Maine Tides

Click on any PIC to enlarge it.


When visiting Maryland's Eastern Shore the Tides run about 3Ft.
Lew was a bit startled by the 10Ft Tidal variation at Bar Harbor.
Jan was less impressed and kept saying....Bay of Fundy! 42Ft!

The view from our Campsite
at the Bar Harbor KOA.
High Tide....

....and Low Tide.

On up the Maine Coast is the State Park on Cobscook Bay.

High Tide from our Campsite there....

....and then approaching Low Tide.

Six hours hence Jan would be
18Ft underwater!

On up to Campobello Island at the
mouth of the Bay of Fundy....

That water is about 21Ft deep right now
at High Tide.
At Low Tide you can walk across
to the Lighthouse.

The water rises as fast as 5Ft/Hr.
The flow through this channel raises 3Ft standing waves.
What a Scary place.

A hundred feet from the Tidal Race
these Seals frolicked
with impunity.

Jan, Her Dad and Whales

Jan's Dad, quite the Fisherman,
always wanted to see Whales.
He never got a chance to.
Jan made it one of her Life Goals
to see the Whales her Dad never did.
Our sojourn on the Maine Coast
lent itself to that purpose.
So....
One morning Jan, Adam, Trista and Cordelia
boarded a Whale catcher in Bar Harbor
and off to Sea they went.
After fruitless hours of searching....

Thar She Blows!
(just caught in the Camera's Eye)

Turning and giving chase....
Thar She Blows again!

And then that Whale Watcher's treat....
Thar She Breaches!

Adding to the excitement....
There are actually two
Humpback Whales here.

Bye bye!

Maine Lobsterboats

Y'know those Live Lobsters in the Tank at the Supermarket?
Ever wonder where they come from?
In no small part they are caught
(trapped actually) by the Art
of the Maine Lobsterman.

This is a Lobster Pot (Trap) found
washed ashore at the southern tip
of Mt Desert Island.
Bait is secured therein,
the is lid closed
(missing from this battered Relic)
and the Thing is heaved into
the shallow Sea with a
marker Buoy attached.
The Lobsters, smelling Dinner,
crawl into the inner chamber
(bottom of the PIC)
and can't find their way out again.
Their misfortune, our gain.
Obviously, someone must tend
these Traps.
Enter the Lobsterboat&Crew.

All along the Maine Coast,
at any given time several boats may
be seen working immediately offshore.

They work their way along in a
series of loops connected by
short straight runs.
During each loop an appropriately
marked buoy is snagged and
by winching its line
the attached Trap
which had been resting
on the sea floor beneath
is brought aboard.
The dark object on the side of the boat
is a Pot being drawn up.

Again the dark object is a Pot.
Any appropriate sized Lobsters found therein
are kept to end up in Supermarket Tanks.
Notice that while some Folks
Work,
others Play.

Remember this High Tide Pic
of the Shore with Teeth?



Well....

The Maine Lobsterboat Men
and Women
(i.e. the Deckhand in this PIC)
think nothing of working
very close in to those Rocks.

In all kinds of weather.
Look closely.
About 100Yds off the Rocks
they are.

Acadia

Amy and Chris headed home but
Adam, Trista, Cordelia, Jan, Lew and Katz
headed for Mount Desert Island (Acadia NP),
so named by Champlain himself because
the side of Cadillac Mountain he saw
was bare Granite.

The Emergent Maine Coast.

The Tide here is fascinating to watch.
Low Tide.

High Tide.
About 10Ft difference.

Mount Desert Island is pretty big.
Sometimes we got around by....

Bus.
These free shuttles run all over.

Sometimes we traveled by....

Bike.
There are many miles of the old
Carriage Road system
open to Cyclists.
There are steep hills so
for every two hills
Grandma and Cordelia got to
stop and pick&eat....
Maine Blueberries
which grow everywhere.

Sometimes we traveled by....

Foot.
See the Blue Blaze mark on
the Rock?
That marks this "Trail"
up Cadillac Mountain.

The view from Cadillac Mountain of Bar Harbor.

Trista and Cordelia on the Bar Harbor Floor
at Low Tide.

Sometimes you find Things at Low Tide.

Ithaca is Food

All the Meals during our Vacation were above average
(Of Course).
What Fun!

Amy cutting her Birthday
Boston Creme Pie
Cake
(Vegan, of course).

Later we had Dinner at Za Za's Cucina.
Yes, yes, backwards, I know.
Cake first, dinner later.

