Out and About, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

 
After a long winter of weather and pandemic, folks were out in droves on this lovely spring day (temps 50+ F) in Boston. This young man is hanging out on the Esplanade on the bank of the Charles River. Much of the MIT campus in Cambridge is visible on the far side of the river.



The Charles River is at right above, the Mass Avenue bridge in the distance.



A true sign of spring at the Hatch Shell along the Esplanade.



This graceful arch is on the Red Line over the Charles River at the MGH stop. 



Is Storrow Drive ever not swarming with noisy cars? The backs of the fancy brownstones on Beacon Street that back up to it must just get accustomed to the constant drone of cars - location, location, location.

I am too early on this visit (3/27) - this is the only magnolia tree I found in bloom.

On the Common, the first hints of buds are visible. I mean tree buds, not the other kind......

....whose smoke was wafting on the breeze from the many folk out enjoying the sunshine and each other's company on this fine day.

This person received my 'most stunning red hair award' for the day.

Heading back at the end of my outing, this outdoor book lot belonging to the Brattle Book Store next door seemed to be doing a booming business. Who said paper books are dead?

Out and About, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA

I always enjoy a trip down Old Sandwich Road in any season or color.

Or the absence of color. Looks like snow is done for this year - the grader truck has been through to level the dirt surface.

A quiet view from the top of Burial Hill in downtown Plymouth looking out over the harbor and bay.



Though the Plymouth harbor is still mostly empty, it won't be for much longer.

Though turkeys aren't known to migrate, they always leave my treetops in the late fall and I don't see them again until spring - here's my first for this year - pecking in the yard and gobbling in the treetops at dawn - always a welcome sight and sound. (No, they are not tame - this photo is from inside the house looking through a window).

Out and About - Seaport District, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

I enjoy the interplay of shadow, light, and structure at this exact time of day/season of the old Northern Avenue Bridge (built in 1908, closed 2014). The three converging lines, made up of two steel girders and one shadow, draw me right in, especially in this black and white rendering.



Though this looks like a barge about to crash, it's not, it's the rotating portion of the rusty, former Northern Avenue bridge rotated permanently out of the way to allow vessel passage.

Human tourists were out doing what tourists do on the waterfront promenade......

....and so were the canine variety, too.



The spring migration was full underway in the Seaport neighborhood.



There were hundreds of them feasting on the spring grass.



And other strange creatures, too. Ah, Boston.

Monsters of the Deep, White Horse Beach, Manomet, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA

An unusual and slightly spooky sight as a fog bank rolled in on White Horse Beach.

It was warmish so many folks were out and about.

And as the fog got thicker, the monsters of the deep lurked ever closer to their prey, at any second, about to reach up out of the water and devour the unsuspecting walker - brave being that close to the edge.

Out and About, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

It was another 14,000+ step count day wandering in downtown Boston. It was springtime warm and most of the time I carried instead of wearing my coat - bad planning on my part.



Though bikes are not allowed on the Common pathways, this rider did make for a pleasing additional photographic element along with the pedestrians. (Astute regulars to this blog will note I really like this particular intersection of six paths on the Common).



On Commonwealth Avenue Mall, a couple out for a stroll from a dog's eye view.



A view east on Commonwealth Avenue.

Random architecture along Commonwealth Avenue.

Ditto.

Over on Newbury Street, the shoppers/gazers were out in force. Maybe I'm just an old man but, how can pre-ripped clothing be stylish? I don't get it. Back in my day, bell-bottoms wider than my entire shoe were the style - now that was way cool..........



Old and new - the Park Street Church, cornerstone laid in 1809 - heading back to Post Office Square and the drive home after another special day in a world great city.

Tidmarsh Wildlife Sanctuary, Mass Audubon, Manomet, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA

Tidmarsh Wildlife Santuary, a 450-acre Mass Audubon preserve in Manomet, has reopened the public access lot on Beaver Dam Road and some of the restoration work is visible which was conducted during the past months of closure. The above area was formerly a large holding pond for water used for the cranberry bogs that preceded the status as an Audubon Sanctuary.



The dam was removed and now, a creek bed meanders through the area connecting, once again, the entirety of Beaver Dam Brook from its inland headwaters to the ocean.



The above newly built footbridge crosses the creekbed replacing the former earthen dam.

A different angle of view of the new footbridge with humans for size perspective. The dead trees and root balls were moved here to mimic what might have been the original habitat. The rotting wood will help nourish and stabilize the earth around the stream.

 
On the trail to the overlook (the overlook platform is at the far left). The platform is about a one mile round trip walk from the parking lot. It's a delightful, peaceful walk through different habitats and terrain types including a section of mild cardio up to the platform.

This forest trail leads down the other side from the overlook platform.

It's such a treat to have this natural wonderland right here in little Manomet.

My blog post of the Tidmarsh opening dedication ceremony held in October 2017 is at this link.

Many of my previous posts about Tidmarsh are at this link.

It Was Still Winter, Manomet, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA

Even though a gale was blowing today, temperature was in the low 40's, I ventured out on foot anyway.  I did notice just the faintest suggestion of spring green visible in the grass.



The tide was near high and the wind was dancing on the water surface. The world here is definitely hinting at springtime.



Upon my return from the beach, I sat down to rest up and warm up. To my amazement, in a rare act, my local resident red-shouldered hawk swooped in and landed on a branch maybe ten feet above the bird feeders. Maybe he was looking for lunch - a squirrel or chipmunk or another bird but, in any case, I think his angle of view was such that he could not see me through the double-paned glass glare and reflection so I was able to capture this image with my trusty point and shoot camera.  What a treat! He has been very active this past week - flying around frequently and calling a lot - trying to attract a spring mate no doubt.

In classic New England weather behavior - soon after the hawk scene above, snow started falling driven by the 50-knot gusts of wind associated with a frontal passage. The wind blew all night and the temperature dropped to 10 degrees F by dawn. After all, it was still winter on the calendar...........

Hints of Spring, Manomet, Massachusetts, USA

The young folk in short sleeves and shorts walking down the stairs is a sure sign of spring.



The winter was kind to the beach this year - lots of sand remains in the places it's supposed to be for humans to enjoy the most.

I like the stark simplicity of this view.  The upper arm of the Cape Cod land mass is about twenty miles distant on the far horizon. It is a stunningly beautiful area, southeastern Massachusetts including Cape Cod. The water temperature has risen to 40 degrees F, too. It will approach 70 degrees F in summer.

Out and About, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

It was still winter cold on this particular day but, one can dress for it. I really enjoyed the bright sun and shadows along the Commonwealth Avenue mall on this walk......



...and captured a couple different views and processing treatments. I wonder why only one dog got to wear a coat? Different families, perhaps? And when did we begin dressing dogs anyway? It's not like they asked for a coat, they wear one all the time.



A gritty black and white rendering.



Strollers in the alley. Less hubbub than walking the sidewalks on the main streets.



The Church of the Covenant on Newbury Street built in the 1860's.



Subway stations are often drab places but.........



....the Park Street station hosts this fine mural commemorating the first subway in the United States - the Boston system.



The golden dome of the Massachusetts State House contrasts brightly against the clear blue sky. In just a few weeks, these trees will be budding out.



The Common Cathedral holds religious services for both the homeless and other passersby in the Boston Common on a Sunday morning/afternoon.