3rd House Journal

Lilacs and More

[Lilacs, Arnold Arboretum, Boston; 5/12/13]

We've had a bountiful spring, I must say, after a long, snowy winter. It has remained mostly pretty cool at night -- almost down to frost the other night -- but the cold seems to have preserved the blossoms on many of our flowering trees. The Arnold Arboretum's Lilac Sunday celebration last weekend certainly benefited from perfect spring weather patterns for the lilacs, which mostly all opened right on time for the annual Mother's Day-coinciding festival. It did rain all morning, but the storm passed out to sea by around noon and hordes of moms and families came out to enjoy the heady scent of the arboretum's 380 lilac plants (176 different species)!

[Visitors stroll past a hillside showing off a variety of lilac species]

[Lilac paparazzi get right in for their close shots]

Although it was clearly the lilacs' day, there were plenty of other flowering plants and trees to be enjoyed -- wildflowers, peonies, flowering dogwoods and cherry trees -- as well as an abundance of burgeoning greenery.

[Tree peonies, on the Chinese Path]

[Azaleas adorn the woods]

Of course, along with all this abundance comes spring allergy season. I've been on allergy shots for two years now, so I'm doing pretty well, but I came away from our visit to the Arboretum with itchy, watering nose and eyes, so I think I hit my saturation point. I've had to break down and take a bit of antihistamines, but so much less than I used to need. Another thing to be grateful for.

You can see a handful more pix from Lilac Sunday here, alas without the scent, but also without the accompanying pollen!

Merry Month of May

[Tulips at Old South Church, Boston; 5/5/13]

The astro blogs are full of exhortations to slow down and enjoy the pleasures of the Taurus season (April 20 - May 20). Taurus is ruled by Venus, goddess of beauty and pleasure. Taurus is also associated with money and possessions. While beauty is free and abundant around me right now, money is not so much. It's been a slow start to the year, though the past month was disturbingly full of tight deadlines (that was fiery Aries season, everything fast and immediate). I've been able to invoice for a couple of projects, but the payment cycle is slow. That's the other thing about Taurus, the Bull - slow and steady, stubborn and persistent, and mean when pushed - as is Venus, for that matter. Everything in its time.

I have had some bites of new opportunities, including a potential part-time position working for a former colleague who reached out to me last week. It would be good to have some steady income and the chance to get out of the house regularly and work with people again, along with the flexibility to take on interesting freelance work. Maybe the best of both worlds. We'll see.

[At Habitat Wildlife Sanctuary, Belmont MA; 5/6/13]

[New leaves rising from the dead ones, at Habitat]

Unfortunately, the result of those tight deadlines and other stressful craziness last month has been painful -- as I said, mean when pushed. My neck and shoulder pain, which I've been getting physical therapy for, went through the roof by this weekend. Diligent work on it this week with ice, heat, topical and oral pain meds, sleep, rest, and it's finally getting somewhat under control. I could really use a new/better ergonomic office chair but I can't really afford it right now.

Meanwhile, I'm taking advantage of another break in the work. I went for a lovely walk in the woods at Habitat on Monday, which I haven't been to since January. Spring comes a bit later to the woods, but it has arrived, as evidenced by blossoming mountain laurel and dogwood, fresh green ears of new leaves and unfurling fern fronds, columbine and trillium.

[Trillium at Habitat Sanctuary, Belmont; 5/6/13]

More photos from Habitat in May here.

Spring Arrives in the City

[Back Bay - Prudential, Boston; 4/28/13]

Very busy with work still, but thought I'd post a few photos from this past weekend in Boston. Spring is in full swing now. Even as the early-blooming magnolias are dropping their blossoms, the pear trees and weeping cherries are taking the baton in the blossom relay, and the tulips and daffodils stand up and cheer.

The city was full of people this weekend, partly due to the long awaited spring weather but also because everyone from the city and suburbs wanted to come pay their respects at the Boston Marathon tributes in newly reopened Copley Square. Lorianne posted about it on her blog (she and J were in on Sunday) and I uploaded some photos on my Flickr site from Saturday.

[Copley Square, Boston; 4/27/13

The Public Garden was a little less crowded than Copley, but there were also many people out enjoying the day there and on Boston Common as well.

[Public Garden at Charles and Boylston Sts; 4/28/13]

[Swan Boats on the Lagoon, Pubic Garden; 4/28/13]

We're having a string of sunny days, although the temps are supposed to drop quite a bit on Friday. I have more deadlines, but I should be able to find some time to get out and enjoy it - especially on this first day of May. It will be hard not to...

Earth Day

[Magnolia tree and garden on Comm Ave, Boston; 4/20/13]

I'm out straight with work, but I still appreciated today's sunshine and the tiny pink buds sprouting all over my neighbor's peach tree.* I ran out to the grocery store mid-day and tonight made pasta primavera in honor of spring. I did take time for a short walk around 4:30 to stretch my legs, the brisk air reminding me that it's spring, not summer. It will be barely above freezing tonight, but the growing profusion of flowers and greenery will not be deterred.

