In the Right Place: The Day After

Here you see Great Cove at low tide yesterday morning, the day after a vicious wind and rainstorm that we’ll be talking about for a while. The sun was a sometimes thing over the Cove yesterday and the elements seemed sore from overexertion.

The highest wind speed reported by the National Weather Bureau for the storm in our Hancock County was 71 miles per hour; trees and downed power lines lay in disordered array in the streets, and generators hummed for those fortunate to have them. Electrical power didn’t return to our Town until yesterday afternoon. Nonetheless, as far as I can tell, our fishing fleet survived with flying colors, such as those flying over “Dear Abbie:’s” wheelhouse yesterday.

(Images taken in Brooklin, Maine, on December 19, 2023.)

In the Right Place: Storm Report

Here you see Fishing Vessel Tarrfish straining at her mooring in yesterday’s wet windstorm. At the time that the images here were taken in Naskeag Harbor, it was raining, and a southeast wind was blowing at 25 miles-per-hour with frequent gusts of at least 45 mph; later, we got reported maximum gusts of 55 mph.

Maine government offices were closed at 1 p.m. due to the storm and a few trees and power lines came down in our neighborhood. We’ve been without electrical wire power since yesterday morning and parts of the neighborhood sound like beehives due to the buzzing of generators. 

(Images taken in Brooklin, Maine, on December 18, 2023.) See also the image in the first Comment space.

In the Right Place: Unsilent Night

The regionally-renowned Bagaduce Chorale gave its much-anticipated annual winter performances to packed audiences on Friday at the Ellsworth High School and Saturday at the Blue Hill Congregational Church. The highlight of the varied music was Norwegian composer Ola Gjeilo’s 2010 “Sunrise Mass” skillfully adapted by Chorale Director Bronwyn W. Kortge. The images here are from the Blue Hill performance:

(Images taken in Blue Hill, Maine, on December 16, 2023.)

In the Right Place: A Serious Season’s Greeting

This season used to be the time to enjoy Maine’s iced waters without hesitation – skating on them; fishing from a hut on them; driving snowmobiles, cars and trucks on them, and just accepting the challenge of seeing if you could walk and slide on their slippery surfaces.

And then came climate warming and freezes and thaws, and light snows followed by rain, and undependable ice. This year began with a January fatality of a man having Maine ice under his feet crack open.

DO NOT get on pond, lake, or river ice unless you are SURE that you are walking or skating on at least 4 inches of ice; snowmobiling on at least 5; driving an average-sized passenger car on 8-12, or driving an average-sized truck on 12-to-15 inches. Those are Maine government numbers, not mine.

In fact, Maine officials do not recommend driving passenger cars or trucks onto frozen ponds, period! They say that, if you must drive a vehicle on that ice, be prepared to leave the vehicle in a hurry through its windows, which should be kept open when driving on such ice. Also, unbuckle your seat belt, pack flotation gear, and have an emergency plan discussed with your passengers before driving onto frozen bodies of water. (Image taken in Brooklin, Maine, on December 15, 2023.)

In the Right Place: Growth

Here you see last night’s waxing crescent moon rising over Great Cove. A burnt orange band of afterglow from the setting sun is lingering. Not too shabby.

As you probably know, “waxing” means getting larger and, in this case, it means that the illuminated portion of the moon is getting larger and larger and will be full January 6. Relatedly, the word “crescent” is derived from the Latin verb crescere "to grow," referring to the waxing moon (luna crescens). (Image taken in Brooklin, Maine, on December 15, 2023.)

In the Right Place: A Good Hair Day

Here you see white-tailed deer foraging in last week’s snowstorm and showing no signs of discomfort. They’re bulked up for the winter and their multi-layered winter coats are wonderful protectors.

Note that the snow on their backs is not melting – a sign of great insulation against the escape of body heat.

Their winter coats have two layers. They have hollow “guard hairs” that are two inches longer than their undercoats and that trap air to help insulate against heat loss. Their remarkably dense and soft undercoats form another barrier to the cold. (Images taken in Brooklin, Maine, on December 5, 2023.)

