And these are adult ones too – they’re pretty large.
Sitting by Nubble now available in the shop!
Category: Scenic Photography
Scituate, and a Lot of Clams
The story behind the photo: A slight revamp of a shot I posted a while ago, using some different post production techniques: a different cropping and some focus effects.
I’ve been busy finishing up Crime Story. It only went two seasons. I thought it best when they stuck to the Luca vs Torello story arc and not so much the filler side episodes. Season 1 was definitely better in my view as they start off in Chicago and the mob slowly makes its way into Vegas. Season 2 did have some good moments though, finishing up in Latin America, although we never really know what happens at the very end since back then planning seemed more spontaneous so no new season, no resolution, although maybe it’s possible they all died in the plane crash. The give and take of the Torello/Luca storyline is what kept me interested.
On another note, a few weeks back I entered a contest to win a big glass print of one of my photos but I didn’t win, but as a consolation I was offered to get a small one for free (just pay for shipping) so I opted to try one of Carson. Couldn’t pass up that deal.
Today we took an afternoon drive over to Revere Beach just for a couple hours and enjoy the afternoon. I had forgotten that there were tens of thousands of surf clams deposited on Revere Beach by last week’s Nor’easter. Quite a sight to see so many on the beach, and mixed in the snow, along with thousands of seagulls eating at their all-they-can buffet. We took a bunch of photos which I need to go through and see how they came out. Finished that up with some delicious roast beef sandwiches from Kelly’s. Yeah, overpriced, but we haven’t been out in so long this take out was a treat and like I said, it was delicious.
First Love
The story behind the photo: You never forget your first love. Nubble was the first lighthouse I ever visited. I can’t remember exactly how old I was – maybe early teens when my grandparents rented a place up in York for a couple of days. Since then I’ve probably been to this lighthouse more than any other over time. It’s a classic. Something not as well known is that a lighthouse keeper and his family had left their cat behind because he had come so attached to the Nubble, and the big tabby weighed 19 pounds by the time the next keeper arrived in 1930. Sambo Tonkus, also known as Mr. T, became well known to locals and tourists alike for his mousing and swimming prowess. Three or four times a day, he would swim to the mainland to hunt rodents hiding among the rocks!
Just been keeping up with the shoveling of the snow over the last couple of days and ahead.
Game time: Button Trail. Cute little challenger with a Nokia Phone screen theme from back in the day. I sort of gave up after getting to level 9.
The Beauty of Spring Flowers are Not Far Behind
“I heard a bird sing in the dark of December. A magical thing. And sweet to remember. We are nearer to Spring than we were in September. I heard a bird sing in the dark of December.”
― Oliver Herford
The story behind the photo: A day like today has me wishing for an early spring. This particular photo was shot in someone’s front yard in the spring in Davis Square not too far from Redbones on one of the side streets in the area. I just loved the crocuses defying the season by scrambling up through the dead and fallen leaves of the previous fall and winter.
I applied for my yearly town parking sticker. This year it’s all done remote so I had to scan some docs and now I’m just waiting for approval. Not sure why it can take up to two weeks. Also, I’ve been a resident of the town since forever, can’t they just look it up from any previous year? Whatevs, hopefully it’ll get approved soon. On a similar note, I just received my renewed registration for my car so that’s good. That literally only took 5 minutes to apply and a few days to receive.
Sun But Little Warmth
Another very cold but sunny day.
I’m tired of winter, I’m tired of snow, and I’m freakin tired of this gd pandemic.
Sunsets on the Cape Always Make Me Feel Better
Not that I’m feeling particularly crappy these days emotionally, but things could always be better. Good days and bad days, just go with the flow and hope for the best moving forward.
Unrelated: If money was never an object I would like a 1957 Chrysler 300. Cars back then were so stylish.
An Inauguration Bunny Appears
Inauguration bunny. This bunny showed up in the back yard yesterday during the days proceedings. Never saw this guy before. I like the white fur on its face! Hope he comes around again sometime. What should I name him? Auggie?
