These leaves are from a single red maple tree in our garden—all taken at the same time. This tree is usually one of the first to show its fall foliage. Click on the image for a larger view. If you would like to see the tree… Continue reading
Tag Archives: Fall in Maine
Apple Harvest
It is turning out to be a great year for apples. And not just for us—apple trees, abandoned and cultivated, are full of fruit around Maine. We use no pesticides on our trees and so our apples are not as pretty as the fruit you find in the supermarket. The only thing we do to protect the crop is to spray it with a fine clay called Surround.
The green apples seem to be a Granny Smith variety, although it does not have the tartness of a Granny Smith. We usually only get a couple of fruit from this tree, but this year we may have harvested a half a bushel. The red apple is an unknown variety that is biennial. It is a little early to eat; most of the fruit is still on the tree ripening. Click on the image for a larger view.
O Holy Night
When growing up in England, I was a choirboy. The carols and music seemed to define the season. For me, the songs and images of the night and divinity were powerful. It was only after I left the city and experience dark, star-filled skies that the metaphor took on a reality.
This is the view Naomi and I had when we stopped near Little Hunters Cove in Acadia Nation Park one evening to eat the dinner we had packed. Click on the image for a larger view.
Industry
The creativity and ambition in nature amazes me with the wonderful display of possibilities, dreams, and desire over potential, reality, and practicality. I am not sure what that beaver will do if it fells that tree, but it is going to be a bit big to move to a dam or home. Click on the image for a larger view.
Natural Birdfeeder
This apple was left on the tree we call Midori. While the current philosophy in gardening seems to be centered around getting everything for the human residents, taking a rather dim view of the others sharing the space, Naomi and I believe our garden has a communal function. Click on the image for a larger view,
Early Winter Sunset
Last Saturday felt like early winter. Naomi and I took a trip to Bailey Island. The air was dry, clear, and cold. Usually, the atmosphere is too humid to allow the sun sitting on the horizon to directly illuminate the land, but not this Saturday—within about a minute of taking this image, the sun sank below the horizon, taking the light with it. Click on the image for a larger view.
Fall Rose Hips
Primitive roses can be found all long the coast of Maine. In the fall, only their foliage and hips remain. Click on the image for a larger view.
Season of Change
Click on the image for a larger view.
And again . . .
It was bad enough to get hit with an unusually early blizzard two weeks ago, but then to wake up Friday morning to find we had another was discouraging. Fortunately, like with most early storms, we did not have to shovel the driveway and most of the snow melted during the day. UPDATE: It is snowing again this morning. Click on the image for a larger view of our forest on Friday morning.
Still Waters
Fort Point State Park is on Cape Jellison in Penobscot Bay. The Penobscot river is part of the largest system of tributaries in Maine. Between the tidal influences of the Gulf of Maine and this river system, the seeming peaceful waters in Penobscot bay are deceiving. The tidal sandbar that protrudes from Fort Point is shaped by these forces—the sign warning of riptides and a prohibition against swimming on the way to the beach is a reminder.
Standing on the sandbar at low tide is strangely peaceful—it feels like being on the shore of a lake. But there is also an uneasiness in this exposure, as if a monster lies below the surface waiting to rise and take you away. Click on the images for a larger view.
