In the Right Place: Lightness

At this time of the year, the soft and lush new-summer leaves of the maples, birches, and other deciduous trees in our woods have closed many of the winter and spring canopy gaps among the firs, spruces, and cedars there. However, when a breeze shuffles the leafy branches, shafts of sunlight can beam briefly down onto the forest floor and touch the moss and fern (including this Cinnamon Fern).

The moment can provide a small heart-lilt for those who are attuned to the subtle harmonies being played. (Brooklin, Maine)

In the Right Place: Going Balmy

Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds are now feeding frenetically on Barbara’s Bee Balm to get the nectar needed for their high-energy motors. These hummers are about three to three-and-a-half inches long, but they can fly horizontally up to 25 miles per hour and dive up to 40.

The wingbeats of Ruby-Throats average a blurry 53 per second and, when in passing gear, the beats can reach 200 a second – at which point even the bird becomes a green blur for many of us. 

Females, as in this image, don't have the red necklace that their uncaring mates have. The males impregnate the females and just continue north. (Brooklin, Maine)

In the Right Place: Motivation

It’s very hard to sneak away unnoticed in some of the WoodenBoat School classes. But then, who would want to?

(Brooklin, Maine)

In the Right Place: Good News

The two Broad-Winged Hawk fledglings that we’ve been monitoring have left their nest and are now on their own, learning to be raptors by trial and error.

They’re almost fully camouflaged in the image here, which was taken on July 10; it’s the last image of them together. The following morning, the hawk on the right was gone; on July 12, the second had flown away. Here's how the one on the right looked on June 28:

They grow quickly. (Brooklin, Maine)

In the Right Place: The Devil Is in the Details

This plant with a six-inch white trumpet-shaped flower is a Datura innoxia, sometimes called a Moonflower or Thorn-Apple.

Many people keep them for their strange beauty and evening fragrance, but we hope that they don’t put them in their salads.

This and the other eight species of the Datura genus are collectively known as Devil’s Trumpets because they’re poisonous to animals, including humans. (Brooklin, Maine)

In the Right Place: Magic Realism Remembered

Andrew Wyeth would have been 100 years old today; and, yes, this Turkey Vulture soaring over us a few days ago was an especially relevant reminder of one of America’s leading members of the Magic Realism School.

Such birds are the focal point of Soaring, perhaps Wyeth’s first major visualization of an out-of-body experience. (Wyeth and Edward Hopper, among others, are known for realistic renderings that have sometimes-hidden, mystical meanings, at least to the artists -- a school or style dubbed by the Museum of Modern Art and others as Magic Realism.)

As for Soaring, that egg tempera painting was started in 1942, but Wyeth abandoned it in large part because his famous father hated it. In 1950, Wyeth finished it at the suggestion of an art critic. 

In Soaring, Wyeth places viewers above three Turkey Vultures as they ominously wheel high in a big sky; they – and we – look down over the rural Pennsylvania area of Wyeth’s birth and death. The only structure shown is the Kuerner (aka Koerner) Farm where Wyeth painted in an upstairs room.  It's where Carl Kuerner lured and shot a Turkey Vulture so that Wyeth could study it for the painting.

While Soaring lay abandoned, Wyeth completed his most famous tempera, Christina’s World, which was finished in 1948.

In that painting, crippled Anna Christina Olson – and we, eventually – stare up the slope of a Maine field, looking toward the Olson farm buildings on the horizon of a very small sky. Here, we’re provoked by an inner- (and broken-) body experience involving Christina’s life of crawling over her land.

Wyeth was intrigued by (if not obsessed with) strangeness and death, but he lived a long and controversial life. He died at the age of 91 in January of 2009. Images of Soaring and Christina’s World are reproduced here for educational purposes only.

(Brooklin, Maine)

In the Right Place: Cruel World

When it comes to viciousness, it’s hard to beat a Dragonfly. Dragonflies, such as this Common Green Darner, visually lock onto a chosen victim (even if it’s within a swarm of other insects); then, they use each of their four wings together and/or independently to out-fly their prey.

They can grab the other insect with their legs, tear off its wings to prevent distraction and further flight, and rip and chew the victim to pieces with strong jaws and serrated mandibles – all in mid-air. Glad they’re small.

