My World: Maine in Green and Gray

Aroostook County Extension Farm 6-26-09

Song Sparrow 6-26-09 behind motel

Mantle Lake Park Presque Isle 6-26-09


Muskrat at Mantle Lake 6-26-09



Arnold Brook Lake Presque Isle, ME 6-27-09

( I saw two loons in the water here.)

Into the woods @ Arnold Brook Lake 6-27-09

(It is down this path that I found the magnolia warbler)

Amish Carriage on State St. Bridge,

Presque Isle, ME 6-27-09

Presque Isle alley 6-27-09

( I counted a couple of chickadees in the tree down this alley.

Birds are everywhere!)



Falmouth, ME

Seagull and unknown birds in the harbour 6-29-09

Common Eiders at Falmouth Landing 6-29-09

Lobster cages stacked in the harbour 6-29-09

Boats in the harbour 6-29-09

Mackworth Island Causeway looking towards the mainland.

Laughing gull in gray sky (he's the only one laughing!)

In June I took a trip to the east coast where I visited Connecticut and Maine. Together my mother and I took a drive up to Aroostook County, ME where my second son lives with two of my grandchildren. Though normally gorgeously sunny and blue and green this time of year, the skies remained leaden and gray the whole weekend. Trees dripped rain drops constantly and the wet grass soaked though my shoes. Still, every morning before everyone else got up I was out the door looking for birds.

Aroostook County is the largest and least populated county in Maine. It is best known for its potatoes and lumber mills. Vast tracks of land are owned by the lumber companies and thus are undeveloped. The many small towns are influenced by their french speaking Canadian neighbors and up along the border in Fort Kent the local fast food chains have the menu in both English and French. When I lived here in the late 90's one could easily cross the border into Canada and back, but now all of that has changed. The people of Aroostook County have a strong sense of place and their identity is strongly tied to being from "The County." When I lived there I met people who have never even been to Bangor, ME, which is the largest town to the south. It takes about 3 hours to get from Bangor to Presque Isle. When you leave Bangor it feels like you have just left the edge of the known world. From there on out it is all trees, rivers, swamps, mountains and rolling hills. Near Millinocket one can see Mt. Katahdin, the highest mountain in Maine.

On our way home from Aroostook County my mother and I stopped in Falmouth to visit a cousin. Early Monday morning I was out the door once again looking at birds. The constant rain has turned the land lush green under gray and foggy skies and thus I decided to name this post, Maine in Green and Gray. (If anyone thinks they know what the bird in the water is, please feel free to make a guess in the comments!)

and that's...

MY WORLD Tuesday