very slow pace.

The world is crazy right now. I can not control politics, world leaders, or stop the wars. All I can do is control my inner self and keep my soul open to love and thoughts of peace.

Highlights of our trip to Amsterdam 2015

Looking for sunshine in Amsterdam

Traveling can have its challenges when it rains cats & dogs and soaks into all your cloths. What better place to be naked and under the covers than Amsterdam?

But the next morning the sun came out and surprised us with a beautiful outdoor wedding. After lunch we back our bags and proceeded to our first Air B n B reservation.

Not our best find, but good location, on trolly line, near a University, Coffee Shop and great bakery.

We hopped onto the No. 10 trolly for a full city tour.

After we spent a long day sightseeing, we went into to a  brown bar and drank some local beer.

Amsterdam's canals pick up the sunshine and and bounce the light off the brick houses. There is an Amsterdam glow that is hard to explain. But, it does exist and it is very pleasant.

Bikes are a culture experience in this town. Look both ways before crossing any bike path in town.

Don't forget to smell the cheese before you move on.

Friday 6:30am Soft Rain Bird calling coffee almost ready

Our heat wave broke last night. The scoring heat is now soft rain in my gardens.

Unitarian Church in Newburyport Sign in Sun

First Gladiolas of the Season

Still life of Straw Hat with PINS

MS Becky Doodle almost smiling face

Plein Air Poetry Walk and Basho's Haiku in Harvard, Massachusetts

We went on a day trip to Harvard, Mass. to visit Old Frog Pond Farm  & Studio.

This beautiful organic farm is very peaceful. On the property is a wonderfully wild pond with lilies. Near the pond is a beautiful screened in Meditation Cabin which is well used.

I loved the art work and sculptures that graced the scenery.

There was a deep stillness on these grounds. 

It was an extremely hot day. The summer sun was at high noon. 

I found and bought organic blueberries and raspberries that had been lovingly hand picked early in the day. My poet friend  had just spent 20 minutes in the meditation cabin writing a poem for the upcoming Frog Pond's upcoming event: Plein Air Poetry Walk on Sunday, September 13, 2015. He was also thrilled to find fresh kale for sale. His eyes  sparkled  for either the poetry success or the kale.  Either way,  he was very happy to spend an afternoon in this magical spot.

Pictures tell a better story than words.

                                                           Furu ike ya                Old pond!                        
  Basho's Haiku                                 kawazu tobikomu      frog jumps in                    
                                                               mizu no oto                water’s sound              

Meditation Cabin with a water view

Apples growing on the farm fence

Hints for the Rain Goddess

Art works in front of the covered berry field

Little building by the dam

Along the pond walk way  

A very still dragon fly