At the Beach, White Horse Beach, Manomet, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA

I only went to the beach on this day to sit a spell and take a walk. I had no idea the sky would be so spectacular. This view from White Horse Beach is looking south toward Manomet Point.

The view north towards Priscilla Beach.



Again, view south, Manomet Point in the distance. Before I moved here almost 25 years ago, I never really thought that the beaches would be so beautiful. And often uncrowded - even in the pre-Covid days. A beautiful secret - southeastern Massachusetts.

At the Beach, Manomet Beach, Manomet, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA

It was one of those days that makes winter worth it.



Warm but not too warm, a light breeze, and a few puffy clouds.



And if you don't want to sit, it's good for walking.



And if you want a section of beach all to yourself..........

Mayflower II, Plymouth Harbor, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA

The Mayflower II is back on the dock in the downtown harbor area of Plymouth. This year commemorates the 400th anniversary of the Pilgrims landing here.

Newly restored and refurbished sails and rigging after the recent multi-year effort.



An exterior detail view.

Out and About, Downtown, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

Another wander out and about in Boston as the summer days begin the annual slide towards fall. It's still warm outside but, not hot like it was a month ago. This is the Rose Kennedy Greenway at Hanover Street.



Rose Kennedy Greenway at Hanover Street.



Boston Harbor view toward East Boston.



Boston Harbor and the Seaport district in the distance.



A tourist sailing cruise preparing to board passengers for an outing.



Tourists at the archway at Rowe's Wharf.

Lines, angles, glass, and clouds at the InterContinental Boston.

The Exchange Place building towers above Congress Street.

What a fine city is Boston!

Quissett Knob and Harbor, Falmouth, Cape Cod, Massachusetts, USA

 

Driving with the windows all down, arm resting on the frame half in and half out, the radio blasting - it was one of those kind of summer days for a trip to CapeCod and a visit to Quissett Knob in Falmouth.

That's the knob at center-right above.

There are beaches on both sides of the peninsula - one facing the harbor, the other facing the bay.



Days like today I wish I was on a sailboat.



Perhaps its the brevity of a New England summer that makes me enjoy a day like today with such appreciation.

I hope these sails are all raised soon.........

Sunflowers, Tangerini's Farm, Millis, Massachusetts, USA

It is a special and magical moment to stand in a field of sunflowers. Many stalks taller than I am, waving gently in the breeze. And the bees - oh, the bees - thousands of honey bees and bumblebees busily doing their thing on the flower heads. Though we were within inches of each other, they didn't seem to mind my presence nor me theirs.  We each had a task to perform - they to gather or consume pollen, me to enjoy the moment and to take pictures.



I had made the reservation online to visit Tangerini's Farm on this stormy, rainy day on purpose. First, I have found the muted and diffused light suits me in trying to capture images of these beautiful flowers. And second, I assumed the weather would keep away the crowds. It worked out well on both counts. The only crowds were the bees and they were busy.



Many of the flowers had already been picked but, there were still quite a few standing.



Next year I'll try to get there before the visitors arrive with clippers in hand - $3 for the first flower.

Did I mention there were bees? ..........

The bumblebees seem to consume on site.

The honeybees loaded up both legs with pollen for a trip back to the nearby hive.

Bees weren't the only critters on the farm.



What a place, Tangerini's Farm. They have many other seasonal crops, a farm stand, retail store, ice cream window, and lots of parking. I am already looking forward to next summer.

At the Waterfront, Fairhaven Harbor, Fairhaven, Massachusetts, USA

The weather forecast was for scattered showers on this day. I decided to take a chance and make the drive south anyway.



Turned out the forecast was correct this time.

The summer showers came down in buckets. (This view was across the harbor in New Bedford).

Out and About, Downtown, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

It seemed like a typical Saturday morning in Boston's Chinatown neighborhood - except for people carrying political signs supporting candidate Joseph Kennedy III.



Then lo and behold, a few minutes later the candidate himself arrived to do some campaigning. (He's the red-haired man in the center above).

I didn't plan to cover so much territory today but, I just kept walking and when I stopped I had wandered from Post Office Square to Chinatown, the Theatre District, the Common, the outdoor Haymarket, the Quincy Market, the Waterfront, and the North End before returning to the starting point about 15,000 steps later. 



I don't know what it says but, I think it is a menu.

I have always liked this view - the foreground is the Old State House, built in 1713, to the left is the Custom House, built in 1837, it's tower built in 1913, and at center, the gleaming high rise Exchange Place, built in 1984. A nice range of Boston historical architecture in one viewscape.

Al fresco dining along The Freedom Trail near Haymarket.

The throng of weekend shoppers finds great bargains in the Haymarket, one of the nation's oldest outdoor markets - been in business for more than 300 years.

A thunderstorm passes in the distance of these waterfront 1-2 BR condos, real estate website Zillow values these units between 1-2 million USD. It is expensive to live along Boston's downtown waterfront.

Masked wedding photos in the time of the pandemic.

Unmasked wedding photos in the North End.

More al fresco dining in the North End along Hanover Street.

Kids, dogs, and dads frolic in the fountain.  This park area was formerly the location of the busy and noisy upper and lower decks of Interstate 93 as it roared through downtown Boston.  No more.  That right-of-way is now the Rose Kennedy Greenway parkland and the highway is underground.