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Salt and Pepper
A Numbing of the Fingers
Took my mom to an appointment down at the CHA in Assembly Square today. Her two fingers on her hand have been bothering her for quite a while now – basically has very little feeling in them and makes buttoning things and such difficult to accomplish. Basically it sounds like it comes down to some kind of carpel thing and muscle loss. I’ll need to take her back in a couple of months for some tests that they do and if surgery is required, which it sounds like it might be. Sounds like a small rather simple incision, we’ll see. While I was waiting outside (Since you can’t go in – covid) I ended up walking around some of the blocks down there to get in some steps. After that I paid some bills and renewed some stuff online.
Odds and Ends
Got my Mega Millions and Powerball tickets ready to go. I only play when the jackpots get big and only 1 ticket. I’ve seen people in line spends hundreds on tickets when all you need is just one with the correct numbers. I don’t even care to hit the big jackpot – it’s almost too much – but second or third place wouldn’t be so bad. Anyways, when it’s like this you have to try just on the off chance. Total pipedream but worth a shot.
You can watch all the Hunter episodes streamed on Tubi. For some reason that cable channel I’ve been binging them on doesn’t include the 1st episodes of the first 6 seasons so I’ll be watching those on this service. Show wasn’t the same after the “Brass Cupcake” DeeDee left, probably why it tanked after. Those early seasons are gold! hard to believe they’re over 30 years old now. I only have about 12 more episodes to go and I’ll have seen them all. I like that the networks are playing the older shows since there’s not much new content due to the pandemic.
Climbing Mountains
Finally got around the removing all the remaining holiday lights from the front of the house this afternoon. I’ve been somewhat of a hibernation mode lately as there hasn’t been anything really new to blog on about in my personal life at the moment. It’ll change eventually but for now, quiet times for me. There’s enough going on in the national scene right now anyway. Here’s a pic from a trip up to the White Mountains of New Hampshire back in 2013, back when we could do outings like that.
Boston Visit
Had to take a ride into Boston last night to pick up something. While there stopped by the Esplanade to grab a few pics and then headed over to Luke’s Lobsters for takeout over on Exeter Street. I must say the lobster rolls and lobster mac and cheese were quite tasty! Been so long since we’ve even done a takeout. Knocked me out early as I feel asleep on the beanbag and didn’t wake up until 1 in the morning.
Boston was a ghost town by the way. So strange to see the area so deserted of people.
Today was much more social as in the early afternoon we had some folks over for a socially distanced firepit outing and then in the late afternoon a Zoom session with our friends that somehow lasted 4 hours!
First Day of the Year
“Yesterday we stood at the edge of the earth, dipped our toes in with abandon, and invited the universe to provide us with our next lesson.”
-Ladydoc 1/1/2021
Yesterday we took a trip out to the beach to get some air and reflect on the new year ahead. Fresh start. I picked up a really smooth rock and am using it as a worry stone. This is also the beach where I found that cool heart shaped rock last summer. Also this morning we had breakfast with two sloths. (virtually). The zoo had this Zoom meeting thing where you could learn about the sloths and such. It was basically aimed at children but I enjoyed it too.
Tried watching the Godfather II yesterday afternoon. I don’t know maybe it’s me, but I found it kind of boring. Only watched about 1/4 of it – Unfortunely it was being DVR’d and took up too much space and erased all my season 7 of Hunter that I didn’t get to see yet (only season I haven’t caught yet – pretty much saw all the other episodes now) so I have to re-record them the next time they air on Z-Living. Just so happens that they’re running them now so that works out.
Boat on a House
Winter Solstice Meditation
Spent some time tonight engaging in Winter Solstice Meditation. I recommend you do the same. After the day I had today it was needed. Actually it wasn’t all that bad – in fact it ended up pretty well.
We made a new recipe last night too – a turkey meatball sauce utilizing a spaghetti squash in the Instant Pot. Believe it or not it actually tastes pretty amazing!
Winter Wonderland
“I wonder if the snow loves the trees and fields, that it kisses them so gently? And then it covers them up snug, you know, with a white quilt; and perhaps it says, “Go to sleep, darlings, till the summer comes again.”
Lewis Carroll, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland / Through the Looking-Glass
Illuminations 2020
Took a ride tonight around Somerville to check out some of the homes decked out for the holidays. Here are some of them that we visited. Very impressive displays! Perfect weather for checking them out tonight!
