It was just after dawn as I drove north along Route 123 on a beautiful sun-streaked August morning. Passing the huge Merriconegan farmhouse, I noticed the salt marsh was nearly full at high tide. Suddenly my eyes were drawn to a sight I could hardly believe. Amidst the wildflowers and field vegetation stood a tall… Read more

“Is that a shark?!!” Unless you are a pretty cool customer, those words immediately trigger all kinds of thoughts. When you are on the ocean in a small boat, it means you are suddenly on high alert. Lane is an experienced outdoorsman, not given to hysteria, but I could hear the concern in his voice… Read more

I dreaded getting on the school bus that morning, anticipating the reaction to our appearance. As soon as we started down the aisle my brother and I were the targets of laughter, teasing and name calling. Since we looked like characters from the 1960’s movie “The Living Dead” the humor at our expense was well… Read more

A few years ago, I wrote about wildlife mysteries, relating strange events that occurred when living in close proximity with various species. The star of that story was a female white-tailed deer who developed a habit of pulling up and eating the succulent cattails in the pond by our cabin. Because she carried out her… Read more

If there is a creature of Harpswell waters with a bigger image problem than the horseshoe crab, it has my sympathy. Most of us know little to nothing about the prehistoric looking horseshoe crabs other than seeing their old exoskeletons on our beaches. Then there is the fact that these fascinating creatures are not crabs,… Read more

Photo by James Pearsell, iStock Many birds overlap in the subtleties of their coloration and it requires careful observation for accurate identification. That is not the case with this powerful woodpecker; having seen one, the image will be locked in your mind. Memory does not serve me well regarding the timing of my first encounter… Read more

Humans are funny creatures. As we age, our memories are no longer razor sharp, so we may find ourselves standing in the kitchen wondering what it was we intended to fetch. We hunt for our reading glasses only to find them on our head! On the other hand, we have lasting memories for pleasant things… Read more

The history of Maine is inextricably tied to the rich waters off our coastline. Yet the sea has always delivered mixed blessings to our state. The ocean was a source of vast amounts of food and great wealth, but many lives were lost at sea down the centuries. Native peoples long harvested marine species, benefitting… Read more

They are everywhere, so many of them that it is easy to take them for granted. Their numbers have been increasing lately, something for which we can be grateful since they are important to our health and well-being. Especially this winter, life without them would be quite different. No, I am not referring to health… Read more

The afternoon slipped away quietly as another Indian summer day drifted into memory. At the end of each day, soon after sunset, there comes a time when the light suddenly drops as if a switch flips from daylight to dusk. Leaning against an ancient black cherry tree, I enjoyed the solitude of the forest while… Read more