Were you wondering if I was keeping my Acadia photos to myself? My camera was busy capturing images as I wandered, and those images can now be viewed. You can jump to the top level gallery, Absorbing Acadia, or you can click on the photos below to enter a specific gallery.
Looping... around the park:
Oh! I was going through the photos from our trip, and I found this one of me with my new friend. This wonderful bear owned the room we were borrowing at the Holland Inn. He was a wonderful host.
I think he must have learned from Evin, the owner of the inn. She has so much information to share with the guests!
...Rover's ramblings
Ah, it's Friday. I planned to work at home today, and I planned to ride in the early morning with the hopes of missing the predicted rain. My early morning ride plans were scuttled very early - I woke up at 5 to the crash of thunder and the sound of heavy rain, not a good sign when I was planning to be on the road by 6.
Instead of an early ride, I started working early with the hopes of getting out later. The forecast had the probability of rain increasing as the day progressed. Hmmm...
I had several meetings in the morning that set my next earliest start time at noon, and at noon the sun was shining. Time to ride!
It was a good mid-day break, sweat-producing because of the humidity, but mainly dry. A light rain fell for a few minutes mid-ride, and then a steadier (but still light) rain started when I was about a mile from home (at the end of my ride). What a good mid-day escape!
The skies have been so gray, water falling in the form of rain and in the form of heavy mist. It's been a walking kind of week, but a time of longing to be riding.
The gray continued through much of the day today, but by late afternoon the sun had emerged from the clouds. And oh, look! Blue skies!
Finally, a bicycling kind of day... it felt so good to wander on two wheels, to see the light filtering through the trees that lined the roads, to see reflections in the ponds.
I just added some more CompactFlash cards to my stash, food for my camera. After all, I have a two-week trip coming up in August, and I need to make sure that I have enough media to keep my camera (and me!) happy.
Yes, I know, I can copy the data onto my computer. Two problems with that... I don't carry my computer with me when I travel, and I don't wipe the cards until I have them copied to two places, not one. That's an "after I return home" task.
Back to this week's purchase though. I really wonder how manufacturers set prices on items like CompactFlash or SD cards. The price needs to be set high enough that both the manufacturer and the retailer make a profit. I understand that. But how much profit?
Oh, you want to know why I am asking this seemingly silly question? I just picked up some SanDisk Extreme III 4GB cards. The cards were $33.95 each. But - there is a rebate available right now.
Yes, you're right, I did buy 3 cards. I paid $101.85 for them. I'll be getting a $60 Visa prepaid card, so my cost will really be $41.85. That's $13.95 per card.Purchase 1 card, get $10 back.
Purchase 2 cards, get $30 back.
Purchase 3 cards, get $60 back.
Month may become dimmest on record --- this headline leaped from the font page of this morning's Boston Globe. Somehow I usually think that I am imagining that the weather is gray and unseasonable, cool and wet, day after day after day. Apparently it isn't my imagination this time!
I was fascinated with the description of the device that is used to register sunlight at the Blue Hills Meterological Observatory:
"...the primitive, softball-sized glass sphere on the observatory’s roof, a device that has burned lines on paper since 1885 to record nearly every burst of sunshine strong enough to cast a faint shadow."According to the article, the sun has been obscured by clouds this month more than any other June on record since 1903, and there is still a possibility that a new record could be set.
I had hoped to beat the rain and squeeze in a ride this morning, but when I stepped outside to pick up the newspaper at 6 AM, there was already water in the air.
It was a good day to take a long walk in the wind-driven rain. The rain was quite light, but with temperatures in the low 60s I was happy to be shielded by my rain jacket and hat.
The rain meant that I was quite happy to spend a good part of the day at my computer, reviewing photos from my recent Acadia wanders, starting to build my photo galleries.
Some of the photos are available now if you are eager to look, but you might want to wait another day or two until I'm able to complete my galleries. I'll post a note here when the galleries are completed.
I've seen many birdhouses, but a beehouse?
Thuya Garden was one of my stopping places on my recent trip to Acadia, and I was fascinated by the houses with very small holes. Luckily there was an explanation posted on the side of what turned out to be houses for the bees.
affectionately called "Bob", is the common name for Osmia lignaria ssp. We are providing housing for this pollinator because it is solitary and very selective about its nesting. This "bee condo" provides an ideal home. Bob has been mistaken for a house fly. Unlike houseflies, Bob has a pair of wings on both sides and a shiny blue metallic patch on its back. Bob is not agressive and can be observed at close range. ***** Thuya Garden welcomes BOB for his/her beauty, activity, and helpful pollination to our plants. Text courtesy of Thuya Garden |
