Vegan Pizza

This is another post in my occasional series about, "what do you vegans eat anyway since you don't eat animals nor animal products?"

A whole wheat dough crust, olive oil coating, tomato sauce, sun-dried tomato, thinly sliced squash and zucchini, broccoli, spices, non-dairy "cheese," then baked on a pizza stone. And of course, a side of avocado - avocado goes with just about anything and everything at our house - except seldom for breakfast. Pineapple tidbits are good on the pizza, too. 

Vegan Bruschetta

This is another post in my occasional series about, "what do you vegans eat anyway since you don't eat animals nor animal products?"

Okay, it's not really classical Italian bruschetta. It's more of a Italian-Mexican fusion kind of thing: toasted whole grain bread, olive oil, garlic, tomatoes, southwest seasonings, salt, pepper, and avocados. Good for a snack/appetizer or, a whole meal if you eat too much to call it an appetizer.

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

I couldn't prove it with this picture - you'll have to take my word for it - just left of center low over the water and below the houses, flying left to right, is a pair of great blue herons. Their raucous squawk had filled the quiet morning air only moments before.

The very next morning I was treated to this view - no invisible herons either.

And again the next morning - still no herons.

White Horse Beach, Manomet, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA

The warmth of the sun, the feel of the breeze, the smell of the salt air, the sound of the water, the blue of the sky, the shrieks of jubilant children running with abandon - the beach is a special place.

Watching the drama of clouds growing into storms is part of the summer beach experience.

I liked this green umbrella - the color of shallow water.

The clouds darken by the hour, building for this afternoon's thunderstorm - a thunderstorm I got caught in and drenched to the bone. An intensely focused bright red cell moving slowly, it was right where it showed it would be on the weather map before I left home. Normally I would have stayed home but, getting caught in a warm summer rain is not really an unpleasant experience.  I can't remember when the last time in my life I just got wet in the rain because it was raining - no raincoat, no umbrella, just wet.

Cape Cod Canal, Bourne, Massachusetts, USA

The canal is one of my favorite paved walks anywhere: mostly flat, a good long distance, no cars to dodge, scenic, predictable surface, trash free, periodic bathrooms, and water fountains - it's a pretty perfect long walk.

When walking the canal, I like to wear a tiny electronic device barely larger than a postage stamp (iPod Shuffle) that plays back my selected music with a fidelity and presence that almost sounds live. I hope I'm not singing along unbeknownst to me - but with some of the looks I get from other passersby, I think I must be grunting discordantly on occasion.

I enjoy this place. I have no need to go somewhere else, I'm already here. Sometimes it's best to just be where I am - no planning, no future, just here now. A brisk walk in a beautiful place with favorite music does just that. Is it retirement, resignation, denial, or peace of mind? I don't know - but I like it.

Some folks just stand and stare. Wrong shoes for walking?

Some folks cruise in their sailboat with sails furled.

Some folks sail their sailboat.

And if you walk up on the Sagamore bridge from the Friendly's restaurant or the commuter parking lot on the north side of the canal, you get the bird's eye view of the Sagamore recreation area parking lot, the walking/bike trail, and the distant east end of the canal where it connects to Cape Cod Bay.

The Sagamore Bridge was constructed in 1933-35 and requires ongoing maintenance (to the consternation of the drivers who often sit in long traffic back-ups during lane closures). This is the underside of the bridge, a study in geometry and practicality, where they constructed a temporary access walkway for workers to get to and from and perform work under the bridge.

Looking down from the bridge.

Some folks stand and fish.

Some just sit - (it's Harvey - that's why you can't see him).

Whatever your outdoor pursuit of choice, the canal is a great place to do it.

Beach Path, White Horse Beach, Manomet, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA



For those of us who don't live very close to the beach, there are various paths and lanes to get there on foot. Following this particular path, I must bend over and shuffle through the greenery.

The folks living in this house don't seem to mind strangers passing close by their window.

I've always been confused by this route. Does the 'DO NOT ENTER' sign mean don't enter the fence or, don't drive down the road or, just a general deterrent? I'll never know but I bet it works - except on local pedestrians like me - I just walk down the road anyway.

When one of the paths widens into this dirt/gravel road, I am almost there.....

.......and it's always worth the walk.

At the beach at low tide, lots of activity is taking place: here a jet ski is being removed from the water.

The outgoing tide has amazingly sculpted this stylized version of some swan-like creature! Wow, what talent!

Afternoon shadow and light.

At the evening  low tide, the Priscilla Beach swimming area perimeter markers sit on the sand waiting to float up when the tide returns.

Folks enjoy a walk at low tide, especially for the ten-weeks that constitute "summer" in New England. Is that man barely noticeable in the background fishing from a beach chair? - yes - well, not exactly - truth be told, the fisherman told me he doesn't have a hook on his line and is just sitting there - I think he just wanted some peace and quiet at the beach - and he got it - except for folks like me yakking at him.

House in the Woods, Manomet, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA

We like to wander around sometimes and look at houses for sale. We recently saw this beautiful 1.5 acre property tucked away in the woods of Manomet. It is a short walk to the ocean beach below Manomet bluff, it has thousands of trees, it has a small freshwater kettle pond, and a traditional cape style house with a sunroom facing the pond. It's a peaceful, beautiful spot, the silence occasionally punctuated by the prehistoric squawk of both green and blue herons flying overhead. This property is a jewel in a rural natural setting that's still pretty close to modern day civilization.

A three-sided, three-season sunroom on the pond side of the house.

The pond view.

The pond is 50 feet from the house.

Looking back toward the house from the path around the pond.

Hmmm, let's see - it's a cape style house, new-ish (built in 2000), at the end of a dead end street, with forced air heating, a first floor bedroom, on and adjacent to natural land, it has a sunroom, an attached two-car garage, and is walking distance to the beach, library, post office, grocery, auto repair, other shops and restaurants? Looks like an extraordinary place to live! Hmmmm.

Amy's Summer Garden, Bartlett Pond, White Horse Beach, Manomet, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA

Birds, bugs, bees, and critters of many varieties come to sample and enjoy the bounty of Amy's garden.

Nestled beside a small cottage and pond, Amy's summer garden once again explodes with life and color.

While a Tinman (okay so he's a bit rusty) and a metal flower (my attempt at "art") stand watch peacefully over all.......

Cape Cod Canal, Bourne, Massachusetts, USA

The Sagamore Bridge in the distance.

What makes a place a place? What gives it a pulse, its own purpose, a pace, a set of behaviors or activities? I really enjoy the Cape Cod Canal.  It showcases some of the beautiful accomplishments of both humans and nature. Sun, and sky, and clouds, and water, and trees and roads, and bridges, and people and critters, and an able infrastructure to support it all.

The water moves swiftly as it rushes east and then west to balance the water levels between Cape Cod Bay and Buzzards Bay as the ocean tides rise and fall.. Gulls wheel through the sky and cormorants skim above the surface. The canal combines natural beauty with practical utility for boats and ships of many needs and also includes a large dose of walking, biking, or roller blading into a concentration of purposeful human activity. There are seven miles of paved trails on the north side and 6.5 miles of paved trails on the south side of the canal.

The orange tubes are either fishing rod holders or fireworks launch tubes - maybe both depending upon the season/event!

I don't know if this canal is similar to canals in Europe or other parts of the world in terms of look and feel. I suppose each culture stamps its own style and nuance -  ours is pretty darn wonderful and it's only 15 minutes from home! Kudos to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers who operate and maintain it all.