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.

Sunday Drive, Southeast Massachusetts, USA

There is something special, even timeless, about taking a beautiful drive on a two-lane country road in southeast Massachusetts. And it doesn't really  matter whether it is on a Sunday or not. The roads I especially like are particularly beautiful and typical for this area.

Southeast Massachusetts offers four distinct and intense seasons that leave no doubt about each of their main features:
Summer - warm, wet, lush, green.
Fall - crisp, breezy, a riot of color. 
Winter - bright, cold, nor'easters, snow and wind.
Spring - explosion of new life, color, and growth.

What a treat to start the car, roll down the windows, crank up the music, and cruise on lightly traveled roads at 25-30 mph through mixed oak, maple, and pine forests alongside natural wetlands while the music provides a soundtrack to my life. It's like being twenty-something again with my first car when the world was fresh and new and the possibilities in life were endless. (Except nowadays it's more comfortable than a used 1966 Volkswagen beetle with high mileage and a hole in the floorboard behind the front seat.....)

Plymouth County and its half million people are dotted all along the southeast coast of Massachusetts from south of Boston to the north of Cape Cod. Unlike when traveling in many foreign countries, in theory in the United States, each pedestrian has the right-of-way when crossing in a posted crosswalk - but I still look both ways and step out cautiously.

3rd Anniversary Celebration of Plymouth Digital Photographers Club, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA

The Plymouth Digital Photographers Club (PDP) celebrated their third anniversary with a gathering on Plymouth's Long Beach for an evening of fun, food, friendship, and fotography. (Of course, not all 868 members were able to attend). It was a perfect summer evening with light breezes, warm temperatures, outgoing tide, and happy, cooperative, photogenic grandkids - not to mention the rings of fire! For members, the PDP website link above will have the "real" photographer's results from this event. Membership is free to join.

This is what you get when you stuff a common metal kitchen whisk with steel wool, light it on fire, then whirl it around on a three foot metal chain. Disclaimer: this is potentially very dangerous, use extreme caution. Certified and licensed whisk whirler extraordinaire Kevin is skilled and experienced in this event.

This is one of those times when a point-and-shoot camera just doesn't do justice to the actual visual experience.

Independence Day - The Morning After

Here are some of the morning-after treats left behind by revelers at White Horse Beach following the recent Independence Day celebrations:

 the ubiquitous broken red Solo cup,

 spent firework launch tubes, and

random wrappers from the fireworks.

Usually we find towels, bathing trunks, t-shirts, chairs, etc. - I guess the earlier morning beach scroungers had already scarfed up all the good stuff before we arrived. 

Personally, anything that is labeled "SHOOTS FLAMING BALLS" is hardly a warning - it is more of an enticement!

"SHOOTS FLAMING BALLS" has a cool-factor way beyond any potential for injury. (It would make a great name for a band, too.) Ah, youth.........

Tall Ships, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

This year's Tall Ships event coincided with the 200-year anniversary of the War of 1812. The tall ships hailed from Brazil, Colombia, Indonesia, Ecuador, and the U.S. They were on display in Boston and served as the centerpiece for the commemoration festivities. The War of 1812 was our last war fought under sail.

Looking towards downtown Boston from the Seaport District. The tall ships were docked in the Seaport District. The following shots are random views in the revitalized modern district.

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

One of those rare spectacular sunrises when the world looks like it is on fire. I have been retired for a year now but still usually get up before the sun - old habits die hard - and the reward is that sometimes I get to see something like this.

Later in the morning, it was just regular sunshine - suitable for a catnap.



Bonfires and Fireworks, White Horse Beach, Manomet, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA

I would say the odds are very long for all the following events: a full moon, clear skies, and a warm summer night, to happen on July 3rd. This is the evening of White Horse Beach's annual tradition of beach bonfires and fireworks. There are 46 states that permit the sale and use of fireworks by its citizens - liberal and progressive Massachusetts is NOT one of them. But the tradition continues anyway by its scofflaw citizens - remember the Boston Tea Party in 1773? we don't always take kindly to being told what to do. In any case, it is quite an annual spectacle. 

As dusk deepens, the first bonfires are lit. (The bonfires must have a permit - go figure).

The fireworks begin randomly, some here, some there, some behind you, some in front of you, even some right beside you.  One must pay attention. Mostly it all seems to work pretty okay but, I suspect the police and fire officials have a different perspective about this event.

There was live impromptu music, the Bucket Boys are shown above. Otherwise, revelers, some possibly under the influence of alcoholic spirits and some not, could be heard breaking into patriotic song.....

.....but mostly is was folks just hanging out and enjoying a perfect summer evening with friends and family. Teenage boys and girls hoping to meet other teenage girls and boys - typical beach behavior with the added spice of big fires and explosions in the sky.

The bonfires are always constructed in locations where they will be swallowed by the next rising tide.

And ah, the fireworks.....a pretty impressive display by regular folks. Try this link to Amy's blog in a few more days - she took some real photographs - not these point-and-shoot types. (By the way, if you think of coming next year - be forewarned that there is almost nowhere to park  a car if you don't live nearby).



Bartlett Pond, Manomet, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA

Although I normally associate this type of sky with America's desert southwest area, sometimes even the east coast gets dramatic towering cumulus and bright blue skies. This view is over Bartlett Pond.

As summer progresses, the country lanes around Bartlett Pond get narrower and narrower as the green growth continues to squeeze in on the roadway.

The bee bomb blooms - a favorite of the hummingbirds who magically appear when the blossoms do.

Not a very sharp image but you get the idea.

Another frequent summer sight on the pond.

A nice spot for a light summer vegan supper as the shadows lengthen in the late day's sun.

The days are getting shorter since the summer solstice has passed but there is still a bit of light after 9:00pm local time on Bartlett Pond.

White Horse Beach, Manomet, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA

An early summer day combination of perfect temperature, low tide, blue sky and puffy white clouds.

Notwithstanding the ear-splittingly loud and repetitive songs that ice cream trucks insist on playing, there is still something special about having the ice cream man come to the beach.  Click here if you want to be reminded - it starts playing automatically after the website loads.

Boaters prepare to anchor their boat in the outgoing tide on White Horse Beach. After the tide is out, the boat rests on the sand until the next tide comes in.

Milo the Cat

Ever have one of those days when you just don't feel like getting out of bed? .....so does Milo. But he's not always a lazy slug........

Sometimes he's a circus performer. Okay, so it's not really much of a high wire act but, I wouldn't walk along this rail any more than I would a real high wire at this point in my life. Must be the caution that comes with aging. I would have a fear of losing my balance and falling off (maybe a ten foot drop).  It is interesting that cats don't seem to have that fear, nor do squirrels as they jump from tree to tree and cavort from branch to branch chasing each other at great speed. Confidence, or lack thereof, doesn't seem to be part of their mental processing. Maybe it's their ability to live in the present and not worry about future consequences. Fascinating critters these four-legged non-humans.