Tag Archives: Nature
Fading Fire, Part 1
Trees seems to reach into the deep blue sky to catch the last light of the setting winter sun.
December Forest
There is this time when you have spent the day hiking, when you are returning to your car under the fading light of day, that is so peaceful and quite. The warmth of the setting sun can be seen through the trees and the forest has a quiet light. Your body is satisfied with the day’s exercise. The scent of the forest subtly permeates the fresh air. The sounds of the world are mute. I like this moment.
Short Winter Days
In Maine this time of year, the sun rises at 7am and sets at 4pm—a short day. For most of the daylight hours, the sun hangs low giving a feeling of early morning or late afternoon, never the bright midday light of summer. In December in Maine, light is a treasure, even the fading fire of the setting sun through the bare branches of the forest.
At the Summit
Last week, we travelled to Acadia National Park. We arrived at the summit of Cadillac Mountain after the sun had passed below the horizon. Most come here for the views, but an amazing ecosystem is right at your feet. With such a harsh environment of extremes in temperature, humidity, wind, and light, it would appear Mt. Dessert Island would earn its name. But life is everywhere. Ground-hugging plants have colonized every trough of dirt and the rock has gained blankets of lichen.
Winter Surprise
Monday morning we woke to a white world. We were expecting perhaps a half an inch of snow overnight, but not the four inches that we found. Click on the image for a larger version.
Early Fall Foliage
Early fall is one of my favorite times in Maine. Apple season is just starting and late tomatoes are still being harvested. But the real magic is in the forests. While the deep ambers and reds of late fall are spectacular, the electric yellows and gold against the remaining green is just so vibrant, so full of life.
A note about my photography. I come from a documentary background that photographs without cropping, creating the final image in the camera. The photographs here represent what the camera saw. Except from some simple work on image contrast, nothing was added or changed digitally later. Click on the images for a larger view.
Schoodic Peninsula
Acadia National Park is a magical place. It is also a very popular destination. Schoodic Peninsula is a small section of the park that is off the beaten track. It is a hour or so by car from the main park, a drive that takes you through a series of small Maine villages that have not had the commercial development of places like Bar Harbor and Ellsworth. This view across West Pond shows Mt. Desert Island (pronounced like the verb to desert, rather than the noun desert) in the distance—click on the image to enlarge it. A one-way loop road takes you to Schoodic Point and the Gulf of Maine.
