Bosca Dubh

Burnt Island Light 4

Burnt Island, Boothbay Harbor, Maine

Burnt Island Light 3

Burnt Island, Boothbay Harbor, Maine

island point

Burnt Island, Boothbay Harbor, Maine

mangled

lost lobster trap, Burnt Island, Boothbay Harbor, Maine

sea gaze

Burnt Island, Boothbay Harbor, Maine

Harbor Light

Boothbay Harbor, Maine

Island Stones

Burnt Island, near Boothbay, Maine.

Cast Up

Lobster trap lost at sea, Burnt Island, near Boothbay, Maine.

Summer Hat

Burnt Island, near Boothbay, Maine.

Burnt Island

Burnt Island, near Boothbay, Maine.

Burnt Island Light 2

Burnt Island, near Boothbay, Maine.

Burnt Island Light

Burnt Island, near Boothbay, Maine.

That nothing can stay and nothing can bind

The father sat, and told them tales
Of wrecks in the great September gales,
Of pirates coasting the Spanish Main,
And ships that never came back again,
The chance and change of a sailor’s life,
Want and plenty, rest and strife,
His roving fancy, like the wind,
That nothing can stay and nothing can bind,
And the magic charm of foreign lands,
With shadows of palms, and shining sands,
Where the tumbling surf,
O’er the coral reefs of Madagascar,
Washes the feet of the swarthy Lascar,
As he lies alone and asleep on the turf.

from The Building of the Ship by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

the sailor considers the sea

Reid State Park, Georgetown, Maine

Now see these:

• love from bighappyfunhouse
• Bumper crop from Sopheava de Lumiere
• Escape To Light from Black and White Dreaming

traps

Maine Maritime Museum, Bath

Now see these:

• People Watching at the Panzano in Chianti Wine Fest from Rion.nu
• Italian Vice from Hmmm
• the guitarist from B&W

net

fishing net, Maine Maritime Museum, Bath

Now see these:

• Sidewinder: 1890 from Shorpy
• your hands make your body beautiful from the narrative
• Reflet de spahis from 26 fragments
• come away with me from kolamilch.de

mast

Maine Maritime Museum, Bath

Now see these:

• another morning from myphotosquare
• autumn from Dreams of light
• Still Waters from The Siao Dynasty
• Volley? from Luca Ariati

lines

Maine Maritime Museum, Bath

Now see these:

• Don’t look down from Aperture First
• untitled from I Take Faux Toes
• Women in Blue from Plaisirs Instantanes

from the hold

Maine Maritime Museum, Bath

Now see these:

• Whip from No Traces
• mass @ Nara from WasabiNoise
• Spiral from miChou
• Biblioteca de la Abadía de Monte Oliveto Maggiore from javier falco

Sherman Zwicker 3

Maine Maritime Museum, Bath

Now see these:

• cafe van kleef from your waitress
• Le Petit Fer à Cheval from Paris Cool
• das Schuppentier from pangolin

Sherman Zwicker 2

Maine Maritime Museum, Bath

Now see these:

• white cotton shirt from hanna birke
• breeze blowing pages from hanna birke
• Early Bird from Feldauge
• Keyhaven dawn from milou
• morning baseball game from 1965 monochrome

rigging

Maine Maritime Museum, Bath

Now see these:

• Children’s Room: 1941 from Shorpy
• Dark Waters from rich loves you
• PaTT in Black and White III from PaTTGReGoR

Sherman Zwicker 1

Maine Maritime Museum, Bath

Now see these:

• Dog’N'bike from Elaine
• where soho meets chinatown: london late in the evening from Rion.nu
• Hotel Babylon from Hmmm

tackle

Maine Maritime Museum, Bath

Now see these:

• … and don’t forget to bring your camera. from Still alive
• Kanuma Festival, Tochigi prefecture from underexposure
• Greece from talkin.nl
• Octopus Salad from Ride My Pony

rope

Maine Maritime Museum, Bath

Now see these:

• Kicker rock from Aperture First
• El Hombre Hormiguita !!! from …a view from the 6oh lens…
• Landergin TX from Electrolite
• Curtain from HELLO

coil

Maine Maritime Museum, Bath

Now see these:

• louvre from dying light
• last day in detroit from Puja Parakh
• untitled from Black and White Dreaming
• 439 from Edmund Leveckis

driftwood

Reid State Park, Georgetown, Maine

Now see these:

• hothouse from drawn in light
• The Slammer: 1919 from Shorpy
• Eureka from Million-Year Picnic

surf

Reid State Park, Georgetown, Maine

Now see these:

• stars and stripes from myphotosquare.com
• Holy from EYESPEAK
• When Time Stood Still from eye spy with my little eye
• Montmartre from BOITE A IMAGES

tidal pool

Reid State Park, Georgetown, Maine

Now see these:

• Firefighters from Andy Smith-Petersen
• Fog on the arête from Aperture First
• Rose Mary Cottage Garden from aandedijk.com

rescue boat 4

Burnt Island, near Boothbay, Maine

Now see these:

• Far West Portraits – 16 from DONC JE SUIS
• Venho from luotokuva
• i was sitting in mcsorley’s from your waitress
• Les Artisans du faubourg : exposition from pariscool

rescue boat 3

Burnt Island, near Boothbay, Maine

Now see these:

