Yesterday, we took a happy walk on Barn Island, and, as usual, the scenery was stunning. It was a somewhat barren and chilly late-winter day, though some sunshine warmed us as we walked, but the setting was completely lovely. The marsh stretched away in the far distance, interspersed with shining ponds and pools and narrow streams of water. There weren't many birds visible, but with my binoculars I enjoyed seeing close-ups of the slim, tall reeds waving in the winds, and I sometimes caught the flight of birds far away and followed them as they glided in a seemingly effortless way. Our pace was brisk, and, as always, we touched hands now and then and shared words back and forth as they came to us.

In the afternoon, we drove up to Worcester to see young Josh take his karate test to pass up to the next level, and it was an impressive performance by all the kids, including our boy. We thought Josh looked totally confident and well trained as he kicked and twisted and smoothly proceeded through the required demonstrations. He sometimes smiled in his shy, embarrassed way, but when it came time to show off a skill, be was serious in showing his expertise. We were impressed. Later, we took him out for a tasty frozen yogurt treat. We three sat at a table together, swirling down our delicious treats and sharing thoughts on many topics. Josh, as usual, was soft-spoken, courteous, and sincere in his words.  

Below, an old weathered stump and some young, twisty trees on Barn Island . . .