(Brooklin, Maine)

In the Right Place: Edens We Have Known

(July 8, 2017) With a few obvious exceptions, there’s no bad time to go to a good garden.

It was cloudy this Saturday afternoon, but one of the best “backyard” gardens in the country was open to the public that day.

It just so happens that this backyard is in the middle of Blue Hill, Maine, and consists of 10 beautiful acres of various environments.

There are more-or-less formal areas with structures and flower beds; fields of milkweed and other native plants for pollinators; bee hives; a pond; vegetables;  trails through woods where mushrooms grow, etc.  And, there are bird feeders and birdbaths everywhere.

It’s the regionally-renowned garden of Leslie Clapp and Blaise de Sibour, who generously share it with the community. Here are some images:

For larger versions of the above images, as well as additional images of the garden, click on the link below. (We recommend that your initial viewing be in full-screen mode, which can be achieved by clicking on the Slideshow [>] icon above the featured image in the gallery to which the link will take you.) Here’s the link:

https://leightons.smugmug.com/US-States/Maine/Out/2017-in-Maine/A-Cloudy-Day-in-a-Garden/

In the Right Place: Encounters

White-Tailed Deer here are not like their relatives in suburbia that have become almost oblivious to humans. Most here dash away at the first sight of humans, seemingly aware that we’re their fiercest predators.

Thus, it can be exciting stalking them: getting upwind of a browsing doe; hiding and remaining still as she slowly comes closer. Seeing her suddenly become aware of another presence, her ears snapping up in alarm, her lovely eyes wide and focused on the potential danger. That’s the time to shoot her – CLICK. (Brooklin, Maine)

In the Right Place: To Wake, To Sleep, To Die

Wild Water Lilies are now offering themselves, becoming part of the ephemeral art of marsh ponds.

They arise and bloom during a few days, close and sleep those few nights, and then die, bequeathing their seeds into the water for their progeny’s brief, brightening life next year. (Brooklin, Maine)

In the Right Place: Breezing Up

Winds worthy of Winslow Homer whirled in Great Cove yesterday morning and WoodenBoat School sailors were there to chase them.

Here, we can almost feel the thrill of beating to windward in Fox, a 12.5-foot Haven built by School students. (Brooklin, Maine)

In the Right Place: Waiting and Watching

We’re happy to report to the many who are asking that the twin Broad-Winged Hawk fledglings are doing well. As you know, we’ve been monitoring them from a distance since they were about the size of tennis balls.

This is one of them yesterday, starting to look like a hawk with bad hair. We hope that they’ll be flying this month or early next. (Brooklin, Maine)

In the Right Place: A Time to Remember

July 4, 2017, Independence Day, a time to celebrate the unique good fortune that our Founding Fathers deeded this Nation. And, for those of us who live in a true “community” -- where a shared sense of place is palpable -- it’s also a time to get together and enjoy an old-fashioned, happy summer experience.

It’s a perfect summer morning: slanting sun, blue sky, puffy clouds, light breeze, and temperature in the low 70s.

At about 9:30, neighbors and visitors start to congregate “Downtown,” while the remarkably good Brooklin Town Band welcomes them from the shade of the large maple trees in front of the Library.

A wide range of rousing, summery, and sometimes mind-catching, music wafts up through the leaves. (A haunting rendition of Leonard Cohen’s ironic Hallelujah was especially moving in these unusual times.)

It’s a great-to-be-alive-and-here-this-morning place; it’s smiles and small talk and good-looking children and good-looking dogs and splashes of sun and shade spilling over everything; it’s July 4th!

The parade had previously formed farther down Reach Road, about half a mile away. It arrives in Downtown shortly after 10 and turns up Naskeag Road at our only traffic signal, the Stop Sign. Old Glory leads the way, held and guarded by three veterans.

Then, of course, there are many fire engines and other emergency vehicles – modern and historic – our tax dollars properly at work.  Here are a two of the many:

There were a good number of imaginative floats. The ones that seemed to get the most attention were a pirates’ ship full of vicious pirates; a tick prevention float that contained dancing ticks and clever double and triple entendre messages (“Ticked Off!”, “Make America Tick Again,” “Patriotick”) , and, last but certainly not least, the running of the bulls with a huge bull chasing a cute crowd.