• assist from hanna birke
• Devoid from Feldauge
• Ramp from milou
• Two Chairs from 1965 monochrome

rescue boat 2

Burnt Island, near Boothbay, Maine

Now see these:

• Luca. from Elaine
• older east londoners just north of dalston junction from Rion.nu

rescue boat

Burnt Island, near Boothbay, Maine

Now see these:

• untitled from Drawn in Light
• Found Film: ILFORD Selochrome from Photo Utopia
• Cruisin’ 1968 from Shorpy

chalet for sale

Woodstock, Maine

Now see these:

• Dunescape from absolutelynothing
• vermont from myphotosquare
• Island shore from Jim Dugan

rail

Woodstock, Maine

barn 2

Woodstock, Maine

barn

Woodstock, Maine, shortly before the Norway-Paris tornado

Lake Christopher

Lake Christopher, Woodstock, Maine

Rescue Boat

Burnt Island Light, near Boothbay, Maine

Burnt Island Porch

Burnt Island Light, near Boothbay, Maine

Burnt Island Light 2

Burnt Island Light, near Boothbay, Maine

Burnt Island Light

Burnt Island Light, near Boothbay, Maine

snack shack

Reid State Park, Georgetown, Maine.

Now see these:

• song from myphotosquare
• Winter Wonderland from absolutelynothing
• musée national d’art moderne – centre pompidou from Les Particules Etranges

wave

Reid State Park, Georgetown, Maine.

Now see these:

• *Gasp* from …a view from the 6oh lens…
• 444 from cuchulainn
• Parks from Aizmiga

kelp bed

Reid State Park, Georgetown, Maine.

Now see these:

• . from dying light
• Yup, it’s still winter from Sopheava de Lumiere
• untitled from Susanne Stoop
• Nebel an der Victoria Sicht from Ruegen im Licht
• Along the fence in the snow from gavin lyons
• Leaves from Stranded in Kenmare

water meets stone

Reid State Park, Georgetown, Maine.

Round many western islands have I been

Much have I travell’d in the realms of gold,
And many goodly states and kingdoms seen;
Round many western islands have I been
Which bards in fealty to Apollo hold.

from On First Looking Into Chapman’s Homer, John Keats

Reid State Park, Georgetown, Maine.

Now see these:

• ight on the wall as i bounce off my failings with you once again from Hanna Birke
• Just reed from Feldauge
• Seven from milou
• Plaid geese on sooke harbour from Mad Media Studios
• new year’s lanterns from 1965 monochrome

stone and shore

Reid State Park, Georgetown, Maine.

Now see these:

• Standing on the Shore from Perspective Images
• Running man from Elaine
• Stones from Richard Vanek
• Plaid Umbrella Hamster Cage Freeway from Unphotographable

pile

Reid State Park, Georgetown, Maine.

Now see these:

• Inaugural Ball: 1925 from Shorpy
• Sunderland 2009 from Mystery Me
• Testing the Ice on Lake Nockamixon from A Walk Through Durham Township
• Drying Books I from 741231
• One Moment Please from Portitxol

furrows and grooves

Reid State Park, Georgetown, Maine.

Now see these:

• Inauguration, Jake’s studio from fourteen places to eat
• Balance from bighappyfunhouse
• Rockland Breakwater in winter from Jim Dugan’s PhotoBlog
• ghosts from myphotosquare
• sometimes heart.. from dreams of light

green star bag

A sail transformed into a stylish bag at Sea Bags, Portland, Maine.

Now see these:

• Nick Noir: 1924 from Shorpy
• Snow on a Wrought Iron Gate in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania from A Walk Through Durham Township
• dizzy from myphotosquare
• Oh so quiet from Unravelling
• Garde royale from pictalogue.com
• Sattle from fallenpieces

canvas

Old sails wait to be transformed into bags at Sea Bags, Portland, Maine.

Porthole Restaurant 2

Porthole Restaurant, on the wharf, Portland, Maine.

Porthole Restaurant

Porthole Restaurant, on the wharf, Portland, Maine.

Now see these:

• A Christmas story from Sopheava de Lumiere
• Costa de Barcelona from Janos Kummer
• Ascension verticale from Cushmok
• Rocher de Freyr suite from blog@mika

splash your great pines

Whirl up, sea?
whirl your pointed pines,
splash your great pines
on our rocks,
hurl your green over us,
cover us with your pools of fir.

Oread by H.D.

Reid State Park, Georgetown, Maine. 1912 Graflex pinhole, ~5 minutes’ exposure.

þú þök að fjúka út á brot sjó

þú þök að fjúka út á brot sjó
. . .
You roofs blow out into the stormy sea

gobbledigook, sigur rós

Reid State Park, Georgetown, Maine. 1912 Graflex pinhole, ~5 minutes’ exposure.

Now I reach across time to take hold of your hand

I’ve searched through the hills and I’ve read all the words
Now I reach across time to take hold of your hand

Molly Ockett’s Song, Marge Bruchac

Molly Ockett’s grave, Andover, Maine.

Now see these:

• Primary colours from Aperture First
• untitled from taraville
• Farm Road, 3:50 p.m. from A Walk Through Durham Township

pail of sand

Old Orchard Beach, Maine.

sand shark

Old Orchard Beach, Maine.

Now see these:

• Horsell Common II and Bodmin from milou
• November II from Feldauge
• skull on the desk from 1965 Monochrome

beach food

Old Orchard Beach, Maine.

