01.01.2024. Happy New Year

Happy New Year! 

What a beautiful day. Thought it was a day for an adventure, so I fed my pups and let them run for a while and took off for Maine. Had stopped at the famous Maine Diner and had lunch and then off to my favorite stops in the area. My first stop was at the Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge. She was a famous conservationist and I always enjoy a walk along the trial. It borders on an estuary and not directly the sea, but you can see the sea from the lookout posts.

Love the curved handrails! Was also thinking about how nice it was to be walking without being eaten alive by mosquitoes!

The next stop was to what is now called Parson's Beach - it was Parson's Cove all those many years ago when I first started going there. This is generally a hit or miss opportunity as it has become very popular destination and there are only spaces to park about 10 to 12 cars. But I thought it was worth a try and luck was with me. One car pulled out giving me enough space to follow the rules and park between signs and no tires on the road! One thing has changed - the number of large print signs letting us all know that this is a private beach. In Maine, beaches can be owned by individuals, so I guess we are fortunate we can walk there at all. 

I walked for 2 hours - it was cold but there was no wind, so it was really very comfortable when all bundled up like kid! There were dark clouds with the sun peeping through at times, which then made it feel comfortably warm. Maybe someone living along the beach might consider adopting me. Yes, I joke.

This sign made me chuckle. Does this mean no skipping, jumping or running???? What if someone wanted to dance along the shore?  Frolic in the sea? No to all of those? Guess we all shall just walk.

There were a lot of open shells along the beach and it looks like the seabirds were doing very well feeding.

There were also a few noteworthy birds. Saw a pair of eider ducks.

There was a flock of sanderlings feeding and flying. These are fast moving birds!

And of course, seagulls.

The real treat was watching a common loon crabbing. She was far away but you can see the details of the crab legs in her bill. I could have watched this pair all day.

Then I was off to the Kennebunkport beach. A place where only locals and those with parking sticker can park during the summer months. Yes, it is nice to have good weather to enjoy these places.

Then it was time to head home and check on my boys. No doubt they missed me! This is their 2024 New Year portrait. Shorty wanted to stand in front, and he looks pretty handsome there. All three were wagging their tails - very happy boys.

O, by the way. We have a black squirrel at the feeder. He is a bit shy and twitches at the first click of a camera and runs when the first door is opened. So I had to quickly take these pictures of him through 2 glass doors. 

Nice bushy rail. And a fast climber!

I do hope you all had a nice holiday week - that went by all too quickly - and that you will have a Happy and Healthy New Year. 

Until next time..........

09/19/2021 Day tripping in Maine

 It is an annual adventure, sometimes two to three times a year. But I do my best to make time for a Maine road trip to a favorite beach or two. It is an easy round trip to the Kennebunkport area - not too far to drive up early in the morning, walk the beaches, visit the town, have lunch, then head home.

This trip started with a visit to Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge. It is comprised of 9125 acres along the coast of Wells, Maine, dedicated to the environmentalist Rachel Carson. Its purpose is to protect the salt marches and estuaries for migratory birds. 

Every time I visit I see something new and different. The refuge is along the coast, but no easy beach access. The trail meanders through the woods and along the Little River.  I am still reading her book "Silent Spring", at some point I hope to finish it. She had a lot of insight about the environment and the need for all of us to do our parts to protect it. With the exception of the updated information we have now on chemistry, you would have thought she wrote it just yesterday. Her observations and concerns still exist today. The initiatives to save the planet did not start with the current generation but is a continuum of a lot of work done by many people past and present and hopefully in the future. We all need to be mindful of our role to protect all creatures and the environment.

A nicely positioned bench to allow one to sit and contemplate the meaning of life. Or to contemplate why there are so many mosquitoes here and why are they biting me. Only my face and hands were exposed and I had bites on the palms of my hands as well as face. 

A motorboat anchored off shore. Maybe doing a little fishing?

A nice and peaceful salt river, ebbs and flows with the tide.

My next stop was to one of my favorite beach walks in Kennebunkport. Before dogs I would stay at a little inn along the coast and walk along the promenade at sunrise. The inn has since changed hands and the beach is now zoned for locals or  you pay $25 (very steep price no doubt to discourage nonlocal visitors), but I found one parking spot a bit away and seized the opportunity to walk along the beach for a while.

It was low tide - a wide variation between high and low tide beach access.

Next stop was to the Franciscan Guest House where there is a grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes. These are peaceful and pleasant grounds and I enjoyed the quiet time.

  

It was lunch time and the sign at the White Barn Inn said wanderers welcome. So I stopped there for lunch as I had often thought I would like to try it. Lunch was pleasant and the atmosphere is interesting - an inside of a barn, compete with replicate barnyard animals. Perhaps the best part was reading an old book on agriculture that was used to hold open the windows.

Since there was no parking at my favorite Parsons beach I ventured up the coast to Goose Rocks beach. I walked for four miles along the shore, a very pleasant walk indeed.

 An inviting colorful umbrella. Take note, the woman is on her cell phone. Just cannot leave them turned off, can we?

The last time I was here there were a lot of terns and dunlins and of course sea gulls. Not many shore birds here except a few seagulls. This one was very patient with the photography session!

This fellow was having a great time splashing in the water.

Roses are still in bloom

And the beach was not too crowded. Everyone could find a little space for themselves.

The next stop was an impromptu stop at a new location for me. What a pleasant surprise and a place I will definitely return. It is the Wells National Estuarine Research Reserve.  It is an active farm and has many trails, including one down to the beach at Drake Island. So off I followed that trail.

The beach was beautiful and there are signs posted so that we do not settle down on the "private" part of the beach.  But there is room enough, especially when no one else was there! It might be few people want to walk that far (0.6 miles) or it might be that it was at the end of the afternoon and everyone was heading home. But I had the place to myself - lovely!

Beautiful estuary.

Apple trees lined the trail.

A scenic rock in the estuary.

Sunflowers in the garden.

And a mockingbird to sing for your enjoyment. If you look at its left leg,  you will see that it is banded.

There were more coastal roses in all stages of bloom.

A great blue heron - painted along a building wall.

And wild flowers growing along the trails and parking lot.

There were more trails to hike and I definitely will return and enjoy the nature and scenery. Maybe will even pack a lunch next time and spend a bit more time along the beach.

What a lovely day. The weather was perfect, I had my lovely walks along the shore in a few different places, was able to find a new site and was totally refreshed as I returned home. yes, indeed, a great day.

Hope you all are well and have been able to enjoy some quiet time for yourself.

Until next time...... And yes, the boys are doing well!