White Horse Beach, Manomet, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA

On a bright sunny day, the brilliant blue skies, gray weathered shingles, and plenty of sand at low tide are all  hallmarks of this New England beach.

Houses with drop-dead gorgeous views line Manomet Point at the south end of White Horse Beach.

But danger lurks for this critter who is a mighty far distance away from the relative safety of the water.

Rocks of all sizes are exposed along this section of  beach at low tide or, in the case of the small pebbles - "shingles" as they are known to Western Europeans and certain others in select worldwide locations. They are not much fun to walk upon but the rolling sound they make when tossed and rolled at the surf line is magical.

And in the nearby freshwater marsh, the browns and grays of  winter slowly yield to new spring growth.

The first blushes of  leaf color are applied delicately along a country lane.

Rural mail delivery is still provided regularly by the honorable but sometimes maligned postal service.

I like electricity as much as the next person - maybe more since I'm addicted to an internet modem and router. In fact, when my wife and I travel, the first question we ask about a hotel used to be, "is it clean and in a safe location"  but now, the first question is, "do you have internet?"

The downside of electricity is that in terms of visual impact, above ground power lines and cables are a scourge upon the earth. Too bad we can't yet figure out practical wireless transmission of electrical current, wouldn't that be cool? Yeah - and so would a Star Trek "transporter," but it doesn't look like that technology will get completed during my remaining years either. On the other hand, one never knows......."beam me up, Scotty."