Sunsets and swans

I haven't posted for a few months, but I have been taking pictures. This swan caught my eye in a pond to the right of the road as I pulled into the park. There were two of them gracefully gliding over the water.




It gets harder and harder to get to the beach before sunset as the days get shorter. Leaving the beach as the sun is starting to go down does present the opportunity to take some lovely sunsets and pictures with interesting lighting.

Kites

CT kite clubs use the wide-open fields in the state park I frequent to fly their kites. Some kites are fanciful shapes, others spout unique attachments that allow for multiple kites strung together or shapes that go far beyond the typical diamond-shaped kite. The kites can be seen from the boardwalk; something to catch your eye as you take your daily walk (besides the people and their dogs). This one looks like a puffy para-sail.

Summertime is fading

School starts this week. Summer is fading into Fall. I have been swimming at the beach as much as I can. The weather has been warm and the water inviting. I go at high tide, in the late afternoon so I can actually do some "lap" swimming. I only wish I could get there more often before it gets too cold to go into the water.
All kinds of daily demands have interfered with my trips. Today it was an impromptu trip to MA to retrieve the last of my son's possessions from his college apartment...in preparation for his transition to his own place. He is ready for his life to begin. Meanwhile I am enjoying a relaxing swim in the ocean, cooling down, but gearing up for one last year of having a child in public education. This is the last time I will fill out all the forms at the start of each year. The lasts time I will buy school supplies. Time flies and life moves on...next chapter. Meanwhile I am going to enjoy my swims.

More flower pictures

For some reason I wasn't able to add all the pictures I wanted to in the last post. So here they are..

Milkweed and Queen Anne's Lace


This pretty purple flower I found as I was walking up to the water. I am wondering what kinds of common factors all these plants have that allow them to grow in a shoreline environment.

Beach Flora

The "friends of the state park" organization at the park where I walk at have put up posters describing the birds, shells, flowers, shells. geology and so forth around the park. So I have started looking for the things displayed on the posters as I walk. This past visit it I looked for flowers. The poster on flowers alerted me to the fact that 2 types of roses existed at the shore. I was only looking for the rosa rugosa, which comes in pink and white, but there is also another rose, the virginia rose, which also inhabits the shoreline which is lighter pink. I found both types of roses on this walk. What makes these plants interesting all year long are the rose hips that


develop at the end of the season. Rose hips have been used as an herb and to make tea.

This is a close up or some rose hips from the rosa rugosa. The milkweek plants were in bloom this day. And, I located the beach pea along with queen anne's lace and a few other plants I've yet to ID.

Beach Pea
Lathyrus japonicus

• Family: Pea (Fabaceae)
• Habitat: sandy shores
• Height: 1-2 feet
• Flower size: 3/4 inch wide
• Flower color: pink to purple
• Flowering time: June to August
• Origin: native(http://www.ct-botanical-society.org/galleries/lathyrusjapo.html)

When to say " hello"

When I walk at the seashore I often encounter other walkers, strollers and bench sitters. At each encounter I have to decide whether to say "hello" or not. It is an interesting judging game I play. If their is more than one person, and they are talking to each other I usually don't say anything. They are engrossed in each others company. Most are happy to say hello back, sometimes offering some other comments like "beautiful day." Some are running... its hard to talk when your running. The people walking dogs usually let you admire their pet and often tell you a bit about it if you ask. Occasionally people don't want to connect; they have come to the beach to think, or cheer them selves up or are just too engrossed in walking. ipods often prevent communication.
Some stop and have whole conversations with you. Several days ago I stopped to ask someone about the new construction going on at the beach. A new building was being built. She knew what the building was going to be and I was grateful for the information. A new visitor's center; its been planned for sometime and just now is going up. One time I met an older man who when we exchanged greetings gave me a small christmas tree, it was that time of the year, he'd made out of wood. He was giving them out. Hard to refuse a present.

You know its summer when...

you see lifeguards practicing their rescuing skills at the beach. The Hammonasett's lifeguards were training this morning when I went for a walk. Lifeguard chair sans lifeguard!