We got some rain last night, the first after quite a few wonderfully moon-lit nights and gloriously sunny days. The beauty of this fall in Down East Maine masks its dangers, which are illustrated by this lovely scene of the mouth of Mill Stream on Wednesday afternoon:
The Stream is being swarmed by Blue Hill Bay’s high tide. The saltwater Bay has swallowed the freshwater dam there and reached more than 12 feet in height. At the same time, the Stream’s water flow is historically low.
Our freshwater stream flows have been lowering during a long-term drought, while our seas have been rising as part of a long-term Climate Change. Meanwhile, we’ve had relatively few soil-satisfying rainfalls. While we’re being awed by this fall’s beauty, wells are going dry, wildfire threats are increasing, coastlines are eroding and many people don’t seem to care about their environment. Yet, (Images taken in Blue Hill, Maine, on October 28, 2026.)