By the Sea

Well, we had a really fun trip exploring a little corner of Maine this past week.  It was "off season" and we were warned that there wouldn't be many festivals or events going on.  This truth was realized, but there also weren't any crowds to contend with and we stayed in a room that was $300/night for less than $100.  It was a lovely room, too.  I don't know why we didn't get any shots of the in... the one below is poached from their website just so you all can see it.

 The Inn itself is beautiful and awesome, but it's in a rather seedy part of town.  It didn't really matter, though, we were only there to sleep.  The car didn't get jacked or broken into, so no complaints.  It was really nice to get up in the morning, grab a coffee, and sit in the front window you see above and read a book.

The room we stayed in was lovely and very cozy.  We were both very happy with the water pressure in the shower. It's something we've come to appreciate since our time at 54 Ridgeway.

I took these photos with his iphone through our binoculars.  It was more out of necessity than any real artistic ambition, but we are both really pleased with them.  I'd tried this once before through one of those viewers that are positioned along the boardwalk at Pea Island and captured a shot of a heron, but hadn't really thought of it since.  I don't know the name of the lighthouse above, but it's obviously been abandoned to the sea, and I have a soft spot for that kind of existential reminder of man's isolation, precariousness, and ultimate futility.  Plus the picture came out nice.

This is the cupola and lantern room of the Portland Head Light, just south of Portland.

On our first night in Portland we went out to the historic Old Port district and wandered around until we found an obscure enough restaurant located in a cobbled alley and warmly lit and inviting.  We ate at Street Co. whose washed out sign you can see below.  Dinner was lovely, "No reservation?  No problem, I have a seat for you.  Please follow me."

The next morning we drove to the east end parked the car near the Eastern Promenade.  We walked the trail around to the Old Port District, stopping frequently to jump from rocks, take pictures and explore the MANY tidal pools.  It was grey and overcast and a little cold and windy, but that didn't dampen our spirits as we walked by old trains and listened to the waves crash against the rocks.

It did however affect the photography.  So I present these here as a testament to our travels more than art.  Sometimes you have to ignore the fact that the sun is not on your side and just capture what you're seeing because you are there then and won't have time to wait on nature's whims. 

These photos are all from our walk along the promenade.

I had an image in my mind of what the Maine coast would look like and that image included this red sea weed.  It's called Dulse (Palmaria palmata) and apparently it's quite a good snack.  It's one of the few seaweeds that can be eaten outright.  We weren't that hungry at the time, so I just took the picture.

Sarah looked lovely the whole trip and I kept trying to take pictures of her.  The sea air really makes her eyes sparkle and induces many a smile.  She gets annoyed with me trying to constantly photograph her, but here she's being a pretty good sport.

One thing Sarah said on the way to Maine was that she hoped we'd see some interesting new birds.  We were very pleased with our birding this trip.  This was our first spotting.  He's a common eider (Somateria mollissima) and he makes the most remarkable ghostly sound.  It's not a loon sound at all, but I'd lump their calls together if I was making a taxonomy of calls.  Sarah actually heard the call and realized that he was a bird we had neither seen nor heard before.  We also saw a group of Barrow's Goldeneyes which look like buffleheads, but the male Barrow's have a white spot under their eyes.

These two are red-breasted mergansers (Mergus serrator).  If you look carefully, you can see the double whispy crest that comes of the backs of their heads.  The male has the green head, the female the reddish brown.

As we walked, the wind died down a little and the sun started to come out.  We both found these old piers to be fascinating.  But they're confounding to photograph.

At some point we drove down the the lighthouse.  It was pretty windy there, too and we were pressed for time so we didn't explore the entire military base, CCC barracks, etc that was there, too.  Anyway, the museums were still closed for the season, which was kind of a bummer, but was totally made up for by the fact that we could take all these pictures with no other people in them.

Here is an action shot of Sarah doing some bird watching.

Honestly, her eyes were made for the ocean.

Sarah snapped this shot of me.  Obviously the little boy in me has to climb around and get on the tallest rocky outcroppings, and as near the edge of the shore as possible, and into the caves, etc.

I love this picture.

Bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus).  Not a new sighting for us, but always exciting.  I'm really proud of this one because I saw it WAY off and ID'd it without binoculars by it's silhouette.  Not a remarkable feat, I know, but I'll remark on it anyway since this is my blog.

Sarah's picture of the lighthouse.  It seems to have a little more warmth to it.  She was shooting with her iphone, I with the "real" camera.  It's nice to have both, for sure.

Windy and cool, but all to ourselves.

This is Sarah's shot of me climbing around the old naval gun turret.  For a long time this  embankment held two GIANT cannons that were mounted on a swiveling, retractable frame that defended the coast first from the French or Canadians, I guess, and later from the much more accomplished Germans.

This is a gorgeous shot that Sarah took of the coast.  It really gives you the feel that you are at the place where the sidewalk ends.  This is where terra firma gives up it's ghost.

Sarah's picture of the nautical star from the lighthouse grounds.

Sarah

Sarah

Sarah... she really seems to have gotten all of the sunny shots.  If you look at my album and her's, you'd much rather have been on vacation with her than me.  That's true for many reasons, I know.  Lucky for me, too bad for her.

Sarah

Sarah

Sarah...HONESTLY!  And she says she can't take pictures.  These are lovely!  I think they're a tribute to the ocean by one who truly loves it and understands it.

The waves and the rocks here made the most remarkable sound.  We agreed that we'd never heard anything like it before.  How many times in your life do you get to say something like that?!

Up next... ACADIA!