Cushing Memorial Park's perimeter walking loop is a favorite among locals, I suppose for its convenience and simplicity. It is paved, which is normally a detriment, in my view, being less "natural." Yet in the winter, the town seems to plow most of it after storms, so the paved feature provides a place to walk when other more woodsy trails require extra dedication to be able to access.
Just across the street from Cushing is an area called Farm Pond. One can walk along the edge of Farm Pond using a portion of the "Aqueduct" trail system, which is a cooperative between the Massachusetts Water Resource Authority (MWRA), City of Framingham, and MassTrails. It is not paved, and though it is currently winter, I took these photos when the snow had melted just to the point where the edge path was passable wearing ordinary hiking boots.
In this first photo, I'm looking across Farm pond, at the ice, the ducks and other birds, the freight train, and the urban skyline.
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| The Scene Across Farm Pond |
Here's a slightly different view. Notice the ducks have a relatively circular pool of water within the ice in which to swim and fish.
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| Duck Pool |
The next several shots are taken slightly further away from the water's edge within the strip of land between Cushing Memorial Park and Farm Pond.
This small stream is completely filled with green plant material.
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| Green River |
There's a very healthy grove of trees that always seems to pull me in and encourage me to look skyward.
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| Shadows in the Sky |
Here are some patterns in the bark of those trees:
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| Bark Chips |
Try to find the tiny dark sideways (virtually perfectly formed) heart in this next one. Then look slightly above and to the left. You may see people.
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| Bark Islands |
These next two photos are near a small church within Cushing Memorial Park.
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| Winter Respite |
For those that like red and blue...
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| Red Globes |
Finally, this is a window on the back of that church. I'm not exactly sure why there's a green patch near the bottom of the glass. I don't think it's a plant. The photo shows exactly the way it looked. It sets off nicely against the glowing gold.
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| Mottled Glass |
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