Hot, Humid and Hazy At Gristmill Pond

One of the things that fell by the wayside as I made adjustments to my new life in Real Estate was my photography. I was so caught up in studying for my test and getting trained in my new duties that I stopped going out to shoot. After I passed my test I realized I hadn’t even had the camera in hand for a month! The last time was while I was in Seattle the beginning of June. That is unheard of for me! Since I bought the camera I have tried to take a least a few pictures every day.

I had a photo shoot scheduled to take senior pictures in Brewster Gardens in Plymouth  July 8 so I dusted off the camera and lenses and headed to the Gristmill Pond in Plymouth to shake off the rust before the shoot.

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When I got there it was sunny and the sky was blue, a beautiful day. The breeze off the ocean was keeping the temperatures down so I was expecting great light by the time of the appointment at 6 pm.

I pulled into the pond to see Mr & Mrs Majestic (your remember them, the swan couple) escorting one juvenile swan. I don’t know if they are still cygnets if they have their white feathers, but they were putting on a parade up and down the pond…a perfect photo op.

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I hopped out of the air conditioned car, pulled out the camera and started taking pictures. It felt great to have the camera back in hand. I noticed the lenses kept fogging up. I expected that when I first stepped out of the car but after awhile the temps should have equalized. That’s when I noticed the blue sky was gone and the fog was rolling in off the ocean.

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I wandered back to the car to remove the UV filter and of course the swans came swimming back again the minute I walked away.

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I slammed the trunk of the car and ran back for more pictures when it hit me…where were my car keys?….I’d just had them.  I used them to open the trunk.

I looked under the car. I checked my pockets. I looked in the car windows…nothing. Then it hit me. I must have dropped them in the trunk while I was rummaging  in the camera bag!

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Oh boy, I’m really stuck. I have AAA but my cell phone is also locked in the car. Where’s a thief when you need one. I started asking anyone in the area who had a truck if they had any wire or anything I could use to unlock the car. No luck or maybe no one was willing to admit they could break in.

Meanwhile the clock was ticking down to my appointment.

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Finally I walked to the Old Grist Mill and begged a phone call. AAA agreed to send someone but gave an ETA of 6:30. I couldn’t even call my appointment to tell them I’d be late because the phone # was on my cell phone which was locked in the car!

I know I was looking like a crazy woman. I was sweating and red faced because of the humidity. If it’s one thing that makes me crazy , it’s being late!

Well as they saying goes, all is well that ends well. AAA arrived early and had me into the car and trunk in minutes. They were awesome. I made it to Brewster Gardens 10  minutes early and the photo shoot went off without a hitch.

This is an example of the beautiful results. 🙂

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The soft light from the clouds and fog that rolled in gave me wonderful exposures and my client and I had a great laugh over my panic.

A Sunny Day

The weather remains cool (50’s) but sunny. The local weatherman says we need rain and that we are running about 10 degrees below average in temperature. The Right Whales are feeding off Cape Cod and it seems every weekend there’s another benefit walk for something.

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The cats continue to drive me crazy. Last night after I went to bed I was awakened by loud growls. As I ran to the living room to break up the fight, Smokey at my heels,  Rocky bolted to a cardboard box and Buddy flopped onto his side next to it. They both looked at me like they were the most innocent creatures in the world. Clearly it was a “mock battle”.

Not so this morning at 6am when Buddy decided he wanted Smokey’s window seat. (Sigh) That was a real fight, if one-sided.  Poor Smokey! I wish I knew who removed his claws! We could pull off a few fingernails and see how they like it.

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What will happen when I’m away on vacation and not around to play referee?

But back to yesterday. Since it was a nice sunny day I headed out to take some pictures. I’ve been neglecting some of my favorite spots and it was time to see what was going on for spring.

Lake Rico was busy with families picnicking and kids fishing. Since I didn’t want to intrude I moved on to the Herring Run. I’d seen some great pictures from some of my friends but when I got there the only wildlife was a few grackles.

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I hung out for about an hour but nary a sea gull came to visit…lots of people but not much else.

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Next stop the Grist Mill Pond in Plymouth.

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Mr. Majestic was feeling his oats chasing the Canada Geese up and down the pond.  Mrs. Majestic was still on her nest.

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At one point he climbed up on the  bank and after clearing the area of his pesky nemesis he performed what can only be called his victory dance!

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Then off he sailed, head held high, obviously quite pleased with himself.

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Springtime at the Pond

It’s a beautiful spring day. Even the breeze carries a hint of warmth. Buds are starting to appear on most of the trees. Some plants are even flowering. Robins made their appearance a couple of weeks ago but even more birds are arriving daily. The previously frozen landscape is awakening.

A visit to the Grist Mill Pond in Plymouth, Ma reflects the rhythms of spring as well.

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Mr. Majestic patrolled the pond with his typical aggressive enthusiasm. His usual targets, the Canada Geese, were on the pond in force keeping him busy posturing and chasing. They approached Mr. Majestic’s end of the pond like a noisy armada.

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He’s truly beautiful when he fluffs out his feathers . He’s King of the Pond! The geese didn’t stand a chance and retreated back to the far end of the pond. Far from Mr. Majestic’s domain.

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All this warfare is tiring and soon Mr. Majestic took a nap floating right on the water.

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He kept one eye open for sneak attacks but the geese had other things on their minds.

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The Pond Crier, a gull, was busy guarding some stale bread. He would sound the the alarm for sure if the geese made any adverse moves.

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Nearby a male and female duck rested on the new grass.

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But back to Mr. Majestic, what had inspired him to be so territorial so early in the season? A search of the far bank soon revealed the reason. There was Mrs. Majestic snoozing on a nest.

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Mr. Majestic shook off his nap and checked his reflection in the water. (Mirror, Mirror?)

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Satisfied with what he saw in the water he was soon escorting the Mrs. to dinner. What a lovely couple.

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I wonder if there will be little majestics  later this spring.

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