So Maude called this morning

Maude

 

 

Maude is an old friend of mine who lives near the entrance to Maudslay State Park in Newburyport, MA. http://www.maudslayassociation.org/

She called early this morning, while I was shoveling my car out and talking with neighbors.
A perfect fluffy six inches of snow had fallen overnight and  Maude wanted to know when I would be coming by with my skis.

I was there within a half-hour and I got to enjoy a perfectly wonderful hour of being alive and well in New England.   I realized once again that the word AWESOME is so often overused (especially by me!)  It should be reserved for places like Maudslay on a peaceful December morning after a fresh snow.

 

 

 

 

 

Asphalt Verandas

I live in a small city, Newburyport, MA, in the most densely-populated neighborhood of that city, the South end, or "Joppa." http://www.clipperheritagetrail.com/tour_waytojoppa.php

A lot of houses don't have back yards, or even front yards, so people here tend to make the most of the space they have in the summer, when they want to be outside.

 

I love the way folks can create a little oasis for relaxing and socializing right on the sidewalk, with nothing but a couple of chairs and a potted plant. Some are fancier than others, but you get the idea......

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is where I love to paddle my kayak in the summer- Essex Bay, MA

 

 

 

This is the event in the spring which gets me excited about getting my boat into the water- the Essex River Race.  A few years ago, I entered the race and finished.  (Dead last! haha!)
Now I just go and watch everyone else in their human-powered boats.

 

.....like Jimmy Tarantino, of Gloucester, rowing his new dory.

 

 

 

Here are a few boaters getting ready to start, in the Essex River near the town landing.

 

 

 

A Seine boat team coming up to Conomo Point, at the halfway mark (about 2.5 miles)

 

 

 

 

 

Paddlers and rowers going out around Cross Island into the most exposed water of the race course.  See Crane's Beach in the distance?

 

https://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&q=crane's+beach+ipswich+ma&ie=UTF-8&ei=WLCPUdD0HtKo4AOEkoDgCg&ved=0CAsQ_AUoAg

 

 

 

 

I kept thinking- We are so lucky to live here!

 

Dirt Salad

(File this one under "Eye of the Beholder")

Some people call it Black Gold. I like to think of it as Dirt Salad.

It's COMPOST, and it's a frugal gardener's dream.

All year long I feed my backyard compost heap, little by little, with vegetable and fruit peels, eggshells, coffee grounds (lots of coffee grounds!) tea bags, floor sweepings, dryer lint.*

I throw in a shovelful of soil, and a handful of dead leaves once in a while, and let it get rained on.  In the spring, I turn it over and dig into the center, where the earthworms live, and shovel out just enough rich, black, organic composted potting soil to fill my flower boxes- for free!

 

 

 

 

 

Just planted a few minutes ago. They'll perk up when they dig their roots into that Dirt Salad!

 

 

*To me, it's like recycling, only with "garbage."  I'm already recycling paper, plastic, glass, aluminum, etc.,  so this is one more category of stuff I can keep out of the trashcan.

Dublin

The most fun I've had in recent weeks was during the six days I was in  Dublin.  Walking around, talking with people, looking at things....

(It did not rain once!)