It's a Maine Thing

The Mid-Coast of Maine is a favorite place for me.  I've been long overdue to return, and last week I finally took five days there. In winter, it is far quieter - so much so that it can be difficult to find restaurants staying open.  I was one of eight photographers in a program offered by Hunt's Photo in Boston.

I arrived a day early for a more leisurely pace.  After a 5 hour drive, my stop was just over the border at Kittery.  Before dinner, I went over to the Nubble Lighthouse.  The wind was "brisk", but it did not discourage locals from enjoying the sunny day. I shot about 40 images to freeze the wave in the foreground.

Up early,  I hurried north to the iconic Portland Head Light.  It you look closely at the light keeper's building closer to the base of the tower, you can see three orange rectangles.  Those are where huge January waves  crested over the rocks and broke out windows. 

The waves were far more modest during my visit.

With all of us in our lodging in Wiscasset and introductions made, we visited South Bristol Harbor.  It is a small working harbor with little tourist activity. Central to the village is Osier's, which is a grocery,  food takeout, lobster pound and roadside gas pump. 

There is a lot to discover.  Buoys draped in a dead tree branch.

On the dock behind Osier's I found piles of fishing gear.

I can't tell you what this net is used for, but the form was attractive, so I had to share it.

The next day we had some dreary weather, so we explored some local museums.  There were some interesting discoveries.  Ropes in a shipbuilder's shop.

Antique car grills at Owls Head.

The next morning was cold but favorable at Pemaquid Point.  This is my favorite lighthouse of all.  Down here you can grasp the height of the promontory it occupies.  The sloping layers of rocks rise from the waves dramatically.  (The tide was rising, and shortly after this I had to retreat upward. )

Up at the lighthouse, there are, even on a cold and icy morning, some hearty people coming out for the view.

Every visit I have ever made to Pemaquid has been inspiring. Soon afterwards, we were at Deb's cafe for hot coffee and great food. It was worth departing at 5:15 am to be there for another beautiful dawn.

That afternoon, we made a big shift in subjects to a small narrow gauge railway near Wiscasset, the Wiscasset, Waterville & Farmington.  It's totally volunteer based and very busy even in February. Here are a few images:

Our final morning was at Friendship Harbor. Again, this is a working harbor with little tourist flavor.  It was another early start.

There was a very creative Christmas tree still on the one dock in mid-February. 

The sunrise cast a golden glow on one of the fish houses.

Nearby was another fish house with buoys that seemed best in monochrome to reflect on time.

Maine in winter is clearly not dreary, nor boring.  Just a little patience is called for when weather is in control.  Natives seem to thrive in winter. 

Well, this ran into more images than is my usual.  Hopefully it is sufficiently entertaining.

Paul Schmitt

The Way Home Leads through Maine

There is seemingly always something new to see in Maine.  So, our way home from Newfoundland opened the door for seeing an old favorite on Mt. Desert Island and finding a new favorite.  The 1780 Selectmen's Building is situated beside a small pool on the brook draining from Somes Pond.  The graceful bridge over the water is unlike any other I have seen.  I stop to see it every time.

In August, Mt. Desert, and specifically Acadia National Park, is jammed with visitors.  It seemed half again as many people as just ten years ago. We went looking for something less visited.  My notes contained a comment from a friend about Thuya Gardens in Asticou just above Northeast Harbor.  We found a small parking lot on Route 3 for Thuya and climbed the rocky path towards the garden.  Pausing at an opening, we had a view of  Northeast Harbor. It was full of recreational boats and large yachts that contrasted with the harbors in Newfoundland that sheltered working fishery boats. I wondered how well Thuya would match our expectations.  The gateway to Thuya welcomed us with a beautifully carved wooden door.  The motifs on the door suggested that we had found what we hoped to see.

Once inside we found lush beds of colorful flowering plants. They were arranged with consideration for height and colors.  Pink dahlias immediately caught my attention.  I wondered if the summer of foggy weather had kept the plants from withering under a hot sun.

 Large yellow lilies were complemented by a sweep of blue beneath them.

 Pink dahlias stood beneath lilies sporting a pink that went to a deeper red.

There was more just a short way along the bed.  Purple Coneflowers were in bloom; they must have offered the sweetest nectar in the garden, given the variety of butterflies visiting them.  This Painted Lady was methodically working the entire flowerhead.

It was encouraging to see a few Monarch Butterflies on the Purple Coneflowers. Thuya actually had a small butterfly garden rich with milkweed for the Monarchs.

The time passed quickly at Thuya.  There was so much to explore, and the butterflies competed for our attention.  At such a garden, there is the big picture that you first encounter.  Then smaller details capture the attention like a butterfly on a bloom. The lilies themselves are interesting in their composition like this one.

The morning passed and we left for a break. Nearby, we explored Asticou Azalea Gardens with the commitment to return in late May when they are in peak display.

Without actually entering the national park, we had an entertaining visit to Mt. Desert Island absent the crowds. It was time to head towards home.

The next morning we headed south with a brief stretch break at Rockport. The day was foggy and the wharf in the harbor offered a view of a nice two-masted schooner at dock on a calm and foggy morning.

Again, I realized why so many people choose to spend their summers in Maine, and even more stay the entire year.

Paul