Waiting for My Ride, Plymouth Library, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA

This man is patiently waiting for his ride, sitting on the steps in the warm fall sunshine at Plymouth Library, enjoying the moment for what it is.

Some of you may regularly visit the right-side column of my blog where I have My Blog List. It automatically updates when the author posts something new.  Recently, the blog "Raptitude," caught my attention. The incredibly insightful author just posted,  "Life Gets Real When the TV Goes Off."  It's full of wonderful gems like the following:

"One of the least-acknowledged peculiarities about human beings is that we can scarcely bear being in the moment we’re already in. It’s rare for us to truly be at ease in an ordinary present moment, if we’re not being entertained, gratified or otherwise occupied by something. We’re always planning better moments than this current one, or at least trying to soften or improve it with entertainment or food, or anything else that delivers some predictability to our experience." (Source: Raptitude.com).

Food for thought, indeed.

Out and About, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA

Plymouth is about 40 miles south of Boston and is the largest municipality by area in the State of Massachusetts. The Mayflower II, a replica of the 1620 vessel that transported the Pilgrims from England to this continent, is a popular tourist attraction in the downtown harbor.



Also in the harbor, this flock of cormorants wanted to go for a boat ride but, none of them would sit in the seat and row. They all wanted to stay on the gunwale just looking around. Go figure.



Ever so slightly, the colors of summer begin to give way to fall.



The Lobster Pound on Manomet Point, a popular seafood store for more than 50 years, glows brightly in the late afternoon light.



A walkway to White Horse Beach.



Sunset on the arc of the bay at White Horse Beach. Post processed into a black and white version with some edgy grainy detail added also.

Gulls on the Wall, Plymouth Beach, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA

The gulls like to congregate on the seawall facing the ocean when a steady onshore breeze is blowing. They can relax but still be airborne in an instant with the stiff breeze helping to generate lift quickly.



They seem more tolerant of humans getting closer since they have a quick escape when desired.



They need only stand still and spread their wings in the breeze and they are airborne.



Some sit and stay as long as possible.



Most fly away at my approach.



This one waited until the last possible moment to depart - his beady eye trained on my presence. I like gulls.

Cranberry Harvest, Landers Farms, Ellisville, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA

It's an annual fall ritual in southeast Massachusetts - the harvest of the cranberry crop. Cranberries are second only to greenhouse and nursery products as the largest agricultural crop in the state. Massachusetts is second only to Wisconsin as the largest cranberry producer by state in the United States.

Scattered throughout southeastern Massachusetts are thousands of acres of working cranberry bogs. It has been a very challenging year for growers with the extreme drought conditions in this part of the state.



This bog is partially flooded and the initial harvesting has begun as the water continues to pour in.



Wiley the Wonder Dog enjoys the event as much as the people. As the water rises, the moles, voles, frogs, and similar creatures are active along the edge and Wiley gets to chase them. Captivating fun for a pooch.



Sometimes, he even goes all the way into the water. Dogs - you gotta' love 'em! They don't care if it's cold, or wet, or raining, or sunny - they are all in - there is a lot to learn from a dog.



The owner (above at left) confers with her farm manager on the ripeness and quality of the berries.



The operator of the tractor/mower-like equipment rides through the flooded bog and the reels in front and on the side arms of the machine stir the berries loose from their vines. The berries then float to the surface for harvesting. (There is a dry harvest method also - this is not it). After harvesting, the water will be recycled into an adjacent bog to repeat the process.



Here's a close-up of one of the side reels. The thin, white, wooden, pointy stakes you see on the harvester machine are used by the operator to mark the rows so he knows where he has already finished.



The generous owner is also a photographer and permits others to wander about to capture the harvest. This visit was arranged by the Plymouth Digital Photographers Club.



The cranberry sauce I enjoy on my plate came from a place similar to this - maybe even this place. I like knowing that.

Lobsters on the Loose, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA

This year, the Plymouth Area Chamber of Commerce organized a Lobster Crawl wherein they feature 29 unique fiberglass lobster structures around town, each of which is sponsored by a local business or organization. Each is custom designed and painted by local artists. This one is on the waterfront.



Same lobster, different angle of view.



This one is in the Pilgrim Memorial State Park.



Same lobster, different angle of view.



And this one is near the Mayflower II dock. There is always something interesting to enjoy in America's Hometown.

Fall, Manomet, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA

It's that time of the year when all things related to fall take center stage.......like the above seasonal arrangement ...or.......



......this minimalist display with just a touch of fall color.

I really enjoy the fall season but, not as much as spring.  With fall, I know winter will follow and I don't like the cold but, with spring, I know that summer will follow and the anticipation of warmth is intoxicating.

Plymouth Harbor T-wharf Project, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA

From this angle, all appears normal in the Harbor - Captain John Boats are at the ready, the dingy wharf is full of small boats, and the Mayflower II in the distance is at her dock.



But if you walk over by the Harbormaster's office, you can see the T-wharf getting some needed repair, improvement, and enlargement.


















I find it interesting that for all the fancy concrete and steel rebar making up the new dock, the pillars in the water supporting it are wood.

A Morning Walk on the Beach, Manomet, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA

The world was mostly black and white and cloudy for this morning walk on the beach......



....and periodically the lower clouds gave way to a full sky.......

....and the black and white gave way to just a touch of purple. It sure is getting chilly for morning walks, perhaps it's time to walk in the afternoons?

Bicycles, Myles Standish State Forest, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA

I have always enjoyed this rippled ribbon of highway in the Myles Standish State Forest in Plymouth but, I seldom get the timing right to capture a bicycle or two in a prime spot. In post processing for this image, I added a black and white infrared effect to lighten the leaves and also a texture overlay to give the roadway a softer look.

For some reason, seeing rippled mounds of highway like this reminds me of rising heat waves on roads in the southwestern United States, and that reminds me of Zion, and Sequoia, and Yosemite, and all those places I want to return to.  But, as I turn 64 in a few days, I am reminded that the sand in life's hourglass is steadily running down.  How many more opportunities will arise to experience such beauty and wonder?  A lifetime is not infinite, procrastination is not my friend.

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

There is something distinctive about fall sunsets. The days are noticeably shorter, there is a chill in the air; a hint of the coming season.



The pinks are pinker, the oranges are oranger. (Yes, "oranger" is a real word even though it sounds and looks odd).



Time to put on a sweater. Life is good in Manomet.