VERMONT
A COVERED BRIDGE
Landing in Boston in the wake of Hurricane Irene seemed to be continuing a tradition established by arriving in Christchurch on the morning of the February earthquake! We have in fact been asked whether we specialize in such journeys, perhaps to take advantage of reduced hotel rates! Plans to motor slowly along quiet country byways in the Green Mountains were quickly abandoned since most of the roads were badly damaged and no longer open and we made our way rather more speedily along the Interstate 89 to northern Vermont and our first cottage in a rural location on Metcalfe Pond.
VIEW OF METCALFE POND
It proved to be a quiet and somewhat damp week during which we explored the surrounding area. The famous fall foliage colour was just beginning with the maples turning red and yellow. Colourful Vermont farm houses painted in the traditional red, blue or yellow stood in green meadows each with a huge red barn. Sugar shacks producing local maple syrup were to be found in most of the villages. The cottage had a tiny private landing with canoes and a rowing boat - a nice place to sit out. Birdlife wan't prolific at this time of year but we saw a few birds including loons, described as an extremely primitive bird which has a distinctive call, humming birds and a banded kingfisher. Despite the many road signs we saw no moose or black bears only a few cheeky chipmunks raiding the bird feeder. The highlights of the week were a day spent at the Shelburne Museum and a hike up to Stirling Pond at Smuggler's Notch on the way to Stowe.
RED BARN
The museum was very impressive and comprised of a collection of buildings assembled by Electra Havermeyer, daughter of a family who made their fortune in sugar (slavery?) to house her ever growing collection of Americana. A huge round red barn contained a wonderful display of restored carved horses, lions, tigers etc from an old carousel.
Other fascinating exhibits includeded one of the last paddle steamers to ply nearby Lake Champlain, a store which had operated in Shelburne for over a hundred years and supplied everything that the townsfolk might have required and a variety of dwellings all in the highly recognizable New England style of painted wood, a lighthouse, school room and a luxuriously appointed private train used to transport the family from New York to their country estates. A number of rooms from Mrs Webb's New York apartment had been painstakingly re-erected and displayed a collection of French impressionist and other paintings and American bronze sculptures of Western subjects.
HEARSE WITH WICKER BASKET OVER ICE BOX
One of a large collection of carriages belonging
to Dr Webb, Electra's husband
The hike was half way on the trip back from Stowe, a well known ski resort. It proved to be very steep and rough with a path that led mostly along a stream bed. When we reached the top, the mist descended and blotted out the apparently wonderful views of Smuggler's Notch.
VINCENT ON THE TRACK AT SMUGGLER'S NOTCH
MAINE
Maine is many things but mainly it's LOBSTERS!!
The drive from Vermont to Mt Desert Island in Maine was rather longer than anticipated but our accommodation for the week, Bobcat Cottage turned out to be a charming retreat, nestled in the spruce pine forest and tastefully furnished and equipped. The owners, Peter and Linda Lord, were very welcoming and even the dog, JR Dante, treated us like old friends!
BOBCAT COTTAGE
One of the special things about staying at Bobcat is the opportunity to spend a couple of hours exploring the night sky in the knowledgeable company of Peter, an astronomer whose passion for his subject has led him, together with Linda to establish the Maine Starlight Festival, held in late September.
It was quite something to look through the telescope at various double twin stars, very close views of the moon and three moons of Jupiter.
PETER IN THE OBSERVATORY
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LOBSTER LUNCH |
Our first lunch in Maine had to be at one of the famed lobster pounds and one of the best in the area is Thurstons in the local fishing village of Bernard. 2 1/2 pounds was the smallest size available and I duly put on the plastic bib and did my best. I hadn't realized that lobster could be so filling so alas,there was no room left for that other staple, blueberry pie! Fish is wonderful here and we have cooked halibut, haddock, swordfish and scallops this week accompanied by sauv blanc from California.
THURSTON'S LOBSTER POUND
THURSTON'S LOBSTER POUND
PITY ABOUT THE FISHEYE LENS!
Up this morning at 5am for a birding caravan - a group of 11 cars proceeding to different points in Acadia National Park, which covers much of the island. Our first bird was a large and colourful pileated woodpecker followed by peregrine falcons at The Precipice and banded kingfishers and greater blue herons working their way along the shore. Waders included the greater yellowlegs.
THE GREATER YELLOWLEGS
The standard US mail box is often painted in a distinctive pattern or design, in this case, ducks!
From the summit of Cadillac mountain, the highest point on the island, it was possible to join the National Park rangers on the morning Hawkwatch sessions looking for migrating raptors which included American kestrels, ospreys and bald eagles. Among the many walking tracks near the cottage was the 5 mile path along Long Pond and back over the mountain via Great Notch which we did on a misty day when the silent forest, its floor clothed in mosses and lichens seemed full of mystery.
WHITE ROCKS COTTAGE, GEORGETOWN ISLAND
Our third cottage was a further 150 miles south on Georgetown Island. The coast of Maine is heavily indented and there are thousands of islands along the length of it. White Rock cottage was perched above the Kennebec river just a few miles before it meets the sea. When I first saw the two perfectly placed wooden chairs, I realized that the week's activites would need to accomodate leisurely afternoons in the mild sunshine, reading and watching out for the wildlife previous occupants had mentioned in the guestbook. We saw seals and a sea otter and numerous birds including banded kingfishers, blue herons and a flock of least sandpipers which settled on a rock beneath the cottage to spend the night on several occasions.
LEAST SANDPIPERS
The cottage was situated at the end of a quiet winding road where the few houses seemed mostly occupied by lobster fishermen since stacks of lobster pots (metal contraptions) were to be seen everywhere. We frequently saw flocks of dark coloured bush turkeys and passed a pond full of lily pads in which a family of beavers had built a lodge
BEAVER LODGE
A sunny day and time to explore the neighbouring peninsula of Boothbay and Southport island. Although there are many winding roads and tantalizing glimpses of idyllic bays and rocky shoreline, it seems that all the land along the coastline, lakes and rivers is privately owned and attempts to reach a place where one can walk are almost always thwarted. Southport Island, where Rachel Carsen wrote The Silent Spring, is especially delightful with many small fishing harbours and charming clapboard and shingle houses, asymetrical but uniform in their faded silver grey colour which blends so well with the green of the forest and the granite rocks.
SOUTHPORT ISLAND
COLLECTION OF BUOYS
THE PERFECT HOLIDAY COTTAGE
We left Maine on a misty cool day to drive back to Boston
WHAT, ME OR THE MOOSE
FAREWELL TO THE LOBSTERS
HELLO TEXAS
VINCENT AND THE EMANUELS
Lovely to see Vincent's sister Kathleen and her family again after 25 years. Son Rafe, a lawyer in Tinseltown is home for a few days and we've made the acqaintance of King Alfonso of Pomerania, lap dog extraordinaire! We spent a very relaxing week by the pool catching up on all the news.
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