Around the bend and back (and frames on the mantle)

 A couple of weeks ago my daughter and I went to an open house south of Newburyport, in Georgetown.  I set my GPS to take the "scenic" route rather than the highway.  HA!  This photo is the one I took in hindsight after navigating potholes, a marsh, and fording a stream.  What was I thinking? 
The good part was that after making it to higher (and more smoothly paved) ground, my daughter said she was frightened but thought I was brave.  At that point I confessed that I was scared, too, but that it was always a mom's job to fake it until everyone was safe. 
When I got home and checked on-line maps, this "road" was merely a dotted line.

 A somewhat less eventful drive took us to Hampstead, NH.  It isn't particularly built up, but has some lovely farms as well as "summer" cottages near Island Pond.

 I think the shed behind this fence is actually for making maple sugar.  At least it was the right shape.

 A town hall with warm monuments.

 I liked the souvenirs and shadows on this wall.  Some day when I am in the mood for a challenge, I might try to make it into a painting.

 New Englanders are thrifty and innovative.  I hadn't seen a retaining wall made out of tires before, but I liked the texture.

 Yet another road that our GPS mis-understood.  Allegedly is was the only access to Island Pond's island... but obviously, it was gated and therefore impassible. 

 The Island Pond island is on the left... the "mainland" is in the foreground as well as the right hand part of the background.  We loved the blue sky and reflected blue in the water.

 Afternoon shadows on a house on a hill.

 Some of the summer cottages had their own boat houses and appeared quite substantial.

 So many parts of the garage facade seemed disproportionate.  The enormously long skis; the too-small wreath (at least for the size of the wall) and the merely life-sized penguin statue.  (Penguins aren't your usual yard art around here!)

 At home with the family portraits on the mantle... and shadow cat's framed shadow.

 

I took myself out to lunch at "my" local diner which was all decked out for Easter. They've got the best cranberry nut muffins around, and nicest servers, too.

 Decorations don't have to be fancy or elaborate to be fun.