A Peninsula near Freeport

Sitting on a peninsula between the rocky shorelines on Casco Bay and the Harraseeket River, about 3 miles from downtown Freeport, Maine is a 200-acre park of varied ecosystems, including climax white pine and hemlock forests, a salt marsh estuary, and craggy beaches.  Contrasting with commercial bustle of the outlets and restaurants is the quiet and relative seclusion within the park.  Wolfe's Neck Woods State Park was a gift of Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence M.C. Smith in 1969.

Following our hikes earlier in July at Crawford Notch and Mount Monadnock in New Hampshire, our July 26th hike was well within the category of "easy."  Our hike started along the shoreline of Casco Bay, which featured sedimentary rock outcroppings, gravely beaches, and an osprey sanctuary on a near-shore island.  The second half was the cross-peninsula Harraseeket Trail, which skirted above the banks of the Harraseeket River.

The Casco Bay Trail
Skirting the shoreline, the trail connects to the rocky beaches on the bay.

The gravely beach along Casco Bay.

The rock outcroppings on the beach, with Googins Island in the background.

Marine growth on the outcrops in the intertidal zone.

Closeup of the layers of the sedimentary outcropping.

The Harraseeket Trail

The cross-peninsula Harraseeket Trail traverses a relatively flat terrain mostly in a mixed canopy.  After crossing Wolf Neck Road, the trail approaches the river, staying 20 to 30 feet above the shoreline.

Hiking through the woods of Wolfe's Neck.

Fern groundcover in a sunny break in the forest canopy.

Glimpses of the Harraseeket River 

The Harraseeket River as seen from the namesake trail

Return to the Mountaintop!

Mt. Monadnock, on the clear day of
our previous climb, July 5, 2009.

One of my goals for this summer was a return to the mountaintop.  We had a little warm-up the week before climbing the Frankenstein Cliffs trail at Crawford Notch in the White Mountains of New Hampshire.  But I really wanted to return to Mt. Monadnock in southwestern New Hampshire.  So, 5 years and 6 days after our last climb, my son and I returned on July 13, 2014.

Quoting my previous post:  "With a height of 3,165 feet (965 meters), Mount Monadnock is said to be the second most frequently climbed mountain in the world, after Mount Fuji in Japan. Located in southwestern New Hampshire (USA), on a clear day, one can see 100 miles (160 km) from the mountaintop. What makes the views so spectacular is the bare rock summit above the treeline and in the midst of unique alpine vegetation."

Here I am in the wind and the fog at
the summit.  

Well, the views on July 13, 2014 were not as spectacular.   In fact, a storm front was moving in and the summit was enshrouded in clouds, with 60 mph gusts and visibility of, maybe 500 feet.  The summit was closed shortly after I began my descent.

Oh, well.  Missed the views but it was still great to be up there with the wind and fog and moisture hanging in the air!

I had to include the following photo from our 2009 climb, to demonstrate how spectacular the view can be.  The rest of the photos were from this year's climb.

View from the mountaintop, July 5, 2009

The White Dot trail starts out so deceptively flat.  But not for long!

Rocks, roots, uneven ground:  always need good footwear!

The first view from a small rocky ledge about halfway up the trail.

Hazy view a little further along the climb.

Ferns form a understory in the thinner forest part way up.

View from the tree line

The craggy mountain above the tree line.  A good bit of climbing from here up is on the sloping rock face.

After over an hour of climbing, the first view of the summit comes tells you there's still a long way to go!

Above the tree line, the strong winds keep the vegetation stunted

Little ecosystems in the pools that form with the rocks near the summit.

Views just below the summit.

Hikers on the foggy summit

Trail map:   Both times, we too the White Dot trail for the climb and the White Cross for the descent.

Summer Time and the Living Is Easy

 "Summertime, 
And the livin' is easy ..."

This week the temperature hit the 90s (32 to 35 deg C).  While so many complain about the heat, I just love it!

The heat forces us to live differently.  We have to slow down.  We have to seek out the shade, and drinks some cool beverages.  We have to take it easy.  

The heat offers us the opportunity to get out of the run-around, over-committed lives we lead.    It offers us the opportunity to just sit there and take in the surroundings.  We can quiet our busy minds and rest our souls.  A good day in the 90s and the lyrics "and the livin' is easy" just clicked with me.

Having the week off with no travel plans, I left the air-conditioning inside and just sat out in the shade of the patio each day.  Just to enjoy the warmth and take in the surroundings, maybe do a little light reading.

Talking to my friend Gregg the other day, he echoed these thoughts, too.  Living without air-conditioning, he also finds he has to slow down in the heat.  He recommended just leaving all technology behind in the house, and just taking in the environment around me.

