Category: nature

'scene' along the way, a second look, bugs, butterflies, dragonflies, fun, gardens, nature, on closer examination, perseverance, photography, road trip, travel

Flowers and bugs…

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You know I can never resist a flower picture with a bug in it. Especially bugs that look like a little kid’s toy they’d pull behind them as they learned to walk.   I wonder if they have toys like that anymore?  No batteries, just kid power.  Those photos make flower pictures without a bug just look boring in comparison.  These photos are also from the Coastal Maine Botanical Garden.  Such a lovely place to visit, and just a short drive from this campground.  I’m beginning to wonder if a week will be enough time to see everything I’d like to see while I’m here.  And there I was, contemplating heading back home just a couple of days ago.  I usually do  keep my promises, but I don’t always keep the promises I make to myself.  It’s about time I did…flowersandbugsbeeflowersandbugsbeehiveflowersandbugsbirdsflowersandbugsbutterfly2flowersandbugscalipidderflowersandbugsdragonflyflowersandbugsfakeeyesflowersandbugsgardenflowersandbugsgarden2flowersandbugshollyhockflowersandbugsmonarchflowersandbugspinkandorangeflowersandbugspurpleflowersandbugstunnelflowersandbugstwoofthem

I’m told that the green smiley-faced caterpillar has fake eyes on his back to make his enemies think there is a big, bad, bug looking at them.  I just think he’s cute!

'scene' along the way, a second look, Camping, finding my way, fun, memories, nature, perseverance, photography, road trip, travel

Boothbay Harbor…

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After I arrived at this very nice campground, and got myself almost set up, I was starving and I couldn’t resist heading to Boothbay Harbor.  I had been here a couple of times before.  Once was supposed to be a day trip to Acadia National Park with my husband and kids.  We were a couple of hours into the trip from MA when I turned the  page in the atlas and discovered that we had MILES to go.  Oops.  So we stopped at Boothbay Harbor instead.  I guess this flying by the seat of my pants thing is nothing new.

This time it’s only a 10 minute drive from the campground, so I headed down and spotted a wharf where I could get a clam roll and sit on the wharf and take pictures.  I saw Bud Light/happy hour sign and asked the bartender if it was too late for happy hour.  He said it depended on whether I was happy or not.  I said I was.  Then he asked if I wanted a pitcher.  I told him I wasn’t that happy.  I ate my clams and drank my (one) beer, and exhaustion set in.  I thought I was going to wait to get some sunset pictures, but there was an hour to go and I just couldn’t manage it.  I always have been a cheap date.BBharborHDR1BBharborHDR2BBharborHDR3BBharborHDR4BBharborHDR5BBharborHDR6

'scene' along the way, a second look, adventure, Camping, finding my way, fun, memories, moments, nature, perseverance, photography, road trip, technology, travel

Optimism

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I told myself that I needed to do this, camping I mean, ‘while I am still able’.  I may have been a bit optimistic about how able I really am.  Yesterday kicked my butt.  All I left myself to do yesterday was hitch up the car and I’d be off.  Thought I had that down to a science.  Not quite.  I got it done but it took driving the car up onto boards to raise the hitch up to match the camper.  There was a hill involved.  Did it by myself, almost, though my friend flipped the lever to actually hitch it up.  Then a 3 1/2 hour drive, then set up.  But here I am, and I’ve been here before.  I lived near here one summer while my husband’s ship was being worked on at Bath, ME shipyards.  Do I remember being here?  Sorta.  My two memories are that I was filling the tub and my daughter, 15 months or so, tossed my favorite leather shoes in and basically ruined them.  And a failed photo op.  She was bending over trying to smell a flower, picture the position, the grassy lawn, the dandelion, the chubby cheeks.  I got A picture, but not the one I wanted.  Maybe I’ll get a second chance while I’m here, but with someone else’s adorable daughter…Shorehills1Shorehills2This morning’s challenges were to figure out what was up with the electricity so that I could make coffee and charge the computer.  Done, thank goodness!  It’s another day, gloomy, with a possible storm later so I’d better get moving…

'scene' along the way, adventure, Camping, friends, nature, perseverance, photography, road trip, travel

Final mountain views…

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My hiker friend made sure to see the train he called the Yankee Clipper before we headed back from our White Mountain expedition.  And just when we thought we had seen all that we could manage in a short time we stopped for a last meal, and found more nice views.  I said that there was no shortage of beautiful scenery in NH and I haven’t found a reason to change my mind.  Growing up I didn’t come to New Hampshire much. Ot at all.  I’m glad I’ve gotten to spend as much time here as I have on this trip.  I could not be happier to have spent time with the friends I made in my early childhood.  I was a good judge of character back then it seems, they are still my most cherished friends.  Soon it will be time get back in the camper and find more nice places to visit.  And visit with more old friends, and even find a few new friends.  One new friend said I was spunky to have headed out on this adventure by myself, and at my age.  Now I feel guilty for having stopped to enjoy the comforts of my friend’s house, and gotten so comfy that I have failed to move on.  It’s about time to get back on the road, but not quite yet.

breakfastview1_easyHDR-dramatic-strong

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'scene' along the way, adventure, Camping, friends, memories, nature, perseverance, photography, road trip, travel, weather

Four thousand feet up…

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Among the camping stories I’ve heard is one that’s easier to imagine after riding the tram up to the top of Canon mountain the other day.  In the story my friend was called to school for a conference, seemed the teacher thought his son was telling tall tales.  In the story they were hiking and it was so cold and windy as they attempted to cross the peak that the adults linked arms with each other, forming a circle with the littlest kid in the middle, and then had to take one united step at a time to reach the shelter of the tree line on the other side.  I imagine the teacher was quite surprised to hear that that was a true story, and my friend never got called to school again.

I thought how nice it would be for him to look out at the view from the top, the view he’d hiked to see so many times in his life.  A view I had only seen once before, and hadn’t climbed a mountain to see it either.  But it was so cold and windy that I was only outside long enough for a couple of pictures and we rode the tram back down again.  Back down to the perfectly sunny and warm day that had inspired the trip in the first place.  I guess it was just the facts of life, mountain style.CanonmtpanoCanontram

'scene' along the way, Camping, finding my way, friends, live and learn, nature, perseverance, photography, road trip, sky, sunset, travel

Southern sky…

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Far be it for me to argue with a life-long hiker/backpacker guy, but we had a disagreement on which way was east and which way was west.  The only color in the sky at sunset seemed to me to be in the east, which he insisted was the west.  I will always doubt myself, especially when it comes to talking with someone who did all that camping and always found his way back to the car.  Eventually.  But last night the controversy was decided.  The sun sets in the south!  And I can prove it!lastsunsetlastsunset2