Vacation... ahhhhhhhhhhhh

So now that I have the job situation under control... it was time to head north... to visit family and to go to my favorite place... 

I started my journey Monday morning after going to the chiropractor for a much needed adjustment... 

My first stop was to my aunt Donna's house and in her door was this sign: 

She is so sweet.  She is so excited for me and I so appreciate her support.  I loved getting a chance to talk with her over a delicious salad.  I don't know what it is, but she is the best salad maker I know!  Maybe it is in the presentation... it was great to see her!  Thanks Donna!  

Then the drive continued.  The clouds were amazing, so puffy.  I wish I could have taken more pics, but didn't dare to have my camera out while driving... so this is the only pic I was able to get.  

After getting off the highway I continued north.  Into what Rico would say was T45Q9302... 

Maine has places that are still unorganized territories... and lucky for me, this territory is cell signal free and internet free.  It was so nice to unplug... completely unplug.  

I am sure I have posted a similar picture before, but this is the view of the mountain I wait to see all year... it is around the last corner before getting to the campground and my heart just sings!  She always looks different, this mountain, depending on the clouds and their shadows.  I love it! 

The day had been filled with sunshine, clouds, some rain showers, and more sun... which lucky for us meant a double rainbow.  It was beautiful.  

The rainbow disappeared but the beauty continued.  

The next day I headed up the river... and have to say that the reflections in the river were amazing.  Sometimes the colors in the river were more vibrant than the sky.  

The first offshoot of the river that I explored is a place Mom and I called Tadpole Terrace... the last couple of years I have not been able to access tadpole Terrace, due to the beaver dam.  This year the dam is in a bit of disrepair and the water level has been high which made for a great combination for me... it meant I could kayak over the dam and get inside!  It brought back a lot of memories...

Mom and I named this place Tadpole Terrace because of my reaction to the tadpoles as they jump out of the water when we kayak close to them... it startles me and I make a noise similar to Dorothy Gail when her Kansas farmhouse lands in Oz... a high pitched 'ohh!'  

Back out on the main part of the river I was still in awe of the reflection... 

While the beaver dam is in disrepair, probably because the beavers have been trapped, there are signs that the beavers are still present... this tree, for example.. has been a project for the beavers... And... I did have a couple of beavers slap their tails in disgust as I passed them on the river.  I am sure they will repair or rebuild the dam... 

This is a picture of what Mom and I called 'The Trickle'... (we named all the offshoots so that we would know which area of the river we were referencing and the names have stuck... most of the seasonal campers call them by name!)  I get nervous when I venture into The Trickle... because one year Mom and I went in here, me first, and after maneuvering around this tree...standing up on the bank on the left (which is hard to see from that angle) was a HUGE bull moose and I am not exaggerating when I say that he could have stepped down onto my kayak and probably flipped me over... I froze and Mom, not seeing the moose, kept saying, "What are you doing, why are you stopping, I can't get in with  you there...."  I tried to signal her while remaining motionless and somehow she got the message... The big bull lowered its head towards me and moved it back and forth... a sign of aggression... then somehow decided to leave me alone... and walked away, towards the pond at the other end of The Trickle... and I started breathing again.  The trickle is a bit adrenaline provoking since... wondering if there is something around the corner...

 Well this time there was no moose, but... there was a duck.. and angry duck!  I did not realize there were very small baby ducks in The Trickle and as I turned to go in a mother duck let me know I was not welcome there.  She charged me!  I am not kidding.  It was one of those moments that took my brain time to process. As she was storming at me I had time to think, "Really? I'm being attacked by a duck?"  She stopped about two feet in front of my kayak flapped her wings a bit and quacked like crazy... and then deciding her antics had protected her babies, swam off to the right a smaller offshoot of the trickle... Sorry Duck!  

I continued into The Trickle and it was very peaceful... no moose or angry ducks!  

 Again, the reflections!!! 

As I was heading back to the campground I noticed this nest... 

That bridge is part of the Appalachian Trail.  

Dad took some time to fish... I like watching him.  There is an elegance to fly fishing... something I will never try or master, but fun to watch.  (I do not touch fish!) 

Later that day, a family friend also caught a fish, a nice salmon.  Believe it or not, this one was not big enough to keep!  

So... Catch and release!  

As evening came it meant one thing... Another paddle up the river... (I figured my earlier paddle put out my energy and told the moose that I was back... and would invite them back to the river.  Apparently the sightings along the river have been scarce so far this year...)  

This is me... in my new hat!  Ha!  I hate hats... but I love photography... and while you may wonder how the two are related... they are.  When I take pictures I don't like to wear sunglasses that distort the light on the images I am taking.  So a hat takes some of the glare away and allows me ti get the lighting as close to how it really looks as possible... 

First stop... The trickle.  

As I approached the trickle I heard some bushes crackling, nothing major and figured, as many times before, it was some birds flitting around... I. was. wrong.  

As I began to turn into the trickle I looked into some bushes and realized I saw two black legs... Oh. My . God.  Really Mom? Again with the Trickle and the moose? Funny.  I again froze.  The moose blew (kind of a snort that deer and moose do when feeling threatened or aggressive..) and fortunately his fear instinct outweighed his attack instinct and he ran back... and I barely got this shot of him as he looked back, almost checking to see if he had seen what he thought he had seen... and I was fumbling with my camera...

I waited a while... and listened as the sound of his hooves sloshing in the water of the trickle and knew that he had backed away from the opening in the trickle... and decided I wanted to get a better look at him and carefully maneuvered my way around the tree... which involves putting down my paddle and actually holding onto the tree... and there he was... but he did not like to be photographed and quickly disappeared... whoa... 

