Archive for the ‘forests’ Tag
Living in Maine is always an adventure especially concerning the changing weather patterns. Lots of snow, lots of wind, lots of ice, and lots of SNERT (melted snow mixed with dirt). I’ve always been a fan of cold weather and snow but my first three years in Maine gave me an entirely new perspective. My first winter purchase in Maine was a kick-ass snow blower which has become over the years my best winter friend. Other required purchases were skis, snow shoes, and layered clothing. I loved taking winter photos in the forests but that was taken to a whole other level when the snow was more than two feet deep. Todays post will be a list of weather related facts that might interest you. Mother Nature is a real bitch and she visits Maine and New England way too frequently.
- Snow fell for thirty-six hours in New York in 1888. The storm dropped 50 inches of snow and became known as Great Blizzard of 1888.
- Mt. Washington in New Hampshire holds the world-record of 231 mph wind gusts measured on the summit on April 12, 1934.
- The Farmers Almanac lists various information, including information on the best days to castrate animals, to quit smoking, and to can jellies and jams.
- Hurricane-force winds (74+ mph) occur on average every other day on Mt. Washington during the winter months.
- The Blizzard of 1978 paralyzed New England for a week, dropping 27.1 inches of snow in Boston and over 40 inches in parts of Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Maine. Severe flooding occurred as the storm stalled off Long Island, combining hurricane-force wind gusts (up to 93 mph) with four destructive high-tide cycles. 99 fatalities were recorded across the states, with thousands of stranded motorists left on major highways throughout New England.
- Ice storms are also common in Maine and our last major storm a few years back brought down thousands of trees and left us without electricity, water, and internet, for more than two weeks. Unfortunately that was before we purchased our whole-house generator. We did learn how to sleep with five or six blankets on the bed while wearing parkas, tassel hats, and ear muffs.
All of that being said I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else. Maine is a beautiful state regardless of Mother Nature’s whims and the seacoast and beaches are second to none. It’s called America’s Vacationland for a reason.
DRIVE CAREFULLY – THE MOOSE IS LOOSE
The last days of Fall are approaching with the leaves losing their vivid colors and one bone chilling night after another. We’re slowly running out of those nice bright and sunny Indian Summer days. There really isn’t all that much upside to Winter that I can find. Fortunately this state is filled with thousands of people who live to romp in the snow, go snowmobiling, skiing, and skating on the lakes. It’s some sort of an awful winter inspired insanity.
I didn’t include that small percentage of Mainers who claim to be ice fishermen. I see those little shacks popping up on almost every lake and have heard for years all of the fishing stories from their occupants. It’s more about getting out of the house, hiding from the wife, and drinking an adequate amount of alcoholic beverages that help make the fish seem even bigger for their stories.
Yesterday required a road trip through the northern part of the county near the town of Naples located along the shore of Sebago lake. It was our one last chance to capture as many of those foliage pictures everyone seems to love so much.
Here’s a shot taken of Sebago lake with the foothills of the White Mountains in the background. Just looking at the coldness of the photo gives me the shivers.
I’ll certainly enjoy looking at these photos in a month or so when everything is frozen solid and covered with snow and ice. Then I can begin my constant complaining about Winter and endless whining for warmer weather. I guess I one of those folks who just loves bitching and complaining about Winter.
It’s another cold and gray October day here in Maine. It was a frigid night and this morning everything was covered with a heavy frost. Since my better-half refuses to turn on the heat until later in the month I found it necessary last night to jack up my electric blanket to level six. It keeps the bed nice and toasty but I also seem to wake up every few hours when I feel my face beginning to freeze. I knew it was really cold in the house when the cat crawled into bed with me at 4 am and refused to leave. Now that I’m fully awake and have had my first cup of coffee it’s time to mention a variety of items which could possibly bore you to tears.
