The Lynx

The Lynx, Mystic Seaport

I posted a picture of the the Lynx a few months ago.  It's a replica of a schooner that fought in the War of 1812 and served as a privateer during that war.  The ship spent the winter at Mystic Seaport and is currently touring as an educational vessel teaching about the War of 1812 and the role of privateers during that war.  Here she's fully rigged and ready to set sail.  She left the seaport shortly after these images were taken. 

Tugboat

Mystic Seaport

This tugboat currently sits at the entrance to Mystic Seaport, The Museum of America and the Sea in Mystic, Connecticut.  This is one of my favorite places to visit and I've posted many images from here in past blog posts.  I can always find something of interest to photograph here.  This tugboat has quite a history.  It was built by the workers at the Electric Boat Company in Groton, CT and served there for decades as a tug for the submarines built there.  Just about every nuclear submarine in the US Navy has been touched by this tugboat.

Rope Fence

Waterford, CT

Canada Geese

Waterford, CT

Sharing the pond with the great egret I found were a number of Canada geese.  These birds are everywhere these days.  I grew up in New Jersey and I don't remember seeing too many geese as a kid.  They certainly have proliferated along the east coast in the last 40 years or so.  

Great Egret

This past weekend I was out and about running some errands, and looking for photo opportunities, when I noticed this great egret sitting in a pond, not too far from where I live.  I pulled over and by the time I got my camera out and put on my 70-300mm lens, he had flown from the pond to the trees across the way from where I was.  I figure I must have been about 100 yds if not farther away.  I'm not very good at estimating distances.  I took a number of pictures hoping to get something that would look decent.  I think this turned out ok.  It is cropped quite a bit, but still looks pretty sharp to me.  One never has a lens long enough!

Marina

Niantic River

The marina is pretty empty right now, but in another month or so, all the available slips will be occupied.  I noticed a number of people working on their boats and getting them ready for the season.  

Short Pier

Niantic River

Fishing the Niantic

Niantic River

It was a pretty overcast morning when I was out and about along the Niantic River.  Colors were pretty muted, and the water didn't appear deep blue at all.  Although called a "river", like many other rivers in this part of the state, the Niantic River is really an estuary.  I don't know if the fish were biting on this morning or not, but there were a lot of hardy souls along the river and on the river on this cloudy morning.

Bouys

Niantic River

Street Lamp

Manchester, NH

Machine Sculpture

Manchester, NH

I wonder what this particular piece of equipment did.  I found it outside of one of the renovated mills in Manchester, NH.  I would imagine it performed some important task inside one of the mills, but exactly what that function was isn't obvious to me.  It does make for a nice sculpture though.

Union Station - Worcester, MA

Worcester, MA

I've driven by this train station many times, and finally stopped to make a picture.  I find the architecture very interesting

Lost Gazebo

Manchester, NH

I found this gazebo tucked up against one the restored mills in Manchester, NH  It seems out of place, but then I realized, it's really a place for the company's employees to come for a smoke.  I prefer seeing gazebos in park-like settings.

The Mills of Manchester NH

 Manchester, NH

A number of old textile mills can be found throughout the New England Area.  In Manchester, NH, these once thriving mills are being restored and used for new businesses, apartments, restaurants etc.  I wish more of these buildings could be saved, but for the most part they are falling into disrepair.

Small Gazebo

Townsend, MA

Clock in Black and White

More River Views

Easter Moon

I've always had an interest in astronomy and have thought about trying to do some astrophotography.  The moon is an easy subject and one way to try to get one's feet wet with doing astrophotography. Usually around the time of a full moon, a number of people will post their pictures on some of the photography forums I follow, and I must admit some of the images of the moon I've seen there are pretty good.  So with some experimentation about a week or so ago and with the benefit of some clear skies,  I was able to capture a number of images, some of which I thought were pretty decent.  This full moon is special since this is the first full after the vernal equinox, and as such determines the date for Easter Sunday, which is the following Sunday.

Easter T-Rex

Montville, CT

I know this is a few days late since Easter was last Sunday, but I never knew that T-Rex celebrated Easter. Even though he doesn't look quite so threatening with his  ears, I doubt there would be any children lined to receive their Easter basket from this guy.  

Go Right

Essex, CT

On a recent weekend, I came across this "traffic light" at the center of an intersection in Essex, CT.  I thought it was rather unique as far as traffic lights go and had sort of a nautical theme to it, typical for this area. It didn't really direct traffic like stop lights, but just alerted drivers to this intersection and reminded them to "go right".  Since it was not lit during the day, I wondered if it were colored, or flashed or looked like some sort of lighthouse type beacon at night.  You can imagine my disappointment  a couple of weeks later when I passed this intersection at night and saw it was lit with a single, white compact fluorescent bulb.  I guess the town is trying to save energy with the CF bulb but for some reason the light now has lost some of its charm.  

More Reeds

Old Lyme, CT

Marsh

Old Lyme, CT

To me it looks like the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection is doing a pretty good job of restoring this particular marsh, if the growth of these reeds are any indication.  The reeds are so thick here, it's hard to read the sign.

Connecticut River

Old Lyme, CT.

This is a view of the Connecticut River, near where it empties into Long Island Sound.  Across the river is the town of Old Saybrook.

Gazebo in Black and White

Old Lyme, CT

State Law

Westbrook, CT

I know it's the law in Connecticut, but I still find myself not stopping/yielding when I see pedestrians standing in crosswalks.  I'm not used to it, even after living here for almost nine years now.

Train Bridge

Old Lyme, CT

This is near the mouth of the Connectcut River.  This bridge carries Amtrak trains, as well as some commuter trains across the Connecticut River.

Mary Ellen

New London, CT

One of a number of ferry boats which operate daily between New London and Orient Point, NY, across Long Island Sound.

Springtime

The trees outside my house have been in bloom the last week, a sure sign that spring is here.  Even though we had a pretty mild winter in this part of the country, I'm happy it's springtime. 

Seagull

New London, CT

I don't think seagulls are particularly pretty as far as birds go.  However, they are easy to photograph.  They perch for long periods of time on just about anything, and don't spook easily.  Why is it that the "ugly" birds are so easy to photograph?  Another one of life's little mysteries.......

On a Clear Day...

New London, CT

As the songs says, "On a Clear Day, you can see forever...."   This device would certainly help.