Panoramas, Manomet, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA

Over the years, some of you have commented that I occasionally photograph the same subject. It is purposeful. The light, the colors, the visibility, the wind, the season - always different factors affecting the visual image. As I try to learn to be a better photographer and blogger, I have found that looking at the "same old thing" forces me to pay more attention to the subject - to look at the "same old thing" but to find newness in it.  Like these three houses in Manomet.........

(Panoramas - click on an image to view full width).

Boston Women's March for America, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

I joined 175,000 other Boston area folks at the Boston Common and on nearby streets for the Boston Women's March for America.



According to the organizer's website: "On January 21, 2017, at 11 a.m., we will unite in Boston to march in solidarity with communities most affected by the hate, intolerance and acts of violence being perpetrated throughout the nation—among many are communities of women, immigrants, people of color, people who identify as LGBTQIA and people with disabilities.

We stand for religious freedom, human rights, climate justice, racial justice, economic justice and reproductive justice. Together, we will send a message to our leaders and the world, that the United States of America stands for values of human dignity, equal rights and freedom from discrimination.
Ours is a peaceful, nonpartisan march." (Mission Statement from their website ).



There were tens of thousands of signs: clever, kind, harsh, thoughtful, thought-provoking, humorous, edgy, you name it..........as varied as our people.



I am filled with hope to realize that acceptance of protest and demonstration is fundamental to our democracy and seemingly revered by all regardless whichever group is in power politically.



Like this young man of today, I was a protester 40-some years past. But unlike this young man, I was tear-gassed, roughed-up, and jailed in Washington D.C. for my efforts. We have come a long way.



As the march route ended back at the Common, the participants placed their signs and placards for viewing along the wrought iron fencing for all to enjoy the thoughtful messages.



It was a beautiful day in Boston - in the middle of winter it was sunny and the temperature rose to almost 60 degrees - perhaps a sign from the cosmos in support of the event? And I managed to walk 14,000 steps today - not all in the march but just walking around also.



Yes, I accepted a free hug - how could I resist that friendly smile. (In the background are many Boston Police officers standing at the ready. News reports afterwards stated there had been zero arrests associated with the event).



For all our issues, I am proud and happy to live in a nation where freedom of speech is still our most hallowed principle. Without it, we are doomed.

A Trip Down Memory Lane - January 2016

Old Sandwich Road, Pine Hills, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA

I took a trip down memory lane and reviewed all the many images I posted on this blog in 2016. Here are a few of them from the month of January 2016 that I especially like. I like them either as a beautiful and/or creative image or because they are evocative of some special place or experience in my life. It's the modern internet version of going through my own scrapbook/photo album for last year.

I intend to publish a separate post for each of the twelve months of the year.



Yesterday and today - Washington Street, Boston, Massachusetts. The Old South Meeting House at center above served as the organizing spot in December 1773 as the colonists prepared for the Boston Tea Party.  It still stands proudly as the city has grown up around what was then, the largest building in Boston.



A rock and roller making music at Copley Plaza, Boston, Massachusetts.



Rocks and rollers at Manomet Beach, Manomet, Plymouth, Massachusetts.



Both a memory of past and an anticipation of future spring, Manomet, Plymouth, Massachusetts.



A red umbrella and a fresh snowfall, Manomet, Plymouth, Massachusetts.



First light after a storm, Manomet, Plymouth, Massachusetts.



Priscilla Beach Theatre with a surreal glow, Priscilla Beach, Manomet, Plymouth, Massachusetts.



A cold sunroom, Manomet, Plymouth, Massachusetts.



The builders, Manomet, Plymouth, Massachusetts. These men with their brains, hands, tools, and wood crafted this beautiful house. We take it for granted - building a house - but it is really an amazing accomplishment to turn pieces of trees into this. I enjoyed spending much of the winter watching their progress outdoors in the unrelenting cold on this oceanside bluff jobsite.



