What Mom and I Did Last Night

Went we kayaking with a group of women for a Sunset Kayak along the Merry Meeting River in Alton. Delightful!

(all photos in this post by Barbara Bald)

After meeting with mom and a real estate agent all afternoon, trying to find a job, have a baby, plan my dismal finances, and basically solve the world peace crisis, I needed a break!
The trip and great food were organized by the River Run Deli in Alton. We stopped for a picnic after paddling upstream for 45 minutes.

Then more kayaking back down river. Beautiful weeds and lily pads, lotus blossoms and birds, frog chirps, girl talk, and setting sun.
After putting up all our gear, we were given wonderful ice cream sandwiches made with ginger cookies and chocolate ice cream - yum! And then we saw this mama Robin nesting with two or more chicklings right at the deli! A great end to the evening.
Thank you to God and to Barb, who invited us, for small miracles and moments of joy.

~Ally

Stoneham Zoo

On Presidents' Day, Scott and I went to the Stone Zoo, a delightful family zoo in nearby Stoneham, Massachusetts. As it was the dead of winter, we were pleased to see the animals and exhibits were very much alive at the zoo, and at least half of the regular features were available for viewing.

Scott took some beautiful pictures; mine did not come out very well, and of course all were shot through plastic or wire barriers. But if you love animals like I do, I think you will enjoy these pictures just the same. This is a brief sampling of some of the wonders to behold at Stone Zoo. You really must visit! It's a good size for taking children, and they have coupons on the website. There is an indoor learning center if you get chilly.

First we saw a habitat with two beautiful bears. I could have stayed and watched them all day.

Umm, sticks are delicious!
Here's Billy, some kind of mountain goat, hanging out on the edge.
Gorgeous cougar.
And a trying-to-nap coyote.
Flamingos, who are absolutely fascinating and silly and wicked smelly!

And there is Humanus Artistus - you never thought about it, did you? Somebody has to paint all those murals!
Lynx-y, before he got up and amused me with some beautiful yoga postures.
Though this picture does an injustice to the majestic set of antlers on this lovely Reindeer, I just loved the peaceful expression on his face. [I am reading Life of Pi right now and Pi would chastise me for anthropomorphizing animals. Maybe I should say looking at him makes me feel peaceful.]
Thought you might be interested in these fun facts about our national emblem, the eagle.
And one more beautiful bear. The bear is my totem animal, and I feel much love for them.
Hope you enjoyed your visit to the zoo!

~Ally

Weekend

Had a good few days with Scott, who helped me with the most useful task of job hunting: getting out of the house from time to time! In between outings, we also managed to clean and reorganize a lot of the house. After hanging some new pictures, moving furniture around, and setting up a new entryway, it feels like a revived home.

One of our outdoor trips was back to the river above Blackwater Dam. Here are a few shots. It was quite beautiful (and peaceful) there.





Hope you had a restorative weekend too.
~Ally

Shaker Village: Mid-Summer Night's Dream

Scott and I went back to the Shaker Village gardens last weekend to check on the progress. Remember this? Well bear with me for the next several shots of all the beautiful wonders at Shaker Village now that it's July. You can see that the gardens have exploded with life and every color of the rainbow. There's a real feeling of abundance in this land.



Gorgeous poppies - and in pink!
There were notes that I think the main gardener must have left for the various volunteers who help out with the gardens, letting them know what needs to be done on which rows.
Everywhere we turned, there was a different beautiful scene.
This little fella was flitting about the raspberry bushes, dancing with a mate and calling out his tune.
This green bud was the smallest thing I saw growing in the gardens (compare with the end of my pinky finger). That was, until I saw the teeny tiny purple plant that showed up in this picture!



Compare this lush view from the front end of the medicinal herb gardens to the view earlier this summer.
Swingtown. (Those bugs are gettin' their groove on.)









Thanks for visiting! Which picture did you like? See some of Scott's stunning pictures at RWL.
~Ally

Puffballs

How are you?
~A