Yesterday we attended the second birthday party for the better-half’s grandson. It was a festive occasion for the family and friends who attended and we were surrounded by a gaggle of children who really were enjoying themselves. There were games for the kids, gift bags, and a pumpkin decorating session that was hilarious. It was a great day for all of the kids and even for some of the adults. I took over a hundred pictures that will need to be reviewed later today and that should keep me busy for a while. I’ll only post this one which shows the aftermath. The bigger the mess the better the party, right?
After saying our goodbyes to the birthday boy we left the party and decided to take a short drive through the woods to find some decent fall foliage photos. The entire morning had been cloudy and gray but as we pulled out of the driveway the sun came shining through the clouds. I’ll always wonder whether it would have gotten cloudy and gray once again if we’d have returned to the party. I hate coincidents like that. Here are a few of the photo’s from our ride.
This is a rare picture of the seldom seen “Red Breasted Maine Moron”. That’s anyone who water skis in Maine in October.
Now that Fall has officially arrived most of our outdoor activities will be curtailed through the Winter months. I’ve been posting journal entries for some months now documenting our Summer activities and it’s been a lot of fun. Since I’m not a person who enjoys frolicking in the snow my future journal entries may be limited. No snowmobiling, no ice skating, no skiing, no bobsledding, no hunting, and no ice fishing pictures. I think it’s time to return this blog to discussions of politics and politicians, trivia of all kinds, and the continuing criticisms of all things Hollywood. The celebrities have gotten a Summer pass from me and I feel the need to lash out at them once again.
I’m also in the process of setting up a Twitter page for this blog and will begin publicizing my postings there as well. I may even consider returning to Facebook sometime soon. I feel completely reenergized after a great Summer and I’m ready for the mid-year elections and all that that entails.
Finally a day without snow or sleet or rain. I really wish good old Mother Nature could make up her mind on these things. Maine has always been known for unpredictable weather but in recent years it’s been a little stranger than normal. The snow has finally stopped, the sun is shining, and the temperature has dropped into the teens. A perfect winter day for taking photographs and walking in the woods.
I loaded my snow shoes and camera into the car and away I went. I did a two mile walk through the woods along the Scarborough Marsh. It’s an eleven hundred acre marsh bordering on the ocean and it’s surrounded by woods and a large variety of wildlife. Today the wildlife was scarce because of the deep snow but there were still plenty of tracks of many of the smaller animals who don’t weigh enough to sink into the snow.
I was able to take quite a few photos and I think some of them are really decent. Unfortunately it was cold enough that my camera became a little sluggish and I was forced to keep it inside my clothing to keep it warm and operational. The wind chill is around eight degrees but the good thing is a hard crust is forming on the snow. By tomorrow I won’t be needing any clunky snowshoes to get around.
I did find a few of the stupider ducks who must have forgotten to go south for the winter. There were about twenty of them huddled along the shore in the freezing water having a meeting to elect a new navigator. The one they have must be a moron.
I did catch a quick look at my nemeses, the big fat barn owl I’ve been trying to get photos of forever. He’s always around but never sitting still or close enough for me to a good shot. I keep telling myself, be patient, and I’ve been telling myself that for almost two years. He’s either extremely lucky or just a lot smarter than I am.
The cold finally began getting to me and I retreated back to my car. It just felt so damn good to get out into the woods without worrying about hunters mistaking me for a cow or some other animal. I did see quite a few deer tracks but noting fresh. I’d love nothing better than a nice clear picture on a nice clear day of a deer standing alone in the snow. I’m sure to see a few before the winter ends and hopefully I’ll get lucky soon. Who knows.
I’m back home now and thawing out a little. I need to take a quick shower and then answer a few emails before dinner. My better-half’s been craving chicken wings for days and she’d better be using my wing sauce in her preparations or there’ll be hell to pay.
All in all a pretty good day. I got out of the house for a few hours, walked in the woods, got some fresh air, and took a nice collection of photos. I’ll take this kind of day any time.
