Into The Harbor on a Wildlife Cruise

Posted on January 25, 2017January 25, 2017 by Dusty Roads

The cruise was a “sell out”. Many of the people I spoke with had been on the cruise in previous years. They only run it one day a year and they go out rain or shine or snow. There were National Park Rangers, Aquarium naturalists, DCR (Department of Conservation and Recreation) employees and volunteers to answer questions. The boat was well stocked with food and beverages in the snack bar. two decks were heated if the outdoor space got too cold. They really went all out to make it a special day.

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At 10:35 the loading began and by 11 am we were all ready to head out to the harbor.

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Our first destination was Logan Airport. Logan Airport is home to some migratory snowy owls. Because of the damage they can do to a jet, the Audubon Society has a trap and release program. Snowys are trapped at Logan and released elsewhere, often at Duxbury beach.

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I was on the 2nd deck when the cry went up that a snowy owl had been spotted. Unfortunately it was too far away. I couldn’t see it with my 300 mm lens. A photographer standing next to me with a gigantic lens on his camera said he couldn’t see it either. It looked like a snow pile or a white plastic jug, just a spot against the dark gravel.

That pretty much set the tone for the trip. It would have been more accurate to call it a bird watching cruise. We saw lots of birds but they were mostly fast and small. I soon got tired of trying to photograph them and settled for just watching them.

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The only “wildlife” we saw were some seals hauled out on the rocks. Since it was low tide they were a good distance away from us and the sun was at the wrong angle to see much. It was more the silhouette of their “banana pose” that gave them away.

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It had warmed up a great deal and the sun going in and out behind the clouds. The harbor was amazingly calm for a winter day. We cruised past Boston Light into the outer harbor.

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One of the volunteers explained that they almost never get to go into the outer harbor in winter. It’s just too rough but we made it all the way out to Graves Light and even there the waves were only gentle, rolling swells.

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Graves was the end of the trip. We did our turn around right in front of the light house. The return trip was leisurely as we passed the various harbor Islands, Georges Island with it’s fort, Peddocks Island with it’s 4 headlands to name only 2.

Georges Island, Boston Harbor

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It turned out to be a beautiful day for a boat ride. I may not have seen much Wildlife but I had fun all the same. I’ll watch for this next year. I wouldn’t mind a repeat.

“Tis the Season to be Jolly”

Posted on December 20, 2014December 20, 2014 by Dusty Roads

Happy Holidays my blogging friends and followers! It a busy time of year. The Taunton Green is beautiful. They , like so many other places, used the theme of “Frozen”. I just need an evening when I’m not headed to a party or its not raining to get some pictures to share. Maybe this weekend. I don’t care if it snows. That would be pretty and fit right in with the theme but rain would put a damper on things. 🙂

I made my deadline and got my 2014 Christmas cards out on time! I used my “Christmas House” photo from last year for this year’s card.

I have some ideas for next year. I just have to get time to try capture the images.

Buddy continues to destroy the little Christmas Tree. He knows it wrong because he jumps down as soon as I start toward him. I look away and he’s right back up there!

I’ve been busier this year with holiday parties. I usually stick pretty close to home. I’ve outgrown being a “party animal” but I was invited to a “girl’s night out” for my team at work and I decided it would be fun. I wasn’t disappointed. We went to an italian restaurant in Belmont, MA called Il Casale.

We had a wonderful dinner. My teammate , Eileen had just come back from Italy and she said her meal was better than anything she had while she was there. My chicken parm was exquisite. They didn’t take any of the short cuts that so many restaurants do. But by far the chocolate cream puffs we had for dessert were the crowning glory of the meal.

That was Thursday, then on Friday we had the Redfin Holiday party. It was held on the Spirit of Boston and what a good time! Everyone was smiling and happy, there was an awesome buffet and lots of dancing. I don’t get into the office very often as its just easier to work from home so it was really nice to see everyone.

Of course when I got home the tree had been ravished again. 🙁 I’ll have to re-string the lights this time as well as the beaded garland. But it’s all about the holidays anyway. Right?

What I Missed in San Diego ~ 3

Posted on January 31, 2014January 31, 2014 by Dusty Roads

The California Coast is supposed to be beautiful and according to friends I have in La Jolla, nothing beats that little section. In Spanish, La Jolla means “the jewel,” an apt name for a pretty, Mediterranean-style seaside town – sitting on cliffs flanking the ocean.

La Jolla visitors like to shop and eat in the nice restaurants, some of them with lovely ocean views. There’s a lot for the active visitor, too, including ocean kayaking, tide pool-hopping, surfing at Windansea Beach, biking or running along the waterfront.

Coronado Island is a little strip of land that isn’t really an island but a peninsula – a fact that doesn’t get in the way of the name most people use for it. Whatever you call it, it’s on a slender strip of land between the San Diego Bay and the Pacific Ocean, barely a few blocks wide. What it lacks in size it makes up for in fun, with a beach that’s been named among the best in the country, a classic hotel and a compact, lively little downtown. Coronado’s laid-back temperament makes a nice break from the busier parts of San Diego across the water.

What is a visit to a ocean front location without a harbor cruise. It’s almost as important as that trolley tour to get the layout. Water plays a prominent role in San Diego. Downtown faces it. Point Loma and Coronado surround the large, calm bay. There’s a lot to see along its shores and much of it is best explored by boat.

Everyone love the views of downtown you can get from a San Diego harbor cruise, but you’ll also get a peek at the Pacific Fleet – and a harbor cruise is the best way to get a feel for just how tall the Coronado Bridge really is. The bay is well protected and the water seldom rough.

The cruises make two out-and-back trips, one toward Point Loma and the other past the Coronado Bridge, the Navy Seals Training Base and military ships. The boat stops at the dock in between, making it easy for you to take just one leg or both. Opt for a brunch or dinner cruise and you can see it all while having a nice meal.

The first European to set foot in California was the Spanish explorer Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo, who stepped on shore near this spot in 1542. He’s the guy they made this statue to look like – and named the park after, Cabrillo National Monument. We don’t know if Cabrillo climbed all the way up to the top of this promontory or not, but people who make it up here nowadays get some of the best views of San Diego, looking across the Bay and back toward downtown.

Besides the great views, there’s a historic lighthouse, a visitor center, some nice tide pools down below and good whale-watching in the winter.