Antique car and vintage truck enthusiasts abound in Maine, perhaps because winter is a good time to work in the garage. There always are plenty of these pieces of working art in the parade, including these:

The parade wound its way to the Town Green, where children’s games with prizes, antique vehicles, and lunch were set up; and, the Brooklin Town Band arrived to play while everybody enjoyed themselves.

Two of the most popular games were the Wet Sponge Throw (at a human target) and the Dead Chicken Throw (at a hole).

One of our favorite antique vehicles was this 1933 Ford convertible.

And then there was the delicious food. The main selections were hot dogs (with or without sides) or barbequed chicken with corn on the cob, potato salad, coleslaw, watermelon, and a beverage. We couldn’t resist the chicken.

The Town Green was a sea of smiles.

For larger versions of the above images, as well as many additional images of Brooklin’s Independence Day celebrations, click on the link below. (We recommend that your initial viewing be in full-screen mode, which can be achieved by clicking on the Slideshow [>] icon above the featured image in the gallery to which the link will take you.) Here’s the link to full coverage:

https://leightons.smugmug.com/US-States/Maine/Out/2017-in-Maine/Independence-Day/

(Brooklin, Maine)

In the Right Place: March of the Miniatures

The annual toadlet migration is leaving the bogs now and dispersing through woods, fields, and gardens. These Eastern American Toads were tadpoles a few weeks ago. Now, they’re miniature toads of less than an inch in length and they’re hopping awkwardly day and night to get to a place that they can call home; when they do, they’ll be active mostly at night.

These amphibians will grow quickly, some to almost four inches. As they grow, they’ll shed – and eat! -- their own skins. That skin contains toxins that are exuded when the Toad senses a predator; it also will urinate on anything (or anyone) that catches it. If that doesn’t work and the predator is a Garter Snake or other small-mouthed animal, the Toad will inflate itself and make it difficult to be swallowed. (Brooklin, Maine)

In the Right Place: The Beginning of Life

Originally Posted July 2, 2017

Many of our White-Tailed Deer fawns are strong enough now to do a bit of exploring on their own. Although it sometimes looks like they’re alone, Mom usually is within several hundred feet, keeping an eye and a nose out. The doe will lick-wash her fawn not only to clean it, but to deposit on the fawn the doe’s own familiar scent by which her youngster can be tracked through the air.

Sometimes a doe will give birth to twins, which makes life difficult for her. Usually, she’ll separate the twins when they’re very young, putting them in individual nests yards apart. When they can walk and run a bit, Mom will reunite her fawns and nearly exhaust herself nursing them at least four times a day. (Brooklin, Maine)

Postcards From Maine: The June Collection

The many moods of the Maine coast are especially evident in June – sun, fog, rain, and clouds enveloping tidal and still waters, wild and garden flowers, birds, and boats. It’s finally summer, glorious summer.

The visiting birds of June included many warblers singing for a mate, including this Yellow Warbler.

June also is the time when many of our birds nest and raise fledglings. High in a nest in the nearby deep woods, one of two fledgling Broad-Winged Hawks sits in its nest under the eyes of a watchful mother.

Of course, we don't overlook (as many do) the beauty of our hard-working residents, the Herring Gulls.

June is the month that the schooners begin to prowl the coast, gliding into our Great Cove like pleasantly-intruding memories of Maine's past. They’re impressive when catching a good wind or just basking in the sun.

Our resident working vessels also can be picturesque in the early June light.

However, the soul of summer here is in the small fleet of sailboats that dart around Great Cove, many of them being sailed by eager and energetic students at our neighborly WoodenBoat School.

Although we’re in a coastal town, the flowers of June are not to be ignored. Many wildflowers and grasses spread themselves along the shore and among the fields. These include Lupines, Buttercups, Beach Roses, and Wild Iris.

June is when the butterflies arrive to be among those flowers and grasses, including Eastern Tiger Swallowtails and various Fritillaries.