Now see these:

• closed from bighappyfunhouse
• Things are Looking Up from Perspective Images
• Clouseau from Elaine
• Bye Japan from Richard Vanek

emerging

Old Orchard Beach, Maine.

Now see these:

• another day at the omelette factory… from incidence
• Midnight Picnic: 1947 from Shorpy
• Delaware River Bridge c. 1935 from Shorpy
• Resonance X from Million-Year Picnic
• Missing Pages from Daily Walks

the beginning and the end of our dominion

Sand is the beginning and the end
of our dominion.

Shoreline by Mary Barnard

Old Orchard Beach, Maine.

Now see these:

surf and piers

Old Orchard Beach, Maine.

surf

Old Orchard Beach, Maine.

sentry

Civil War memorial, Bethel, Maine.

Simon Hason.

Woodlawn Cemetery, Andover, Maine.

Now see these:

• unbearable from bighappyfunhouse
• Through the Looking-Glass from Shorpy
• Untitled from Mystery Me
• Under the Bridge from Chris Legg
• Camera Obscura from Desolate Metropolis

Molly Ockett’s Grave

Woodlawn Cemetery, Andover, Maine.

Molly Ockett was an Abenaki woman who lived in the mountains between Maine and New Hampshire in the early 19th century. Her Abenaki name was Singing Bird; she was baptised as “Marie Agatha” by French Catholic missionaries, hence her Americanized name. “Molly Ockett” has been incorporated into the names of schools, businesses, and natural features throughout the Androscoggin valley, and legends abound about her. She is cast sometimes as a healer, sometimes as a witch, and always as a complicated figure who moved at ease between the Native and English worlds.

I have, I think, a more respectful picture of her grave in a light-tight box in the basement, waiting for me to apply smelly chemicals to the 4×5 film.

Now see these:

• The Blue Notebooks from Wink
• Sailing Nantucket from Craig Persel
• Bad Weather II from Anne V.

Polly

Woodlawn Cemetery, Andover, Maine.

Now see these:

• Black Walnuts from A Walk Through Durham Township
• Warning from bighappyfunhouse
• under the leaves from apparently nothing
• untitled from taraville

island

Reid State Park, Georgetown, Maine.

Looking for a worthy cause to support? Take a look at this one at DonorsChoose.org: a junior high school teacher in Owatonna wants to introduce her students to poetry through verse novels. I’ve donated to the project, but it still needs some help to reach its goal. Lend a hand (and a few bucks) if you can!

And if this particular project doesn’t do it for you, browse through the other education projects at DonorsChoose.org; teachers ask, you choose, students learn.

Vote.

Campaign office, Bethel, Maine.

Vote. Vote. Vote.

at play on the rocks

Reid State Park, Georgetown, Maine.

Check out the From a Farther Room iGoogle Theme, featuring four black and white photographs from this photoblog: Lake Superior waves at Grand Marais, a Minneapolis leaf pile, a vintage Lake Street sign, and a South Minneapolis alley in the snow.

graflex on the beach

Reid State Park, Georgetown, Maine.

Now see these:

• Silver Maple Leaves Falling into the Delaware River at Dawn from A Walk Through Durham Township
• city from bighappyfunhouse
• Keyhaven beach from milou
• hana from 1965 monochrome
• Flood 2 from Elaine

stones meet sky and sea

Reid State Park, Georgetown, Maine.

seaweed and stones

Reid State Park, Georgetown, Maine.

Now see these:

• untitled from maditi
• under the leaves from apparently nothing

trees and stones

Reid State Park, Georgetown, Maine.

rock flow 2

Reid State Park, Georgetown, Maine.

stone waves

Reid State Park, Georgetown, Maine.

Now see these:

• foucs from bighappyfunhouse
• stumped from milou
• iceshop from 1965 monochrome
• paper aeroplane from Kylie Greenan

driftwood 2

Reid State Park, Georgetown, Maine.

Now see these:

• Immuable from Elaine
• untitled from Rion.nu
• oh yes he can from Hmmm…
• untitled from youaresick

driftwood

Reid State Park, Georgetown, Maine.

Now see these:

• Madres de Plaza de Mayo, Buenos Aires from CellophaneCity
• Fondamente Canareggio from Richard Tugwell
• Tuscany IV (4) from Marzia Frank

tide

Reid State Park, Georgetown, Maine.

Now see these:

• entrepreneur from bighappyfunhouse
• fall. here. there from myphotosquare
• Around town with a toy camera #10 from Still alive

water’s edge

Reid State Park, Georgetown, Maine.

Now see these:

• untitled from Rebecca
• the raven from Electrolite
• sunflowers from dying light
• Autumn from Sopheava

shore shadows

Reid State Park, Georgetown, Maine.

beach run

Reid State Park, Georgetown, Maine.

Now see these:

• Cobweb from Feldauge
• Claonaig from milou
• an array of pillars from BOXMAN fotologue

from the sea

Reid State Park, Georgetown, Maine.

Now see these:

• Grenouille from Elaine
• rounding from pfnphoto
• Newdays from Really Japan

fishing lesson

On the big rock in the middle of North Pond, Locke Mills/Greenwood, Maine.

Now see these:

• Autumn Rocks from From 10 to 300 mm
• Cool Breeze, Montana 2008 from Ya Wesler
• One Hour Later from watchThisspace

rock portrait

Peter on the big rock in the middle of North Pond, Locke Mills/Greenwood, Maine.

