This…
will become this.
And this…
will become this.
It will only take seven months and one day to happen.
But who’s counting?
Enjoy Everything!
Michele
Tag Archives: Recreation
Cruising with the Sun and the Moon
We enjoyed a beautiful sunset cruise in Salem Harbor a few nights ago on the Hannah Glover. I remember putting my older kids on this boat one morning in the middle of a thunderstorm because they were going out to the Y camp on Children’s Island. It sure looks different when your cruising along enjoying great food and cocktails while watching the sun set and the moon rise. Thanks Salem Trolley, for a very enjoyable evening!
Related articles
- The Changing Face of Salem! (5 new building projects and more) (saturdaysocks.com)
Camping At the Beach~
We love to spend time family camping so early this week we spent a night on site 27 at Winter Island, the coveted first spot right next to the beach! It was wonderful to fall asleep on Sunday night listening to the waves roll in a few feet away. I think that this family was meant to live on the water. We love it so much! Here are a few of my favorite Winter Island photos. Needless to say, we had a good time!
the view from our campsite…
the Winter Island lighthouse
What is this cool pole called? Maybe a peace pole?
The now hidden lagoon, it used to be part of a moat around the fort.
Looking north toward Beverly…
How the lifeguard chair is used after hours…
This kid is too much.
Seriously, he just cracks me up!
The sunset reflection, looking north.
and south, with the moon rising.
The boys heading to the beach.
One of our friend Casey’s creations. Still used and loved all the time, if you happen to see this Casey 😉 .
Boats in the moonlight… one of my favorite things to do at Winter Island is to watch the boats come into the harbor at night. It’s so peaceful and quiet.
Early morning fog at low tide…
Playing on the beach in PJ’s is the best!
Camping is also the best (next to gardening 😉 )
Enjoy everything!
Michele
Garden Bloggers Bloom Day– May 2013
How could it be the fifteenth of the month already? When I woke up this morning and saw another blogger’s Bloom Day post I had to quickly look at my calendar and check the date. It just didn’t seem possible. A lot has happened here in New England in the last month. The garden continues to soothe and heal all of us.
My long awaited dogwood is still in bloom. I know that I just have another day or two with it so I’m enjoying every minute that I get.
Soloman’s seal is unfurling. This is “almost a bloom.”
Viola, lots of them, everywhere!
Lily of the valley
Crab apple
My little girl’s favorite, the bleeding heart. She’s been able to identify this since she was three. 
And there’s still plenty of pollen! I’m so allergic to it, but I’m hoping that in just a few more days or after another good rain (this afternoon), it will be better.
Be sure to check out the other blogs on maydreamsgardens.com to see what’s blooming all over the world!
Michele
Potting Benches, Daffodils and Crocus…
The other day my husband saw that I had posted this photo here.
A few hours later I looked out there and saw this…
LOL, he’s a really good guy. That’s all I can say.
In other news~
My favorite daffodils are about to bloom down on Palfrey Court. I’ve been following this patch for the last twenty four years. I know from experience that even if it snows tomorrow they will be just fine.
And we officially have crocus here at The Salem Garden! Photo by my little guy!
Happy Monday!
Enjoy Everything!
Michele
Related articles
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- Plant life | Nomad daffodils (roadtowalden.wordpress.com)
Coyote Sighting In Salem!
Michael was walking Winnie this morning and as he came up our street he looked ahead and saw a “really big” coyote coming toward him. The coyote took a left and ran into our yard. He and Winnie took a right and came right into the house. We’re not really afraid of them, but it’s a good idea to keep coyotes and family dogs separate. We’ll be keeping a very close eye on Winnie when we’re in the yard. The coyotes are here year round but they seem to suddenly appear around early February, with lots of neighborhood sightings from now until late spring.
Of course after I got almost everyone out the door (my little guy is recuperating from his late night superbowl viewing, I’ll run him up to school soon) I had to head out there with my camera and see if I could take a photo of the tracks to share with you.
S/he came from the street, then went across the yard and down the hill.
The tracks look pretty cool up close.
It went right up the path in the middle of the photo and past the kids’ fort.
I didn’t go all the way up there because I was wearing crocks and my fluffy robe. Of course that meant I landed on my you know what.
Crocks and coyote tracking aren’t such a good mix 😉
Enjoy everything today!
Michele
Related articles
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- Coyote sightings on the rise (cbc.ca)
- Coyote Capers (essexonlakechamplain.com)
Things That Work For Me— My Pink Bench
Good Morning Everyone! I have decided to do a weekly winter series called “Things That Work For Me”… Lots of people have questions and queries about how I manage our household of seven. It’s a juggling act most days but I do have some tools and tips that really help. I have a little list of products, services, house rules and routines that make a big difference. There are lots of moments in my day when I’m thankful for having found a way to make life easier.
As superficial as it may seem, I’m going to start with something very basic, my pink bench.
I found this bench at TJ Maxx several months ago for the clearance price of $7.99.
I am 5’1″ and I’ve been climbing on chairs to reach things for as long as I can remember.These are my cabinets. They are very, very tall. It’s virtually impossible for me to get things down without a little help. This bench gives me almost eleven inches, making me six feet tall! 
That’s a lot of help with the milk glasses!
And it folds up so that it can be easily hidden almost anywhere.
just like this, although I never put it away.
It’s also used as a barrier for Dino’s food so Winnie doesn’t eat it and a place for whoever is passing through the kitchen to sit for a minute. I’ve had many great conversations with my kids lately while they’ve relaxed and I’ve cooked. I revel in the fact that I can just reach up and get almost anything down without having to climb up on a chair or ask one of the four other people who are taller than me to do it.
It’s the little things that make life easier.
Enjoy Everything!
Michele
Watching and Waiting
The title of this post has changed a couple of times since I took these photos the other day. I started with something like “Fall Color, Now and In Years Past”… I was going to include photos of past years too, when the colors were brighter and prettier. Then I went to “The Colors Before the Storm”.. thinking that all the little bits of color that we had this year would be gone by Tuesday. Then it went to “The Calm and Color Before the Storm” which morphed into “Watching and Waiting”. I’m pretty settled with this one. It best describes how I’m feeling here on the coast of New England today. Hurricane Sandy is projected to track south of us a little bit. We will likely experience strong winds, rain and very high tides. That’s our best case scenario, which isn’t too bad for New Englanders who don’t live directly on the ocean. I’m thinking a lot of our countless family members and friends who live on the water or right in the mid-Atlantic area that may be hit the hardest.
My “fall color in the garden” photos are pathetic this year. Here’s what I have:
A little pink and yellow and a happy looking spruce tree…
Bits of yellow..
and red..
and the garden. That’s it!
As you can see, we went from green, to bits of yellow and red to brown. I kept waiting for the day when I’d get outside and take those beautiful photos! It happens some years. I never made it out of town during the peak times to see the foliage north of here but it was probably quite lovely. This is a very small concern when we have much bigger worries on our minds this weekend.
I’m thinking of all of my east coast friends and family this morning and sending you love and safe thoughts!
I hear that Halloween is being celebrated wildly downtown. If I make it down there later today or tomorrow I’ll posts some photos that will be sure to make you smile!
Love, Michele
Waterfall
—in the Poconos, Pennsylvania, taken by my oldest daughter while hiking with her grandmother and siblings in June.
The Salem Garden 
