January apparently decided to show off her enormous weather-making capacity to bring in the new year. At first, we had some brilliantly clear days, some warm and some cold.
Then, there were January’s darker moments, including two significant snow storms, high winds, and flood tides.
January’s most enjoyable days were those after the murky storms — clear and cold with silver and gold winter light — days of resurrection for walking, playing, and involuntary smiles.
Despite the storms, January wasn’t hard on our wildlife. The white-tailed deer in their thick winter coats still enjoyed their early morning invasions of gardens; some snowy owls preferred the hunting here to that in Canada, and herring gulls kept warm by taking one-footed sunbaths.
On the waterfront, the scallop fishing was in mid-season. The returning fishing vessels got a rousing welcome from our sea gulls who hoped to get a few mollusk intestines thrown their way.
The month also gave us our first significant sea smoke, a phenomenon caused by very cold air sweeping over warmer sea water.
January hid her “full wolf moon” from us with a thick overcast on the appointed full moon night. However, prior to that night, the partially full wolf moon made appearances in the blue skies on several clear days.
Of course, December and January are known for their sunsets on clear cold days when the atmosphere has less moisture and pollution. This January did not disappoint.
(All images in these Postcards were taken in Down East Maine during january 2022.)