I recently had the opportunity to visit the New England Botanic Garden at Tower Hill in Boylston, MA. A sunny morning provided what I needed to help bring some relief from blues I’ve been experiencing. In early December, my friend Jane and I had visited for the Night Lights displays around the garden. Rather than bright blooms, we saw sights like this instead:
Allow me to take you on a little tour of the spring blooms in just about all the colors of the rainbow.
As I dreamily drifted around the gardens, I let my worries fall away to the background for the time. I took in the gorgeous colors, smelled the delightful scent of the fragrant hyacinths, and listened to happy birdsong. It was all good for my soul.
I happened upon this scene as I came around a bend, and knew that my photo would never quite capture what I felt and saw in the moment, but I gave it my damnedest best try:
This beautifully flowering tree – I think it is some type of cherry tree if I remember correctly – surrounded by the spring bulbs, the petals gently drifting down, the pink magnolia tree behind it, the blue sky and white puffy clouds; it all just made me stop and go “ahhhhh”. I also decided to do a closer-up shot of these blossoms that helped instill this moment in me:
My 55th birthday is this week, Wednesday, April 24th. Magnolia tree blooms are usually in full bloom at the time of my birthday, so I thought I’d write a post a la Robin’s Monday Meanders where she expresses her thoughts and adds photos for interest along the way. A Sunday Saunter perhaps?
I’m being a bit lazy with my photos. These are shots I took earlier this week when the sun was actually out. Haven’t had much of that around here lately. I just wasn’t in the mood for editing today >>shrug<<
I think it is because my brain just feels overwhelmed with all that is going through my mind these days – the job, or lack thereof, the test I’m taking TOMORROW, the searching of job boards, wondering what else I might find myself doing if finding the right teaching position does not pan out. Pretty sure that’s why I’m writing a blog post right now. A bit of avoidance. I just can’t look at my study guides and study videos any more. I’ve taken four different practice tests this week because I felt that was the best way for me to try to digest a vast amount of material in a short amount of time, and the results were all pretty much the same: teetering on the edge of a passing score.
I’m trying not to panic about my situation just yet. I feel like I’ve been doing “all the things” to be open to the possibilities: I’m on multiple online job boards that I scroll every couple days, I’ve reached out to friends and acquaintances for possible leads, I’ve applied to jobs – teaching and not, I’ve even tried looking into openings in another state (Florida) in case all of this points me in the direction of needing pick up and start over some where else. The thought of moving a thousand miles away from my family, friends and all I’ve ever known is scary as hell. I’m sure some of you out there reading this must have done it. Would you tell me how and why you did it in the comments?
I feel like I am going through the Kubler-Ross model of the stages of grief in the loss of this job: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. I have identified so much with being a teacher for so very long, and having finally found the place I thought I’d retire from, just to have it pulled away from me feels like a death. Denial – this can’t possibly be happening. Anger – I am pissed off that this is happening to me, that I have to be dealing with this as my 55th birthday approaches. Bargaining – maybe if I pass this test that I am taking, this loss won’t be real! Depression – why, why, why did this have to happen to me? Acceptance – nope, not the slightest bit near there yet.
If you have read this far, thank you for allowing me my little pity party. I can only control what I can control. After I have done all that I can control, I’ll need to accept and move on in whatever direction that means. Accepting all good thoughts and positive energy that you can send in this direction.
As far as actually turning 55, I feel healthy physically, reasonably fit. Acquaintances say “I can’t believe you’re that old!” upon learning my age. Whether the statement is made sincerely or not, I take it as a compliment. Robin wrote a post recently about cutting her hair and tossing away a lot of the expectations of society on “women of a certain age.” I applaud what she said. I’ve kind of taken up that attitude as well except I’ve done it the other way by not getting my hair cut at all any more or really doing much to style it. I wear minimal make up on my face, and have gotten comfortable with the woman I see looking back at me from the mirror. I still enjoy all my favorite outdoor activities, and feel grateful that I am still able to do them. Hopefully, the job hunt and all it entails will not prevent me from having the time I am accustomed to having in the summertime to do those things. I’m looking forward to camping trips, bicycling, hiking, kayaking, picnicking and all the warm weather joys that the upcoming season promises. Share some joy in the comments please! I can use some!
