Home › #BlackstoneRiver › PATHS AND ROADS BY THE RIVER – GARRY ARMSTRONG

PATHS AND ROADS BY THE RIVER – GARRY ARMSTRONG

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Cee’s Which Way Photo Challenge – July 7, 2017

Yesterday we went shooting. We were smarter than usual and stopped to buy a bottle of Cutter’s bug repellent first. Marilyn was already covered by mosquito bites from the mosquitoes inside the house. The bugs were so thick outside they looked like snow. Except they had wings. There were maybe a million tiny yellow moths and another million little black-winged fluttery things. Moths? Butterflies? And of course, millions upon millions of mosquitoes and flying jaws without names.

West Bend along the Blackstone River

Before we exited the car, we sprayed every part of us we could find.

It was bad. Really awful. We could feel them hitting our backs and landing on our hair. Marilyn fled early when one crawled down the back of her dress. I lasted a little longer.

First bicycle

More bikes

Good bye, bikes

It was a warm, humid day. There were supposed to be fireworks this evening at the Middle School in Uxbridge, but by the time we got home — and it was still daylight — the rain was falling in sheets. There’s a rain date tomorrow. Maybe it will be better, but I doubt we will go. July evenings outside? Think lunch and you are the only thing on the table. Even with all the DEET, I don’t think we have it in us.

Marilyn shooting by the canal

I spent too many years outside covering stories while being eaten by the local insect population. Indoors is a good place this time of year. Screens. Did I mention I hate bugs? Marilyn is afraid of them. I merely hate them.

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Categories: #BlackstoneRiver, #Photography, Cee's Photo Challenge, Garry Armstrong, Paths, Roads

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14 replies

  1. Cee Neuner
    07/10/2017 • 14:27

    Looks like a nice day to be out taking photos and a walk. Wonderful photos. 😀

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  2. swo8
    07/10/2017 • 12:40

    Hat with netting would be good idea for this too. (lovely photos, Garry. Nice to see families out on bike rides)
    Leslie

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  3. lwbut
    07/10/2017 • 04:18

    I’ve always thought of New England as looking like a pretty nice place to visit, particularly in the Autumn.

    I can’t say your recent descriptions are making it all that likely i ever will – even for the photo’s 😉 ( Which are very nice btw, but i’m wondering if you’ve airbrushed out all the bugs??)

    love

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    • Marilyn Armstrong
      07/10/2017 • 12:51

      You’d think the bugs would show, wouldn’t you? Bugs in New England are seasonal. June and July are the worst and not just here, but also further north. Maine has adopted the black fly (they bite) as their state bird, but many feel the mosquito would have been more appropriate.

      By August, the biting flies and gnats are gone and at the end of August, the the air is much less humid. At night, you can feel fall in the air. By the middle of September, everyone takes a deep breath, develops a sparkle in their eyes, and dusts off the cameras.

      From September through mid November — sometimes even later — it’s autumn. Longer in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut. Shorter in the more mountainous and higher latitude states (Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont).

      In the “upper” states, there is often snow before the end of November, but down our way, usually not until December and sometimes, not until late in January. As for how much snow? Luck of the draw. We usually get a lot of snow, regardless of anyone else’s storms. It has something to do with living in a river valley and the way the hills fold up. They call this “the tunnel” where the snow sweeps in from the Midwest through the Worcester hills to take it’s final dump on us. On a bad year, ten to twelve feet of snow. But they normally get ten plus feet of snow in Maine, Vermont, and the mountainous parts of New Hampshire and they don’t even bother to complain about it. It’s normal for them.

      So here’s the weather:

      Winter.

      Rain and mud with Road Construction and Insects. Note: This period is also known as “go to the seashore and don’t come home until September.” That’s what we did when we had the money, but these days, the places we went to are much too expensive.

      Autumn.

      That’s it. Everything else — like two days of real spring? are delightful, but rare. Got it? Good.

      Liked by 1 person

      • lwbut
        07/11/2017 • 00:44

        Thanks for the local poop – so you’re saying it’s best to visit Sept Oct if you don’t want to be bitten to death or freeze to death? – Got it! 😉

        By way of reply i can only say it is probably for the best you and G do not visit my city, you’d probably never leave here.. unless you like freezing your butts off? 🙂 it can sometimes get unbearably hot here for a few hours at a time – but that’s what God gave us air-conditioning for, Right? (And Beer! (or Wine as per choice)).

        As for: Maine has adopted the black fly (they bite) as their state bird, but many feel the mosquito would have been more appropriate….
        You ARE joking… aren’t you??

        love.

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  4. angloswiss
    07/10/2017 • 00:50

    Love the first photo of the house. Seems like your begs are holding some sort of conference at your place

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  5. slmret
    07/10/2017 • 00:19

    Oh, my goodness — first the moths, then mosquitoes! How miserable that would make me! I’ve recently seen a strange bug in the mornings — looks like a flying torpedo — I hope it doesn’t figure out how to get inside!

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    • Marilyn Armstrong
      07/10/2017 • 00:25

      We live in the woods and it has been raining for months, so there are things flying around I’m pretty sure I’ve never seen before. I try not to get too weird about it, but it is seriously creepy. Garry did slightly better than me … by about five minutes. Something was trying to crawl down the back of my dress and I ran for cover. While screeching EW EW EW.

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