Denise Goldberg's blog

Monday, October 31, 2011

Lights!

I just got home to find lights and warmth... I'm happy!

A quick glimpse

Home a day early to avoid driving in the snow, I hoped to use my unplanned Sunday at home to wander through the photos I took on my too quick visit to Acadia. The power outage changed the outcome through. I made good progress with my computer running on battery, but the battery life didn't give me time to get through all of the photos. I stopped when the computer's power was down to 20%, thinking that if I needed it for something (who knows what, since I couldn't reach outside of my house without power) it would be good to still be able to turn it on.

It seemed like the light was odd all weekend; I came home expecting to toss more photos than usual. Luckily that wasn't the case.

As I passed this pond and saw the reflecting colors I just had to stop. The colors were definitely past peak, giving me a chance to capture a bit of magic.

trees reflecting, colors just past peak, Acadia National Park

(lack of) power

I've come to expect power to be available at the touch of a switch. Power, and internet access...

The power at home disappeared at 11:30 Saturday night. As far as I know it's still out; I'm borrowing a little after hours time at the office to post this.

It's not supposed to snow in October when leaves are still on the trees. Wet snow on leaves caused branches to break and fall across power lines; what a mess! There are some places where estimates from the power companies show expected power restoration on November 3rd, including areas surrounding my home. That's another 3 days without power, yikes! I was seriously thinking about staying with a friend tonight, but when I checked the status on my account it shows the possibility of power restoration tonight. Hmm... I know it would be smarter to stay away, but I think I'll chance it.

Fingers crossed...

Saturday, October 29, 2011

One more loop

Denise really wasn't ready to head home, but I think she made the right decision. It really sounds like it's going to snow even though it's not close to winter yet. I wonder why the weather wizard decided it was a good time for a snow storm. Do you know?

It was quite chilly this morning with temperatures in the mid 30s. Luckily the wind was quiet so it turned out to be reasonable for wandering. We went around Park Loop Road, stopping often. Denise played with her camera, and I bounced around a bit and helped her find interesting images to capture. No wind meant that I was able to bounce around the trail at the top of Cadillac Mountain. I really like the photo Denise took of me on one of the nicely colored rocks at the top of the mountain!

After spending the morning in the park, we headed home. Most of the drive was dry, under a gray sky. As we passed through York, Maine (about an hour from home), the rain started. It seemed like there were unconnected bands of rain. There were sprinkles, then heavy rain, sprinkles again, heavy rain. The bands disappeared leaving only rain. Just before the end of the drive, the steady rain changed to snow.

--- Rover

Morning decision

The weather forecast was the first thing I turned to this morning.

If all of the snow was forecast to occur overnight I probably would have kept to my original plans, but that wasn't the case. The forecast for Bangor called for snow through mid-day tomorrow, and that meant there is a good chance that it would be a slow drive home, possibly through snow.

Even though my preference was to stay another night, somehow it felt like the right thing to do to change my plans. I'm going to spend the morning in Acadia, then I'll head to the west, hoping that I'll beat the snow home.

Silly bear!

Did you know that we had a bear as a room host? He lives in the room we stayed in at the Holland Inn, and of course he welcomes all of the guests. The first two nights he was sitting up and waving to us as we entered the room, but last night he was hanging out upside down. He made Denise laugh when we walked into the room, and Evin smiled when Denise told her that the bear made her laugh. She likes seeing how her guests react to the silliness of the bears.

--- Rover

Friday, October 28, 2011

Sunny wanders

Sunshine greeted me this morning along with crisp cool air. Temperatures warmed from the high 30s into the mid 40s by late morning; I was able to quickly shed the extra layers that I needed for comfortable wandering early in the morning.

Two trails, a bit of driving, and some walking along the loop road filled my day. I started on the Jessup Path, a flat walk with a good portion on boardwalks lined with trees. That was a new trail for me, one I'm sure I'll repeat another day. My next stop was the Flying Mountain trail in Southwest Harbor. Until I set foot on the trail I thought this was a first for me too. The road in didn't jog my memory, but as soon as I started walking up the trail my memory returned. It's relatively short, up, up, over rocks, through the woods, to a view of Somes Sound, then down again.

I headed back to the main part of the park for a quick drive around Park Loop Road, driving interrupted by walking, a stroll on Sand Beach, some walks along tghe rocky coast.

I even braved the wind at the top of Cadillac Mountain. The temperature dropped as the elevation increased, and the wind cooled the temperature even more. I walked the short path at the summit, questioning my sanity as I found it hard to stand upright in the very strong wind. Crevices in the rocks showed a bit of white (snow). I assume the little bit of white stuff fell last night and simply didn't melt.

Tomorrow? My plans are to play in the park again, to stay here one more night. I have to admit that the forecast has me a bit concerned though; I'll check it again in the morning.

Yikes!

Yikes! I just saw the weather forecast for home. Uh oh. A possibility of 4 to 8 inches of snow tomorrow night seems unreal to me, and the white stuff forecast seems to cover both home and the space between home and my home away from home in Maine. It's only October - much too early for accumulating snow.