In the Right Place: A Hull of a Thing

Here you see “Christopher Devin III” in Naskeag Harbor on Sunday.

She recently replaced the much different “Christopher Devin II” in Brooklin’s fishing vessel fleet:.

Leighton Archive image

The new “III” is a “Novi,” a different species of fishing vessel than traditional Down East lobster boats such as “II.” She’s nicknamed a Novi because her design originated in Nova Scotia and Novis usually are built there. Novis have stepped-up bows, backward-inclined front windows, and complete displacement hulls. Such hulls are more rounded, sit lower, and are very seaworthy, but give a slower ride than DE vessels of the same power.

Traditional Down East vessels, such as “II,” have forward-inclined or perpendicular front windows and semi-planing hulls. Such hulls are a compromise design to gain speed; they allow the vessels to cut through and sail on the sea faster. (Primary image taken in Brooklin, Maine, on December 10, 2023.)

In the Right Place: V is for Vigor

There’s something obviously normal relating to the chevron of Canada geese seen here, but there’s something unusual that cannot be sensed by just looking at the images.

As to normality, the geese are flying in a “V” (in this case “>”) formation. They do that during migration for two primary reasons. First, a “V” formation conserves energy, which is very much in demand by big birds on vigorous flights. Usually, each goose flies a bit above the bird in front of it, which reduces wind resistance. The birds take turns leading, which is where the wind resistance is the greatest. Second, flying in a “V” allows the birds to keep track of each other and communicate better, which is helpful defensively, as military pilots know.

What cannot be obvious to the viewer here is that these apparently migrating geese are not flying south; they’re flying in a northwesterly direction. This path could be another Climate Change anomaly. More likely, the geese were making an extremely large, wheeling turn and would soon head generally south. Images taken in Brooklin, Maine, on December 3, 2024.)

In the Right Place: Nasty Matchmaker

Look closely: That white-circled growth emerging from the branch of a young balsam fir tree usually is called a “witch’s broom,” but if you cut it off and hang it in your house at this time of the year, it likely would be called a “kissing ball.” It’s a specimen of Maine’s only native mistletoe, Eastern spruce dwarf mistletoe (Arceuthobium pusillum).

All of the hundreds of species of mistletoe are nasty, parasitic plants that kill or maim the trees that they invade by depriving their hosts of nutrients and water. Nonetheless, many cultures historically associated the penetrating plants with sexual attraction, love, marriage, fertility, and curative powers.

The love and marriage powers of mistletoe were taken seriously by many in England at least through Victorian times. At that time, an unwed woman standing under mistletoe was expected to be kissed on the cheek by the first man noticing her and the man was supposed to remove a mistletoe berry while doing so – one kiss, one berry. If the woman refused a kiss, it was expected that she would not receive a marriage proposal for at least a year.

Thanks to plant expert Val Libby of Blue Hill, Maine, for the identification help. (Images taken in Brooklin, Maine, on December 10, 2023.)

In the Right Place: Maine’s Top Gun Program

This image of a peregrine falcon – the world’s fastest animal – appears in my monthly column in the current digital version of the Ellsworth American and will appear in the print version of that newspaper when it is issued on Thursday, December 14.

To read the column about Maine’s efforts to preserve this bird and the shocking ways peregrines hunt, click here: https://www.5backroad.com/montly-column

In the Right Place: Last Light

Here you see the sun setting over Deer Isle to the west of us. The temperature was a reported 26 degrees (F) when this was taken at 4:49 p.m. Friday.

It warmed up considerably Saturday and rained last night, which melted and washed away virtually all of our snow. At 7:15 a.m. this morning when I cranked up the computer, it was 46 degrees and the field was clear of snow.

As for sunsets here, the most dramatic ones occur in November through February. Why? As I understand it, the explanation begins with the sun’s rays at sunset being lower relative to us and, therefore, having to travel farther. That longer distance filters out more blue and green light, which allows us to see more red and orange light at sunset. But, there’s more.

Less humidity in winter means that the air is clearer, not filled with water-swelled impurities. And, a good portion of that air originates in the icy Arctic, which has cleaner air due to fewer trees, less dust, and scant, if any, industrial pollution. Fewer impurities mean more and purer light. (Image taken in Brooklin, Maine, on December 7, 2023.) Click on the image to enlarge it.

