9/30/12 Stuck in the House

It rained most of yesterday and all of today and more is predicted for tomorrow. We have had only short walks around the neighborhood. Kelley, of course, doesn't mind getting wet as long as there is no thunder and lightening ( so far so good on that score). Kelley deals with the boredom by sleeping a lot. I have been trying to straighten out my computer ( with mixed success) and this afternoon took a few pictures inside.

When it rained a few days ago I used the down time to re-pot some long neglected cactus. Some of them were so happy they put forth flowers.

I have had these plants a long time and many have lost or faded tags. I think this is a Mammillaria

 Mammillaria longimamma uberiformis

 We have had two frost warnings ( but no frost yet) so I brought several pepper plants inside to finish ripening. This is a cross by a friend of mine - Crvenperka x CAP 1546 - the pods are an inch or so long.

Another cross by the same friend - Bhut Jolokia x Galapagoense - this pod is 3 inches long.

Perhaps tomorrow  we will get some breaks in the predicted rain or we may just have to get soaked.

9/27/12 Hallowell Recreation Trails and Jamies Pond

A beautiful day and Jill and Ellie were going to show us some trails we have not seen in Hallowell near Augusta.  We could not find a trail map for the Hallowell Rec Trails where we went first. There was a network of trails that we wandered and lots of water for the dogs. There are apparently a reservoir, quarries, ponds, and streams. We wandered around for about two hours and it was quite enjoyable. We met other people with dogs and this pleased both Ellie and Kelley.

More talking than picture taking and I was trying out a different method of metering and  ruined many shots.

Ellie watching Kelley check out a small stream

Ellie liked to retrieve a tennis ball from fairly far out in the water.

 We then drove the short distance to Jamies Pond and did the loop indicated on the map, stopping for lunch along the pond. This was also a very pleasant trail

At the end there was one last swim

 We spent about an hour and a half on this section of the hike. Kelley had started out a little lame but it did not seem to interfere with her enjoyment of the hike. This morning she seems to be doing better. Thanks, Jill for taking us around these spots.

9/25/12 City Forest

Kelley was a little lame this morning so we went to City Forest for an easy 2 hour walk. Fall is in the air but the colors are sporadic as you can see looking down the path to the pond.

Looking across the pond there was some nice red
 

Kelley took advantage of the pond

The old rail bed was still pretty green

This fern was about finished

9/24/12 Dorr Mountain

Cold gray morning but supposed to improve so we headed for Acadia and a hike we like up Dorr Mountain. By the time we got to the trail head we still had some clouds but it was mostly sunny. We start on the Canon Brook Trail from Rte. 3 and this lichen was on a tree at the beginning of the trail

 There is a nice pond where the trail intersects the trail to the tarn.

This trail is a mostly flat pleasant walk through woods.

The Dorr S. Ridge Trail is, I think a pretty trail, - mostly open but with some small trees and very nice views back to the ocean

 About half way up Kelley found a small pool and took advantage of it.

At the summit we met a nice couple from Ohio and Kelley got some attention from them as we chatted about trails. 
 This is Bar Harbor showing Bar Island and the partially submerged bar that you can walk across when the tide is low.

 From the summit we returned the way we had come and I got a couple more pictures at the pond.

The trail has a quite long bog type bridge that crosses the end of the pond.  Sometimes Kelley will use the narrow bridge but she usually goes on the outside of it through the brush ( as she had done on the way in) this time she decided to take the water route and swam the whole distance ( a first) - looking pretty smug.

This had been a nice 3 hour hike- there were  places Kelley needed to work around but she managed all of them without help from me and seemed enthusiastic about the hike. This morning she was a bit lame so it was perhaps harder for her than I thought.

9/21/12 Bangor

Rain predicted so we just went downtown.  Kelley was not sure what route she wanted to take and was doing a lot more sniffing than walking so it ended up being a rather short walk, a visit to the library, and home to catch up on more work around the house.

9/20/12 Valley Peak and St. Sauveur

Several days of easy hikes and today is to be sunny and upper 60's so  it's time for something more strenuous. The Valley Peak Trail starts out fairly steeply and with lots of rocks so it's a challenge for Kelley to find ways around several spots and she even needs a couple of boosts.

 As you come out of the woods the trail has more granite ledge and is easier

 One of the first views as you gain the ridge

 Kelley was glad to be up top

For most of the trail you have views of the ocean and then Somes  Sound

The Valley Peak Trail took us down to the Man O' War Brook Rd. which we followed to the St. Sauveur Trail.  This is a much easier trail for Kelley with a gradual rise and only a couple of minor work arounds.

Here the trail is coming from a spot she needed to get up and I was poised to take her picture as she came trotting up the trail. But she appeared at my side  having taken a larger sweep than I had anticipated.

 This trail has some pretty sections but few views ( the summit is wooded with no views) . One is looking back down the trail.

We have done this hike several times without meeting anyone . Today there were a lot of people, mostly from out of state or country and it made Kelley happy to greet all of them.  Many fewer people visit the park in September than in summer and the weather is cooler and the bugs are gone. A pretty nice hike and Kelley stayed enthusiastic throughout, not seeming to mind the difficulties for her.  3  3/4 hours

9/18/12 Newman Hill-Hinds

Rain and high winds predicted so we went to nearby Orono. Once again we tried to follow their map and do the loop. We thought we were doing well ( passes the snowshoe trail) but then came upon a bridge we had already crossed and realized we had gone in a circle again. After some wandering and dead ends we found the trail and continued the loop- but not sure where we picked it up again. Problem is crossing trail and intersections with no markers.

Faded glory - decal on an abandoned  camper

It amazes me that there is still Queen Anne's Lace at all stages from buds to open flowers and dried heads

 

 

Turned out to be a nice hike in spite of the trail frustration- we didn't have rain but Kelley had water to get into. 2  1/2 hours