Building a dream, Manomet, Plymouth, Massachusetts.



A storm ends and the clouds break, Manomet, Plymouth, Massachusetts.



The morning after a storm, Manomet, Plymouth, Massachusetts.



Snow, rain, and a wet floor - the beauty and simplicity of wood, Manomet, Plymouth, Massachusetts.



Jumping for joy, Manomet, Plymouth, Massachusetts.



Lines and angles, Manomet, Plymouth, Massachusetts.



A chain along the quay wall at Fan Pier, Boston, Massachusetts.

Random Sights, Manomet, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA

A penguin meets the pedestrian crossing human.



A different day with different lighting on the magical rings of galactic space - also known as the frozen surface of Rabbit Pond.



The sailing vessel Tinkerbell enjoys the beautiful winter day, too, but longs for a pleasant broad reach across the bay on a summer's day.



The orange jogger provides a bit of color on this gray winter day.

Winter, Manomet, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA

I took a walk by Rabbit Pond. It was cold. Perhaps you can see it and feel it in the sharp stillness. Browns and grays and ice and cold - winter. But the days are getting longer......spring will be here soon.



I saw this amazing ice pattern and made up the following story to explain it. Someone flying overhead on human wings must have dropped a magic amulet from high in the sky at exactly the moment the pond froze, suspending the outward ripples in ice. Magical.



More browns and grays.



Even the gray and faded houses, shuttered for the season, echo the winter theme.



But there are flashes of color here and there - like the sky at Manomet Point where the iconic Lobster Pound waits to reopen in the spring.



Another splash of color in an otherwise brown and gray world.



And a rare bit of green - the dreaded cat briar plant continues to grow and weave its way through everything getting ready to hurt anyone who comes near. I bleed every year.

Cloudy Day, Manomet, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA

It is winter - today, cloudy and calm, the light is flat and dull, an excellent time for walking and reflection.



And then afterwards, heading back inland towards home, the clouds thin, the light brightens, and the hope of spring is in the air again. Spring never disappoints.

Tortorelli Concert Band, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

I often don't know what I might wander by when out and about but in this case, it was impossible for me to walk by the Tortorelli Concert Band truck without stopping to listen. The pipes, and cymbals, and drums, all pounding away with that unique days-gone-by sound.  The fully pneumatic system plays Wurlitzer music rolls.



It was parked at Copley Plaza as part of Boston's New Year's celebration.



And here's how it works: paper rolls with strategically placed holes. Here's a link to a You Tube video if you'd like a short sample of the timeless sounds:  https://youtu.be/7mey3maKgKY. It will instantly transport you to another time and world when life was simpler. A sound of youth and dreams.

Gone for the Winter, Plymouth Harbor, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA

Much of Plymouth Harbor is quiet and empty for the winter months.



The sounds of boaters have been replaced by the raucous cries of gulls as they take over this section of vacated boat slips and hang out in the warm sunshine. Where did all those boats go anyway?

Fried Dough, Boston Common, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

On a cold winter day on the Boston Common, the Fried Dough vendor is hoping for customers.

What is it about me and fried dough? Those of you regular readers will note that I am obsessively attracted to it and simultaneously repelled by it and comment on it periodically in this blog.

The adults may walk by unimpressed but, the children magnet turns out to be an irresistible force as they talk mom into a stop.

(And yes, it was really good when I tasted it - fat, salt, sugar, oil - music for the taste buds - just not so good for the cardiovascular system).

After the Storm, Manomet, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA

All that recent snow had to go somewhere. In this case, it is a temporary mountain in a parking lot.



Initially, it was a dry and fluffy snow that easily fell from the tree limbs in a slight breeze.



As the sun came out and warmed the outside of houses, the eaves gave foundation to hundreds of icicles.



Snow removal crews are always quick to return the roads to usability.



As quickly as the snow and ice arrived, it will soon be gone with the warming trend now enveloping us. Drip, drip, drip........