orchid smiles

Seeing the intricacy of orchids always makes me smile.

tidal

The Parker River meanders inland, running into the sea in Plum Island Sound.

As I drove down Route 1 late yesterday the water in the river made me stop and look. It showed reflected bands of light from the clouds overhead.

mirrored

Trees wearing autumn finery are sandwiched between evergreens. I love the pop of color and the mirrored images in the water.

stormy day with flowers

A nor'easter rolled into New England today with heavy rain and strong winds. The precipitation was at a reasonable level when I headed out this morning looking for flowers and color. My destination was the greenhouses of Lyman Estate.

Some plants were resting while others were bursting with color.

The weather wizard sent a downpour when it was time to leave. I feel lucky that the greenhouse provided a place to enjoy bright color today.

in the woods

I followed a beautiful trail through the woods as I walked to Little Long Pond in the Land & Garden Preserve. Green was the predominant color, painted by evergreen trees and moss.

rocks and water

I've always gravitated to this spot on the tip of the Schoodic Peninsula in Acadia National Park. The rocks remain constant but the pools of water change in size.

I never know what I will find when I walk out into this beautiful landscape - but I know that it will be beautiful!

photos! Acadia

Autumn colors surrounded me as I wandered in Acadia National Park last week. Photos can be viewed in the gallery autumn, Acadia.

Enjoy!

a wild rose

While most of the colors surrounding me as I wandered Acadia were in autumn hues, an occasional flower popped from the landscape. This bright pink wild rose decorated the shoreline of the Schoodic Peninsula.

walking a circle

Before heading home we walked a big circle on the carriage roads in Acadia. Yesterday afternoon we drove to the end of Duck Brook Road and took the trail leading to Witch Hole Pond. It was late enough when we started that Denise thought an out-and-back walk would be smart.

This morning we headed back to the same starting spot. We repeated the out part of yesterday's walk but this time we kept on going, completing a full loop as shown on the map. We saw Witch Hole Pond from different sides, and we walked by a couple of smaller ponds too.

It was a perfect last walk to end our autumn visit to Acadia. I know we'll be going back, and I'm sure we'll walk more of the carriage roads too. I wonder if I can convince Denise to visit in the winter.

--- Rover

crazy windy!

Brr! It was cold and crazy windy all day today. I think the high temperature was in the low 40s and a strong wind never stopped. I planned to walk with Denise along the Ocean Path this morning but Blue and I stayed tucked into Denise's pack so we wouldn't blow away. We have figured out how to create an opening for viewing the scenery around us so it was still a good day.

Our walking start point this morning was Sand Beach. We walked across the beach and back again before heading out on Ocean Path. We walked as far as an overlook to a "beach" formed of rounded rocks. Denise likes looking at the rock beaches but she doesn't really like walking across them. I think those rocks are easier for bouncing than for two-legged walking.

The sun wore bright blue with puffy white cloud decorations. Early in our walk Denise captured a sun star with her camera; I think the stars are fun!

I thought maybe I'd be able to jump out and bounce along the trail by Jordan Pond. Nope, the wind was still howling. And there were white caps on the pond. I've never seen it like that before; it usually provides a smooth surface for reflections. Not today...

By mid-afternoon Denise decided it was time to try a "new to us" place. We headed down Duck Brook Road, driving as far as possible. We jumped out of the car and headed out on one of the Carriage Roads.

Forty-five miles of rustic carriage roads, the gift of philanthropist John D. Rockefeller Jr. and family, weave around the mountains and valleys of Adadia National Park. Rockefeller, a skilled horseman, wanted to travel on motor-free byways via horse and carriage into the heart of Mount Desert Island. His construction efforts from 1913 to 1940 resulted in roads with sweeping vistas and close-up views of the landscape.

---courtesy of EXPERIENCE YOUR AMERICA publication, National Park Service

The wide path was surrounded by trees, protected from the wind. Finally, I was able to join Denise and walk a bit. That felt good!

The road we chose led to Witch Hole Pond. I love that name! I think I can convince Denise to walk more of the carriage roads here. We have some time tomorrow morning to start our exploring.

--- Rover

afternoon wander

As the clock flipped to afternoon we returned to Mount Desert Island. I wasn't sure where we were headed but Denise had a plan!

We headed for Little Long Pond for an afternoon wander. The parking at the foot of the pond was full so we had to drive a bit further up the road so find the Land & Garden Preserve parking area. That meant we had to walk back but it turned out to be an awesome trail through the woods. Once we reached the foot of the pond we followed a trail along the side of the pond.

--- Rover

Schoodic morning

It was cool and the sky was gray when we headed out this morning. It felt like a good day to wander on the Schoodic Peninsula. That's a favorite part of Acadia for Denise; I really like it there too since there are lots of big rocks to bounce between.

There were a couple of quick stops to enjoy the scenery as we drove down the peninsula. When we reached the tip, it was time for a good walk. Denise walked, I bounced!

