Haymarket and North End, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

Haymarket is a centuries-old outdoor produce market in downtown Boston and offers remarkable value on fresh produce. I bought a flat of blueberries for one dollar that cost five in my home market.



It's a wonderful experience - crowded, people shouting, dogs, kids, and great deals.



It's right next to Quincy Market and is always fun to wander and see what's for sale.



They're open dawn to dusk on Fridays and Saturdays all year around.



But if you need something a little sweeter (or a lot sweeter for that matter), you can wander over to the North End neighborhood and enjoy..........



...the ever popular and iconic, Mike's Pastry, for a tasty cannoli and more. It's always busy here - always.



If it weren't so cold outside, the gelato looks like a good choice - regardless your age.

A Winter Wander, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

If you park under Post Office Square in downtown Boston, when you come out from the six level underground parking facility, this is what you'll see - just not in black and white. Then, heading towards the Quincy Market area.....



......you'll pass this dramatic towering skyscraper along Congress Street.



Seemingly dropped from the sky amidst these taller buildings, the red brick Old State House stands incongruously. Built in 1713, it was the seat of the Massachusetts General Court until 1798, and is one of the oldest public buildings in the United States. In July of 1776,  America's Declaration of Independence was proclaimed from this very balcony to jubilant crowds below.



The larger than life statue of former Boston Mayor Kevin White stands near Faneuil Hall.



Inside Quincy Market, the lunch crowd is treated to a talented busker. Busking around this popular tourist spot always offers the best in performance art. Not just anyone can sit down and play -auditions are held for the coveted spots.



Following all that walking, lunch at an Irish pub, Ned Devine's, is a good way to take an indoor break in a warm space. Ah Boston, always a nice place to visit in any season.

Sheep Grazing, Chiltonville, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA

A sheep has great peripheral vision seeing forwards and sideways and a little bit rearwards, too, all without turning its head. Of course, if you've ever tried to sneak up on a sheep you already know this. (If you tried in your youth, I suspect alcohol was involved).  And yes, I'm pretty sure this is a sheep and not a goat - (but I did look up the differences to be sure).

Note the ear tag number. When I was a young boy, I worked on a dairy farm. To this day I remember a particular cow with an ear tag number 38 who enjoyed kicking any young boy foolish enough to step too closely behind her in the wrong spot. To this day, I'm careful when standing in line at an public event if the person in front of me is wearing a sports jersey with the number 38.

Baaaad.

Welcome to a Winter Storm, Manomet, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA

If I look happy it's because I've just finished my snow removal chores after yesterday's storm.



I took a number of yardstick samples (do others around the world call it a "meterstick?") to see what the average depth was. 7 inches was the most consistent average depth (or 17.78 centimeters).



I thought I earned a nice rest on the bench after the work was done but first........



.....I wanted to confer with my Florida friend about conditions in his homeland. It's about 70 degrees F there today.  Meanwhile, it's 25 degrees F here - a good temperature for light, fluffy snow and for moving it out of the way.

By the way, if these poses look odd, it might be because I used the in-camera 10-second timer on a tripod to include myself in the image and it was tight scrambling into position before the shutter clicked. Perhaps a 15- or 20-second timer would be better for us old folks.  They could label it the "senior setting." You don't want to see the snow angels I made - it wasn't a good experience.

And yes, one might call these selfies but, I have always thought a selfie to require one to hold the device in hand while making the picture. Since I used a tripod some distance away, maybe this isn't a selfie. On the other hand, some of the major online dictionaries are not all clear on that point. Better file that in the "couldn't care less" category. 

What's important is that the snow is stunningly beautiful! Nature's reward for having to endure the cold of winter.

Sunny Day on the Harbor, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA

The recent warm spell has melted all the harbor ice.



Light is bright and shadows long even in early afternoon.



Soon enough, winter will end and boating season will be bustling again.



And the gulls - they are always here, regardless the season, out and about, scavenging, surviving, looking ever majestic.

Light Snowfall on the Town Green, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA

Except for the presence of power poles, electric wires, and cars, these classic New England homes stand in a timeless pose around the Town Green. We haven't had much snow so far this year - that's good news and bad news.

Another Look, Sandwich, Massachusetts, USA

Another look at one of my favorite subjects in the Sandwich area.



There isn't much train traffic but, the building is still alarmingly close to the tracks. They did things differently back in the olden days.

Muffin Top Pond, Manomet, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA

I thought it pretty cool how this combination of light and angle makes the ice surface of the pond look like a swollen muffin top, or a bubbling soufflé, or a frothy cup of hot chocolate.....hmm? must be time to eat.

End of an Era, Manomet, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA

The Stop and Shop market in "downtown" Manomet closed recently after serving the community for more than a quarter century.



They were quick to remove any and all markings and signs - except the faint stain on the brick façade. No public word yet on the building's next occupant.

A Lone Trawler, Plymouth Harbor, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA

Plymouth Harbor ice has melted so this working boat is back out doing what working boats do. The aqua color of the hull caught my eye on this gray and cold day.