One afternoon while anchored at Holbrook Island during a cruise aboard the historic schooner Louis R. French last summer.
Tag: Photos
Ice storm as frozen waves

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.
Two boulders on Round Island
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.
Feet on the wall
This was an accidental shot in the Vietnamese restaurant in Bangor, Maine, and no, my feet were actually on the floor. But somehow this does look like a rice-paper wall in a classic Japanese home. I’d definitely enjoy dining there, too, maybe even with my feet up.
Reading the sky

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.
A classic porch sweep

Do people really sit here, watching the passing view in warm weather? Did they ever?
Somehow, it’s still commanding, all these years later.
One more sunrise

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.
One more well-fed Buddha

As glimpsed at the mostly takeout Vietnamese restaurant in Bangor, Maine, the token offerings to Buddha and his buddies are a reassuring nod in many Asian food retailers.
Jesus and all the saints, on the other hand, are typically left in fasting mode, East or West.
We’re becoming a destination for cruise ships
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.
- Azamara Quest: 593-foot length / 702 passengers / October 2
- Brilliant Lady: 908 / 2,800 / September 18 and 27, October 9
- Le Boreal: 466 / 264 / October 17
- Le Champlain: 431 / 184 / October 19
- Majestic Princess: 1,082 / 4,450 / August 24
- Norwegian Getaway: 1,068 / 4,028 / August 21 and 28, September 4, 11, and 25, October 16 and 23
- Pearl Mist: 324 / 210 / November 2
- Viking Neptune: 749 / 954 / April 27
- Volendam: 780 / 1,432 / June 14, July 13, September 5 and 20, October 4
- Zuiderdam: 936 / 1,916 / June 16, August 25
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.
Big Pink in real life

It’s not quite like the Victorian mansion with the witch-hat tower that I envisioned in my novel What’s Left. This one sits along U.S. 1 in Milbridge, Maine, rather than near the university campus in the fictional town of Daffodil, Indiana.
Dig back in the archives on this blog and you’ll find dozens of other examples, usually in other colors, unlike Big Pink in the book.
I didn’t ask if a multigenerational Greek-American family lives here.