Now see these:

• stripes on stripes from HELLO
• Pumpkins aboard the Mary Day from Jim Dugan
• Golden Grace from Craig Persel
• ROCKY COAST from A.B.C. Photography

rock shot

Peter lines up a Graflex pinhole shot on the big rock in the middle of North Pond, Locke Mills/Greenwood, Maine. I’ve got a box of 4×5 sheets–mostly of rocks–that I need to develop when I find a spare hour to spend in the dark.

Now see these:

• put a spell on you from Electrolite
• incident from bighappyfunhouse
• untitled from straydog
• 358 from A Softer World
• Armor from Wood|Stone
• (My favorite) Sunday brunch from Sopheava

landing party

Granddad and Margaret in the canoe, and Mom and Jack in the kayak, approach the big rock in the middle of North Pond, Locke Mills/Greenwood, Maine. They boys insisted on having their birthday lunch out on this hunk of granite–not a bad summertime adventure.

Now see these:

• Light rain from Vanilla Days
• The Drifter from Daily Practice
• handymania II from a picture a day keeps the doctor away
• Red balloon from Bouncing Light
• Simple Line from Xavier Rey

back to the rock

From the big rock in the middle of North Pond, Locke Mills/Greenwood, Maine.

Now see these:

• Cottonwood from Feldauge
• sakaba from 1965 monochrome
• nyc from Urban Ghost
• mother and her daughter go from BOXMAN fotologue

lakeside chairs

Looking at the little island from the big rock in the middle of North Pond, Locke Mills/Greenwood, Maine.

Now see these:

• Godot from Elaine
• Driven from Perspective Images
• Wind from Richard Vaneck
• Halloween from hmmm…

sliding past

From the big rock in the middle of North Pond, Locke Mills/Greenwood, Maine.

Now see these:

• politics from bighappyfunhouse
• NY is Alone from *.empty
• Instant Messenger: 1913 from Shorpy
• Peux tu m’entendre? from pictalogue
• goldgelb from OskarfotO
• Pieceofglass from Drawn in Light

landing the canoe

The big rock in the middle of North Pond, Locke Mills/Greenwood, Maine.

leap

The big rock in the middle of North Pond, Locke Mills/Greenwood, Maine.

Now see these:

• puddle jumper from urban views
• untitled from shallow grays
• Evening at Roger’s Barn from A Walk Through Durham Township
• Heijastus from luotokuva
• Un petit verre sur ?chasses rue de la Fontaine au Roi from Pariscool

rock flow

Reid State Park, Geogetown, ME.

rockbound

Reid State Park, Geogetown, ME.

rock shelf

Reid State Park, Geogetown, ME.

The Hard Structure of the World

The hard structure of the world,
The world structure of illusion.

From seeing too much of the world
We do not understand it.

There is something unknown in knowing.
Unfaith is what keeps faith going.

The Hard Structure of the World by Richard Eberhart

Reid State Park, Georgetown, Maine.

The Country of Pointed Firs

Reid State Park, Georgetown, Maine.

Hilltop

Reid State Park, Georgetown, Maine.

North Pond: Abandoned

Contrary to appearances, Granddad is actually bringing his kayak toward the boy on the rock; his kayak was missing a critical component: without a keel, it was very good at going in circles, somewhat OK at going backwards, and not very effective at all in going forward.

Now see these:

• Casco Bay by Doug Sharp
• once, we had jazz from Vu
• untitled (Gent, Belgium) from timescapes
• Girl in the Cafe from *.empty

North Pond: Overboard

Now see these:

• Just a nice boat from Jim Dugan’s PhotoBlog
• Campfire from phonos.cz
• Silos from Pixel Perfect
• wash on wire from Europe in Black and White

North Pond: Kelly

Now see these:

• clean from bighappyfunhouse
• Life Goes on in Tehran – September (scroooooool to the right; there’s a lot to see . . .)
• L’esprit du mâle from chambrenoir

North Pond: Peter

North Pond: Swimmers 2

Hurrah! One of my favorite photoblogs, incidence, is back with new content from Togo. I can only imagine the logistical hurdles that had to be leaped to get these wonderful black and white images to the world (though we’re given a hint that falciparum malaria was involved . . . ick . . .).

Take special note of this ancestor hut, wooden pirogue, and portrait at Wonougba; but they’re all great, and the site is worth frequent visits.

North Pond: Swimmers

Happy travels, Madeleine L’Engle. What precocious child of the ’60s and ’70s wasn’t shaped by your wonder-filled adventures? I still sometimes think of tesseracts and moebius strips while I’m falling asleep.

• “It matters cosmically” (Poetry Foundation blog “Harriet”)
• Madeleine L’Engle, Children’s Writer, Is Dead
• Writer Madeleine L’Engle, 88; Author of ‘A Wrinkle in Time
• Madeleine L’Engle at Home

North Pond: Landing Party

North Pond: On the rock

Prints of this and other North Pond photographs are available for sale.

Updated October 15, 2007: Named a Moody Monday favorite for the Solitary theme.

North Pond: Megalith

Not really a megalith, of course; the precariously situated rock was probably dropped on the granite island in the middle of North Pond by the glacier that scooped out the lake 25,000-odd years ago.

