Many folks aren't even aware that New Hampshire has a seacoast. Those in the know may think of the carnival atmosphere of Hampton Beach, its shore crowded with tourists, fast food, and souvenir stands. Hampton Beach is nothing like the rocky coastline of Rye, New Hampshire, where I stopped for a brief reverie before my massage at Midheaven Rye. Along the top edge of the Atlantic Ocean in the photo above, the Isles of Shoals are visible on the horizon.
The exposed shoreline is an important resource for the birds gathered here as the tide recedes. Here they feed on exposed shellfish, dropping them on the rocks to crack them open.
And all along Route 1A, the glorious Rosa rugosas are still in bloom while their juicy hips hang heavy from thorny stems. Unfortunately their close proximity to the road and auto exhaust make the flowers and hips unsuitable candidates for herbal harvest or flower essence co-creation. They are incredibly beautiful which is gift enough.
The Rugosas are not alone at the roadside. Other spectacular plants thrive in the salty sandy buffer between asphalt and ocean. Asters are in bloom everywhere now in New Hampshire. So many different varieties exist; so many subtle shadings from white, to pale lavender, to deep purple. Along the seaside, under the protection of rugged Roses, these subtle toned Aster colonies are particularly pleasing.
Intense sun splendored goldenrods provide a bright accent to the magenta Rugosas and the violet hue of Autumn Asters, and protected by jagged rocks, the sea green pods of Milkweed are releasing fairy dancing seeds into the salt air.
Salt is a well known spiritual cleansing agent. Sitting by the Atlantic on the boulders lining the roadside turn-in, I felt renewed. The few troubling worries that may have clung to my thoughts were scrubbed clean by the salty wind off the water. It was a fitting preparation for a therapeutic massage; a pleasing precursor to the Full Harvest Moon.