We had a beautifully spring-like warm day this past Tuesday, so I went to Conant Brook Dam, the place I go when I need an after work walk away from the roads. It was nearly 70 degrees and sunny, just 5 days after the post I wrote telling you I was home from school due to high winds, snow and sleet. The damage from this storm was evident along this path in the woods, with many fallen trees and broken branches.
If you’ve been out in the woods in the northeast at all since last fall, it would be hard not to notice the massive number of pine cones on the ground. Apparently 2023 was what was known as a “mast year”, a year in which a seed producing tree produces an unusually high number of its seeds.
Have you seen similar sights where you live?
I continued along my path. I stopped in this spot where I took a photo of the same view I took on my icy walk on January 14 . This day, instead of cracking ice, I heard lots of bird song. I tried to take a picture of an eastern phoebe – Barbara posted a great shot recently– but mine was too blurry to bother posting.
I did see some pussy willows just beginning to show their cute little fuzzies. I’m sure there is a more scientific word for that part of the plant’s anatomy, but fuzzy works for me.
Up to the top of the dam, where I always like to take a photo. I like watching the changes from here as the seasons progress. I made my loop across the top of the dam and then back down to my usual path. As I admired the view on my way back down, I saw a bird of prey soaring in the bright blue sky.
I was only carrying my 18-150mm lens with me this day, so this was as close as I could get. I had no idea what type of bird I was looking at at the time. After doing some zooming and comparing to other photos, I decided it is most likely an osprey.
I didn’t really think this was an area that osprey would choose for hunting grounds, however, I saw another photo on a local page on Facebook much closer up and very similar looking with a fish in its talons.
As I got closer to the part of the path where I would normally head for my car, I decided it was much too nice of a day to end my walk so soon, so I took another branch of a path that I don’t walk as often. In fact, I only walked this path for the first time fairly recently when I was out geocaching. Have you heard of this fun little hobby? A friend recently got me into it. I’m thinking of writing another post about our geocaching adventures, but check out that website for a little information on what it is all about.
I see a contemplative face in these gnarled roots – do you see it? A large circular eye socket, elongated nose, full upper lip, long chin. I followed this path a bit farther and heard very loud peepers. If you click on this link, you will be taken to my YouTube video which shows the woods and water where I stopped and listened to the peepers. Apparently you have to pay for a premium subscription these days to add videos to your posts.
I’ve always loved beautiful buds or flowers against a bright blue sky. This was the last shot I took before finally deciding to head back to the car.
It is the beginning of spring break week here in Massachusetts as I am writing this post. I’m hoping to get out for some more walks this week, weather permitting, however I am tasked with doing some things I never would’ve thought I’d need to spend my April vacation week doing. In addition to job hunting, due to the loss of my job because of lack of funding that I told you about in my previous post, I am also studying to add another subject area to my teaching license in the hopes of possibly being able to secure a new position. Wish me luck.
I thought we were done with snow, and snow days, here in western Massachusetts for this year, but I should know better. Mama Nature often has other ideas in mind. Not quite an April Fool’s joke, but close. I had another thing happen on April 1st that I sincerely wish was an April Fool, but was not. I’ll get to that later in this post. I am home on a snow day from school today due to wicked winds and sleet, and downed trees, power lines and road closures in the town where I work. So, why not write a blog post?
We had 6 participants in the Signs of Spring photo hunt including myself. My post is the one just below this one where I annoyed many of you with an Ace of Base song, lol. The first to jump in with a post was Barbara – spring comes early to North Carolina. She showed a beautiful variety of flowers and birds at the UNC arboretum. Michaela was next – spring also comes much earlier down in Texas than it does around here. Michaela also visited an arboretum, and did a walk around the neighborhood, and showed some beautiful blooms with her 60mm macro lens. Carol took us on a walk in her yard, showcasing some early spring blooms and growth. I loved the Johnny Jump Ups (or jumping jacks 😉 ). Dawn delighted me with her bird photos. The red winged blackbird is a sign of spring here too that I often listen for, along with the first peeps of the peepers. Michigan shares some of the same fickle spring weather as we deal with here in New England, with her final shot of the photo hunt being of freshly fallen snow! Mike took out his macro prime lens for his photo hunt too. He has some gorgeous up close work that if you have not been over to see yet, you really should. Both Mike and Michaela (although they are both Nikon users…) have me hankering for a macro lens.