All lit up 
Frosty 
Lots of lights 
Grinch 
Stained glass lanterns 
More lights
Hiking to King Philip’s Cave
Through the cracks 
In between 
The hiding place 
The entrance
King Phillip’s Cave is a cave in Norton, Massachusetts near Lake Winnecunnett.
The cave is so named because Metacomet, the Wampanoag sachem also known as “King Phillip”, is said to have hid here near the end of King Philip’s War before meeting his death in the Great Misery Swamp in Bristol, RI.
We happened to be in the area so we checked it out. Very cool rock formations. I think I need to read up on Philip a bit more, sounds like he got a pretty raw deal. I wouldn’t really call it a cave though, more like two boulders that crisscrossed on top of one another and provided a gap beneath them.
We also checked out a quick hike over in Taunton at a place called Boyden Wildlife Area. This area is beautiful and quite scenic with some nice overhangs overlooking a nearby river that parallels it. Definitely going back to this location again.
Getting in the Grill
Decided to pull the BBQ back into the shed for winter storage this morning. It wasn’t too cold out and I wanted to do it before it got too cold. Getting it across the expanse of lawn, off the lip of the patio, and lifting it into the shed is a bit much for me by myself but somehow I always manage to do it and today was no exception. It’s true it could stay out all year round but I pride myself on keeping it looking and working like new so that’s why I do it. Folks have come over in the past and wondered if it was a new grill and we say No, it’s around 10 years old, that’s how nice I keep it.
Shameless plug, if you want to purchase some of my photo artwork just click this link in time for the holidays and browse around. Hell, even just get a little magnet or somesuch as a stocking stuffer if you like. Every little bit helps. Bookmark and check back now and then, I add new stuff every so often. Please share the link with others if you think they would be interested as well.
Other than running a couple of errands to CVS, the bank, and a quick side trip to Wellesley to pick up some stuff, that’s pretty much it for today. A quiet night in watching television…again.
Feeling Down but Still Blessed
My mental health has been hit or miss the last few months. I’m generally a pretty positive person but I get days, like today, when I feel a little down. I haven’t been updating that much because pretty much lately everyday has been more or less of the same, each day just the same as the last, morphed into one blob of time, and it lends itself to me being in kind of a rut. I’m just hanging in there. I do feel blessed to have a very good support network to help get me through, but I am human after all and it’s probably natural to feel this way, the way things currently are. Sooner or later thing are going to change for the better, just going to take some time and I have my good memories like the scene above from this summer from our time on the Cape to help get me through. See? I told you I was a generally positive person.
Wonky Cell Phone Status
Just updated the site to the latest version of the CMS. You shouldn’t notice any differences, it’s more just stuff I can use to configure my site better or in different ways if I so choose.
My phone started doing some weird crap today. While I was trying to make a call I could never get a dial tone. I swear this thing is on the way out. I still haven’t popped on the new cell yet but it’s becoming more and more apparent that I probably can’t wait too much longer. Hopefully just enough to last throughout the rest of this awful year. It’s not even worth a trade in anymore as they only give five bucks for it.
Work on our holiday card for the year has been completed and will be going out shortly, so if you’re on our mailing list expect to see it in your mailbox within the next couple of weeks.
Early Morning Wake Up Call
Woke up this morning to the sound of jackhammers and other street equipment as the town decided to rip out a part of the next door neighbor’s driveway, for what purpose I still haven’t figured out.
Found another new cute little library in Somerville today. It looked like a little house with glass doors ion both sides which was pretty neat. It’s right by Powderhouse Circle if you’re familiar with the area if you want to check it out yourself. I placed a book I had already read in there but didn’t take any out since there weren’t any in there that interested me.
A Quiet Time for Reflections
Mist rises from the creek —
early morning — a great
blue heron stands still.
A Little bit of haiku for today
I thought this was still a cool picture so I’m posting it again with some minor different editing from last time, a little more natural. Not been a bit of a whole lot happening over the last couple of days. Took a brief jaunt to a beach yesterday but it was pretty cold so didn’t stay too long. Was basically a potato today and didn’t do a whole lot.
Road Less Traveled
“A walk is only a step away from a story, and every path tells.”