Sometimes Good things to eat don't come
from the Supermarket.
Sometimes they come right from the Good Earth.

Chris hunting a Chanterelle
(a favorite delicacy among Mycologists).

Yup, those are Chanterelle Mushrooms.
Later with Pasta they made a Beautiful Meal.

This Meal was Great.

Seitan.
Made from Boiled Wheat Gluten.

A Mountain of Chard.
Yes, the Corona (Mexican Beer)
helps with the Process.

The Marinated Seitan being Grilled.

The Chard being Sauteed
with Garlic and Ripe Olives.

The result.
Yummy.

Ithaca is Gorges

Cayuga Lake has many Gorges which empty into it.
Like all the Finger Lakes this one was gouged out
by the Great Glacial Bulldozer.
When the Glacier melted it left an escarpment
into the lake valley.
Into this escarpment creeks carved
the present-day Gorges which Charm
and even Captivate us.

This is the Gorge of Enfield Creek.
The Swimming Hole is at the bottom.

The CCC built this and Thousands of other Paths
in Thousands of State Parks across the Land.
Were it not for the Work of those
Young Men
America would not have
Our Parks today.

The same Path from across the Gorge.

This is the Gorge of
Taughannock Creek.
If you walk up the creek
you come to....

Taughannock Falls.
Lovely, Eh?

And this is the Gorge of
Buttermilk Creek.

Again, Buttermilk Creek.

Ithaca

In 2004 and again in 2005, it turned out that Robert Treman State Park
(just outside Ithaca,NY)
was a good place to have a Family Get-Together.
We all decided to do it again this year.

The Gorge of Enfield Creek.

Upon arrival, the first thing Cordelia
wanted to do was show
Uncle Chris her Magnets.

Then it was time to select a restaurant and reserve a
table for Amy's Birthday Dinner.
Look at the Camping Geek
with her Laptop and Cellphone.

Grandma, Cordelia and Aunt Amy
couldn't wait to get to....

The Swimming Hole.

Well, they made it to
V-A-C-A-TION.

Swimming works up a big appetite, Eh?
So next it was time for some
Camping Cooking.

Couldn't resist this Colorful PIC
(red and Yellow Bell Peppers)
of Sweet Potato Quesadillas
in-the-making.

Lake Erie

Before Jan's Mom and Dad had kids they had Time....
to help build this Cottage on Lake Erie (Westfield,NY).
Jan and her five Siblings came here as Kids many times.
After Jan and Lew married they came here as well.
The Cottage was sold many years ago.

It is for sale so Jan wanted to
look the old Place over.

Her Uncle built this Fireplace
which was the only source
of Heat (Summerhome).

In that day "neighborhood Association" had
a simpler meaning than now.
Instead of fussing about
Appearances
and what people might be permitted
to park in their driveways....
the Forest Park Association
built this Pavilion where
to this Day
Bingo is played on
Saturday night
as Jan remembers doing
many years ago.

The shared Beach.
Do you think Jan is Listening for
Echoes of happy
Childhood Voices?
I do.

This is the current view from
Ms Dolphin's Living Room Window.
BTW, this Lake Erie SP beach is
closed because the Water is unsafe
to be immersed in.
An enduring Legacy of the Rapine
practiced by we Americans
against this Lake for hundreds of years.

Trains and Boats and Planes

Whatever in the World
is that strange sight
in the Distance, Hmmm?

Aha!
Now we know, Eh?
Cordelia could hardly
wait to meet....

Lucy and that Main Dog....
Snoopy.

Cedar Point has some really Terrifying rides
(for grown-ups only).
This PIC was taken from
the Ferris Wheel,
which Lew found Scary enough
(Cordelia held Grandpa's hand
so he would be OK).
Yes, those people are going straight up
(then straight down, of course).
Trista really likes that kind
of Ride.

But Cedar Point has rides that are just perfect for Kids, too.

Like Trains,

and Boats,

and Planes.

Swimming

Although time has moved on, I couldn't
resist one more PIC of Seven Lakes.
Since this Post is about swimming
it is appropriate.

I counted eight people in this group.

It was early afternoon when Trista and Cordelia arrived
at Camp Dolphin Cedar Point. Cordelia was excited
to try out the Mask&Snorkel Grandma had procured
for her in Empire,Mi.

As I said, she just couldn't wait....

To try it out.
(Sandusky,Oh KOA Pool)

As young people often seem able to,
Cordelia quickly made
New Friends.

All too soon it was Evening.
Time to call it a Day.