Watch Hill, RI - part II

Here is a second set of photos taken from Tuesday's trip to Watch Hill.

After walking past the small harbor, part of Little Narraganset Bay, with its collection of anchored boats, we walked out along the barrier beach of Napatree Pt., along one of the beach paths.  The marsh grass was a vibrant green and a recent rainstorm had texturized the sand along the path and broken up some of the footprints present.

Sandy path with lone tree

The shore of Stonington, CT is seen in the background, and the distal clouds catch the afternoon sun along their edges.  The storm cloud that dumped the rain on the area had retreated far east over the Atlantic.  Further along the beachway, another path traversed the dunes, leading to the "breaker" side of the spit.  Along the side, and present throughout the area, was this colorful, salt-tolerant rosebush, a native of Asia:

Beach Rose (Rosa rugosa)

The end of Napatree Pt. leads to the ruins of Ft. Mansfield, built in the early 1900's.  Unfortunately,  we weren't aware of them at the time, so we didn't walk out the the end of the point.  The waves aren't exactly surfing material [and the water was quite cold], but the rhythmic sound of the waves crashing on the sand is relaxing and nostalgic.  

Towards Napatree Pt.

Turning back towards Watch Hill, the lighthouse and its associated buildings were visible on the point.  Lighthouses have the potential for being incredibly trite and kitschy in artwork, but I was drawn to the simple, bold shapes of the buildings.  A telephoto lens would have been really swell for this shot:

Watch Hill Lighthouse

The Napatree Pt. beach is a public beach and the Watch Hill area is absolutely packed on summer weekends.  On Tuesday, however, only a few scattered people were to be found.  The lone lifeguard tower frames this family enjoying the beach to themselves:

Beach goers

After heading back over to the business district of Watch Hill,  we sat down for some dinner.  As we were walking back to the car, the wind had picked up and the sun was headed closer towards the horizon, casting its sparkling afternoon light on the harbor.  Scattered backlit cumulus clouds add some additional drama to the view.

Late afternoon on Narraganset Bay

A nice way to end the day.

A Trip to Watch Hill, RI

Yesterday was my birthday, which to me is really just another day and a reminder that I'm no longer in my "early 40's", but in the mid-point of my fifth decade of life.  Commiserating with girlfriends about the woes of the aging process after 40 hits is a bit comforting as a shared experience, while we continue to let slide those grips on our vanity in exchange for happy acceptance, the wisdom that only comes from life experience, and redirecting our priorities to things more important than a few wrinkles, sagging parts, and gray hair.

To that end, I wouldn't want to be back in my 20's for anything, dealing with the follies and insecurities of youth.   Besides,  I actually enjoy being in my 40's.

So, while yesterday wasn't a big deal to me, Wayne decided to come home from work early and suggested we go to Watch Hill, RI.  He had been looking at the cloud-filled skies that afternoon, and suspected (correctly so) that I might fancy a drive somewhere to take photos.  We had just been to Watch Hill on Saturday with my friends Sue and Peter, and Wayne suggested we go back there, and have something to eat at the same little restaurant we'd eaten at with our friends.

Watch Hill is a quaint little community out on a small peninsula in western Rhode Island, not far away from the town of Westerly.  It is also the westernmost point for the open Atlantic ocean, vs. the CT shoreline which is within Long Island Sound.   It also has a beachway/spit - Napatree Point - which has been turned into a nature preserve.

Lots of open space, attractive shorelines, 18-19th century architecture, and boats make this an appealing location for photos as well.  Even being limited to my Olympus p'n's camera, I still managed to take over 100 photos, most of which weren't complete throw-aways, and some of which turned out pretty well, all things considered.  I could sit and ponder the "what if's" of having my Nikon and maybe a tripod along instead, but that doesn't serve much purpose.

For the sake of theme and continuity, I'll split them into two separate posts.  The first set is based on - what else - clouds and reflections.  Add some colorful boats and other man-made structures and it was a wealth of material for me.   There will no doubt be a series of reflection paintings in the future, with some based on photos taken yesterday.

Geometric Reflections

Cumulus with shoreline homes

Yacht Club 

Harbor Tranquility

Along the Dock

Meeting Place

A Splash of Green

Thank you again, Wayne, for knowing how to show me a good time on my birthday - you're the best!