More of the Snow

This shot is of my sweet front yard in yesterday's snow aftermath. I put up the arch so it would make the patio seem a bit more like a secret garden. The arch has my non-blooming trumpet vine growing over it. Should it ever bloom it will be lovely.

I won't be here to see it though. I signed the Purchase & Sales Agreement on my house today. Now I can start moving small belongings to Ayer. The bigger stuff will go once the buyer gets her funding approved by the bank who already reports to my broker that the buyer is "squeaky clean" financially. I can't believe the changes will now start and I must leave my sweet little home.

After The Snow

This is the snow in my backyard on the iron garden divider and the honeysuckle vine. The storm was long and dramatic yet in the end I probably had only a foot, not the 20" predicted. My new hip stood the test of snow shoveling! I wonder if this is my last storm on Lake Rd. before I move to the snow belt of Ayer.

Before the SNOW

The snow has started in earnest and it looks pretty nasty out there. I just got my firewood in when it became an instant blizzard. I took this picture when my friends and I walked in the dunes at Crane's Beach the day before Christmas. We all felt we needed fresh air. The dunes are another world. They certainly are going to be a much different world once this storm of the century ends on Monday.

It's a Beauty

This tree goes right to the heart - beauty, peace, and elegance. I took this picture of a store window decoration just for you all. My wish for this holiday season is peace for us all. Merry Christmas, dear friends.

Bethlehem

This is Bethlehem in Magnolia. A shop window has a display of Bethlehem. I've never seen a nativity like this one before. This side of the windows are the Wise Men heading towards the manager scene which is in the other window (and not nearly as able to be photographed because of window glare). My wish for the new year is we all find ways to be wise and give to others.

Snow Clouds

This shot is of winter clouds gathering over the ocean the day before the snow. Now I know why the clouds were so heavy and dark! We didn't get a lot of snow but, boy, was it dangerous driving. The stories of commutes are already legendary. My 1 hr drive lasted 4 and a half hours with a graceful slide into a guard rail at the finish. Liberty Mutual is now telling me the car may be a total loss because the hood is bent! Good heavens.

Christmas Magic

This is the kind of sparkling window decoration that makes us all believe in the magic of the season. To my eye, it looked all silver and white. I was surprised the camera caught golds too. This shop is one that sells Christmas decorations year round so it knows how to dazzle passersby. It put me in the spirit. And, now the "Messiah" is on the radio as I am writing. Time to put a fire in the wood stove and look out on the ice on my pond.

Drive Up

Living by the ocean especially in a seafaring community like Gloucester means boats, boats, and more boats. The variety of shapes, sizes and vintages is endlessly fascinating. I get a big kick out how many people can park their boats right by their front door. At this owner must be a hardcore boater to have his dinghy at the ready at this time of year.

Reflections on LIfe

Cape Ann is a great place to reflect on life. The tides slow down time while we heal from stress or whatever life gives us to contemplate. People walk the beaches for solitude. The activity of watching the world go by is one we hold dear and always find space and time for personal reflection.

Artistic Touches

The count down to moving away from Gloucester is starting if only in my head. My buyer is dealing with her financing and it looks as if I will pack up and move in January. I am looking at Cape Ann with an eye to what I love most. This is one of the blessings of living here - artistry. Cape Ann has a long, rich history of attracting artists, famous and not-so-famous. With artists come small artistic touches everywhere. This one caught my attention on a walk yesterday. The little shop is closed for the winter, but someone thought to make it cheerful with just the right touch of flowers. The view of the harbor through the window adds to the charm of Rocky Neck.

Nature's View

I was thinking recently how much of my holiday spirit comes from Nature's seasonal displays. For me this dark time of year always puts me in the mood for cozy fires in my wood stove and the smell of baking cookies. I'm not baking cookies, but I sure am keeping the fire stoked. It's COLD here today.

Red berries pop against the gray, leafless branches. This year the berries are plentiful everywhere and bright red. They almost sparkle in bright sun and give me holiday cheer.

Seeing Stars

I found the stars are out in Rockport in a big way.

Driftwood Tree

Someone got the bright idea to make "Christmas Trees" out of driftwood. I found them in many of the store windows over in Rockport yesterday. This one was the best of them all. I want one for my little cottage - a gift from the sea.

Life's Surprises

I took a drive after lunch around Cape Ann to poke into the nooks and crannies of my beloved peninsula. Stopped for a cold, windy walk along Rockport streets and was the only one out there when I heard horse hoof beats. So I turned around to see this wagon from Whale Cove Farm clopping down Main Street! You just never know what's going to come along and surprise you!

Local Nuts

I co-opted someone's photo image from Good Morning Gloucester, our local daily blog. These hardy folks are celebrating Thanksgiving. Running into the ocean off Wheeler's Point is an annual tradition that I intend never to celebrate. This year the air temperature was in the 50's. I am here to tell you the ocean is freezing even in the middle of summer so these daring people are nuts.