View from Katahdin on the Appalachian Trail, Maine

“Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting. So... get on your way.” - Dr. Seuss

While my thru hike of the Appalachian Trail was technically over, I still had 5 miles back down the mountain to reach the parking area.   The clouds never moved out, but they did a few "openings" to allow for a sneak peak of the valleys below.  I look forward to visiting this area again in the future.  Maybe even next fall season if things workout.

Humor for the day - On a rural road a state trooper pulled this farmer over and said: "Sir, do you realize your wife fell out of the car several miles back?"


To which the farmer replied: "Thank God, I thought I had gone deaf!"

Two Lights Lighthouse, Maine

“Inside my empty bottle I was constructing a lighthouse while all the others were making ships.” - Charles Simic

This is one of two "twin" lighthouses in Cape Elizabeth, Maine.  It was originally built in 1828.  In 1924 the Lighthouse Service ruled that all twin lights must be converted to single beacons.   The lighthouse is located on private property but easily photographed from the street. 

Humor for the day - A group of girlfriends is on vacation when they see a 5-story hotel with a sign that reads: "For Women Only." Since they are without their boyfriends and husbands, they decide to go in.


The bouncer, a very attractive guy, explains to them how it works. "We have 5 floors. Go up floor by floor, and once you find what you are looking for, you can stay there. It's easy to decide since each floor has a sign telling you what's inside."

So they start going up and on the first floor the sign reads: "All the men on this floor are short and plain." The friends laugh and without hesitation move on to the next floor.

The sign on the second floor reads: "All the men here are short and handsome." Still, this isn't good enough, so the friends continue on up.

They reach the third floor and the sign reads: "All the men here are tall and plain."

They still want to do better, and so, knowing there are still two floors left, they continued on up.

On the fourth floor, the sign is perfect: "All the men here are tall and handsome." The women get all excited and are going in when they realize that there is still one floor left. Wondering what they are missing, they head on up to the fifth floor.

There they find a sign that reads: "There are no men here. This floor was built only to prove that there is no way to please a woman."

Old and New

"Forsake not an old friend, for the new is not comparable to him. A new friend is a new wine; when it is old, thou shalt drink it with pleasure.”

I love this quote.   I crossed this bridge driving from Portland Maine to Bar Harbor and loved the old vs new comparison.   Each of the cables on the new bridge had an "uplight" with each cable, but I never had the opportunity to photograph it at night.   It would have been a beautiful structure alone, the old bridge only brings more character to it.

Jokes for the day - An elderly couple had been experiencing declining memories, so they decided to take a power memory class where one is taught to remember things by association.
A few days after the class, the old man was outside talking with his neighbor about how much the class helped him.
"What was the name of the Instructor?" asked the neighbor.
"Oh, ummmm, let's see," the old man pondered. "You know that flower, you know, the one that smells really nice but has those prickly thorns, what's that flower's name?"
"A rose?" asked the neighbor.
"Yes, that's it," replied the old man. He then turned toward his house and shouted, "Hey, Rose, what's the name of the Instructor we took the memory class from?"

Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens

“Give the children an opportunity to make garden. Let them grow what they will. It matters less that they grow good plants than that they try for themselves.” - Liberty Bailey

I thought twice about going to a botanical garden in Maine during October but was assured by members of the visitors center that I would get my moneys worth.. and that I did.   With over 200 acres and miles of trails it was nice to be walking through the gardens at a leisurely pace.  While I am sure it would have been better during the spring and summer, there were still many flowers and plants I had not seen before.  The park also did a fantastic job adding sculptures to their displays, something I had not expected but was glad to see.  It was a very windy day so photographing flowers was difficult, but I was able to add a handful of shots to my gallery.  If you get a chance to visit make sure you walk to the rhododendron gardens.  It is well worth the walk.  More information on the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens at http://www.mainegardens.org/  

Humor for the day - Three retirees, each with a hearing loss, were playing golf one fine March day. One remarked to the other, 'Windy, isn't it? 'No,' the second man replied, 'it's Thursday.' The third man chimed in, 'So am I. Let's have a beer.'

Sailboat in Bar Harbor - Maine Coast

"I often think that the night is more alive and more richly colored than the day". ~Vincent Van Gogh

Bar Harbor was New England’s premier summer resort in the 19th century. It was home to the largest hotel in North America and summer estates owned by America’s most powerful families—Rockefeller, Ford, Vanderbilt, Carnegie, Astor and Morgan, to name a few.   Bar Harbor is adjacent to Acadia National Park and is a popular resort destination due to it being one of the most majestic coastal communities in Maine.  

Completion of the Appalachian Trail - Mount Katahdin in Maine

I have been asked buy a couple of people for a photography at Katahdin.  I had posted one on facebook, but with the weather conditions that were present, it was not conducive to photography so I had not posted it here.  After a few request, I decided to do so.

Katahdin is the terminus of the Appalachian Trail and truly is an appropriate mountain for the terminus.  I was unable to get the full view, but about halfway down their was a gap in the clouds that allowed us  to get a peak of some of the views.   The rain and wind made most of the hike "uncomfortable", but it did not take away the sense of accomplishment.   I guess in some ways it was only right for there to be rain at the end of my hike since so much of this years hike seemed to take place under the same conditions.  

First Snow of the Season

“The future lies before you, like paths of pure white snow. Be careful how you tread it, for every step will show.” - Unknown

No matter the amount of accumulation, the first snow of the season is always a treat.   We were fortunate enough to get a "dusting" of snow while in North Carolina a few weeks ago.  

Humor for the day - Once a captain on his ship was disturbed by his assistant telling him, "Sir! Sir! There are 5 enemy ships on the horizon."

The captain tells the man," Get my red coat and prepare for battle!"

The assistant runs without question to get the captains red coat and prepares for battle. After their victory the assistant asks the captain why he wanted his red coat.

The captain tells the assistant "If I was shot you would not be able to tell I'm bleeding and you would keep fighting."

The assistant thought this was a great idea. The next day the assistant came to the captain, "Sir! Sir! There are twenty enemy ships on the horizon!"

The captain was stunned. He looked at the assistant and told him "Get me my brown pants!"