2021 Year End Review

A picture’s worth a thousand words they say, so here are some of the highlights from the past year. 2021 wasn’t totally terrible, and there were some really high points, but 2022 looks to be really special and hopefully will also be better in so many ways. We can hope!

Photo Descriptions:

  1. Started off the year with the annual tradition of going to the beach on New Years Day. This was taken in Marshfield.
  2. Same as 1 above.
  3. Took a trip into Boston for something and had some eats from Luke’s Lobsters. On the way I snapped this pic.
  4. “Auggie”, a different looking wild rabbit that appeared only that one time during Inauguration time. Wonder what it’ story was. Didn’t seem like the regular kind of wild rabbits we have here.
  5. A pic along York, Maine
  6. Another pic of the Nubble from a different angle. I liked getting the perspective of the bench in this one, thought it made it stand out a bit differently.
  7. A shot of the Powderhouse in winter
  8. Another edited version of number 6.
  9. A shot of the Powderhouse area rotary and it’s cool sign back in winter.
  10. Nauset Light down at the Cape. This is the first time that I saw that a cottage next door was available for rent which we would later take advantage of, unbeknownst to me at the time.
  11. Another Nauset shot from this time period (possibly March)
  12. Another bunny decided to have it’s children in the pot on the deck, second year in a row – hope we can go for three!
  13. Someone was inspired to paint Nauset based on my photo in number 11. First time that I know of that my art inspired someone else to take it and create something else out of it.
  14. Shiloh the shy bunny. One of the children of Gracie, the bunny depicted in shot 12.
  15. Staying and the Viewpoint Inn in Maine which had these incredible views of the Nubble from it’s back yard area. Want to stay here again.
  16. Me in the car?
  17. Rango, LD’s soul goat, sadly passed away.
  18. An evening stroll one night at Jamaica Pond got us this shot.
  19. That’s me up in Salisbury under the docks after getting my second Covid shot. At that time, we thought that might be all there was to it.
  20. Boardwalk walks up on Plum Island.
  21. Another Salisbury Beach scene.
  22. Staying next door to the Nauset Light in a a cottage was quite a thrill and allowed me to get this wonderful photo as the sun started rising.
  23. My love of Pemaquid payed off when the moderator of a lighthouse group made this the cover photo for the month.
  24. Another hike on the Cape allowed us to capture this little walkway over a marsh.
  25. Skaket Beach
  26. Skaket Beach
  27. Visiting LD’s old boss and her husband in RI got us this picture shortly after.
  28. See 15 above for the story.
  29. Two juvenile hawks that we born around the house and kept screaming for weeks.
  30. The house next door to Earth-1 being torn down for more condo development, Sad.
  31. Hanging with baby goats and snuggles in RI.
  32. Staying at a farmhouse with an attached Alpaca farm was quite a different treat. I learned a lot about alpaca husbandry on this trip and the place was actually pretty cool.
  33. Looking at various lotus flowers at a place were we obtained special strains of hostas for planting. Looking forward to see how they produce this coming year.
  34. Cape summer trip. What I feel one of my better shots from the summer trip. Gray’s Boardwalk.
  35. Birthday trip!
  36. Plum Island again
  37. Lots of trips to Marshfield and got many a lobster roll at a place across the street from where this shot was taken.
  38. Lavellete NJ trip. It became my second favorite place in NJ behind Cape May!
  39. Me and my well endowed pencil. No pencil envy here!
  40. Another beach shot.
  41. Duxbury Beach boardwalk, another favorite beach location for walks and hangs this year.
  42. Staying at an Airbnb in Arundel, Maine.
  43. Under the lights at the Boathouse in Kennebunkport, ME.
  44. On a boat in KBP.
  45. Carson and Peng for the holidays.

More in-depth notes on above:

There were so many beach walks and hangs this year I can’t remember them all. Most of them were either to Duxbury or Marshfield, usually on a weekend day. Just to hang and walk mostly. A couple of times we used our chairs to sit out in the summer or even actually went into the water but many of the trips were just to walk.

The main lighthouses that we hug around this year were at Nubble Light in Maine (always a classic – staying right across from it away from the tourists was also a treat) and Nauset Light in Eastham down on the Cape. It was really cool this year to stay in a cottage right next door to the light and the beach was literally across the street. It also helped that it’s on a private dirt road so there weren’t many people around in that particular area. 10-10 would do again. Plus the place was so cute!

Getting our shots was big this year, for me it was a couple of trips up to Amesbury because that’s where I could get an appointment at that time, so we made the best of it by exploring the neighboring sights afterwards like Salisbury Reservation and Plum Island.

It was cool that baby wildlife decided to grace us with their presence, baby bunnies born in a pot for the second year in a row and didn’t mind Carson watching them. I think he was more their protector than an adversary if you can believe that. Baby hawks too, very majestic, but hopefully never found Shiloh and company. Shiloh, the last baby bunny that was scared to leave after all his siblings did. LD was kind enough to put out some water and a lettuce plant for him. The next day, two nibbles off the plant, two little poops, and he was gone to live his adventures. I do admit to having empty nest syndrome every time they leave us.

Staying on an Alpaca farm was pretty cool, in rural Connecticut with family. Learned a lot, also a bit of fly swatting which can be annoying. And got to hang with baby goats which is always a pleasure.

Celebrated my birthday on the Cape. Special times there and stayed in a pretty cool Airbnb called the Osprey Nest because it feels like its up in the trees. Although the place was a little small, it literally had everything you could possibly need. Plus they had this cool booth that I would use in the kitchen area. 10-10 would stay again. I feel I get some of the best pictures I ever take down on the Cape for whatever reason. It’s a beautiful area but there’s something more that I can’t place why.

Our one outing to New Jersey this year was at another BnB (BnB’s were big this year for us – expanding choices) in Lavalette, a cute little beach town. It was a bit downcast and windy while we were there but it was still pretty cool. I enjoyed the area so much that it’s my #2 of my fav places in that state. It just seemed to have it all to me, easy access to whatever you need, a beautiful beach and boardwalk, not really busy at all (and if you want that you could drive to the next down over – Seaside Heights). That particular trip didn’t exactly work out as planned but I enjoyed it.

The last BnB and most recent was in Arundel, Maine. Stayed there because the town of Kennebunkport was doing it’s annual Christmas Prelude. HGTV  featured the annual Kennebunkport celebration as the “#2 Christmas Town in America.” Plus we got to meet up with one of LD’s former colleagues and met the dogs Pippa and Boomer, and Boomer left quite an impression! Sailing up and down the Kennebunk River in a lobster boat while sipping coffee brandy on a sunny day was also rather enjoyable.

But as much as we enjoyed the few times away (choose to keep it rather low key due to the virus circulating, and were neurotic about being careful) staying at home was just as much so, whether with firepit outing with friends or just ourselves. Carson was also a really big help in that department as our mutual love him and for eachother kept us all sane.

I know I’m probably forgetting a bunch of stuff but these are the moments that I think were some of the high points, at least for me personally. I’d like to give all my love and thanks to LD for making it all happen and making me feel like the luckiest man alive every year.