Fresh Water Pond

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Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, Hawaii

Palm Trees are beautiful as they sway in the wind.  Here they are at a fresh water pond with Mauna Kea, a volcano, in the background rising above the clouds.

Golden Trumpets

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Kona, Hawaii, Hawaii

We took a ride around Kona, it is much greener than the area we are staying.  It was a fun and a rewarding drive because we saw so many beautiful things.  The flowers in Hawaii are gorgeous and they are everywhere!  I love these Golden Trumpets in amongst the greenery!

Waiting for the Train

rx10b-0916-img_0820-80Boston, Massachusetts

We spent a fun day in 2016 walking the Freedom Trail in Boston.  To get into Boston we took the train and so I found this was the perfect place to put my feet up and RELAX as we waited for the train.

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Seagull

brs10b-0916-img_0830-80Boston, Massachusetts

After taking a Boston Duck Tour around Boston and on Boston Harbor in 2016, we walked along the waters edge and saw some fun things, this Seagull for example.

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Massachusetts State House

uma5b-0916-img_6146-80Boston, Massachusetts

The seat of government for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the State House was completed in 1789.  Last year, while visiting Boston, we walked the Freedom Trail, a 2.5 mile route that covers many historic sites including the State House.  We really ENJOYED walking the Freedom Trail and learning more about our countries history!

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Old North Church

img_0388-60Boston, Massachusetts

It was in this tower of the Old North Church that the signal was sent out, “one if by land, and two if by sea”, one lantern or two would tell how the British were coming from Boston. At midnight on April 18, 1775, the ride of Paul Revere began, as he warned the citizens that the British were coming. This preceded the Battles of Lexington and Concord during the American Revolution.

Camera used:  Canon 50D

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Red Lentil Restaurant

Craig, Chelsea and I went to a vegetarian/vegan restaurant tonight.

THE RED LENTIL VEGETARIAN & VEGAN RESTAURANT

We got some different dishes so we could each try them.img_0307

We decided to try their Red Lentil Soup, because it’s the name of their restaurant, so we figured it must be good and it was, DELICIOUS!!  We got a bowl each.  Red lentils, organic seasonal vegetables, fresh herbs and spices.img_0312We then got this dinner salad, which was really big, it was perfect to share it with the 3 of us and very yummy.img_0314Rustic Paella; Orzo pasta, green peas, cauliflower florets, onions, bell peppers, Kashmiri saffron, roasted butternut squash, and soy sausage simmered in a seasoned tomato broth and topped with fresh scallions.  Another good dish!img_0313Shepherd’s Pie; Layered mashed Yukon gold potato and sweet potato, soy sausage, corn kernels, onions, seasonal vegetables and spinach, baked and topped with vegan cashew gravy.  Drizzled with maple balsamic and cilantro sunflower pesto.  Absolutely delicious!img_0315Butternut Squash Polenta; Grilled plant, oyster mushroom ragout and warmed sesame asparagus, drizzled with cilantro sunflower see pesto and maple balsamic.  A very nice dish.

I highly recommend this restaurant!  There were a few other dishes that looked really good, but this was just perfect for the 3 of us!

The Red Lentil Vegetarian and Vegan Restuarant                                         600 Mount Auburn St – Watertown – Massachusetts – 1-617-972-9188

Hibiscus

img_0403-j60Boston, Massachusetts

On the grounds of the Boston Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints we saw these beautiful, absolutely gorgeous hibiscus!!

 

Old North Bridge

uma9c-0916-img_5987-80Concord, Massachusetts

Here, on this replica of the Old North Bridge, April 19, 1775, the Revolutionary War began with the ‘Shot Heard Round The World’.  In 2016 we walked across this bridge and felt the reverence of this area that Ralph Waldo Emerson so eloquently put on paper;

‘By the rude bridge that arched the flood,
Their flag to April’s breeze unfurled,
Here once the embattled farmers stood,
And fired the shot heard round the world.’

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Pirate Cruise

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New Plymouth, Massachusetts

Today is one of our grandson’s birthday and so we called and wished him a HAPYY BIRTHDAY and told him that we have a gift for him and we will bring it to him when we get home.  He was happy.  Well, this grandson LOVES pirates and anything about pirates, so on Saturday I took this photo for him and then made it into a post-card and sent it to him.  I wrote to him; ‘while we were on a boat we saw this little pirate ship and thought of you!  If you had been here with us, we would have taken you on a PIRATE CRUISE!  Would that have been fun?’

Now, how fun is that?  A PIRATE CRUISE!

 

Mayflower II

img_0424-60Plymouth, Massachusetts

We had a fun time in Plymouth, Massachusetts where we took a cruise out on Plymouth Harbor.  While passing the Mayflower II, I snapped this photo.  The Mayflower II is a replica of the 17th-century ship Mayflower that transported the Pilgrims to the New World in 1620.  There were 102 passengers with about 30 crew.  Every time I look at the Mayflower, I am amazed that so many people fit on it and sailed across the Atlantic Ocean nearly 400 years ago.

Flowers Everywhere

img_0414-60Sharon, Vermont 

The flowers we saw out east were beautiful and they were everywhere. I loved these with the dark pink contrast to the green and white! LOVE THEM!

Susquehanna River

img_0380Nineveh, New York

We went for a drive through the countryside of New York State with our friend, Grace Houghton and it was beautiful! At one point we crossed the Susquehanna River and saw people boating on the river. It was early in the Fall, but some of the leaves had begun to change, so gorgeous!

Forest

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Harmony, Pennsylvania

It seems that from the Mississippi River east, our country is full of forests! It is so beautiful, I LOVE it!!

Susquehanna River

img_0340-60Harmony, Pennsylvania

As the sun was about to set we walked out to the edge of the Susquehanna River, it was so lovely amongst the beautiful trees!

Black-Eyed Susans

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Harmony, Pennsylvania

We saw beautiful wild flowers everywhere on our trip out east. Black-eyed Susan or Rudbeckia hurt are members of the Sunflower family and gorgeous!

Old Well

img_0323-60Harmony, Pennsylvania

What a great place to sit and RELAX, where I think of the past and what happened on this land back in the 1800’s?