Bridgewater State College Observatory

Last night was so much fun! I visited the observatory at BSC with some camera club friends. We were able to attach our cameras to a telescope and photograph the heavens.
It was just too cool!

The students who work here were such a pleasure. They were so smart......so eager to share their knowledge....and so enthusiastic. It really was wonderful to see such passion and enthusiasm from them.

This is the winding staircase we climbed to get to the top of the dome:

And here's my favorite picture of the evening. It was just amazing to be able to photograph the planet Saturn! It took a lot of trials with different exposures and it was a great experience for all of us.

Saturn is approximately 746 million miles away from the Earth. How cool is that?!!

Squackity Squacks

A wild goose chase.......

Tugboat Symbolism

A Memorial was held today at MIT in Boston for slain MIT Police Office Sean A. Collier who was gunned down this week by the 2 Boston Marathon Bombers. Sean had a promising career in policing  ahead of him, and from all of the reports from his friends and family, he was a very special person who truly loved his profession.
Today's memorial was attended by thousands of police officers from not only around the state of MA, but the entire country and around the world. I'm proud that my son "N" attended this service to honor his "fallen brother".
When I saw this little tugboat come across the bay in Weymouth this afternoon, the symbolism struck me right away. My thoughts at the time were on the city of Boston......and my thoughts were especially on the memorial service which was going on. I couldn't help but feel the symbolism of this little tug....as it chugged away towards the city (You can see the Prudential Building and the John Hancock Tower in the distance)
This tug helps it's fellow ships in time of need....and supports them when they are down......just as the thousands of officers were supporting the Collier Family, the MIT Police Force, and the Somerville Police Force.
I hope Officer Collier's friends and family found comfort from all of the support at today's memorial.
Rest in Peace Officer Collier. You will never be forgotten.

Heard the heartbeat! :-)

A sweet tender moment with mother and child.

Today was a good day....went with Miss J to her Dr appt. and I heard the heartbeat. It was in the upper 150 beats per minute. A strong healthy hearbeat!

Miss J is 21 weeks pregnant......just a little more than halfway there.

:-)

What a week this has been!

What a week this has been for the city of Boston, as well as the entire country. Our eyes have been glued to the tv for days, watching the ever changing news reports. Yesterday was a day like we've never experienced. I was at home and couldn't turn the tv off for the entire day. I felt as though I was watching a movie and I couldn't shut it off until I knew the ending.

I am proud of our city and especially proud of our police officers.

Praying for peace for not only our city and our country, but for the entire world.

I know that's asking for a lot these days......

The world needs love

Huddled together in the nest on a cold windy day.

When I was a little girl, my father would take us to watch the Boston Marathon every year. We would always stand near the finish line on Boylston Street. This was a rite of Spring....and each year ever since, on Marathon Monday, I always look back to those fond memories. It was always exciting when Johnny Kelly would make his final run to the finish line. Spectators near us would always have transistor radios, and we would hear the news of his approach and anxiously await his arrival.

As my children got older, they began their own traditions of going in to Boston to watch the Marathon each year, oftentimes they would have a friend who was running....and they would go in to cheer them on.

Yesterday's terror has touched all of us here in the Boston area to our core.

Innocence lost.

Our beloved city has been terrorized.

It hurts.

I personally know people who were there just minutes before the first bomb went off. Everyone I speak with knows someone who was there, or had been there, in that area yesterday.

It's scary and it is a reminder of what a sick world we live in.

But we can not focus on the bad, and we must celebrate the heroics that took place during the seconds, minutes, and hours after the bombings.

Good will always prevail over evil.

The world needs love......as the innocence of these two beautiful swans who are awaiting to start their little family remind us of what is most important in our lives.

Prayers for the innocent lives who were lost yesterday, and for those who were injured.

Fishin' Shack

Cohasset Harbor, Cohasset MA

Waiting to go:

A Bufflehead and pair of Blue Winged Teals

I saw this adorable little Bufflehead Duck the other day at the Hingham Shipyard. These sea ducks are just adorable!

The other day I went to the Daniel Webster Wildlife Sanctuary in Marshfield MA with a few friends. We went into the two bird blinds....and while in the second blind we were lucky enough to see a pair of Blue Winged Teals. We spent a very long time there, watching these two swim in and out of the tall grasses and reeds. They didn't really go out into the open water and preferred staying close to the grasses. This made it difficult to get any decent shots of them. Here is an environmental portrait of this pair that I was able to capture:

From what I understand, these ducks are not as common as some of the other ducks in this area, so it was a real treat to be able to see them and photograph them.

Gift From The Sea

Taken the other morning just after sunrise at the beach in Cohasset MA.

Monroe's Sugarin'

It's that time of year again! Spring is here....the sap is flowing from the maple trees....and the boil is on!!!!

We visited Monroe's Sugar House in Barton VT on Saturday evening. Here is the owner and our friend, Steve Monroe, checking the temperature of the syrup.

Here is the final product going into the barrell.

Steve and his wife Terry always make sure they have raised donuts on hand for any visitors who stop by. I can not even begin to tell you how delicious it is to dip your donut into the warm syrup that has just been boiled.

It's like a little piece of sweetness Heaven on Earth.

I was very happy that they were boiling at night, as I wanted to get some night shots of the Sugar House.

Vermont at it's finest! One of the many reasons why I love Vermont.

Vermont.......it's all I need! :-0)

Thanks Steve and Terry. We had a great time!!!!