It was bad enough to get hit with an unusually early blizzard two weeks ago, but then to wake up Friday morning to find we had another was discouraging. Fortunately, like with most early storms, we did not have to shovel the driveway and most of the snow melted during the day. UPDATE: It is snowing again this morning. Click on the image for a larger view of our forest on Friday morning.
Tag Archives: Pentax 645D
Still Waters
Fort Point State Park is on Cape Jellison in Penobscot Bay. The Penobscot river is part of the largest system of tributaries in Maine. Between the tidal influences of the Gulf of Maine and this river system, the seeming peaceful waters in Penobscot bay are deceiving. The tidal sandbar that protrudes from Fort Point is shaped by these forces—the sign warning of riptides and a prohibition against swimming on the way to the beach is a reminder.
Standing on the sandbar at low tide is strangely peaceful—it feels like being on the shore of a lake. But there is also an uneasiness in this exposure, as if a monster lies below the surface waiting to rise and take you away. Click on the images for a larger view.
Fort Point State Park
In Stockton Springs is one of Maine’s numerous lighthouses. Fort Point Light Station does not have the cachet of others like Portland Head, Pemaquid Point, or Bass Harbor. The 1857 lighthouse and keeper’s house are an example of the erratic nature of New England architecture that is pieced together over decades or centuries, but seems to turn out well. The park is also home to the earthworks of the 1759 British Fort Pownell.
Naomi and I arrived at the park late after getting lost—that is how we discovered Sandy Point Beach State Park. The park closes at sunset, and, with an area of 120 acres, we did not have time to enjoy all of it. Click on the image for a larger view.
Signs of Fall
The Maine coast facing the Gulf of Maine and Atlantic Ocean is dominated by fir/spruce forests. Hardwoods cannot tolerate the harsh saline conditions. But in deep inland bays like Penobscot, the conditions are not so harsh. Click on the image for a larger view.
Sandy Point Beach State Park
At the northern end of Penobscot bay in Stockton Springs is a small small state park. This time of year, it is mostly inhabited by locals coming out for a stroll by themselves or with their dogs. Most people have a smile or greeting for strangers.
While maybe not the most exotic place in Maine, Sandy Point Beach has a long history going back to the paleolithic. The artifacts that most visitors see belong to the 20th century. These pilings are from an abandoned wharf of a fertilizer plant that closed in the 1970s. As you can see from the exposed seaweed clinging to the pilings, this is low tide. Click on the image for a larger view.
Memories of the Wind
The American Beech keep their leaves over winter. With the exception of a few scattered oaks, they are the only trees holding onto their foliage in our woods. Yesterday, the air was warm and still—the angle of these leaves were shaped by past winds. Click on the image for a larger view.
Pleasant Pond, Late Fall
Pleasant Pond is a common name for lakes in New England. This is one of several lakes in Maine that bear that name. It was not long ago that this landscape was green. The brilliant red and yellow foliage passed even faster. It will not be long before the browns are replaced with white. Click on the image for a larger view.
Organic Apples
Growing apples organically do not result in the prettiest fruit. Certainly you can lose apples to pests and disease. But it is possible. This apple is from a tree we named Midori, the Japanese word for green. We are uncertain of the variety as we did not plant it. The flesh is soft, a pale green, and slightly sweet. There are many unidentified apple trees throughout Maine. Some bear some fine apples, other do not. But these lost varieties can be more resistant to pests and disease. Click on the image for a larger view.
Purple Russian—Tomatoes
After our blizzard on November 2nd this year, my mind is on our (short) summer. We love heirloom tomatoes. The Purple Russian is one of our favorite—a juicy and flavorful fruit. Not a large tomato, about 2″ or 5cm in length, but very productive. Click on the image for a larger view.
First Snow
Blizzard conditions moved through Maine yesterday. This is the earliest snow on record. High winds and wet, heavy snow caused us to lose power to our home until Monday. With leaves still on our apple trees, this snow was a real threat. Fortunately, I was able to clear most of the snow off our apples during the storm. 
The world suddenly looks very different—the five following images we posted last week were taken the previous Saturday and Acadia received more snow than we did. These images were taken in the blizzard. Click on them for a larger view.
