A Few Moments of Zen, White Horse Beach, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA

Here's what it sounds like....

Sandwich Marina, Sandwich, Massachusetts, USA

The Sandwich Marina, immediately adjacent to the northern end of the Cape Cod Canal, will be bustling with activity when Spring arrives but, at this time of year, most boats are already out of the water for the Winter season.

Many pragmatists - only one optimist. This year's November has been remarkably warm with temperatures in the 60's Fahrenheit into the last week of the month.

I think I would have left the name at "Tuna" rather than "Tunanut".... from Sandwich, Massachusetts. Get it?

 

I hope whomever designed these stands got the patent and earned a boatload of money - such simple and effective adjustable stands to hold a boat out of the water for maintenance or for the winter.

I hope the guy leaning against the shed is the CPR dummy taking a break since there isn't much activity in the marina today. 

Seems to me that if you are backing your trailered boat down the adjacent concrete ramp into the water, chances are good that by the time you can read this sign in your rear-view mirror, you have gone too far.



Sunset, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA

What is it about sunset?  People of all ages, all walks of life, all genders, all nations - all of us - man and womankind, will stand and pause a moment to behold a sunset of spectacular beauty - perhaps it is the unspoken suggestion of hope and beauty and good and god and the sheer  majesty of the view that grabs us all. 

We humans have created many things of wonder, greatness, and beauty on this earth - but none to rival the awesome spectacle of a beautiful sunset.  We are powerful but we cannot arrange the layers of clouds, and the light, and the dust, and the moisture to suit us on command; we cannot arrange the precise location where all these elements combine into an image that leaves us all together, briefly, speechless at the grandeur.

View from Massachusetts Route 3, Exit 5, west of Shops at Five at 4:30pm EST.

Balance and Equilibrium, White Horse Beach, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA

When forces are in balance, equilibrium is achieved.

This is a cat.

This is a squirrel.

This is a cat and squirrel in close proximity. No chasing, no running, no fighting - at equilibrium. I would not have thought that possible.

Vegan Thanksgiving, White Horse Beach, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA

Many have asked, "as a vegan, what do you eat for Thanksgiving?"  The simple answer is:  the same kind of things I eat every day - fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds, (and dark chocolate).  I eat what you eat except, I don't eat animals nor animal products.

Many have asked, "don't you feel deprived?" The answer is: No - I feel enriched.

The following is this year's Thanksgiving meal. All dishes prepared by "Chef Extraordinaire Amy."

Start with a soup - split pea with carrots, onion, garlic, celery, vegetable bouillon and spices.

Before.....

.....after.

For the main course - Shepard's Pie - start by sauteing zucchini, carrots, broccoli, onion, garlic, and spices.....and separately prepare the potato and turnip topping.

Before......

....after.

Before.........

......after.

And for dessert - a banana, cranberry, chocolate chip, walnut cake. 

Before.....

.....after.

Delicious and healthful - and no animals were harmed or killed to create this feast.

If you are interested in learning about a vegan or vegetarian lifestyle, here are a few links to start you on your way:  Oprah's Vegan Starter Kit, Vegetarian Times Starter Kit,  PETA's Starter Kit. 

A Snowy Owl on Thanksgiving, Duxbury Beach, Massachusetts, USA

The snowy owls seen this year on Duxbury Beach continue to attract birders and photographers. Although it was a chilly day, the skies were clear and the wind had died.  Again, the owl did not disappoint but was visible to those with patience and a long lens.  (For my recent post on the owls, see the November 17th  entry at this link.)

Two of the more avid viewers saw fit to wade in the frigid salt water marsh. Winter parkas and bare feet at the end of November........who'd have thought.

And as the light fades, the happy photographers trudge back through the marsh, thankful for a beautiful sighting.

One of the disadvantages of using a point-and-shoot camera is that you can't always get close enough to distant subjects. You can see the snowy owl here at this link  captured by a real photographer on this Thanksgiving Day outing (photo credit: Ian Davies).

Signs of Fall, Bartlett Pond, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA

I haven't seen which birds eat these berries. Perhaps it is not cold enough yet and no one is desperate enough yet to eat them.  Perhaps they are the "broccoli" of the bird diet - they only eat them if they have to.

Hard to believe this pond will be solid ice in a couple months - sorry I won't be here to see it - okay, I'm not really sorry.......

