ABC Wednesday - I is for Ice Formations

I is for Ice Formations.............







This is a piece of Needle Ice that formed just beneath the surface of the soil last autumn.

When the temp is just right - usually just after the first night that gets down below 32 degree, these icicles form.

They are usually much smaller than this piece - there must have been a lot of water to make them so large.

They are really easy to find also - you feel them just under the soil as you walk along. They raise the surface, and when you step on them, they all crackle and break.

It all feels very uneven on the feet.

We carefully removed these ones from the soil, and since the air had begun to warm up, you can see the tips of them melting.

So fragile looking these thin little strips of ice that have banded together.

Have you ever felt these ices under your feet after a freeze?



This is the fourth round of ABC Wednesday. If you would like to join in please visit this site for the details.

Many Gulls for Green Thumb Sunday

Many Gulls for Green Thumb Sunday







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Last week the sea gulls were floating around in the cove on the incoming tide.

This week's post is showing where they are all hanging out - at least until the tide is full.

They were coming and going - spending time on the water looking for food and then taking the time to preen or nap.

If you look at the larger image (by clicking on the photo), you will see some with their heads tucked under their wings - secure that the rest will let them know of danger.

Some are sitting on the rocks - enjoying the warmth they have to offer - some of them are standing on one leg in the typical bird sleeping position.

There is a "pecking order" to this group, as there often is in the bird world - and my guess for the leader would be one of those sitting ones - napping on the highest, driest spot.

Overlooking the Park

Overlooking the Park






This is another post relating to the park with the cement dock.

That dock is just off to the left of this image - jutting out from the rocks.

You can see the Whaleback Lighthouse on the horizon.

This is just a small piece of the park. There is a lot more grass off to the right, and in the center of the park there is a playground area for the kids.

I can remember as a kid growing up, my brother and myself would bicycle the six miles here just about every night in the summer. We loved it here once everyone had left for the day.

My family and I get to the ocean a couple times a year these days, and we usually stop in at the park on one of those times.

The park itself has changed over the years, but the beautiful views and the memories will always remain.

ABC Wednesday - H is for Horseshoe

H is for Horseshoe.............







A rusty old horseshoe was placed in the wet cement of this huge fireplace back in the late 1800's.

This fireplace now stands in an open field, as a fire destroyed the wood lodge that it was a part of many, many years ago.

The field and surrounding log cabins are now owned by the town and the grounds are considered public now, with marked trails through the woods, and fishing in the pond.

Seeing this shoe in the old field stone fireplace made me wonder what the story behind it is.

I am thinking that since horseshoes are known for good luck, perhaps that is what the owners were thinking when they put it there.

Perhaps it was a shoe from a beloved horse, or since it is a rather odd shaped one, perhaps that's the reason why it was placed there.

None of the original owners or their descendants are alive as this land was given to the town years ago, so I don't think we will ever know the story.

What do you think the story might be?



This is the fourth round of ABC Wednesday. If you would like to join in please visit this site for the details.

Gulls in the Cove for Green Thumb Sunday

Gulls in the Cove for Green Thumb Sunday







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First, I must apologize for missing last Sunday and not posting a Green Thumb image. I had promised to show what the little ocean creatures in the seaweed were hiding from, and I am sorry for the longer wait.

Well, this week, I will make that entry, and as you can see from the image above, it's these seagulls.

Now, all looks nice and peaceful as they float along on the top, in and out of the seaweed beds, but don't let them fool you.

They were bobbing up and down with their heads ducking under water and coming up with small morsels. And they were doing this at a very frantic pace so there must have been quite a bit hiding in the seaweed.

Oh, and it looks like there are only a few eating at this time - but they have a system and in the photo that I will post next week, I would say they have an hierarchy too.

Cement Dock on the Rocks

Cement Dock on the Rocks






A few of my previous posts were about standing on a dock at the ocean and showing the view in different directions.

This is the dock. It is built on huge boulders and acts as a breaker of sorts to the small beach that I am taking this photo from.

If you click on the image to view a bigger size, you will see a small bridge with railings.

That part is fairly new and has been added within the last couple of years. It was always just a few wood planks that had stood the test of time for many years. They finally must have given out.

The tide is still coming in as you can see from the seaweed still floating along the rocks. Once it is completely high, none of that seaweed will be showing - just the beautiful blue ocean water.

ABC Wednesday - G is for Geode

G is for Geode.............







This slice of rock is about one quarter of an inch thick.

It has always looked like a piece of glass to me, but it is actually a geode.

It is a solid one that was able to be sliced thin by a diamond cutting wheel.

Most people think of geodes in the form of an open crystal, like an amethyst.

I do not know the name of the minerals in this stone, or even what kind of geode that it is classified as, but I do so love the colors - especially when it is held in the light.

If you click on the photo, it will bring you my site where you can view it enlarged. There is a thin layer of the outside rock along the top, and you will see the layers of the blue and the intricate white center.

The outside rock looks like a regular rock - it makes me wonder sometimes if I have ever passed any of these as I take my daily walks, or hike along trails in the woods.

I probably have - but in their whole form I would never even begin to recognize one!




This is the fourth round of ABC Wednesday. If you would like to join in please visit this site for the details.