pileated woodpecker

through the window, i spotted him as he flew across the backyard like a shot, a black bullet. as i changed camera lenses, i heard his raucous call from up back. in pjs and flip-flops i skulked through the backyard, and found him there, on the ground, drilling on an old tree stump. he was pretty far away - but just look how his red head stands out in the brush!

wee beastie

if spring is here, if windows are open, even if screens are in, can inside insects be far behind? this beautiful specimen is the first of the season. i have no idea what it is. all i know is it doesn't belong in the bedroom. and, by the way, it's really not as big as it may look!

confession

aside from the visiting, one of the best things about staying with family and friends is the chance to try out new products. i won't open cabinets or anything - never would i snoop. but if the bottles and tubes are there, in plain view, i confess that i usually give in to the temptation to try a tiny sample. a dab of hair gel, a dash of toothpaste, a spritz of body spray, a dollop of hand lotion. like free samples at a department store, it's a chance to try something new without being disappointed after buying the giant economy size. so thanks to you, my hosts, for aiding and abetting me in my secret indulgence. now that you know, i hope you'll still invite me back.

drizzle

love the way water collects in droplets on plants in the spring and have always wished i could capture its beauty. but to do it well, i think i need a way better macro lens than the cheesy one i have now.

spring cleaning

from the top shelf of the medicine cabinet, a veritable plethora of toothbrushes. is it possible, do you suppose, to have too many spares? the irony here is this: i use an electric toothbrush.

first green

one fine sunny morning, you're driving to work and you notice that lawns and fields are beginning to show signs of life. tinges of green brighten the drab browns and greys of post-winter snow melt. grassy blades stand straight and tall through last year's soggy tangles. finally you know for certain - this is indeed spring.

balloon 09

yes, the easter balloon was delivered last night, this time in a trash bag tied to the back of my car with not carrots, but kale weighing it down. a lovely gesture that touches me still. thanks, easter bunny!!

risen

spring comes slowly to northern new england, but eventually, it gets here.
happy easter!

remembrance

perhaps because it's holy week, perhaps because baseball season has just opened, perhaps because these both coincide with the one year anniversary of her death, i am missing my friend pat. she carved this diminutive duck, one of the first things i see when i wake in the morning. and each day, i think of her.

beach plum jelly

last night at a party, i met a friend of a friend, an interesting woman who nurses sick infants, weaves on an antique loom, and grows beach plums in the middle of the state. beach plums a hundred miles from the ocean. i told her about my ongoing quest to replicate the beach plum jelly i had on the cape in the early 80s. about the jars and jars of disappointing jelly i had purchased over the years. the more she and i talked about beach plum jelly, the more my eyes glazed at the thought of its unattainable ruby-jeweled goodness. when our conversation ended, she excused herself, only to return to my side soon after bearing a squat jar of beach plum jelly, homemade, from a recipe that wins awards on nantucket. how it materialized so quickly i do not know. how much i plan to savor it - that i know. many thanks to my friend's friend lorraine, who, in addition to all her other talents, must be a bit of a beach plum fairy.

gone!

driving down the highway just a few miles south of here, i realize it for the first time: there's no snow! it's gone!
aging snow slips away
baring matted leaves of gray.
finally, new buds arrive
to bring us hope - the earth's ALIVE!
(by my creative friend, mary!)

uh-oh!

i could be wrong, but i'm pretty sure i just ate the fruit sticker on this apple. it's been a looooong day.