Our resident mute swan family. On the right, the cygnet is the last surviving member of this year's brood. The others fell prey to unknown forces. Adult mute swans have no natural predators but, until they are adults the cygnets may be scarfed up by snapping turtles, perhaps nest-raiding foxes or coyotes, disease, or hypothermia. Highly territorial and aggressive, the parent pair will chase junior off to live on his own at some point - must be a lesson there.



Thanksgiving Parade, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA

Few things look as fine as a marching band all dressed up in their sharp uniforms. But then, why would they want to go and put cotton candy in their hats? It just seems counter-productive and opens them up to needless ridicule.

And speaking of cotton candy, is this man trying to decide which bunch is smaller, or larger, or how to stick it in his hat so it stays put? Maybe he's not really in a marching band.

But today's prize goes to this hapless driver. Why does he/she think that the parade is going to stop to let him/her drive through the closed street? Couldn't he/she have discerned six blocks earlier that the road was closed based on the road closed signs and barricades?

And who would drive a 50-foot long car to a parade? It wasn't in the parade, it just came to the parade. Maybe that's how they transported the ever-valuable fried dough ingredients.  And speaking of fried dough........

What gathering would be complete without the ubiquitous presence of America's gift to international gastronomy - fried dough. It's the perfect food if you need to increase your saturated fat intake - or, perhaps your arterial blood flow is too much and you feel the need to restrict it.

And what is Santa doing in this parade? I thought they had some agreement not to horn in on each other's holiday?  Thanksgiving has November and Christmas has December?  I guess not.

Good license plate advice from a parade-goer - I should have read it earlier before making these snarky comments.........

Thanksgiving Preparations, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA

America's Hometown gets ready for the annual celebration/parade/food fest. The stone columns of the Plymouth Rock memorial are visible at center left in the photo above as workers prepare the hillside and stage area on Water Street for the celebration. 

Thanksgiving in the New World was a time to give thanks to God for safe passage across the ocean.  Perhaps more importantly, it should have been to give thanks to the Native American leader Massasoit, who is believed to have ensured the Pilgrims initial survival in the new World due to his peaceful and helpful ways.

Luckily no rain in the forecast but, it is cold and windy in town and on the beaches, where mostly just gulls and the wind are out today to enjoy the bright sunshine.

A crisp, windy, clear New England day.



But alas, while turkeys hanging out beside or in the roadways are not an unusual sight, a turkey walking in the road at Thanksgiving is definitely not a good idea - and yes, I swerved.

Bartlett Pond, White Horse Beach, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA

Sun has set and daylight fades over Bartlett Pond.........

.......and cottages are lit for the cool Fall evening.

A Snowy Owl at Duxbury Beach, Duxbury, Massachusetts, USA

Plymouth Light, also known as Gurnet Light, is at the Plymouth end of Duxbury Beach and was home of America’s first woman lighthouse keeper. It is now the  home of the country’s oldest freestanding wood lighthouse. It is less than 4 miles northeast of Plymouth Rock.

The narrow peninsula of Duxbury Beach stretches toward the horizon.

The sighting of a Snowy Owl along this narrow spit of land on the bay side attracted birders and nature photographers from far and wide. The white speck in the middle is the Snowy Owl.

The salt marsh grasses glow with their fall colors.

The channels widen on the incoming tide.

And this is what the Snowy Owl could have looked like if I had a "fancy" camera instead of a "point-and-shoot."  Above photo courtesy of:  Amy Davies, founder and leader of Plymouth Digital Photographers Club.

Lobster Traps, Westport Point, Westport, Massachusetts, USA

They come in many size, shapes, and styles. They are constructed of wood, metal, nylon, or plastic parts.  Areas within the trap have fancy names like the "kitchen" and "parlour."  But still, it is just another trap to capture an animal.  That being said, it is still a clever and sometimes effective device if you are inclined to capture this particular critter.

These multi-color traps are about 3-4 feet long, 2 feet wide, and 1 foot high.

Here is the entrance to the "kitchen" where the lobster swims in to get the bait.

The lobster then attempts to escape but ends up in the "parlour" where hopefully, the lobster remains trapped until retrieval by the lobster fisher.

Some say that lobsters are not sentient creatures, they lack the ability to experience sensations or suffer.  I recall the last time many years ago I put a lobster in a stove top pot of boiling water.  That desperate scratching, scritching sound of claw on metal still rings in my head.  Food for thought for you animal lovers.