I don't look forward to driving home on snowy roads, although I suppose if it does snow Saturday night there is a chance that the roads will be clear by Sunday afternoon. Unfortunately if it snows here too that will probably change my Sunday morning plans to wander in Acadia since Park Loop Road is not a road that is kept open through the winter. Hmm...

Weather wizard, please tell me this is an April Fool's joke in October.

weather map, forecasting snow

Thursday, October 27, 2011

A Schoodic day

Today's target was the Schoodic Peninsula. That's where part of Acadia National Park lives. We drove back to the mainland, then headed a bit further north and east before turning towards the coastline once again. At our first stop Denise tried to convince a cormorant to pose for her. He wasn't very interested, but I think some sea gulls decided to pose. (We'll see when we wander through the photos from today.)

We spent quite a bit of time clambering over the very red rocks at the tip of the peninsula. They were big, and they were slanty. I thought they were good for bouncing, but Denise wanted to make sure that she didn't fall. I bounced, she walked, placing her feet very carefully. She had a good conversation with a couple from Mississippi. They chatted for a bit, then everyone headed off in their own little wandering world.

Brr! It was cold today. Denise was hoping for temperatures in the low 50s; she didn't get her wish. The forecast was for the high 40s, but most of the day the thermometer in the car said it was 41 degrees. By the time we were finished for the day it was just 39. It's a good thing that I reminded Denise that she should throw some extra layers into the car; she needed them today. I did some bouncing across the red rocks; when I got chilled I hopped into Denise's camera bag and rode in my nice cozy spot for a bit.

The colors here are past peak, but there are still trees wearing leaves in color. In one place there was a line of trees with no leaves. Just behind that there were some taller trees with bright yellow showing above bare branches. In other places there was a single tree wearing bright yellow in a sea of rust-colored leaves. I hope Denise grabbed some good photos to share!

Oh! you want to know what we're going to do tomorrow? We'll be wandering in lots of circles, around Park Loop Road, walking. I think Denise wants to wait and see what the weather wizard brings before figuring out which hike(s) feel right for the day.

--- Rover

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Light into dark

A changing sky decorated my drive to Bar Harbor.

I left home in daylight under a sky filled with gray clouds. A swath trees wearing bright yellow and orange leaves jumped out at me as I passed through the edge of New Hampshire. Just a little later the road was lined with bare branched trees and evergreens. Later still the colors re-emerged.

Gray skies cleared to blue with high flung white wisps of clouds. And then... the setting sun painted the underside of the clouds with bright pink. Within 15 minutes the color was gone, the sky dark.

Tinged

A tree still wearing shades of green, tinged with a bit of brown and yellow...

green leaves, tinged with autumn brown

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Colors? brown? bare branches?

I wonder what colors the Maine coast is wearing right now. Do you know?

For last year's October visit to Acadia we saw brilliant colors along the road as we drove and more brilliant colors in the park. We hit it just right; on our last day there the colors were turning to browns. Denise said we were really lucky; she thought the third weekend in October was a bit late. This year we're visiting a week later, and the colors here seem like they were tinged with a little bit of brown from the beginning.

The weather forecast is a bit odd. It looks like the temperatures will be chilly even during the day with highs forecast to be in the mid 40s. It's Thursday night that looks odd; I saw one forecast that calls for rain and snow, and one forecast that said there would be freezing rain. It's too early for snow, isn't it?

I think it will be a good weekend for wandering!

--- Rover
colors in Acadia, October 2011
Colors in Acadia, October 2010

Sunday, October 23, 2011

A day for reflections

The sky was blue this morning, decorated with occasional puffs of white. I headed out with the thought of re-walking the Maudsley State Park loop that I wandered around last Sunday; that seemed like a good end-point for my day.

I wasn't too far from home when I noticed trees wearing colors, reflecting in still waters. For just a second I considered stopping on my way home, but luckily I gave in to the urge to stop right then. The blue sky was covered by ripples of gray by the time I reached Newburyport and Maudslay.

First stop, reflections...

clouds, reflections

autumn leaves, reflections

Second stop, Maudslay State Park. Instead of repeating last week's hike, I wandered around the edges of the park for a bit, capturing autumn images and yes, more reflections too.

bare limbed trees, Maudslay State Park

More photos from today can be viewed in the gallery Autumn 2011 starting with this photo and ending here.

Acadia soon...

Oh! I can count the days before we leave for Acadia on one paw now, soon...

We're headed to Acadia for a Denise-made long weekend, no special holidays, just the need to wander in Maine. Denise has that need often, doesn't she? I don't mind though; I like wandering in Acadia too. It's such a beautiful place.

--- Rover

Steam rising

Brr! It's chilly this morning, a crisp 41 degrees (Fahrenheit). I just glanced out the window to see steam rising from the bright sun drying the moisture on the roof. It looks a bit eerie.

Saturday, October 22, 2011

New (to me)

As I headed out for a brisk walk this morning I grabbed my camera with a single lens. I felt the urge to play, but with no direction in mind I wasn't sure the camer would get used. It did...