Sadly, I will not be spending precious funds on a new lens any time soon. In reference to my April 1st happening, it was the day I found out that my teaching position will be cut at the end of the school year due to catastrophic underfunding of the school budget. Four teachers at my school including me have completely lost their jobs, two were reassigned and one was cut to a 0.4 position, meaning that position will be part time, and less than half the original salary. I’m not sure what the future holds for me at this time. I’m not sure if I will yet again try to be hired as a teacher in another district, and hope that being so low on the seniority list doesn’t yet again land me in this position. I was hoping to retire from this district in about 10 years. I’ll be exploring my options, and hopefully the right position, teaching or not, will send me in the direction of the next chapter of my life.
Within the math curriculum that I teach to my 7th graders at school, their are daily lessons in the program that we use that often have unique titles to them. This past week, I was teaching them about solution sets for inequalities. As you may recall from your own math student days, inequalities of course include inequality signs, greater than, less than, etc, and the lesson I was presenting was titled “I saw the signs.” Being the music/lyric geek that I am, I naturally had the song The Sign by Ace of Base in my head all day long that day. Fast forward to today as I am writing this post as my entry into my spring photo hunt, signs of spring, and trying to decide on a unique title for the post, and voila….
My signs of spring are all coming from the yard where I now live. I took my 50mm f1.4 lens out for a spin. I decided not to crop anything out of the photos for this post, as I was really pleased with the sharp focus on the subjects and the beautiful background bokeh this lens provided.
The hyacinths have recently popped and are sharing their sweet scent.
This is a new-to-me plant, with a very apropos name as of the date I’m typing this, a Lenten rose. According to what I read on Wikipedia, every part of this plant is poisonous!
These are buds on a young peach tree. My landlady planted these about two years ago, so I imagine it will still be several years before they bear fruit. This area of New England generally produces delicious peaches in August. My hometown used to have a peach festival every summer.
Some “hens and chicks” are making their way up. I found out today that the proper name of these ground cover plants is actually common houseleek. I think hens and chicks is a much cuter name.
This is one of a couple of dried gourds hanging on the fence on the property here. I don’t know if this is a real sign of spring, or a leftover from last year, but some birds definitely did, or are currently making use of this as a nesting site. On a related note, what I believe are song sparrows, have been harvesting the tendrils off the grapevine wreath on my door for nesting materials. Every now and then they have been landing on the wreath, and there are picked away pieces of the vines scattered on my front step. Seems like a strange spot to gather from, considering there is no lack of appropriate materials in this yard.
I hope you enjoyed my signs of spring, and if you clicked the link above, you must surely have that Ace of Base song now stuck in your head like I did. Bwahhahaha – you’re welcome! I’ve been around to visit many of your lovely posts, and I will do a “round up” when everyone has had a chance to post. If you need extended time for whatever reason, just let me know. In addition, now that it is spring, any time between now and the summer solstice would be a great time to go get your spring shot for the four seasons photo hunt of the place you took your winter photo.
Happy Spring Equinox! It is time for another photo hunt! Signs of spring have been popping out all over here in the northeast, and for an even longer time for those of you a bit further south. For our southern hemisphere friend, feel free to show us autumn’s approach. I was out for a hike this past weekend and spotted the bright yellow flowers poking out of last fall’s leaves you see in the photo above and thought they’d be a nice way to promote the new photo hunt. My photo app says they’re called “coltsfoot” – I’ve never heard of them, but they looked like a sign of spring to me.
