Boston Public Gardens

These are the swan boats in the Boston Public Gardens. A childhood memory for me....imagine how thrilling for an Indiana girl.

The Mill Pond, Stony Brook, Brewster

National Seashore, Cape Cod in May

This hilly, twirly area is full of mystery- remains of small, ancient cranberry bogs; tiny pine forests; utter sand. You never know what is over the next hill.

On the other side of this calm hillside is the Atlantic Ocean, filled with its May whales who are so filled with exuberance. With their erupting, swooshing fountains of water spouted upwards, the whales can engage the eye and the energies of anyone who sees them.
Then it is nice to return to the quiet of the dunes.

Spring Swan at Bell's Neck in Harwich

A sure sign of spring on the Cape is the nesting of swans. On the Herring River and its adjoining West Reservoir in Harwich there are several pairs of swans. They are beautiful to watch as they silently glide through the waters, occasionally dipping upside down to feed on the vegetation on the bottom. Swans are something magical from childhood.

Alewives Returning

A gull stands, waiting for an alewife scout to appear. In early to mid-April, depending on temperatures, the alewives school in the bay and then begin their trek up the Run to spawn.
A few scouts come in first, and gulls and humans come each day to see if they have arrived yet. An ever recurring sign of spring on the Cape.

Stony Brook Run, Brewster
Read John Hay's THE RUN.

The Ospreys Are Back!

The ospreys have come back to the Cape after wintering in warmer climes. They are busy nest building. A better term might be nest constructing, as these structures are huge, heavy, complicated homes. And decorated too! One nearby nest has had a Barbie doll in it. Another, a tennis ball.
I am curious about human made objects that are added to the nests. What about them becomes attractive to the bird that it wants to take them home?
At CCMNH the camera is running full time and providing a fantastic view of life in the nest. Check it out!

Read David Gessner's RETURN OF THE OSPREY.

A Tortoise Views Humans

Yet they cannot quiet their human-ness. Humility never comes naturally to their meditations. Pride of the vertical. Assurance of those who wear hair even if not their own. Pomp of warm-bloodedness. An equilibrium they mistake for rationality. Over certainty about their station in life.
from Verlyn Klinkenborg's TIMOTHY, OR NOTES OF AN ABJECT REPTILE