postcards from maine

i'm trying out a new format. it's a little bit reckless. i might have got carried away.

i took about five million photos of sunsets. i am working on the theory that i can store them up for use when i am back in brooklyn and cannot see the sky unless i am standing directly in the middle of the street.

the sunsets here were relentless. we got one every single day!

sunday evening. diving platform.

monday, maybe. lance and stephanie in the kayak.

this sunset had a few islands thrown in for atmosphere.

wednesday's sunset from the window seat in our bedroom.
 

 we woke up one morning to three luna moths on the screens of the porch. they didn't say much, but they were pretty, anyway. they have those crazy yellow feather antennae that look like they would be very soft. i wouldn't mind having a room full of luna moths to walk through when i'm feeling mean.

fishing, golden oreos optional

there was some fishing from the little dock by the house. as i understand it a very old, wise, bearded fish lives under the dock. even though he swims with a cane because of tailfin arthritis, he is still the most powerful fish in the lake. the sweetie caught him once, i think, but after a pleasant chat, the two parted ways on friendly terms. one of those sunsets accidentally got into this photo. i think i mentioned they are relentless things. and they're everywhere!

what began as a quiet attempt to overcome a fear of whirlpools, lightning and lake monsters evolved into an epic battle of good over evil. or something. kayak wars: the rise of the kayak! except in the case of the sweetie, whose kayak, according to his brother, sailed along like the monitor. look it up. you'll get it when you see the pictures. it's an ironclad.

the monitor is the ship on your left.

maine is what we in missouri would call a dry state in terms of fireworks. although the sweetie and i are adorers of massive explosions, we figured the loons would be happier with a smaller scale celebration and so we decided to obey the law for a change. besides, we had a promise from a ten year old of a late fireworks extravaganza waiting for us in missouri. we played it extra safe by standing on the dock, surrounded by lake. bring on the sparklers!

here there be pirates, matey. or something

we spent an afternoon in bar harbor. there are plenty of fancy ships and tons of touristy shops. there are lobster versions of almost everything and you can get blueberries in syrup form, chocolate form, lotion form and soap form. a good shopper will find the moose helmets. there are three styles to fit all your moose needs, both nosed and nose-free.

 here you can see the mysterious ice cream lobster in its natural habitat- a sidewalk in maine. i think that may be the ice cream lobster's personal bodyguard there beside him on the right. you can't be too careful when you're an ice cream lobster, i suppose.

can you see it? it's that red light between lance and stephanie.

we are, all of us, a lighthouse adoring people. we figured the only lighthouse on mount desert island ought to be something awe inspiring. turns out it's a stubby little dachshund-ish thing painted white and stuck onto the low side of a bluff. being taller than the light is not really a challenge. secretly, though, i thought it was cute enough to hug. but i didn't. maine needs some serious lighthouse action because of its rocky coastline. in brooklyn, you could steer a ship right up onto the smooth beach. your only danger might be one of those syringe fish or condom fish that prowl the shallows around coney island. in maine, giant stabby rocks lurk just below the surface, waiting to gut any ship foolish enough to wander by. so thank you tiny lighthouse. you are a hero to all. 

sweetie on the rocks

one of grandma's sofa paintings

even though the coast isn't what most folks would call swimmable, it's pretty impressive in its rocky wildness. i am already missing it and am plotting how to get back there again for one of the next hot seasons. because in the summer, in maine, the 83 degree afternoon we had was described on every news channel in great detail as a dangerous heat wave.

our last evening together we went out to eat lobster at a local place. some of us had lobster and some of us didn't, but there was pie and cake and creme brulee at the end. and we all had what we had together. we sat out on a big porch with a view of a pretty river. afterward, a stranger offered to take a family photo. we took quite a few, but i think this one captures us best.