Do-Nothing Day

September 20, 2012
Rockport, Massachusetts

 

Though we walked all day,
it seemed the days were not long enough to get tired in.

   HDT Journal, September 30, 1858,
(still thinking about his trip to Rockport earlier that same month)

 

Henry Thoreau first visited Cape Ann in 1848, to deliver a lecture in Gloucester. He returned ten years later for another visit, this time just to take a long walk.

[A Gloucester writer, Peter Anastas, has thoroughly researched these visits -- here is a link to his excellent blog entry on the subject.]

My own visit to the Cape is purely for recreational purposes.
It was nice to get away from a routine of constant deadlines and sedentary, detail-oriented work.  It was a time to just breathe the fresh sea air, ramble, and let the mind spin free.

 

After three days of driving here and there,
it was time for Do-Nothing Day.
This originated years ago, during a summer-long camping trip across the country with Rick, myself and our friend Lou. Three of us in one car. We soon realized that have a Do-Nothing Day was a life-saver. It was a time to just go off by yourself and do whatever struck your fancy.

So Rick would go his own way today – he ended up paddling a beautiful stretch of the Ipswich River, telling us later that it was one of his favorite river excursions ever. [Thanks for that tip too, TrashPaddler!]

Mom & I decided to just hang out in Rockport. I got up early and began the day by walking around with the camera.

This house was old even when Thoreau was here.

 

There’s a reason that Rockport has been host to a very active Artist’s Colony … everywhere you turn, everything looks like a work of art.

 

 Is it a trick of the light?

 

I’m not the only photographer snapping what seem to be random shots in people’s dooryards.

In Cod We Trust

The Kids Are in Grad School

The beach, as usual, is pretty as a picture, even at low tide.

 

 

This year we had some unusual visitors to the beach – a large flock of mallards, and some swans !

 

Seven Swans A-Swimming

 

Motif No. 1 in evening light
 

 

Out on Bearskin Neck, the ultratouristy section of town, are little alleys full of what-not shops, offering for sale:

 the Silly

 

And the Sublime

 

Everywhere are offerings and blessings

Mary’s-Gold

The gods and goddesses look on, and smile

 

Mom is content to really do nothing, and spent lots of time today on the balcony – and who can blame her?