North Pond

One of our favorite activities at Granddad’s house is taking his kayaks out on North Pond, a lake surrounded by Woodstock and Greenwood. I’ve always been intrigued by a rock in the middle of the lake, a hunk of granite dropped there by the glacier that scooped out the pond; we paddled out to stand on it and look at the smooth, clear water. The Holga came along, since I can’t imagine dropping it in the pond would do it much harm . . .

rockbound 2

Portland Head

rockbound

Portland Head

light tower

Portland Head Light

Portland Head

As the Spoonbridge is to Minneapolis, so Portland Head is to Maine, but more so. Horribly over-shot (and, in this case, over-processed; remember, Photoshop filters are not sufficient to make a dull picture interesting . . . ).

I spy

Jack tests his new spyglass at Portland Head Light.

The boys’ party went well yesterday, though there was a vicious water balloon attack: the 50 balloons that I spent an hour filling were thrown at me in under five minutes by a hoard of 6- and 7-year-olds. They also turned the sprinkler on me. It was somewhat reminiscent of my cautionary tale from a couple years back. The cold I was nursing got a whole lot worse after the soaking, but I think I’ll live.

Wanna lobstah?

Jack and Peter pluck a lobster from the sea at the Children’s Museum of Maine in Portland. Hard to believe they turn 6 today: first grade is just over a week away.

portal

Peter at the Children’s Museum of Maine, looking out from the pirate ship out back. We hadn’t been to the museum in two years, but the boys remembered everything about it; before we left they wrote out their plan and listed pretty much all the displays: the fire truck, the grocery store, the camp site, and, of course, the pirate ship.

Sad news yesterday: Grace Paley passed away at 84. Paley was one of the great short stories writers of the last half of the 20th century; in my personal pantheon, she’s in a triumvirate with Raymond Carver and Ann Beattie. Like Carver, Paley shone a bright but loving light into the dark corners of normal people; like Beattie, she wove together private and public struggles in a way that made the political truly personal, and vice versa. And like no one else, she combined humor and sadness into uplifting tales without a trace of saccharin.

What’s especially striking about Paley is her commitment to the short form: stories weren’t a stepping stone to novels, a career move to sell a bigger book. There were just the three luminous collections, plus some poetry and essay collections, but no great epic saga. And her output was spaced widely over four decades; one has the sense that her effortless prose was actually hard-won after great struggle. Few writers have said so much with so few words.

cone

Jack works on a cone at Fuller’s Gourmet Chocolates and Ice Cream on the Portland waterfront. The only good thing about our delayed flight was a chance to hang out with Granddad for a couple more hours at the waterfront for hot dogs, Italian sandwiches, and ice cream . . .

Tree Fort: Moose House

And so we bid farewell to Moose House, at least until our next visit to Granddad. Auntie Betsy and Uncle Brian are visiting now–perhaps Granddad will enlist Uncle Brian’s help in building an addition . . .

Tree Fort: Up the Wall

A few more tree fort shots ahead . . .

It turns out the boys are actually part spider monkey: the climbing wall on Moose House fort wasn’t too much of a challenge at all…

Some sad news on one of our local tragedies: one of the people injured in the Clicquot Club Cafe accident has died. And a bittersweet ending (we hope) to the search for victims of the highway bridge collapse, as Gregory Jolstad is finally recovered. Falling bridges, flooding streets, trucks crashing into sidewalk cafes–it’s been a rough August for Minnesota. The State Fair is right around the corner, though, and Jack and Peter have big birthday plans this weekend, so maybe the month will go out on a high note.

Tree Fort: Building the Wall

A few more tree fort shots ahead . . .

One of our last minute design decisions was the climbing wall. The guys weren’t sure at first that they wanted one–it’s pretty high–but after a trip up the little climbing walls at the Children’s Museum of Maine they decided to give it a shot. Granddad built the (in)famous confidence course at a Wisconsin college as part of a leadership program, so he’s the guy to get for adding climbing walls and ropes and such to a tree fort.

Tree Fort: Up the Ladder

Peter climbs the tree fort ladder.

If you’re casting about for something to do on this Sunday, August 19, have I got the event for you: my friend Arthur Ruckle has organized a benefit concert for Cate Cooper, who is in Arizona to have a pontine vascular malformation repaired. It will be held at Merlin’s Rest, the best pub on Lake Street, starting at 4 PM. For more details, download this PDF version of the Friends of Cate’s Brain flyer. And heck, while you’re at it, post it around your favorite coffee shops and tattoo parlors to help bring in a few more fans of music and brains.

Tree Fort: Planning Session

Granddad discusses the plans for the tree fort, while Jack and Peter think deeply about the next steps. For all his apparent organizational skills, Granddad is an improvisational builder–plans changed midstream several times, but somehow it all came together. When working with a virtuoso, it’s best to give him space to think out loud, ask as few questions as possible, and do exactly as you’re told…

If you’re casting about for something to do on Sunday, August 19th, have I got the event for you: my friend Arthur Ruckle has organized a benefit concert for Cate Cooper, who is in Arizona to have a pontine vascular malformation repaired. It will be held at Merlin’s Rest, the best pub on Lake Street, starting at 4 PM. For more details, download this PDF version of the Friends of Cate’s Brain flyer. And heck, while you’re at it, post it around your favorite coffee shops and tattoo parlors to help bring in a few more fans of music and brains.

Tree Fort: Tools of the Trade

Some of the tools that were used in the building of Moose House, the boys’ tree fort at Granddad’s house.

