My favorite search phrases that lead to this blog

It's the two year anniversary of this blog, and that means I've had a lot of visitors.  Some of them find me with very interesting searches:

marine biology, gay friendly, cities

Yes, Portland.

coach purse with fish and sea weed on front of it

Can't help you here.

ice fishing shack maine images

and

lovers talk ice fishing means

don't know about lovers, but here's a picture of the smelt shacks on the Androscoggin in Brunswick, and here's a blogpost about them

Ice fishing shacks on the Androscoggin in Brunswick

why is a moon snail called a moon?
moon snail foot
biggest moon snail ever found
best beaches to find moon snails in Nova Scotia
Moon Snail Foot

Nooooow you're talking my language!  Moon snails are one of the coolest organisms in Maine.  I find them by visiting mudflats (preferably not too soft; they seem to like sandy mud) at low tide.  They usually burrow under the sand during daytime low tides, to avoid predation by gulls.  So you need to look for just the top of their shells, or a disturbed patch of sediment.  They get big.  Really big, like 3-4 inches across.  Let me know if you find any!

clams in the news

Here you go.  Oh, here too.

beluga whale harpswell maine

There was indeed a beluga in Casco Bay not long ago.  Poor lost guy.

working waterfront platform and rope house

Check out my tribute to working waterfront.

Or just enjoy these photos:

Mooring lines during winter, Castine.

Cutler, where the tides are REAL.

Cutler.

Harpswell.

Camden.

just keep us lovers ocean

Agreed.

illegal campfire in bay of fundi park

I don't recommend breaking the law.  I do recommend visiting Fundy National Park in Canada.

nice beaches in Kittery

Try these.

harpswell island dispute land trust

I think you're talking about Cedar Beach.  If I can figure out what the heck's going on out there, I'll write about it.  It truly is a beautiful spot.

Cronkite Casco Bay

Walter was a devoted sailor, and called Casco Bay some of the best cruising in the world.


nova scotia alewife runs news 2014

I don't know much about Nova Scotia, but here in Maine, there are 3 great places to see alewives in spring.
spring point beach dog friendly?

Yes, it is.

stairs in cliffs maine

How about Giant Steps?

lobster rolls in beaufort nc

Have the fried oysters or peel-n-eat shrimp instead.  Try them here, one of my favs.

Reds Eats is there anywhere to sit

Yes, outside.

pictures down east

Okay:

Quoddy Head State Park.  You must go.

Times are hard Downeast.

But beautiful.

Everything is for sale seems like.

neck lover,blogspot
maine hip waders

bay of fundy hip waders
wellies woman bay of fundy pictures

These all sound kinky.  Sickos.

best downeast tide pool

Try the Schoodic Peninsula.

basking shark size
Do basking sharks have a blowhole?


Big, and no; they have gills not lungs.  Go HERE for more info.

large footed tiny shelled saltwater snail

Ya got me on this one.

can you eat the snails out of the ocean?

Some of them.  Periwinkles are commercially harvested in some places.  And yes, I have.

And then there was fog: Mackworth Island

This is Maine.  So it was foolish of me to look out my window at home and think "wow, it's nice and sunny!"  Because here in Maine, there's no fog pitter-pattering on little cat's feet.  This is badass, angry, tricksy fog.  Pissed-off tiger fog.  When you least expect it, expect it.

For a couple of years I've been hoping to get out to Mackworth Island down in Falmouth, and Saturday afternoon's beautiful sun (at my house anyways) was calling, so I packed up Dory and headed south on 295.  That late summer sun shone on us all the way to Freeport, where I noticed a low cloud streaming over the trees from Casco Bay.  Hmm, that's funny, says I.  Doesn't seem cloudy . . . .

And this is what I love about Maine.  At the entrance to Mackworth Island, we could look west at a perfect, sunny afternoon.  Or we could turn around and look east, at pea-soup fog covering Casco Bay.  It was really cool.

Mackworth was worth the trip.  Although it's  not the longest hike (1.25 miles), it's really beautiful (from what I could tell staring out at the fog).  The island was once Governor Baxter's, and is still a school for the deaf.  The trees were spectacular, and there were plenty of spots to enjoy the water. Overall a terrific escape from reality for a little while.

Mackworth Island is a state park.  Pay the Iron Ranger, people.  Don't be cheap.

Dory approved of the trails.  Wide, hard packed.  Great if you have mobility issues.

The trees were amazing.

There's an ocean out there somewhere.

Pea soup.

A Fairy House.

The parking attendant's station.  There is very limited parking.  You might need to wait, or come back later.

Coveside Boats and Burgees

Although I had to work this past weekend (yup, laboring on Labor Day), Damon didn't.  He had a great weekend on OPB's -- other people's boats.  I didn't let him have all the fun though.  He sailed into Christmas Cove (where John Smith, yes that John Smith) spent Christmas in 1614, and I drove over to meet our friend Bruce and him.  Dinner was fun and Coveside was funky.

Worth the drive.  Or sail.

Bruce's boat Hepatica, a Cape Dory 30.

Looking for their assigned mooring.

These people sailed onto their mooring.  Nicely done.

There might have been a Dark n Stormy on the deck while waiting for them to sail in.

The deck.

Hungry guys after a long day of sailing.

Wicked Pissah decor.  Yacht club burgees from all over the world.  Damon found one from Jubilee Yacht Club, where his parents were members long ago.