As I passed through the grounds of the Phillips Academy in Andover, I saw a brick gate that I had never passed through before, a gate to the Moncrief Cochran Sanctuary. Signs within said it was open to the public, and I saw a wide trail through the woods. Ah, a new place to walk!

I did a full loop through the sanctuary, finding stands of tall trees, some ponds, and narrower trails leading off the main trail. It was a thoroughly enjoyable wander, a place that I know I'll return to again.

in the woods

More photos from today can be viewed in the gallery Autumn 2011 starting with this photo and ending here.

Isolated reds

There are still many trees wearing green, green tinged with a bit of brown. But there are occasional flashes of red too, sometimes isolated to a few leaves, sometimes full trees.

a few (leaves) in red

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Wet

Heavy rain is falling, the wind is howling, the temperature is hovering in the mid-50s. Chilly, wet, and yes, I did feel the need to walk in the rain.

By the time I circled back to my starting point I had very wet feet and an umbrella that had flipped inside out just a block from home. I also had a smile on my face.

Sunday, October 16, 2011

Maudslay Sunday

A brisk wind blew yesterday's rain away, leaving crisp air, more wind, and blue skies heavily decorated in white. It was a good day for a wander at Maudslay State Park, a walk in the woods, seeking color.

There were still a few flowers in the gardens, and there were many trees still dressed in green. The trees that were wearing autumn colors showed mainly yellow, with an occasional pop of red.

trees wearing yellow

More photos can be viewed in the gallery Wandering Maudslay State Park - 2011 starting with this photo and ending here.

Pretty in pink

It's amazing that it's mid-October and there are still flowers in bloom. Pretty, pink...

pink flower

Sunday, October 09, 2011

Summer in October

Today brought another summer-like day, a day full of sunshine with temperatures in the mid to upper 70s. It was a good day for walking, for riding, for soaking in the (unexpected) warmth.

reflections and branches

Saturday, October 08, 2011

A sign of the season

Trees are exploding with color, apples, crisp, sweet, red, yellow...

Apparently the little animals that scamper up into the trees enjoy apples as much as I do. But look! they don't wait for the fruit to be picked.

apples, unpicked

apple, eaten on the tree

Temperatures in transition

Autumn is here, and with autumn comes cooler temperatures. This week it was time to (re)learn how to dress for walking on chilly nights, to switch to cool weather dress for work (wearing tights for a bit of warmth instead of my warmer time of year bare legs). Yet today brought a return of warmth with a daytime temperature edging into the low 80s, a day for riding in shorts and a sleeveless jersey.

The trees is this area are still wearing clothes of green. Occasional splashes of color jump out of the growing season colors.

leaves of green

a tree wearing color

More photos from today's wanders can be seen in the gallery Autumn 2011 starting with this photo and ending here.

Wispy

wispy seed, about to fly

Tuesday, October 04, 2011

A patch of blue

I woke up this morning to the sound of heavy rain and the sight of occasional flashes of lightning that lit the entire sky.

Driving to work...
There were heavy gray clouds, a downpour, standing water on surface streets slowing the pace. As I got closer to my destination I started to see a patch of blue sky in a sea of dark gray, blue decorated with billowing white clouds. I was under a big cloud; it was still raining on me.

Disappearing petals

late season flower

Sunday, October 02, 2011

Warmth wanted, a day for soup

It was a gray day, gray with temperatures edging into autumn cool, a good day for soup...

Home from my coastal wander, I decided it was a good time to conjure up a big pot of soup. Today's taste choice started with a red lentil base. Then vegetables jumped into the pot - carrots, sweet potatoes, corn, chick peas, portabello mushrooms, tofu too. Soup, loaded with vegetables, a good meal for tonight, lunches for this week, and some to pull from the freezer for later.

The recipe? Today's concoction pretty much followed the recipe for Soup #1 in my December 2009 Soup season blog post.

Coastal rain

I felt a coastal walk calling even with today's forecast for heavy rain. It was gray but dry when I headed out. Dry turned to wet as I got closer to the coast, a downpour! I walked in the rain, sheltered a bit by an umbrella.

Funny, as I was heading home the rain stopped just as I crossed from New Hampshire back into Massachusetts. I suspect it was raining on the Massachusetts coast; the weather change was just a bit inland.

sea gull standing

There are a few more photos from today's very wet walk. They can be seen in the gallery Along the New Hampshire coast - 2011 starting with this photo and ending here.

Water droplets on purple

...purple cabbage, that is!

purple cabbage

Saturday, October 01, 2011

A rainy day walk

It was late in the afternoon on a gray and somewhat damp day when I grabbed my camera for a walk to the Stephens-Coolidge Place. I wondered what flowers were still showing colors.

I found flowers, vegetables, a pair of curious rabbits, and spots of color in trees that are still wearing (mostly) green.

end of season flowers, pink

a curious rabbit

autumn colors

More photos from today's garden visit can be found in the gallery Autumn 2011 starting with this photo and ending here.