Calm before the (next) storm

The weather has been a bit difficult. Storm following storm following storm. Finally a brief calm morning to run out to the islands and check on the girls. 10 am launch, snow & wind due at 2 pm.

With temps hovering at +5, it's a bit of a wait for the motor to warm up. With the harbor frozen over, a beach launch on the lee side is necessary. 

A quick sweep of the hard packed snow covered island as dark clouds begin to roll in. 

Despite the white on white camouflage, all sheep are accounted for as they march to the shore for elevensies seaweed snack.  

And back to hot cocoa and warm fire as the first flakes of nor'easter # I've lost count descends. Comforted in the knowledge that all is well on the islands and in awe of those hardy island girls. 

Ram Rescue

Early in November we take the rams off their summer island and bring them to the mainland until it's time for them to go out to the ewe islands for breeding in December.  The reason being that when the scent of ewe wafts in their direction, rams being rams, they will sometimes wander out onto the ledges at low tide thinking they can walk over to the ewe's island (impossible). And if the tide should come back in during this attempt...

stranded ram. 

An extremely rare (don't ever remember doing this) rescue mission requires team work and a great deal of strategy planning. 

Capture was easy (embarrassed but grateful rams). However, manuvering large rams over slippery rocks and into a small boat proved somewhat eventful but successful.  (Sorry, no pics, I was holding the boat.)

Fall Round Up

It was a perfect day for fall round up on the island - sunny, warm, calm seas, southerly breeze. (It's usually freezing cold & windy when we do this.) Hard to believe it's November. 

By now this spring's lambs are almost as big as the ewes. The island can support about 120 sheep, so some of them are about to get voted off the island. We will take off all the male lambs and any ewes that look like they would not make it through the winter. 

Thanks to a group of volunteers from a local high school, we had lots of lamb holders today. (If you set a sheep up on their butt they are quite content to just hang out for a while,

and take a nap in the sun while waiting for a boat ride.)

A boat load of lambs at the wharf. 

The Larch

The larch. (aka : hackamatack). My favorite evergreen. So much so, that the first time I stood in this circle of larch I knew this was the spot to build my new house. 

It's a roque evergreen. After all the deciduous trees have flashed their colors and dropped their leaves, the larch defies the laws of 'evergreen' and follows suit. 

Maintaining some family resemblance, delicate marble sized cones coniferous-ly dot the branches,

which void of their needles resemble no one. 

The other evergreens will have all winter to dominate the gray. For this brief fall moment it's the larches turn. 

Red Barren

Tree show is pretty much over, except for the deep golds of beech and oak. But the barrens ....

are busting out the reds. 

Schoodic Point

Schoodic Point (the quiet Acadia) with views of Cadalliac Mountain in Acadia National Park,

and rock exploring,

 and wave watching. 

And hiking trails ...

with clever trail markers,

 and the perfect picnic spot, 

and color moments for fall knitting inspiration. 

Barren Moon

Although the trees are just a bit past peak, the barrens are only half way there.   There are numerous varieties and species of blueberry plants in a barren, some turn earlier than others. The dry weather of late has also influenced the rate of color change. 

Happy Full Harvest Moon. 

Pleasant River

I have always lived near a river, stream, brook, pond, ocean.  

This is my new playground. I feel very lucky to have all this just steps from my front door. 

Every evening I drift off to sleep to a waterfall lullaby. 

One Monday in Maine

 

The view on my way home. 

The blueberry barrens have begun their color shift to crimson for fall. 

Happy Autumnal Equinox.