Thursday, June 17, 2004

Home away From Home

We went up to Maine yesterday, so no knitting got done.  We were actually out quite a lot later than expected, but that was because the day was so beautiful and neither of us was in any rush to go back home to a warm city apartment.  So we meandered and poked around and enjoyed ourselves thoroughly.

Webhannet Falls

The tiny park that contains the falls is right on Route 1 in Wells.  We’ve been driving by it for years and have seen it gushing like a broken water main as well as frozen solid.  It is the site of the first permanent buildings in Wells - a saw and a grist mill built by Edmund Littlefield around 1640.  As we drove in, there was something small scuttling around on the dirt road in front of us.  I slowed down, assuming whoever it was would get out of the way.  You kind of expect wildlife to be leery of cars but this guy - a chipmunk, as it turned out - didn’t give a hoot.  I came to a stop and he sat there, about 18 inches from the front tires, regarding us with...well, it almost seemed like he was amused.  Of course the minute we opened the car doors, hoping for a photo op, he hied himself off into the brush.

Beach Stones

The next stop was along Route 1A, Shore Road, I think.  This runs right along the coastline from Ogunquit to York and has some really beautiful - and private - beaches.  On the other side of the road is a salt marsh and as I went down to the edge of the marsh, clouds of damsel flies exploded out of the bushes all around me.  But there were also a lot of these guys:

Splash of color

In the greens, yellow-greens and gray-greens of the salt marsh, this guy really stood out.  I chased him (a butterfly chase consists of taking one very, slow, careful step after another, trying to close enough distance to get a good picture) and he kept flitting away just far enough to lead me on.  Who says animals don’t have a sense of humor?  Finally, he flew to the top of this bush and flared his wings before departing entirely.

Salt Marsh

The view on the ocean side of the road was much marred, in my opinion, by the presence of Private Beach - No Trespassing signs.  I do realize that when you have paid as much for these properties as these people have, you want your peace and quiet.  But the view is not theirs to dictate (even if the beach is) and the signs made me feel both mulish and wistful - wistful because I would dearly love to be able to afford to live in such a place with the ocean at my feet; mulish because whenever a complete stranger tries to order me around I am seized with the compulsion to do exactly what they’re telling me not to do.  No, I didn’t go down and wade in their water, much as I would have liked to.

Coast line

This will probably be our last trip up for a while.  The summer season is getting under way and things are getting crowded and busy.  Not, though, at the rate they have in previous years.  We saw many “Vacancy” and “Reduced Rates” signs and for the first time ever, I was able to drive straight through the center of Ogunquit without having to stop because of backed-up traffic and pedestrians.  We’ll return in the fall when things have calmed down again.  Maybe, if we’re lucky, we’ll even be able to stay for a few days!

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1. The coast is so beautiful! It’s been a couple of years since we’ve been back east and we need to come again soon.  Enjoy your trip! It’s hard to knit in the car when the scenery is so good!

   Posted by margene  on  06/17  at  01:05 PM
   Location :



2. Hi Margene :) Well, since I’m the driver I don’t get to knit in the car anyway.  I just stop whenever I see something I want to take a longer look at.  I love the Maine coast.  Going up there always feels like I’m meeting an old friend!

   Posted by Robbyn  on  06/17  at  04:00 PM
   Location : Up on the roooof...



3. Ahhhh, thank you so much for sharing your trip. Your pictures were great! I feel rested after seeing them! 

   Posted by  on  06/17  at  10:43 PM
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4. Glad you enjoyed it P.J.  It might not seem so special if I lived there and saw it everyday - but I’d sure like the chance to find out!

   Posted by Robbyn  on  06/17  at  11:23 PM
   Location : Away in a manger



5. What pictures! That one of the butterfly looks like a postcard. No, that’s not right. Yours is better than a postcard would be....

   Posted by Rachael  on  06/18  at  07:31 AM
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6. Wow! ::blush:: Thank-you Rachael!  I get lucky every now and again.
   

   Posted by Robbyn  on  06/18  at  09:48 AM
   Location : Off on a tangent

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