Then our pastor this morning, preaching on Luke 10 about sending out the 72 disciples in pairs, made not of how they were to travel simply, without excess baggage.  In the same we, he challenged us and himself to strip ourselves of the excess baggage of life, be it possessions, the ever-present technology (phones, tablets, laptops, always "con-nected" and always making demands of our attention), or the tyranny of so many demands and deadlines that often leave us with life living us instead of us living life.  (The last item describes my typical day at work, with multiple projects to manage, each with its own schedule, deadlines, and little "fire drills" that come up.)

Luckily, I have one more week before I return to work.  Another 7 days of opportunities to take the opportunity of summer, when the livin' is easy.

Happy summer!

Taking a Moment

The joy of blogging, I had discovered, was in taking the time to take in life. Whether taking in the visual or aural texture of one’s surroundings, or the intellectual implications of a thought, the process always required me to take time, take in all in, think about it, and put it in words.

I’ve missed that experience over the last year. Being a time of transition, I found the changes themselves occupied my time and kept away the quiet moments, the moments of reflection on even just one thought.

So, this evening, as I left the Cambridge Library, I took a moment. In the quiet warmth of a late afternoon sun in the waning days of summer, I sat on a bench outside. I just let the gentle warmth touch me. I let the relative quiet settle me. My cell phone battery almost dead, I was freed from the usual distractions, and just took in the view: the architecture of the library extension, the light brown of a wood porch on a triple-decker on Ellery Street.

So wonderful, taking a moment.

Climbing a smaller mountain

Last year we took on the 2,000 foot (650 m) climb of Mt. Monadnack in New Hampshire, the 2nd most climbed mountain in the world, with a summit at 3,165 feet (965 meters). It took some time, but the view from the mountaintop and the sense of accomplishment was worth the effort.

This year, we took on a smaller mountain, known as Pack Monadnack, located in Miller State Park. I think of it as the little baby sister of Monadnack. It is about a more modest 800 foot (250 m) climb from the base parking area to its summit at 2,290 feet (750 m). At right is the view of the big mountain taken from the climb of "little sister."

Still it was an enjoyabe climb. And from a tower on the top of the mountain, one can get a good view all around.

Left: the vista towards Mt. Monadnack, from the climb up Pack Monadnack.

Below: along the trail on the climb


Below: The flora along the path: white birch, oaks, ferns

Below: Vista from the tower at the summit

Fireflies

My idyllic version of a summer evening: warm (but not too humid), a clear sky, and a big field or meadow to roam barefoot, just at dusk as the fireflies come out.

This is just such a vivid image from the few times in my childhood when I was away from the city, often on vacation or visiting family. There were a few early teen years when we lived outside the city, but by then, fireflies were not the first thing on my mind.

I just love watching them fly. If it is just after dusk, you can often see them between blinks. But as night approaches, it is only their occasional blinks of yellow light that hints at the pattern of their gently looping flight above the lawn or into the bushes and trees. It is just such a peaceful scene.

I love to catch one just momentarily and peak as it blinks in the darkness of my cusped hand. Then, I let it just fly away. So, gently.

But, their blinking has romantic overtones as the males are in search of their mates. What a wonderful courting ritual!

While I love living in the city, I truly miss the spectacle of fireflies in the meadow on a warm July night!

Going to the Fair

Every once in a while, I get out of the city and experience life in more rural environs. While I’ve lived most of my life in the city, my second favorite place to be in out in the country, be it a rural town or out in the countryside. It always seems peaceful to drive past farms and fields, especially where you see cows and horses.

So, on Labor Day I was out in Northampton, Massachusetts, and visited the Three County Fair. The fair included a variety of features, such as kiddy rides, “fair” fast food, farm machinery, monster trucks, a youth talent show, and my favorites, live animals. Now these animals were not of the urban variety (such as pigeons, squirrels, and cockroaches) but of the farm variety, such as cows, pigs, chickens, roosters, and rabbits.

A crowd favorite (and mine, too) was the pig race. The race involves four little piglets running around a small track motivated by a bowl of Oreos, which they much on after the race is over. It takes all of about 20 seconds, but it’s so cute watching the little piglets run. (To protect the health of the piglets, they only do this a couple of times a day, and let them rest in the shade the rest of the day.)

My sentimental favorite are the bunnies – always so cute! But second were the roosters – or, as I think of them, the analog alarm clocks. They are quite handsome and studly and speak with great projection!

Here’s a few photos from the fair.



Above and below: Little piglets after and during the race.



Below: my favorite of the cute little bunnies.



Below: I was tempted to purchase one of the analog alarm clocks!



Below: Something you don't see in the city - a watermelon grows in a driveway.