I took this photo along our rustic roadside on the way to town. It seems every time I meander these three miles, I discover a new wildflower bursting with color.

The lilac season is nearly over, but looking at this photo, I can almost conjure their beautiful scent. It reminds me of cotton candy. Our neighbor at the cabin has the white variety and some days when the breeze is just right, I’ll catch a whiff of these amazing domestic flowers, from yards away. It’s like opening a present. I can’t think about anything else, during the moment the fragrance overwhelms my nose.

My appreciation for flowers has changed throughout the years — along with many other things. Priorities constantly shift and in recent years it seems for me there’s more space for simple gifts.

Fresh flowers. As a child I picked them. For years I ignored them. Now I photograph them. And one day I’ll learn all their names.

Each weekend I share moments that help me journey toward occasional “presence” — explained in A New Earth — to appreciate the small gifts life brings. This post is also a part of Fussy’s Happiness Project every Thursday.

We visited Washington DC over Memorial Day weekend (Yes, I know that was more than a month ago. I never said things were “real-time” around here!) So now I’ll proceed to publish about half-a-gazillion photos spread out over the next week or so. Enjoy!

Jefferson Monument

On Memorial Day (Monday) I stood in line at the Washington Monument from about 8-9 AM and was able to pick up four tickets. I don’t think that was too long of a wait, since it was a holiday weekend, but I feel badly for those who showed up at 9 AM – I’m sure all the tickets were gone by then.

Capitol and National Mall

As I approached the ticket window, I was surprised to see that there was still availability for 2:00, which is when the Memorial Day parade would start. The parade would come down Constitution and pass right in front of the White House, so we could see it from the top of the Monument.

World War II fountain and Lincoln Memorial.

After I got the tickets, I met the rest of the family at on the reflecting pool, and we came back to the Monument about one-half hour before our scheduled time.

White House

The bright, clear day made for awesome photos from every side of the monument. One landmark down, dozens to go!

Washington DC series:
View from Washington Monument
Mount Vernon
National Archives – Declaration of Independence
Sculpture Gardens
Arlington Cemetery – Unknown Soldier
Washington DC Subway – Metro

(Old North Church – “One if by land, two if by sea…”)

Last summer I traveled to Boston with my daughter and our whirlwind nine-day trip was a chance of a lifetime. If you’ll be visiting Boston with kids, you may want to check out our travel posts.

Our Boston Series:

Happy Independence Day
Mom and Daughter Trip to Boston
Passing the Torch – On Cranberry Pond
B&B Review
Bed and Breakfast Review
Biking on Cape Cod
Whale Watching
Reading Little Women
Salem, MA Wrought Iron
Plimoth Plantation
Boardwalk to Cape Cod
Low-Tide Islands of Oysters and Mud

For More Wordless Wednesday, please go here or here.

My love affair with the loons on our lake continues this week, as we found the other family. Last week’s photos showed a family of three, but this one has two babies and they’re slightly older. Or perhaps they’re the same age, but simply grow that fast.

We sat and watched this little family for quite a while (I use a 70-300 mm telephoto lens, which is why the loons appear so close), and the adults took turns diving and bringing back morsels to share with their babies.

But at times both parents were underwater, and I assumed the buoyant babies were too young to follow. This is when they’re most vulnerable to large fish predators.

Then one surprised me. He went under!

And then the second went. The little loons were learning to dive. (They stayed under for only moments, and then popped up again.)

Each weekend I share moments that help me journey toward occasional “presence” — explained in A New Earth — to enjoy life and appreciate small gifts. This post is also a part of Fussy’s Happiness Project every Thursday.

We went for a boat ride and I took my camera, hoping to capture the loon family that surely had a baby by now. My husband took us all around the lake and finally into the back bay where we’d most likely find the pair.

I spotted them right away and he turned and slowed the boat, switching off the motor so we could coast closer without making noise. As I watched and snapped away, I considered our good fortune to not have startled the birds. They barely moved as we drifted closer, save for their effortless circling in the water and the rotation of their majestic heads.

At this time of year, it is difficult to determine which of these loons is the male and which is the female, but each will care for the young loon and carry the baby on his or her back until it learns to swim. The massive size of the adult repels the Northern Pike that wouldn’t hesitate to swallow a baby in one fell swoosh.

Although the loons allowed us to drift closer, their eyes were watchful, and our silence allowed us to hear their tell-tale call, but in a gentler tone than we usually hear across the lake. They were talking to each other. We watched their mouths open and their necks move slightly, but the sound they generated came almost effortlessly. And an even softer sound reached our ears as well — that of the baby. It was learning to make the call too.

I’m awed by the tranquility shown by these birds — a peaceful family gliding through the water together. I feel so completely opposite of that most of the time, with busy schedules and not-always-even temperaments. But on this evening, we all floated together next to this family, just as quietly. And we were there because my usually-hurried husband stopped so I could take photographs. Small gifts.

Happy Father’s Day!

Each weekend I share moments that help me journey toward occasional “presence” — explained in A New Earth — to appreciate the small gifts life brings. This post is also a part of Fussy’s Happiness Project every Thursday.