Urban Fossils

I noticed these "urban fossils" in the parking garage where I work.  The day the cement was poured, a few leaves must have fluttered down and become embedded.  Now their delicate images are there for  weirdos like me to enjoy.

It IS the heat!

Humidity or not, it's been entirely too HOT here (for me) this whole month .....
Here is one cool spot I found this morning- standing on the Chain Bridge over the Merrimac, soaking up a streaming river of cool air. So what if it's only an onshore breeze? It was at least 10 degrees cooler than the air hanging over the town.

Plus, the bridge provided a little history lesson:

I like this older plaque better, though, because it includes the part about the oxen:

The island you can drive to....

This is the Plum Island River, without which Plum Island wouldn't even be an island!   There's a two-lane road from Newburyport to the island, with a small bridge over the river.  Nice place to get off your bike and watch the outgoing tide.

Not a nice place to be in the event of an "event" at the Seabrook nuclear plant up the road, though.

If you have to use an outhouse.....

I recommend this one in Essex, MA.  It's at the Essex Shipbuilding Museum, where they restore old wooden boats.

Side view.  Welcome to Essex!

It has a nice hand-crafted door latch,

and a counterweight on a pulley to swing the door closed.

This outhouse even has interior decor,

 quality reading material,

and a great view when you walk out!

Public Art

The town where I live can be pretty big on what I call "taxpayer art," which can sometimes be nice. 

.......but when I find something outdoors that was created by someone who just wanted to share it ... that really grabs me.

No Parking

No Problem

A Few Ingredients

a map

a very nice boat

a beautiful summer day

                                             a  great friend

A Day (Looking) at the Beach

...and the marshes.  

Isn't this arctic tern beautiful?

Basil.......

....becomes pesto,

and a few ingredients from my kitchen become supper!

Going to Visit Maude

Today it was kind of hot and muggy in town, so I took a ride out to visit Maude.  She lives near the river, where I knew I would find shade and a nice breeze.


I have to admit, a big part of my friendship with Maude is about WHERE she lives.  I really appreciate her neighborhood- 500 acres of lush woodland and fields along the Merrimack River.  I wish I could live there!

Maude lives just inside the entrance of Maudslay State Park, so she's pretty popular.  She gets lots of visitors, but she always has time for me.

Memorial Day, New England style

On my way to Newburyport's Memorial Day ceremonies, I walked past the home of my neighbor, Barbara Oswald,  and was delighted to see this huge American flag flying.  She told me it once draped the coffin of her dad, a veteran, and she's been flying it every patriotic holiday since he passed away in 1979.

 A young dad and his child listen to the speeches at City Hall.

Local artist Alan Bull captures the scene.

This cannon serves better as something for kids to climb on than as a weapon, (just my opinion...)

Pet Eggs

When a garage-door opener stops working, it can be a good thing- for a mother robin looking for a place to build her nest.  My friend Trudy, the animal lover,  discovered this bird in her garage, and right away started bringing worms to her.  She even provided her with a bird bath! 

 I wonder how the robin will feel after her baby birds become appetizers for Trudy's two cats!

Bingo today?

These nice folks who live at Heritage Towers in Amesbury, MA,  listened to us reading from our book, Carried Away-True Stories From Letter Carriers Across America.  I hope we were at least as entertaining as BINGO.

Kate Drury, (right) reading a story from our book.

They're lining up to buy the book!

I think they like it!

http://carriedawaytruestories.blogspot.com

Photos courtesy of NJ Anderson.   Thanks, Nance!