The shady green bogs of June host a large variety of wonderful plants, including Jack in the Pulpits and Pink Lady Slippers.

The bogs and fields are not the only place to find Interesting plants. The rain and fog of a coastal town help make the gardens of June lush. Peonies, Snapdragons, and Rhododendrons were especially attractive this June.

Maine’s still waters also come alive in June, with the sudden appearance of frogs, dragon and damsel flies, and turtles, among other residents. Well, perhaps the words “come alive” are not exactly accurate when it comes to our Painted Turtles enjoying the sun.

In terms of June events, perhaps the most important locally was the opening of our new Brooklin General Store after more than a year without one. There also was the very recent Brooklin Boat Yard launching of the Toroa, a 72-foot luxury racing sloop. It's a handsome temporary addition to the waters of our Eggemoggin Reach.

For larger versions of the above images, as well as additional images of moments in June, click on the link below. (We recommend that your initial viewing be in full-screen mode, which can be achieved by clicking on the Slideshow [>] icon above the featured image in the gallery to which the link will take you.) Here’s the link to the full tour of June in Down East Maine:

https://leightons.smugmug.com/US-States/Maine/Out/2017-in-Maine/June-Postcards-From-Maine/

Cheers,

Barbara and Dick

In the Right Place: Really Big News

Below we see Toroa, a 72-foot luxury racing sloop that was launched from the Brooklin Boat Yard yesterday afternoon.

She’s in a motorized hoist that will take her to the launching slip and gently lower her into Eggemogin Reach.

Toroa is registered in London and is flying the British Red Ensign for the ceremony. Nonetheless, we’re told that her principal port will be in Spain, where she was designed.

The wife of the unnamed owner performed the traditional Champagne bottle christening with gusto – the bottle appeared to nick Toroa’s sharp bow, even though the area was protected by a taped covering.

The hoist slowly transported Toroa to the launching slip, which was a very tight fit. Her 20-foot beam left only a few inches space on each side.

Once on the water, her clean lines become apparent, as does the immensity of her 92-foot mast.

At the moment, Toroa is tied up at the Boatyard pier. Work will continue on the boat while she’s in the water, including installation of an Italian hydraulic system.

(Brooklin, Maine)

In the Right Place: Skill for Sail

It seems that true summer does not arrive here until WoodenBoat School students start learning the winds in Great Cove.

The Cove is intriguing in any weather; but, during cold and gray winter days when we try to remember the glories of summer, the ice-laden Cove can remind us of a playground that is devoid of equipment or children.

And then, in June, the boats are returned to the water and a day like June 27 arrives -- on-the-water sailing lessons begin at the School.

More specifically, the members and instructors of the Elements of Sailing for Women course went out on that chilly and slightly hazy Tuesday.

They beat into the wind toward Big Babson Island, then circled back through the other boats bobbing at their moorings.

The playground has come alive again. More images follow:

(Brooklin, Maine)

In the Right Place: Watching the Painted Dry

This little (about four-inch) Painted Turtle recently has taken a summer residency in our pond. We call it Tiny. It basks alongside the recurrent vacationer there, a Painted Turtle that is at least seven inches long, which we call Bruiser.

Painted Turtles are perhaps our best looking fresh water turtles, but we consider it a lucky day if we have more than a few seconds to study one before it plops into the water.

Here's Bruiser after it pushed Tiny off the best basking spot.

Female Painted Turtles should be impregnated by now. This month or next, they’ll leave the water; scoop out a nest hundreds of feet away; lay their eggs in the hollow, and scamper back to water’s edge. The eggs will hatch after about two months of self-incubation, but the small hatchlings will remain in the nest until spring, when they’ll march away seeking water. (Brooklin, Maine)

In the Right Place: Keeping Witches Away

Here we have a passel of Snapdragons, one of the quintessential summer plants. If you pinch the side of its flower, it opens up like a set of lips that can snap your pinky.

In Holland, they call the plant “Lion’s Lips”; in Asia, it’s “Rabbit’s Lips.” In times gone by, many people believed that Snapdragons protected against witchcraft – and, of course, when they were planted around the house, no witch visited. (Blue Hill, Maine, at Mainescape)