Show me what spring looks like around you for this photo hunt. Choose as many photos as you’d like. Here’s the twist: if you own a prime lens, use it! Challenge yourself to zoom with your feet rather than your lens. Don’t have a prime lens? No worries – just choose a focal length on your zoom lens or your phone and try to stick with it.
I’ll be headed to Cape Cod this coming weekend to visit my mom, so I’m going to push the due date for this hunt out to March 31st to make sure that I myself find the time to get some photos. The forecast for around here this week is unfortunately rather dreary. Be sure to drop me a link in the comments here to tell me to come see your post, or use a pingback in your post. I’m adding a link to this post in the photo assignments widget over on the right side of this page so that you can easily return. Happy photo hunting!
ETA: I may be pushing the due date of this photo hunt ahead a bit if the 10 day forecast for around here remains as dismal as it appears right now. There’s about 5 full days of rain ahead when I get back from the Cape, so I’ll let you know – thinking of extending another week to April 7th.
On Friday of my February break, I visited the Seaside Seabird Sanctuary in Indian Shores, Florida. They are a non-profit rehabilitation facility for sick or injured birds. Birds that can be rehabilitated are released back into the wild, and birds that are permanently injured have a home here for life. There is no cost to visit this place, but when I saw the work that they do, I made a donation and purchased the t-shirt that you see in the above photo to help support them. Many birds simply wander freely throughout, while others, the permanent residents and those being rehabilitated, are confined with netting over their habitat areas to keep them safe. True birders would say that seeing these birds in confinement doesn’t count toward your “life list” because I didn’t spot them in the wild, but knowing that my likelihood of having such up close and personal encounters with these birds in nature is extremely unlikely, I’m counting them!
This is Roosevelt, who is, of course, an American Bald Eagle. Roosevelt has a deformed wing from a gunshot wound. Because he cannot fly with strength, he is a permanent resident. Despite his injury, he still exudes the strength of the American spirit.
“Owl” Pacino is actually a female barred owl. She was hit by a car and suffered a fractured wing that never quite healed correctly to allow her to be released.
Meet Miss Kitty, a great horned owl. She had a wing amputated due to a severe infection. She has lived in captivity ever since.
This little birdy is a mystery to me. My Merlin Bird ID app says its a laughing gull, but it doesn’t seem to match typical images of laughing gulls – I’ve seen hundreds of laughing gulls and never seen one that looks quite like this. The photo ID on my phone also made an impossible identification, a lava gull. Lava gulls are the rarest gulls in the world and are only found in the Galapogos Islands. Upon closer inspection of lava gulls on the internet, this little one doesn’t quite match those photos either. I’ve emailed the sanctuary and asked for their help in identifying it – I’ll let you know if I hear back from them.
Next we have Brad…
….and Janet…( Damn it! Janet! …lol, if you know you know! If YOU know, let me know in the comments!)
Brad and Janet are sandhill cranes. Brad has a partially amputated wing due to an infection, and Janet is missing 3/4 of the lower part of her beak. She needs a special feeder to be able to eat.
I’ve photographed many brown pelicans before, but this one just seemed to have a very stately attitude, almost posing and preening for the camera. This could be a pelican named Red, another permanent resident who starred in a TV commercial for a Dutch nature show that was filmed in Miami. There isn’t any information posted as to why Red ending up residing at the sanctuary.
White pelicans were a new-to-me bird. I’m not sure if this is “Ollie” who is pictured on the website, but Ollie came from Lake Huron in Michigan where he was an abandoned baby. It says that he couldn’t be released due to imprinting on humans.
This is a black crowned night heron. There were several of these around the sanctuary, but I just loved how this photo came out. I didn’t edit it except for a tiny bit of cropping, and believe it or not I took this shot with my phone. A bit of good luck and another bird for my list.
The final bird I’m sharing today is the bird of baby-delivering legend, the wood stork. I was very surprised by what I’d call a pretty creepy looking head on these birds! For sure a reminder of how closely related to dinosaurs birds are!
The next time I am in this part of Florida, I will definitely plan a return visit. If you ever visit the gulf coast of Florida, maybe you could make a stop at this little place and enjoy the work that they do like I did. If you were to feel so moved, as I did, to make a donation you can do so through this form. I safely donated through PayPal and I have not been contacted in any way for further donation.
