As we speak, the overcast here is thick and the horizon is gray, except for momentary flashes of sun trying to leak in through a weak seal. We’ve had a lot of days like this recently, including April 5, when the images here were taken.
In Naskeag Harbor, we see an empty summer house on Harbor Island, empty fishing vessel, and empty Town Pier:
In Great Cove, we see an empty WoodenBoat School pier and Eggemoggin Reach:
I’ve been searching for the right adjective that describes such a day beyond the one-dimensional “gray.” “Gloomy” or “Dreary” come to mind. Gloomy originates from the Scottish for “a sullen look.”
“Dreary” has a much more interesting history. It derives from the Old English for “sad” and “sorrowful.” However, “dreary” originally meant “cruel, bloody,” or “blood-stained.” It was used first in the sense of “lonesome, dismal, gloomy” by John Milton in his 1667 publication of Paradise Lost. (Brooklin, Maine; Online Entymology Dictionary used)