By foot with camera

Today was a day for wandering not too far from home, but far enough that I was exploring places I'd never set foot in before...

I headed to Saco, Maine to check out some of the trails in the area. I started my wanderings at Saco Heath, obeying the trail instructions to stay on the boardwalk which apparently at times is over 20 feet of water and partially decayed sphagnum moss. I was lucky that others had walked the area after the snow fell so I had a path to follow in the sections before the boardwalk appeared. I was alone in this very quiet space; quiet but for the clarion call of birds. As I got back to the trail head, I met someone who lives in the area and who walks here often. He described some of the flowering plants and birds he has seen in other seasons. It sounds like I need to plan return trips in different seasons. I'll be back...

The rest of my afternoon visit was spent wandering along the coast on both sides of the Saco River, including beach stops between Camp Ellis and Old Orchard Beach and a loop through the East Point Sanctuary in Biddeford Pool.

The sun was starting to set as I left the coast, providing the gift of brilliant sky paintings. It was hard to keep driving, yet stopping on an interstate highway to take pictures didn't really seem like a good idea. I did stop once though; a closed weigh station beckoned, giving me a safe and quiet place to absorb the colors of the sky.

Beauty can be found in many places...

Tree stump, decorated with moss and topped with a cap of snow

It's very possible that my imagination was working overtime. Are you sure this is a tree root? I was sure that it was a dog...

A snow-covered view of Saco Heath

I heard this bird before I saw him, and I'm amazed that I was able to move quickly enough to capture a couple of pictures. It's scenes like this that may drive me towards buying another lens for my camera. I'm very happy with my choice of lens from a bicycle touring perspective, but I know I'd love to have a bigger lens when I'm not space constrained. I have a feeling that it's not just the lens though - I think I'll probably want (or need) a tripod or monopod too. More things to carry...

A path to a calm sea, patches of snow-covered sand...

Jet trail and light clouds tinted pink, highlighting bare branches

If you'd like to see more photos from my wanderings today, you can find them in my photo gallery Saco Bay by foot - December 2006.