Six weeks left

Only six weeks to Labor Day; only six weeks left on our tour here in Winter Harbor.

Here on the eastern side of Frenchman Bay this past week has been primarily dedicated to fog: everything from thin, soupy, guel-like fog to the thick, grey gauzy fog that you could (and often had to) cut with a knife. One day the visibility was down to less than 50 feet. I cannot imagine how the fishermen do it: go out in their 35- or 40-foot boats in this stuff looking for their little bouncing M & M-like buoys that mark the location of their traps. Amazing. (photo: wildlife at Schoodic Point.)

But then we're quickly rewarded in the most simple and pleasurable way: the fog breaks and you are given the most stunning vistas in the world and literally right on your doorstep. As an added bonus we are often reminded of the fact that this is still, notwithstanding the development of human settlement along the seacoast here, that this is nature's playground still.

Last Saturday morning Susan left the apartment about a quarter to six and as she started to walk up to Gerrish's she noticed a large bird, a very large bird sitting on a small outcropping of rock just across from the apartment in Henry Cove. Naturally she investigated.

As she got closer and closer to this bird, which paid little heed to her, it soon became evident that this was in fact and indeed an American bald eagle. Just sitting, waiting.

It ignored her so she left and walked up to start baking for the day.

Susie finished about 1 in the afternoon and we headed off south to Massachusetts and to Dick and Dorothy's house for a quick overnight trip. There were several items in boxes that I needed to bring back and it was a reasonably viable excuse for a road trip. I grabbed a tripod (no more jittery camera work I hope), my Paris cemetery notes and books as well as some video I shot in Pere Lachaise and a couple of other bits of raw video footage from Paris. I also brought back a 5-liter bottle of Lilliano Chianti that we had been saving since 1994 because there is a parety looming here in Maine. . . . But more of that later (the party and where that huge bottle came from).

We had a very short but very sweet visit -- D & D kindly grilled pork tenderloins as a late dinner for the four of us -- and the next morning we began our trek back north.

It's a gorgeous day here in Winter Harbor, sunny morning with warm temps and plenty of sun predicted for much of the remainder of the week.

Wish you were here,

Steve