In the Right Place: Ice Report

Ponds here have been icing up, but are nowhere near ready to skate or walk on. Here you see the WoodenBoat School’s principal pond this week, with ice forming in the foreground and more solidified clear ice beyond that:

Although there is some ice in Patten Bay, there is none where Patten Stream empties forcefully into the Bay:

(Images taken in Brooklin and Surry, Maine, on December 5, 2023.)

In the Right Place: What in the World Is This?

Judging from the location (Naskeag Harbor), the international diving boat flag, and the added wooden hut, my guess is that this is a vessel that has been modified for a person who dives into the local waters to hand-harvest “diver’s scallops” or urchins.

The hut would be the shelter where the harvest is shelled and sorted by the diver and/or a crew member.

Beauty may be in the eye of the beholder, but sometimes functionality seems to be obvious to everyone. (Images taken in Brooklin, Maine, on December 6, 2023.)

In the Right Place: Good View

For those of you who were worrying about the WoodenBoat School boats not being sealed into their post-and-panel shed yet: I have it on good authority that they’ll be sealed in this week.

A last-minute boat shift and a very busy winter schedule (including Black Friday at the WoodenBoat Store) reportedly were the causes of the delay. The boats are still in very good shape and may have appreciated the view of Great Cove.

(Images taken in Brooklin, Maine, on December 5, 2023.)

In the Right Place: The Day After

Yesterday morning arrived gray, smothered in a blanket of clouds. But the sun broke through for a while, irradiated yesterday’s snow, and gave us good long-views of some of the islands that surround our peninsular.

Above, looking to the southwest from Great Cove Ridge, we see Babson Island helping to protect the Cove and some of the islands beyond, including Conary and Deer Isle.

Below, looking east from Amen Ridge, we see thin Green Island and Mount Desert Island rising in the distance. MDI is Maine’s largest island and includes most of Acadia National Park; it’s reachable by bridge.

(Images taken from Brooklin, Maine, on December 5, 2023.)

In the Right Place: Tropical Winters

Displays of tropical flowers have become traditional in the United States during the winter holiday season. Shopping for them on a gray winter’s day can be an attitude changer. Here you’ll see part of the offerings at Mainescape in Blue Hill, but the flowers are in many nurseries and stores.

The tradition probably began with the display of red poinsettias in Christian churches during 19th Century Christmastimes. We can thank their namesake, Joel Roberts Poinsett, a physician, botanist, and the first U.S. Ambassador to Mexico. Although these plants originated in Africa, Poinsett introduced Mexican specimens into the U.S. and promoted their display during Christmastime.

Part of the promotion was the legend of the poor Mexican girl who couldn’t afford a gift to present the Baby Jesus in the church display. She collected some roadside stalks and placed them near the statue of Jesus on the day before Christmas. The next day, so the legend goes, the stalks had blossomed into beautiful, red-leafed flowers, now known in English as poinsettias.

Today, there reportedly are more than 100 varieties of poinsettias in many colors that are displayed during the winter holiday season. We also see other brightly-colored tropical flowers during “The Holiday Season,” including amaryllis from Africa, cyclamen from the Mediterranean basin, and “Christmas cactus” from Brazil. (Images taken in Blue Hill, Maine, on December 2, 2023.)

In the Right Place: White Interlude

Our first snow flurry of at least two inches started last night and continued sporadically through the day. I was able to get out and take a few images while light snow was coming down.

Below, you’ll see the Trap Tree on the Town Hall lawn, the famous Camperdown Elm Tree in the adjacent Cemetery, and the three magnificent maple trees in front of Friend Memorial Public Library (as well as a glaring temporary detour sign):

Conifer trees collected plenty of snow in their needles and achieved winter wonderland status quickly, while their rugged trunks became snow-swept:

Deciduous trees and shrubs became natural etchings:

As usual, the roads and lanes were promptly plowed and spread with antifreeze chemicals, but there was at least one skid-off on Bay Road:

The snow-covered fields provided relatively smooth foregrounds for focal points, such as ponds and barns:

Late in the morning, the sun made an attempt to break through the snow clouds over the Town Dock in Naskeag Harbor. The sun managed to put a little slight gleam on the Harbor waters, but soon was swallowed whole by the clouds:

(Images taken in Brooklin, Maine, on December 4, 2023.)