The sky changed from a wash of gray to a calm background wearing some white clouds. Oh, and then it started a bit of light rain! No matter, it was so light it was easy to stay dry.

I'm so glad we visited the Schoodic Peninsula this morning. It's a very special place!

--- Rover

autumn reflections

Cool temperature and howling winds fed into comfortable walking conditions. Denise wore a light fleece layer and a wind jacket, and Blue & I hung out in the camera bag, sticking our heads out to enjoy the beauty we were walking through. I knew we needed to stay grounded; I was afraid we would blow away if we were walking on our own!

We wandered in the Wild Gardens of Acadia, finding a few flowers still in bloom. Then we headed down the boardwalk of Jesup Path. There was a lot of water along the edges of the boardwalk; I don't remember ever seeing that much wet on previous bounces down that boardwalk. It was really pretty.

After finishing the boardwalk we started at an entry point to one of the mountain trails with no intention of walking to the top. Denise knew that the trail led to a wet area and she was hoping to find some reflections of autumn colors. That was a great idea; there were puddle reflections in the woods, and a pond reflection a bit further in.

What a nice day!

--- Rover

driving

We managed a relatively early start to our drive today, leaving the house at 7:30 AM. We stayed on the interstate until Augusta (Maine) where Denise turned the car towards the coast. We usually stay on I-95 all of the way to Bangor but I convinced Denise that we might see some good autumn colors on this alternate route.

We went through some areas where the trees were wearing very bright colors, some where the colors had dimmed, and some with bare branches.

It was very sunny the entire way. That was OK except when we were heading more east than north - then the seeing conditions were squinty!

Before we headed into the park I asked Denise to stop at the Hulls Cove Sculpture Garden. We wandered through old and new sculptures, walking and shaking the long drive out of our legs. That was fun!

--- Rover

mixture

A mixture of deciduous trees and evergreens creates a painting. Bright colors pop against a dark green background.

from dream to plan

Acadia National Park deserves multiple visits each year. Denise likes to visit in the spring and again in the fall, staying away from the summer crowds. She said that she wants to go in the winter too, but that's a topic for another day.

As the days of October clicked by I knew I needed to help Denise plan our trip. Luckily I have figured out how to use her computer! I checked for a room at Evin's Holland Inn, finding one available for this week. We have a place to stay, I've checked the weather forecast to help Denise figure out what kind of layers she needs, and I think we're ready to go!

It's time to wander.

--- Rover

brown & green

One bunch of oak leaves says autumn, wearing a soft brown color. The next bunch is fighting the season change, continuing to wear bright green.

a walk in the rain

Great Bay National Wildlife Refuge was my destination this morning. I was one of a number of volunteers there to staff a weekend open house. Unfortunately the weather wizard had different ideas; a steady cold rain apparently stopped many from visiting.

I was able to enjoy the refuge though, walking two trails and taking a tour of the (now unused) weapons storage area.

Layers and a hooded rain jacket kept me dry and relatively warm.

blue hour

A hint of blue popped through the late afternoon cloud cover, coloring sky and reflection.

back to Parker River

I headed back to Parker River National Wildlife Refuge this afternoon for another walk along the still open dike between Hellcat and the North Pool Overlook. It was a summer day in October with warm air, pure blue skies, and wind.

I walked the dike from Hellcat today, enjoying the path with a few other walkers. When I was finished with the North Pool Dike I headed to the beach to walk a bit longer. Listening to the ocean is wonderful, even on relatively quiet wave days like today.

ripples and reflections

It was a day without a cloud in the sky. Ripples and reflections feed nature's painting.

a touch of red

A touch of red is appearing everywhere! I find the visible transition to autumn to be fascinating.

on the dike

In honor of National Wildlife Refuge Week the North Pool Dike at the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge is open for walking this week. I headed over there after my volunteer shift, enjoying a chance to walk in a usually closed part of the refuge.

It was a chilly but beautiful walk. The temperature dropped a good 10 degrees between home and the coast; by the time I headed into the refuge the wind had kicked up. Luckily the rain waited until I was back in my car!

magic mushroom

A pure blue sky and crisp air pulled me out for a walk in the woods this afternoon. While my gaze was usually focused on the trees and the sky, I'm glad I was looking down too. My wander turned into a magic mushroom walk!

crocus!

I wandered a bit at Maudslay State Park this afternoon. While seeking (autumn) reds and oranges I found purple in the form of an autumn blooming crocus. There were a few leaves wearing red too!

bright

Leaves wearing bright red create a pop of color against the still green grass.

misty morning

I woke up to a misty morning. A chilly rain was predicted for later in the day.

Hmm... I wonder where I should wander. I checked the tide chart and found that low tide on Plum Island was at 11:43 AM. Perfect! I headed to the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge for a walk on the beach, arriving before low tide and continuing to walk as the tide turned. I shared the beach with just a few people and quite a few birds. The sea gulls and sanderlings had staked out their territory but were happy to share a bit of the sand with me.

shades of autumn

Autumn colors are beginning to pop!