I'd better preface this by stating that Great, Bailey, and Orr's Islands are all part of the trip down to Land's End, about 25 minutes from where we live. Wolfe's Neck State Park is down in Freeport, again about 25 minutes from where we live.
We decided to go exploring yesterday and take Meg to see more of her new 'home'. I also wanted to scout around for a bit to see if there was anything worth photographing. I did find a couple of things but nothing that jumped out at me that I'd want to include in this year's collection. Anyhow, we didn't want to go to the usual run of the mill places and had been talking to one of the boys from across the street (Meg dragged two of them in the house to meet Gareth and I) and they suggested WNSP and Land's End. There was one other place they suggested too, but I can't recall the name.
Before I forget, Meg took a great deal of the pictures from yesterday and I'll try and remember to point out which one's she took.
We hit WNSP first and hadn't really intended on taking the hiking trail, but we did and Meg found a great little rocky inlet.
The girls goofed off on the rocks (I tried not to have a stroke with Gaby being that close to really choppy water, but Meg does a great job with her and senses how nervous this makes me.) and I took pictures.
We decided to head up the trail a little further and I'm really glad we did. In addition to getting a cute shot of the girls on one of the bridge's...
...the Maine Forestry and Conservation dept. had a guide and a high powered lense set up so that we could view an Osprey nest. In the nest was an Osprey chick (they are HUGE) which was one of the most gorgeous birds I have ever seen. I only got a shot of the top if the tree the nest was perched on (the nest's are huge as well), but I was so glad they had a great lense set up so that I could see the bird close up. It was absolutely magnificent. There was something about seeing it that touched a part of me deep inside. I can't describe it, so I probably shouldn't.
This is the view across the inlet where the nest was. I have a little red arrow on the lousy shot I got that shows where the nest is. You can kinda-sorta barely see the top of the Osprey chick.
Um yeah, I pretty much know what I want Santa to bring me this year. A high-powered lense! Can you imagine the shots I could get with something like that. Wow!
Meg took this picture of the hiking trail...
We really had perfect weather yesterday for our little adventures. It was cool enough to where Gaby needed a little hoody but Meg, Gareth and I were fine in our shirt sleeves. Not a cloud in the sky and a really nice breeze. It made for a gorgeous day.
Gaby explores the moss on the root system of a tree...
From Wolfe's Neck State Park we headed north through Harpswell and onto Great Island then Bailey's and Orr's Islands which lead the way to Land's End.
The Islands are typical of Maine life on the water, with pretty cottages dotting the coastline, loads of boats out on the water pulling lobster pots or just enjoying the remnants of the summer and locals sitting on their porches breathing in the sea air and waving to anyone who passes by.
Here are some pictures that Meg took on the way down and way back.
Old chapel on Orr's Island...
Inlet on Orr's Island...
Land's End. A view from of one of the rockly ledges that surround's the area...
Gareth took this one. I've not a clue as to who the statue is, but will find out as there is a huge gift shop down at Land's End with gorgeous lighthouse stained glass window pieces and I'm going to go and pick up a couple of them, so I'll have a chance to go back and look at the statue close up and answer my own question.
There are hundreds of quaint cemetaries that dot the coastline here in Maine. Several of them date back to the revelutionary war and some even preceed it. Meg was fascinated (as I am) by the 5 or 6 we passed on the islands during our drive and got out to take some pictures of one of them. This particular graveyard only dates back to the mid 1850's.
We noticed something kind of funny, I just wish one of us, be it Meg, myself or Gareth was able to get a better shot of it. Right next to the cemetary was a sign for a local realtor. We all got a laugh at the name of the realtor due to the fact that it was directly adjacent to the graveyard...
I got out to take this one...notice the hills in the background? If you look closely (click on the photograph so you get it in full size) you'll notice a huge house that sits on that hill and overlooks the cemetary. I just thought it was kinda interesting. I guess they won't have to worry about their neighbours throwing any loud late-night parties now will they?
The church which is adjacent to the cemetary had an unusual (it was unsual to me, because I wondered how it was level) foundation. Stones.
On the drive back home I saw an old-fashioned water pump and thought it was interesting. Although I know a lot of you probably think it is little more than yawn-worthy at this point. *lol*
Meg being, well Meg!
And that pretty much wrapped up our day. Of course, once we got home and Gaby was able to run wild again, she grabbed not just one, but both cell phones (mine and Gareth's) and had a blast with them. Is this typically female or what?