After the ship docked on Thursday of February vacation week, I stayed for a couple days in the Tampa area before flying home on Saturday. At Largo Central Park Nature Preserve, there is a pond surrounded by a walkway where I was able to add several new-to-me birds to my life list. The first one, in the shot above, is a common gallinule, and below is a purple gallinule. Both are year-round Florida species who use those big toes to walk on floating vegetation to hunt for insects.
Long time readers of this blog may remember my delight in spotting a great blue heron on vacation in Maine. That was back in 2010; in the years since, this type of bird seems to have become a regular visitor to the places that I have a tendency to visit. Friends have started to joke, “well of course there was a great blue heron there, Karen was there!” In fact one time on a beach vacation in Florida, one walked up practically right next to where I was sitting! I got to see another heron I’d never seen before at this nature preserve, a yellow-crowned night heron:
Another new to me bird at this location was a limpkin:
The limpkin is a fairly large bird, just a little smaller than a heron. I realize I have nothing for perspective in these bird photos – the gallinules are about the size of a small duck, and the night heron is a bit shorter than a great blue. One not new to me bird, but one that I always enjoying photographing, was a great egret:
This bird was very focused on what appeared to be a drainage area for this pond. I imagine it must have some good luck fishing here when small fish get caught in the drain.
At the Florida Botanical Gardens, just like at the nature preserve, creatures come and go as they please. It is another natural area that allows people to see native species in their natural habitats. I added another life list bird at this park, the tri-colored heron:
I saw some other critters at the gardens that were not birds or new to me, but I still enjoyed grabbing their photos. I believe these turtles are pond sliders:
It was Florida, after all, so an alligator shot seems obligatory.
There was also a butterfly garden, and I managed a couple photos there. Here is probably one of the most photographed butterflies, a monarch:
Another common, but fancy-named one, a great spangled frillitary, allowed me a shot as well.
A beautiful blue morpho flittered by, but it was too quick for me to get a picture.
I have more photos to share from this trip, however my visit to the Seaside Seabird Sanctuary in Indian Shores is deserving of its own post, coming soon.
Additionally, my mind is thinking of photo challenges once again. Winter is nearly at its end. Have you taken your winter ( or summer for Joanne) shot for the four seasons challenge? Soon it will be time to gather your spring (or autumn) shot. I’m thinking about a prime lens spring photo challenge. You’ll still be able to participate without a prime if that’s your preference. Details are still TBD.
The second port of call for this cruise was Costa Maya on the mainland of Mexico. Upon looking out on the balcony as we arrived, I saw that the brand new, 250,000 ton Icon of the Seas was already in port. This ship had been greatly touted by Royal Caribbean prior to its maiden voyage in January of this year. The 90,000 ton Radiance that we were on looked like a baby ship in comparison.
Radiance left, Icon right.
It was quite the sight to see right along our ship in port. Even the crew members of Radiance were lined up on the deck to check out this monster of a ship.
Looking at Icon from breakfast
I was excited for the excursion planned for this port. I’d read about a private beach club owned by an American family called Maya Chan. This wasn’t a cruise line sponsored excursion so we had some extra directions to follow.
Puerto Costa Maya
We had to find our way through the maze of shops and restaurants, and they don’t make it easy! After about 15 minutes of walking through this beautifully designed port area, ( I’m sorry I didn’t take pictures, I was very focused on getting to meet the guides) we made it out and found the guides who put everyone traveling to Maya Chan on taxis. It was about a half hour ride down extremely bumpy, deeply pot holed roads, but it was definitely worth the trip.
Maya Chan beach
Upon arrival at Maya Chan, we were greeted by one of the family members who own the property who explained all the facilities including all inclusive buffet for lunch and beverages alcoholic or non. We were shown to our seating area which was ours alone for the day. They brought us tortilla chips with homemade salsa and guacamole and delicious rum punch to begin. That’s a great start in my book!
