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.