If you’re casting about for something to do on Sunday, August 19th, have I got the event for you: my friend Arthur Ruckle has organized a benefit concert for Cate Cooper, who is in Arizona to have a pontine vascular malformation repaired. It will be held at Merlin’s Rest, the best pub on Lake Street, starting at 4 PM. For more details, download this PDF version of the Friends of Cate’s Brain flyer. And heck, while you’re at it, post it around your favorite coffee shops and tattoo parlors to help bring in a few more fans of music and brains.

Tree Fort: Square and Level

Some of the tools that were used in the building of Moose House, the boys’ tree fort at Granddad’s house.

If you’re casting about for something to do on Sunday, August 19th, have I got the event for you: my friend Arthur Ruckle has organized a benefit concert for Cate Cooper, who is in Arizona to have a pontine vascular malformation repaired. It will be held at Merlin’s Rest, the best pub on Lake Street, starting at 4 PM. For more details, download this PDF version of the Friends of Cate’s Brain flyer. And heck, while you’re at it, post it around your favorite coffee shops and tattoo parlors to help bring in a few more fans of music and brains.

Tree Fort: Measure Twice

Peter helps Granddad mark a board for cutting during the tree fort construction project. I have to admit that I never liked working on Granddad’s building projects when he was just a Dad; I was always given onerous jobs like holding boards for cutting and lugging hardware around, when what I really wanted to do on Sunday morning was read a book. Jack and Peter, though, absolutely love that kind of thing, and I had a pretty good time with it, too. The carpentry gene seems to have skipped a generation.

If you’re casting about for something to do on Sunday, August 19th, have I got the event for you: my friend Arthur Ruckle has organized a benefit concert for Cate Cooper, who is in Arizona to have a pontine vascular malformation repaired. It will be held at Merlin’s Rest, the best pub on Lake Street, starting at 4 PM. For more details, download this PDF version of the Friends of Cate’s Brain flyer. And heck, while you’re at it, post it around your favorite coffee shops and tattoo parlors to help bring in a few more fans of music and brains.

Tree Fort: Bolt

Granddad sizes up a bolt for the tree fort while Jack sizes up Granddad.

If you’re casting about for something to do on Sunday, August 19th, have I got the event for you: my friend Arthur Ruckle has organized a benefit concert for Cate Cooper, who is in Arizona to have a pontine vascular malformation repaired. It will be held at Merlin’s Rest, the best pub on Lake Street, starting at 4 PM. For more details, download this PDF version of the Friends of Cate’s Brain flyer. And heck, while you’re at it, post it around your favorite coffee shops and tattoo parlors to help bring in a few more fans of music and brains.

Tree Fort: Hammering

Granddad pounds in one of the bolts that connects the tree fort to the tree.

If you’re casting about for something to do on Sunday, August 19th, have I got the event for you: my friend Arthur Ruckle (yes, this guy) has organized a benefit concert for Cate Cooper, who is in Arizona to have a pontine vascular malformation repaired. It will be held at Merlin’s Rest, the best pub on Lake Street, starting at 4 PM. For more details, download this PDF version of the Friends of Cate’s Brain flyer. And heck, while you’re at it, post it around your favorite coffee shops and tattoo parlors to help bring in a few more fans of music and brains.

Tree Fort: Platform

Our big project at Granddad’s house in Maine was the construction of a tree fort; not just any tree fort, though, but the kind of fort that will outlast us all (Granddad tends to over-build a bit…). Here’s the platform mounted on four trees before the flooring went in.

VFD

The Woodstock, Maine, Volunteer Fire Department’s newest tanker truck.

junior firefighter

The boys’ granddad is a member of the Woodstock, Maine, Volunteer Fire Department; he was actually called out to a lumber company fire one night while we were visiting, but we were so exhausted that we slept right through it. Here Peter tries out one of the helmets.

A happy and safe Thanksgiving to all!

Sudbury Canada

Bethel, Maine, was founded in 1768 as “Sudbury Canada“, by settlers from Sudbury, Massachussetts, in commemoration of an invasion of Canada in 1690, during one of the French and Indian Wars. Every year there’s a “Sudbury Canada Days” encampment in Bethel, with the usual crowd of folks who like to dress up in funny clothes and sleep in tents. We caught them just as they were preparing to strike camp for the year and go back to the early 21st century.

our glorious dead

Bethel, Maine.

Texaco Ahead

Bethel, Maine

undertow

Old Orchard Beach, Maine

surf

At Old Orchard Beach, Maine. The boys weren’t thrilled about the over-all wetness of the ocean; they much preferred playing in the sand.

green red yellow

Old Orchard Beach, Maine.

barnacles

Taken under the pier at Old Orchard Beach, Maine.

Featured on the Daily Dickinson site.

silhouette

Taken under the pier at Old Orchard Beach, Maine.

On the Beach – Dragon Coaster

Peter talked tough on the beach; he was going to go on the flume ride — and not the low one, by gum, the HIGH one. Well, when it came time to actually get in line, he discovered that what looks HIGH from the beach is actually HIGHER up close when you’re pushing 42 inches yourself. He decided the dragon coaster, a version of which we ride at the Minnesota State Fair, was more his speed…

On the Beach – Drop Zone

On the Beach – Fresh Cut Fries

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On the Beach – Fried Dough

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On the Beach – Shadow

Jack in the shadow of the pier at Old Orchard Beach, Maine.

