
Our dawns aren’t the only big sky display that can be naturally dramatic around here. We do get what some folks call weather.
You never know what we'll churn up in cleaning a stall

Our dawns aren’t the only big sky display that can be naturally dramatic around here. We do get what some folks call weather.
One afternoon while anchored at Holbrook Island during a cruise aboard the historic schooner Louis R. French last summer.

Along State Route 9 (the Air Line Highway) in Wesley, Maine.
The rugged, sparsely populated town does sustain some impressive weather, not always off the Atlantic.
There are times when we could use a geologist on our explorations. At others, perhaps a Zen Buddhist master would be more appropriate.
This shot was taken during a shore visit from a cruise aboard the historic schooner Louis R. French last summer.

Sailors learn to observe the clouds for clues about changes in the weather. The conditions can be especially crucial to vessels that rely on their sails.
This was one of those moments aboard the historic schooner Louis R. French last summer.

This one’s from to our west, in this case Penobscot Bay during my cruise last summer on the schooner the Louis R. French. You’ll be seeing more images from that week as this year progresses. And, yes, I’m already signed up for another week of cruising.
As Bar Harbor, at the gateway to Acadia National Park, tries to limit the number of cruise ships coming to town, tiny Eastport has been reaping benefits.
For the past two autumns, as some of the ships have ventured our way, we’ve welcomed their arrival at our downtown Breakwater pier. As I’ve previously posted, they’ve extended our brief retailing season and brought delighted walkers to our byways, shops, eateries, and galleries.
Supporters point out that these guests and supporting staff don’t add traffic congestion to our narrow roadways, and their arrivals can be spaced to avoid times of busy events. The town is also limiting arrivals to one ship per day, unlike Bar Harbor or Portland.
It’s still early in the planning for the upcoming travel season, and things can change rapidly, but here’s what’s already slated.
At his point, we’re expecting ten ships to come calling, 23 arrivals in all and up to 55,000 day-visitors. A few are spread out over the summer, too.
Three of them are too long to dock at the pier. Instead, they’ll anchor in the channel and relay passengers and crew to and from the dock.

The Zuiderdam, seen here in Rockland Harbor last year, will be making two visits. You can see one of its tenders in the water, conveying passengers to the town and back.

This happens when the air temperature approaches zero Fahrenheit, well below that of the Atlantic.

A first attempt to photograph the northern lights using my cell phone. It does look like a sunrise except in the north. Next up is time-length exposures using a tripod and remote shutter. That’s when much fantastic color that isn’t seen at the time by the naked eye is detected.
I’ve even bookmarked the two-day forecast to keep me posted.
They’ll even shuck their treasures from the shells before returning to dock, no matter how cold.