The Return of the Turkeys, Manomet, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA

I heard them before I saw them. The sound didn't register at first. They have been gone during much  of winter. I thought maybe the sound was on the radio. And then, there they were, outside the window on this cold, windy morning in the first week of spring, standing tall and making that gobbling sound, and, alternately pecking in the unfrozen ground for bugs. Maybe they will roost in the trees here tonight, and I will look up and see their large dark silhouette. I hope so. They don't know about the coronavirus or anything like that. They simply live in the moment until they don't. There is something to be said for that. It is spring, yes, and all the world is anew.

The End of Winter, Manomet, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA

It's the last day of a winter that never really became a serious winter. But there are other differences.......



...... like the coronavirus sheriff out enforcing social distancing.



Of course, mostly this time of year there aren't many people at the beach anyway.



Though low tide does bring out solitary walkers.



The sand is shiny-wet from the outgoing tide.



And just a hint of spring green can already be seen. Virus or no virus, the cycles of nature continue on.

Scallop Shells, An Art Project, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA

Dozens of these giant artistic scallop shells can be found around the downtown and waterfront areas of Plymouth.



It may still technically be winter but, folks are out and about walking around enjoying the waterfront and the unseasonably pleasant weather.

Gale Force Winds and Low Tide, White Horse Beach, Manomet, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA

It was another of those magical winter days in Southeastern Massachusetts - blue skies, puffy clouds, unlimited visibility, gale force winds, midday low tide, bright sun driving the temperature up to the high 40's F. Days are getting longer, spring is right around the corner. That's a hard combination to beat anywhere.



The sandy beach is particularly wide this year at low tide. It varies each year by how the storms behaved over the winter - whether they scoured or deposited more or less.



Water temperature is about 40 degrees F - still too cold for most humans - even the dogs stay out.



Winter is not over yet - tonight, a deepening low pressure system is forecast to bring winds sustained above 30 gusting to 60 with snow. We'll see.

A Final Musing on St. Petersburg, Florida, USA

So, now that I am back home in the cold and dark remains of a New England winter, what are my summary thoughts of this exploratory trip to St. Petersburg, Florida?

The Good News: It sure is nice in the St. Petersburg, Florida area. Friendly people, beautiful weather, plenty to do and see. It is easy to navigate the grid-patterned street layout - avenues run east/west - streets run north/south.

The Bad News: There are miles and miles of just too many - too many people, too many roads, too many cars, too many structures, too many sirens at all hours, too many personal injury attorney ads. By contrast, in New England I live on a dead-end road in the woods by a pond with only the sounds of nature surrounding me. I like that - a lot.



As I walk some of the downtown streets, I hear the street sounds and loud music from multiple cars, pick-up trucks, bikes, scooters, pedestrians - everyone listening to his/her own music and not at a private volume level - it is a cacaphony of sound. Add to that all the cellphone conversations engaged in by multiple pedestrians (often loudly on speaker) as they walk - the din is just too much sometimes.

In my hotel room, I daily can hear the symphony of jack-hammers and car traffic and emergency vehicle sirens.

I guess that's part of the trade off - if one wants consistently warm weather in the middle of a New England winter, to be somewhere in the United States, to have known healthcare, resources, infrastructure, and language - this may be a price one has to pay.

Moving here would take some getting used to. Like palm trees waving in the breeze. No different from any other move. Change is change.



It sure is nice here.............hmmmm.



It sure is nice here, too..........hmmm.