On the Beach – Pier

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On the Beach – Umbrella

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pool

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maelstrom

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cataract

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Elephant Rock

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The Map

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George Cleeve

This is George Cleeve, an early settler of Portland, ME, who arrived in 1632 and apparently caused quite a controversy in 2002 when this statue was given to the city. The city ended up declining it, after some debate about whether he could be considered the “founder” of Portland (the native settlement of Machigonne preceeded the English settlement of Casco that eventually became Portland), whether he should be singled out for honor (his business partner Richard Tucker settled with him and their families), and whether he was a slaveowner at the time of his settlement (it appears that he wasn’t, but there were enough questions to make people uncomfortable). In the end, the statue was placed on the property of the Portland Company Marine Complex (the company’s owner, Phineas Sprague, Jr., is a descendent of Cleeve).

None of which I knew when I snapped this picture–I just kind of liked the look of good Mr. Cleeve in his 17th Century duds and stalwart expression.

Mr. Sprague, incidentally, has been supportive of the Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad (located at Fore and India; the statue is right across the tracks from the boarding station for the ride along Casco Bay). So whatever one may think of his ancestor–and, as ancestors go, George Cleeve seems no better nor worse than the various adventurers, profiteers, religious zealots, and ne’er-do-wells who braved the difficult passage from England to the wilds of Maine–one should be thankful for his largesse and commitment to preserving history.

As I’ve noted before, one can’t choose one’s ancestors, nor can they choose their descendents; to give Nat Hawthorne the last word on the subject:

Let us thank God for having given us such ancestors; and let each successive generation thank him, not less fervently, for being one step further from them in the march of ages.

Main Street, Nathaniel Hawthorne

M.N.G.R.R.

Of all the many antique trains we’ve ridden, the Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad in Portland is probably #2 on the list. It runs along Casco Bay from the old dockside warehouse district to the remains of a railroad bridge that burned in the 1970s. The engines and cars are collected from narrow gauge railroads around the country, with the core from Massachussetts and Maine, and are in great condition. The tracks are just two feet wide, and the cars are cutely miniaturized; Maine had an extensive network of narrow gauge trains to support the timber industry–it was much easier to get these little trains into the woods for hauling out lumber than would full-sized trains.

Our train rides to date, in order, are:

1. The Conway Scenic Railroad in North Conway, NH: wonderful scenery and big open cars, not to mention a beautiful station and a nifty model train display.
2. Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad in Portland, ME
3. The Excelsior Streetcar Line in Excelsior, MN: a reminder of the days when Excelsior was a summer resort, with a museum dedicated to the old amusement park and a streetcar ferry ride across Lake Minnetonka
4. The Como-Harriet Streetcar Line in Minneapolis, MN: a trolley (we call them “Toby Trains”, after the tram in Thomas the Tank Engine) ride from Lake Harriet to Lake Calhoun; the cars have great reproductions of period advertisements
5. The Lake Superior Railroad Museum in Duluth, MN: the “Day Out with Thomas” ride was a somewhat disappointing, and rather brief, haul along an industrial waterfront. But I suspect this would shoot to the top of the list if we’d taken the North Shore Scenic Railroad up to Two Harbors; that’s on my list for an Autumn excursion.
6. The Minnesota Zephyr “Polar Express” ride, Stillwater, MN: I’m sure that it was because of the “Polar Express” tie-in, which is probably the Zephyr’s money-maker with the tots, but it was a short and uncomfortable ride made worse by the fact that the promised vegetarian lunch was a “misunderstanding”. It’s probably a very nice ride when it’s the full dinner cruise, though I’m in no great rush to spend $71 a seat to find out.

Sadly, none of the trains we’ve taken has been a “steamie”, though all of them feature steam engines in their advertising (sneaky…). I hear there’s a steam engine in Osceola, WI, near one of our favorite camping spots, so that’s another one that might make it to the top of the list. Oh, and next year we’re thinking of the Mount Washington Cog Railway on our visit to Granddad: about as spendy as the Zephyr, but a guaranteed good time.

Yup, I’m about as much of a train geek as my little boys; the apples landed awfully close to the tree…

five years old…

It’s hard to believe that the two little things we brought home one day in August 2001 have grown into big five-year-old boys who go off to school in less than two weeks. They’re certainly not babies anymore.

Here they indulge in one of their favorite obsessions–trains!–at the Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad in Portland.

We’ll be indulging in more obsessions during the three-week-long non-stop fete that is their birthday: a trip to the state fair, a cookout with their Minnesota grandmother (after a week of cookouts with their Maine grandfather), and a Choo Choo Bob’s party. Oh, to be a spoiled five-year-old again…

on the beach

Here’s Jack at Old Orchard Beach, a Maine getaway for about a hundred years. It’s got a pier, an amusement park, french fries with vinegar (the Canadian contingency here outnumbers the U.S., and you’re as likely to hear French as English on the beach), and of course the waves. Jack wasn’t really thrilled by the waves–they were a bit, well, wet–but the sand was a hit.

silhouettes

What oddness is this?

The boys took my Lubitel at a gathering at my grandparents’ house in Lewiston and insisted on taking pictures of the relatives. I figured I might as well let them, and insisted only that they come back between shots so I could advance the film for them. Though I tried to get things set so the pictures would sort of expose, there’s no way a Lubitel is going to be “point and shoot” in the hands of a couple of four-year-olds.