In the Right Place: Swelled Heads

Here you see part of a flock of bufflehead ducks out in Great Cove Friday. These birds (Bucephala albeola) have been arriving from Canada at least all week and collecting in small, energetic flocks. They’re the smallest sea ducks in North America, seldom reaching 16 inches in length.

Buffleheads fly here and there, seemingly whimsically, in fast, low formations that make no whirring noise. When in the water, they dive almost continuously for crabs, clams, and sea plants or flit, seemingly nervously, back and forth low over the water. Surprisingly, they nest inside tree cavities abandoned by flickers and pileated woodpeckers.

Their name refers to the black and white males, which have enlarged heads with a big white scoop behind their eyes that they can flex into a hood. Their flexed heads resemble (somewhat) those of American “buffalos” (“bison” to quibblers):

Leighton Archive image

The smaller-headed females are darker overall with just a dab of white behind the eyes. (Primary image taken in Brooklin, Maine, on December 1, 2023.)

In the Right Place: Lightness

This spectacular holiday season “tree” was created yesterday on the Town Office lawn on Bay Road, thanks in large part to the inspiration and efforts of Sarah Havener Brown and a number of other volunteers. It reflects the importance of our lobstering heritage.

Meanwhile, in the middle of a stand of woods beside Naskeag Road, there’s a nightly light show that goes on that is visible from the Road – blinking, shimmering, disappearing, reappearing reds and blues that cast intriguing light on the surrounding trees.

Perhaps it reflects the importance of our rural heritage. (Images taken in Brooklin, Maine, on December 1, 2023.)

November Postcards From Down East Maine

Overall, this year’s November was mild here — October-like — by Maine standards. It seemed to have more sunny days than usual and, during those, more interesting cloud formations than past Novembers:

November also was an unusually warm month, as were October and our summer and spring months. This global warming trend seemed to mute and delay our often brilliant fall foliage, leaving November to show off a fair amount of color late in the year.

We had a couple of hard rains in November and two snow flurries that lasted only minutes. The falling leaves in the woods retained their colors longer than usual as did the vibrant mosses. Even in the rain, the larch (tamarack) trees and many maples showed fall colors during most of the month.

Berries were abundant this November, especially winterberry, multiflora rose hips, Asian bittersweet (unfortunately), and chokeberry:

Probably due to the month’s mildness and lack of serious freezes, fungi also were unusually abundant this November, including some unusual species such as these netted stinkhorns that look like their scientific name (Phallus duplicatus):

The mammal wildlife that does not hibernate in cold weather showed off their heavier winter coats, especially our white-tailed deer, muskrats, and red squirrels:

On the working waterfront, the lobster fishing season ended in November for many inshore fishermen and they brought in their traps for storage:

However, a good number of our fishermen reinstalled masts and booms on there vessels at the end of the month to be ready to “drag” (dredge) for scallops when that mollusk season begins in December:

Of course, many working boats ended their seasons during this month and were brought ashore to spend their winter “on the hard” and sometimes shrink-wrapped:

On the recreational waterfront, all (or perhaps virtually all) sailboats and pier floats were brought ashore for winter storage, which was the case at the famous WoodenBoat School campus:

November’s full moon is called the beaver full moon because it occurs when those flat-tailed rodents are starting to spend more time in their lodges and, historically, when they would be trapped for their winter pelts. This November’s full moon was especially dramatic. It rose as a pale orange orb through low overcast clouds, took on its silver brilliance in a crevice of clear air between cloud layers, then ascended above fast-flying clouds and played peek-a-boo with us all night:

Finally, in addition to being the Thanksgiving month, November is best known here for its hosting the first of the cold-and-clear sunsets and afterglows that often are breathtaking in their subtle mixtures of rainbow colors:

(All images in this post were taken in Down East Maine during November of 2023.)