Next stop... Tadpole Terrace... As soon as I got over the dam, I saw him.  Another moose.  A bit smaller than the first... eating some grass and I was so excited.  I wondered if this moose was the yearling who had followed me up the river a couple years back...because this guy was not bothered by me at all.  He was hungry and didn't care that I was there.  

This is the time of year where the antlers are still growing.  They are fuzzy, called velvet... and those antlers will keep growing for a little longer... once the ends are sharp points  he will rub his antlers on the trees to remove the velvet to look all manly for the lady moose... but in the meantime, he's packing on the pounds... 

Because the moose kept moving, I kept repositioning myself.  And at one point was up against the shore, with the land on my left... I had maneuvered to a place where I could easily back paddle to keep my distance from the big guy... and as I was taking pictures heard a noise behind me... and it sounded a bit bigger than birds in the bushes.. so I slowly paddled to the opposite shore... so I could see the moose and whatever else was heading my way... in this case... a deer.  

She was so pretty.  She almost looked like an antelope... and she was not happy I was there.  She stomped, blew and stomped some more...  

I think she wanted to cross the river... I believe it is the same deer I would see the next morning.  Her face is pretty unique, a lot of black on her nose, which is not usual... 

By the time I finished watching the moose eat his dinner and decided to move away so the deer could go where she wanted to go... it was time to head back to the campground... but not before one last look up the river...

It was the night of the full moon... I tried to get a good picture... but was unsuccessful... 

The next day, of course, brought another paddle...

This time my first stop was Baxter Bay... and as I paddled on the far shore I heard something coming... and turned around and there she was... 

Again, unhappy with my presence... and stomped and blew ... and walked into the woods... to observe me...

She thought she was hiding... Cute! 

Then she came out a bit further.  Pretty girl... 

I didn't see other critters on that paddle... but later that day after exploring a bit, I decided to go to Tadpole Terrace...  this time coming at if from up river, which meant I had to come around a corner.  I was looking at the bottom of the river as I approached and looking at the shore.  AS I went under a tree I love to go under I heard what I knew was a moose... a moose or a bulldozer!  And again backpaddled... and splash!  Out came this guy... I think it's the same moose from last night... he was not phased my my presence...

He was shaking his head in this one... like dogs shake off water... I love his lips and TEETH in this one!  

People wonder how close I get given the closeness of my shots... This was my distance... with my back towards the open river...just in case! 

I forgot to mention that this was the 4th of July... in honor of that... one of the campground regulars, Rick, made fried dough... yup, .... Fried dough... and he made a ton of them.  And they were good!  Every year he makes them for the folks who are the seasonal people... our summer family... but this time he had made so many we recruiting other people to partake... two couples from Canada and two hikers joined the party.  They all also joined us at the fire that night... 

One of the things I love about this place is that it is a piece of Americana... a place where people still gather, tell stories, laugh and sing by the campfire.  This night, our friend Paul, along with his brother in law, entertained us.  It was nice.  (Oh.. and a couple nights later, what campfire snack did we have? Bacon wrapped scallops!  Roughing it, right?) 

The next day I was up early... and was excited I had woken up to paddle... The mist was still rising from the forest and the mountain looked snow capped...

It's so peaceful on the river early in the morning... magical even...

I looked at the very blue sky and kept looking up, in hopes I would see an eagle... and I did!  

It was so nice to see the sun beginning to shine on the grass...

The reflections were perfect...

This family of ducks was adorable.  the ducklings were like corks, practically bobbing in the water instead of swimming... they dove into the water learning how to fish... and in order to submerge themselves they have to jump up and then use the momentum to get under.  It was really fun to watch.  

The clouds rolled in around the mountain as I made my way back to the campground.  

A wild strawberry near Dad's camper.  

Then an afternoon paddle... where I got to see some flowers I had not yet noticed.  I love that.. love that I see new things with each paddle...

These canoes are 'parked' at the rivers edge... it's the only way for the owners of the camp across the river to get to their camp... they paddle across...

To the cabin... 

Why is there a truck there if the canoes are the only way to access the camp? The camp used to be accessible by one of the fire roads that were carved through the area during a forest fire years ago... but... since then the bridges have been replaced by narrow walkways...wide enough for hikers to cross, but not vehicles... so this truck is stuck here.  The owners bring gas and use it to collect firewood... but it won't leave, ever...reminds me of Dad's 'Jitterbug', or Jittah - bug as we would say... Dad had an old old truck in the woods behind our house that we would ride through the woods in also collecting wood.  

This is me...again... with my hat!  I never think I look good in a hat... but it really does help!  

A self portrait with the mountain in the back!  

A family friend, catching another salmon...

I love his expression here... he was pleased with his catch... this one, a keeper! 

Dad.. (Just realized I didn't get any pics of Betty... she had her third round of chemo Monday and was pretty tired.  I am glad she took care of herself and rested but I did miss visiting with her more!) 

The next morning meant another early paddle... 

And apparently the theme of this paddle was spiderwebs! 

 A kingfisher...

And then it was time to head home... Dad had learned that one of his friends had passed away from lung cancer and the memorial service was this morning... and Betty had a wedding to attend this morning as well...(irony?)  so we decided to head to the lake yesterday afternoon.  Until next time... 

On our way home there was a good sized Bull feeding at one of the ponds... he was a big guy and very comfortable amidst the lily pads. 

Heading to the lake gave me a chance to paddle a bit there.  There was a lot of boat traffic, but it was beautiful.  I managed to get some pics of the loons... though they were very evasive! 

It was a great week.  The people there are all so happy for me, my new job... and I feel very proud.  I was able to relax a lot this week and re energize... and sleep... oh did I sleep!  And now, it is late here... and I need to crash, to keep my good sleep habits going... but wanted to post the pics... 

Enjoy!