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Tuesday, April 2, 2013

A Spring Afternoon, Manomet, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA

Each spring it is not uncommon for many communities along this coastline to need to readjust beaches and/or beach access points as a result of ferocious winter storms that caused significant erosion.

The mighty claw makes short and sure work of this need.

There are times to say, "it doesn't get any better than this." This afternoon was one of those times -  an  impossibly blue sky, an impossibly blue ocean, and warm sun shining down brilliantly. A perfect combination of sun, light wind, and crisp and clean air that makes one glad just to be alive and able to take it all in. See the two tiny people in beach chairs sitting out in the sun? - granted, they are bundled in winter coats and hats and gloves but it's the idea that counts -  and that feeling of  spring fresh sunlight on a face after a harsh winter is always welcome.


Elsewhere along the bluff, almost lost amid the jumble of firewood is the smiling face of a Manometian.  She is engaged in one of the more rewarding hard work tasks in life - turning a fallen tree into next year's firewood.  Turning a local tree fallen by nature's storms into a source of warmth for another winter ahead is efficient local recycling. Since many trees each winter are felled by storms and must be disposed of anyway, after a bit a hard labor, this wood is a relatively free source of sustainable fuel for her.  And since today's stoves have achieved greater efficiencies, much less smoke pollution is created than in the past.

But the best part of her labor is yet to come - sitting in front of  the wood fire with the wood that she cut, split, stacked, and carried is one of those pleasures of life - and as an added bonus, sitting inside in front of the fire recaptures the youthful pleasure of camping  - but with much more comfortable seating!

Soon, this quintessential white trimmed cedar shingle home will again be ready for the pleasure of summer living in New England, the wines bursting with life weaving along the porch.  Yep, New England knows how to "do summer."

And these Adirondack chairs will again be a place to relax and gaze across the bay at distant Cape Cod.

Winter storms have a bad habit of relocating sand. To fix that,  I tilted the planet a little bit to try and force the sand to replenish the beach areas between the jetties that need more.   I don't think my effort will work but anything is worth trying.


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