Still, I liked some of these under-exposed, backlit, shadowy pictures–they’re a little eerie and odd.

I’m hoping the next roll I grab to develop will actually be worth scanning…

Wiscasset Gull

The ubiquitous gull.

I’m on auto-pilot from August 12 to August 21, displaying some of last year’s vacation pictures, while we head back to Maine to hang out with Granddad in the woods. If I don’t get back to you, it’s probably because a gull is making its way across Wiscasset Bay with my Holga in its beak.

Lobster Shack

Sprague’s Lobster Shack is located on the bridge at Wiscasset; despite the traffic (Route 1 is a slow-moving parking lot from June to September), it’s a dandy place to stop for a “lobstah” roll.

I’m on auto-pilot from August 12 to August 21, displaying some of last year’s vacation pictures, while we head back to Maine to hang out with Granddad in the woods. If I don’t get back to you, it’s probably because I’m elbows-deep in drawn butter, clam shells, and Shipyard Ale.

twins’ loop

Each trail back behind Granddad’s house is carefully named and marked with a sign–here Jack and Peter observe the intersection of the Twins’ Loop with Mi-Ke Drive (no, I’m not amused by the name of “my” path…) with Great-Granddad.

I’m on auto-pilot from August 12 to August 21, displaying some of last year’s vacation pictures, while we head back to Maine to hang out with Granddad in the woods. If I don’t get back to you, it’s probably because a moose has made off with Granddad’s Mac.

catch and release

Jack and Peter watch Great-Granddad releasing a squirrel–what is it about men of a certain age and squirrel traps?

I’m on auto-pilot from August 12 to August 21, displaying some of last year’s vacation pictures, while we head back to Maine to hang out with Granddad in the woods. If I don’t get back to you, it’s probably because the squirrels are holding my family hostage.

squirrel

Peter and Great-Grammie’s squirrel.

I’m on auto-pilot from August 12 to August 21, displaying some of last year’s vacation pictures, while we head back to Maine to hang out with Granddad in the woods. If I don’t get back to you, it’s probably because the plastic squirrels have come to life and are waiting on the porch for breakfast.

Jack and Peter

Jack and Peter at Granddad’s house.

I’m on auto-pilot from August 12 to August 21, displaying some of last year’s vacation pictures, while we head back to Maine to hang out with Granddad in the woods. If I don’t get back to you, it’s probably because we’ve taken to the woods.

elbows

Jack at Granddad’s house in Maine.

I’m on auto-pilot from August 12 to August 21, displaying some of last year’s vacation pictures, while we head back to Maine to hang out with Granddad in the woods. If I don’t get back to you, it’s probably because a bear has eaten the modem again.

flag and hill

At Portland Head Light, in Portland, Maine.

I’m on auto-pilot from August 12 to August 21, displaying some of last year’s vacation pictures, while we head back to Maine to hang out with Granddad in the woods. If I don’t get back to you, it’s probably because we’re relaxing in the summer sun.

ship’s wheel

Jack spins the pirate ship’s wheel at the Children’s Museum in Portland, Maine.

I’m on auto-pilot from August 12 to August 21, displaying some of last year’s vacation pictures, while we head back to Maine to hang out with Granddad in the woods. If I don’t get back to you, it’s probably because we’re on some maritime excursion.

sandwich shop

Granddad and Jack at a little sandwich shop in Portland, Maine, not far from the Children’s Museum.

I’m on auto-pilot from August 12 to August 21, displaying some of last year’s vacation pictures, while we head back to Maine to hang out with Granddad in the woods. If I don’t get back to you, it’s probably because we’re en route to great fun in America’s Vacationland.

Stone and Stream

Still thinking of summer; this is a picture of a mountain stream off the highway in New Hampshire where we swam on our visit to Granddad.

Yesterday we had two of the boys’ friends and two cousins–six kids aged 3 to 7–over to the house to make Christmas cookies. We decorated a batch of gingerbread and half a batch of sugar cookies before we conked out.

Three things for which I’m thankful:

1. Having kids dropped off at the house for an activity
2. Having kids picked up when the activity is over
3. Gingerbread

Jack’s World

Another summer memory: Jack at Portland Head Light. It’s not quite the Wyeth painting (Wyeth was a friend of my mother’s family–more on that someday), but Jack’s pose reminded me of Christina Olsen a bit.

Yesterday our neighbor Dave, Erin’s husband, came over to help with my storm window project. Two of the windows went in last weekend without a hitch, but two more turned out to be 1/4″ or so too wide. Damn old houses and their characteristically inconsistent measurements. But Dave is a carpenter by trade, and in no time those windows were in place and ready to calk. I’m such a pathetic handyman.

Three things for which I’m thankful:

1. Good neighbors with useful skills
2. Choo Choo Bob’s Train Store, 2050 Marshall Avenue, St. Paul–Santa does all his shopping there
3. “Easy” to assemble gingerbread house kits

Be sure to check out the current issue of JMWW!

Scream

07-09-2007: selected as a “Belligerant” favorite for Moody Monday

Yellow Hard Hat

This is Peter at the Children’s Museum of Maine in Portland. I took it with my mother’s old Yashica rangefinder–it’s the most incredible camera for low-light, no-flash candids, but I need to modify a battery for it to get it back out in circulation.

The Secret River

Water and Stone of ...

By Michael Hartford

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