I took advantage of a half hour massage that was offered for only $25! Shortly after the massage, the staff came around to inform us lunch was served. It was soooooo good! The native Mexican homemade fare was off the hook – flour or corn tortillas with 4 choices of tender delicious meats: chicken, beef, pork or fish. All the fixings for toppings were available.
Strawberry margarita
After lunch I enjoyed some strawberry margaritas, delivered to me on the beach by the very gracious and attentive staff. Some time was also spent enjoying the floating chairs you can see in the background one photo up. The waiter even waded into the water to bring more drinks!
My day at Maya Chan was relaxing and the weather was beautiful. I 100% recommend this place if you ever find yourself in Costa Maya. Another bumpy taxi ride returned us to the port.
The next day was another day at sea, returning across the gulf to Tampa. I have a few more adventures to share from a few days in Florida, in a post to come.
The cruise began in the port of Tampa, Florida. Unfortunately, the weather wasn’t great; certainly warm compared to home (70’s Fahrenheit), but it was overcast and drizzly. By sail away time at 4 pm, it was raining. Day 1 at sea was similar. Due to this, a good amount of time was spent here:
The Solarium bar
The Solarium is the “adults only” area of the ship. It was needed retreat from the large number of children on this cruise. Unfortunately even this space was not a true escape due to the rain at sail away – the outdoor pool was closed so children were allowed into the Solarium to use the pool. Ugh. Due to the amount of kids on this cruise, I’ve decided I won’t sail February break week with a cruise line that markets to families ever again. If I take another cruise it will either be with a more adult focused line or perhaps try a different week. As you all probably realize, since I’m a teacher, I am limited to vacationing at times that school is out.
Anyway, the first day at sea was spent mostly in the Solarium- the outdoor pool was open thank goodness- and we met some fun people who we saw several times throughout the cruise. Drinking, chatting and playing silly games with these folks made the time passed enjoyable. The weather that day however caused some choppy seas as we traversed the Gulf of Mexico. At our first port of call, Cozumel, we had planned a speed boat excursion to Isla de la Pasion, a beach pennisula on the northern end of the island of Cozumel. We received notification that due to the high winds, this excursion had to be cancelled. Another excursion was quickly chosen.
Pre-dawn arrival in Cozumel
The ship arrived in Cozumel just before 7 am. I was awake and found it interesting to watch from the stateroom’s balcony as the ship was guided into port.
The harbor pilot approaches the ship
It was beautiful and sunny as the day dawned however the wicked wind hadn’t decreased.
Radiance of the Seas docked in Cozumel
The second choice excursion also unfortunately had restrictions due to the high wind. What would have been a nice relaxing spot to sit by the water, and have some lunch and drinks, was made far less enjoyable due to the wind.
Chankanaab Park
If you look at the background of this photo, you can see how the palm trees are bent in the wind, and the spray of the water as well. I decided to take my camera for a walk around a lagoon and through some nature trails to get out of the wind.
The lagoon
Upon walking around the lagoon, a couple of large lizards were the first creatures I saw. I don’t know if they were iguanas or a different type of reptile, but I saw several different ones.
This one definitely looks like an iguanaI’d say this one was a chameleon
I did see a small variety of birds here, including what Google tells me was a Violetear – a Mexican species of hummingbird. It was beautiful and sparkling green, but just too fast for me to get a picture.
I did get a couple shots of two native birds while I visited. My Merlin Bird ID app helped me identify them. I do recommend this app if you are into birding at all. I’ll have another post soon about a bird sanctuary and other birds I saw in the later part of my vacation week. The app was great at helping learn about species that were new to me.
White-winged dove – cue Edge of Seventeen by Stevie Nicks…😉Great tailed grackle – the grackles we see here in the US are usually common grackles
After lunch and a little sea lion show, we returned to the port of Cozumel to do a bit of shopping. Honestly, I didn’t end up buying anything here. There were only two ships in port and with the poor weather the previous day, the vendors seemed rather aggressive trying to get people into their shops. It made me uncomfortable so we returned to the ship and sat by the pool until we sailed away to our next port, Costa Maya, which I will write about in another post!
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