I had the pleasure of strolling the beach on Saturday to help my daughter plan for an upcoming field trip for her Environmental Science and Botany classes.  We scouted the floral and fauna along the shoreline, and as  always, I learned so much for her!

The Beach Roses (Rosa rugosa) were magnificent!

Beach Rose was introduced to North America from Eurasia in 1872.  It has since escaped from gardens to the wild and has colonized beach habitat throughout New England.  The large fruits of this plant, called Rose Hips, mature late in the season and resemble cherry tomatoes.   They’re edible and high in vitamins A and C.  My late father used to swear by the benefits of Rose Hips!

Beach Plum (Prunus maritima) was also in bloom (above).  Autumn Olive (Elaeagnus umbellata), below,  another invasive species, which resembles honeysuckle, added to the flora along the walkway.

Asiatic Bittersweet (Celastrus scandens), an invasive plant we see almost everywhere, is choking off an Eastern Red Cedar (Juniperus virginiana), below.

Poison Ivy (Rhus radicans) was introduced by park personnel in the late 1960s as a deterrent to keep people from walking through the dunes, which causes extensive erosion.

Abbie identifies plant life as we walk along the trail by the beach.  I was delighted to breathe in the salt air, soak in the sunshine, and enjoy the view!

To see who else is strolling this weekend, skip on over to the Quiet Country Home.

That saying is SO true in New England.   Yesterday, my daughter and I took advantage of temps in the 40’s for a walk on the beach . . .

. . . and then, last night, we had a very sudden snow squall . . .

. . . which made for a bit of a slippery mess this morning!

Ahhh, such is winter in New England!

I have a good friend, who . . .

• treats my children as her own
• many people think is my sister
• gave me a surprise baby shower for my THIRD child!
• has talked my husband and me into doing crazy, wonderful things like jetting to Florida for her son’s underwater wedding or to Bimini for a week in a house without running water!  (Who needs running water when the beaches are so lovely?!?!)
• has celebrated major birthday milestones with me (30, 40, 50. . . oops. . . that can’t be possible!)
• dropped in unexpectedly the night before my daughter’s wedding to help with last-minute party favors that I was still working on!
• generously gave my “boys” a ‘66 “Rustang/Mustang” that they transformed into a thing of beauty
• makes every day more special
• talked me into going to the beach with her today instead of working!
• is becoming a GRANDMOTHER and couldn’t be happier!!!

Good Friends like you are few and far between!

Thanks for being my VERY good friend, Pat!!!

Have you ever heard of such a thing? I hadn’t!

Just recently, my daughter encouraged me to try a pillow made of recycled plastic bottles (when replacing a worn-out, squished pancake of a pillow) and I thought, okay, but won’t it be uncomfortable or lumpy? No such thing–it is a soft as a feather.

But, bathingsuits?  They’re usually made from synthetic fabrics so they will dry quickly.  Aaron Chang now offers swimsuits made from recycled soda bottles that are fast-drying and a planet-friendly alternative.  Check them out at:  http://www.aaronchang.com/default.aspx.