*Update: I added that the tree above is a magnolia. The peach tree (not shown) is in my neighbor's yard out here in the 'burbs. :-)

Waiting for a Tail Wind

[Peeling birches, Fresh Pond; 1/10/13]

Last week, Lorianne blogged about the doldrums. I've definitely been in the doldrums here, and unable to concoct nearly as lovely a post about it as she did. I have managed to gather my wits to fashion a tweet now and then, and Lorianne is right that just making a conscious effort to notice things yields some curative inspiration. On a chilly gray walk at dusk around my neighborhood last week, I collected an odd grab-bag of sights that seemed to coalesce: Dark sidewalk laced with black ice. A sooty, one-eyed snowman watches. In the window, a candelabra's one blue light like a sore thumb.

[Long shadows, Fresh Pond]

Work has also been in the doldrums, though while waiting for the trade winds to pick up I've spent some time mending sails and plotting routes. I finally finished a take-home course that I purchased more than a year ago at a professional conference I went to, intending to work towards a certificate. I sent out emails to clients alerting them to my availability for work and made a couple of new contacts. I did have bits and pieces of client work, nips and tucks from previous projects. I cleaned out my refrigerator of expired items and "science projects." And last week I ordered a new laptop to replace the 2007-era one I have been using that's getting a bit slow for my needs now that I'm working for myself again. It should arrive, I think, this week - and perhaps I'll be so enamored with it I'll feel inspired to write more! 

[Trail between Little Fresh Pond and Fresh Pond]

Another benefit of the slow work, besides taking care of long neglected personal tasks, was taking off for an afternoon to meet up with Lorianne to walk around Fresh Pond on Thursday. It not only offered leisurely time for us to catch up, but also rather rare January photo opportunities -- my Flickr photo count attests to the annual dirth of photos from January's often raw gray days. Alas, I think neither of us was able to really capture with our cameras' video settings the amazing sounds of ice chunks on the edges of the pond set in motion by gentle waves. In some places it was like wind chimes, in others like honking geese or like a passing train. Unfortunately, the wind across our little cameras' mics mostly obscured the delicate ice chimes. But I can still hear them.

[Ripple on Fresh Pond]

Update: You can see Lorianne's blog post on our walk here (including links to videos of that clinking ice!)

Heading into the weekend

[Sudbury River, Great Meadows Refuge; 11/4/12]

It's Friday at 4:30 and the sun, which never seemed to rise much out of the low clouds anyway, has already set. I've been out to buy groceries for the weekend. D hasn't stayed here at my place in ages, and I'm making dinner -- fresh cod with a sauce of spinach, garlic and tomatoes. I also picked up the fixings to make jambalaya on Sunday to have during the late afternoon football game. We'll go in to the city to D's place tomorrow at some point, stopping at an acquaintance's birthday party in Cambridge on the way in, and then it will be dark again. But the weekend is supposed to be clear at least, maximizing the sun's far-away rays during our not-quite-10 hours of daylight. Still a month-plus left until winter.

A Walk in the Park

[Battle Road Trail, Minute Man National Park, Lincoln MA; 11/10/11]

Group walk this morning at the Minute Man National Historical Park, along the Battle Road trail. Caught up with some old friends and talked to a few others. Not much time for photography. And now back home, in need of a shower and time to pack up for the rest of the weekend in Boston after picking up D at the airport. Much to do...

 

This morning

Bleak sky. Sleet salts the wounds. Stiff muscles object to movement and stillness alike. The hourly forecast's long line of pencil sketched clouds and rain, snow, wind -- 24 in a row before a painted sun.

November Branding

[Great Meadows Refuge, Concord MA; 11/4/12]

November asserts its personal brand, making a virtue of brown, like UPS only not so chipper. After blowing away the competition - the flashy leaves of its predecessor - it slips its cold calling card into your pocket. Stodgy, yes. Not the warm and fuzzy type, certainly. But capable, a master of transition. Wave your hands before your face and shake off your reveries of summer. It's done and gone. Festive winter has not yet come. Relax your eye muscles on November's soft, dull palette. Rest.

Show-off

["Christmas" cactus; 11/4/12]

Some things are naturally nonconformist. When virtually all other plantlife here in this northern climate, indoors or out, is settling into its dormant period, the Schlumbergera -- often called Christmas cactus -- starts flashing its showy blossoms like a card trick. I noticed the first buds of the year on my plant when watering it last week, then this morning I saw that some blooms had already opened. At this rate, the performance may not last until Christmas, but then there will be bright holiday decorations to compete with. No, this plant is taking advantage of the dullness of November to strut its stuff on a stripped-down stage.