In May, the grass covering a salt marsh is still brown and matted. But the foam bubbling up along the edges of the channels indicates a stirring of life. Click on the image for a larger view.
Category Archives: Maine Coast
With Spring comes Pollen
The waterways that meander through the salt marshes in Bates-Morse Mountain Conservation Area have their surface covered with pollen from the nearby conifers. The course of the ditches and the tidal period create patterns with this fine yellow dust on the water. Click on the image of a larger view.
Passing Time, Part 3
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Old Man’s Beard—Usnea
Usnea is a generic name for a rather broad group of lichen in the parmeliaceae family. Hanging from dying or sick trees like green cotton, it is mostly called by the common names of Old Man’s Beard or Beard Lichen. Although usnea indicates the symptoms, it is not the cause of the tree’s condition. Usnea is very sensitive to air pollution, especially sulfur dioxide, which can severely impede its growth.
Usnea is believed to have antibiotic properties and was used like a sterile gauze for wounds. It is recommended to only use this plant externally. The lichen can also be used to create dyes for textiles, giving yellow, orange, green, blue, or purple hues. Click on the image for a larger view.
Spring at Marshall Point
Spring has arrived. On Sunday, Naomi and I went out to Marshall Point at Port Clyde, Maine. The sky was cloudless and the world was filled with light–and heat; it was 52°F/11°C. While we still have snow on the ground at home, it has disappeared along the coast.
Marshall Point is the terminal of a peninsular that juts out into the Gulf of Maine on the western edge on Penobscot Bay. A string of islands continues beyond—Hupper Island and Thompson Island are on the horizon. The point is known for its lighthouse. Click on the image for a larger view.
Spring Salt Marsh
Winter eventually gives way to spring. The snow thaws, signaling the start of what is fondly referred to in Maine as mud season. The salt marsh at Bates-Morse Mountain Conservation Area is a tangle of flattened grass. There is not a burst of growth—the plants don’t seem to trust the threat of snow and frosts have gone, and they are right not to. But the air is scented with the season’s potential. Click on the image for a larger view.
The Islands of Maine
Maine is famous for its coast. Just south of Brunswick is a series of islands—Sebascodegan Island, Orrs Island, and Bailey Island—that take you out into the Gulf of Maine at the edge of Casco Bay. Fishing communities can be found around Orrs Island and Bailey Island, surrounded by the vacation homes. With the winter lingering into April, these islands feel deserted. Click on the image for a larger view.
Time
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Daylight Savings
On Sunday, we went through the annual ritual of turning the clocks forward one hour for daylight savings time. The sun now sets at 6:40 in the evening. Naomi and I went out to Pemaquid Point to enjoy this extra hour.
With the sun above the horizon, the sky was a brilliant blue and the ocean a deeper shade of the same color. As the sun reached the horizon, the familiar fiery red scorched the edge of the sky. But there is a magical time for color when the sun moves behind the horizon and vivid hues turn to delicate pastels. Click on the image for a larger view.
Dreams of Summer
The winter has been long this year. The memories and promises of summer seem far away. The Gulf of Maine from Schoodic Point in Acadia National Park. Click on the image so summer can arrive earlier—and to make the image larger.
