Golden Hour

life_in_maine_golden_hourThe days are getting noticeably shorter. Where the daylight would last until after nine in the evening, it is now dark by eight. The warmth of summer still remains, but the season is waning. This is near the summit of Little Moose Island looking toward Schoodic peninsular in Acadia National Park. The Anvil, a small hill, can be seen in the distance. The island can accessed at low tide. Click on the image for a larger view.

Small Cranberry

life_in_maine_small_cranberrySmall cranberry, Vaccinium oxycoccos, can be found in peat or acidic soils, which gives it its other common name, bog cranberry. This is one of the first plants to colonize burnt bogland and native Americans would burn bogs to stimulate its growth. Like the cultivated cranberry, these are tart. Naturally, this fruit is sought after by wildlife. This plant is on Little Moose Island at the tip of Schoodic peninsular in Acadia National Park. Click on the image for a larger view.

Harvest 2016

life_in_maine_harvest_2016August always takes us by surprise. The glut of food is wonderful, but adds more time than we anticipate on top of our other tasks—we spend a couple of hours in the evening just keeping up with the ripening blackberries. It is not something we can exactly put off. Still, once outside, the act of gathering this fruit becomes its own meditation. That other hectic life at the office dissipates and is replaced by the cycles of the planet. This symbiosis, which is, at one level, indifferent and, at another, dependent, is a great performance we all part of. Click on the image for a larger view.