It’s that time of year when boating is all but over. Pipe Dreams is put away for the season leaving only the kayak for a last outing. No matter how many times I paddle Rockport Harbor it’s always different. This time I want to take it all in as what I see will be stored in my head as memories for winter.
The tide is low which fully exposes the seaweed attached to the rocks. Its texture reminds me of a witch’s hair, appropriate, I guess, as it’s that time of year.
Until I spotted some movement, I completely missed the ducks marching across the rocks. What a perfect blend!
Sailboats line the mouth of the harbor waiting their turn to be hauled out and stored until next season. All of these boats are familiar as they’ve passed by my windows many times during the summer.
The schooner Heron is heading out to Penobscot Bay with a full load of passengers. She, too, will soon be gone as she goes south for the winter.
All the lobster boats are in for the day.
The last one has just unloaded its haul and the truck is ready to pull away with its bounty. Boy, I’ll miss that easy access to lobster!
Now on the other side of the harbor it makes me smile to see people enjoying a beautiful afternoon. With cold weather coming, folks take advantage of every opportunity to be outside beneath a warm sun.
Passing this boat reminds me of fun summer dinners and afternoon of mahjong. Talk about a great place to have people gather!
I’m not the only one out taking advantage of sunshine and blue sky. There are other kayakers,
a paddle boarder braving the cooling water
and someone capturing her own images of this beautiful place.
As I turn and head home, I pass a loon which is a most unusual sight on the harbor as loons tend to be more common around fresh water. I wonder if this evening we will hear its mournful calls or if it will have found its way back to more familiar environs.
I see home drawing near, and I think one more time how lucky I am to spend time in this wonderful place. I am happy to have you share it with me.
i so appreciate your visit and the comments you leave behind
Mention Maine and it seems the first thing people think about is lobster. It is true that lobster is plentiful in Maine and at a lesser cost than in many places so people do indulge when visiting.
Where do you find these tasty crustaceans? Along the coast, they are available at any number of roadside shacks selling lobster in all its forms.
Perhaps the most well know is Red’s Eats in Wiscassett. 
I’m not sure how it got so famous, but rain or shine you can be sure there is a line of folks waiting to order.
Red’s may draw the crowds, but I like best the shacks that are on the water.
There you can eat outside and watch the comings and goings of the lobster boats.
You can be sure there is competition among these lobster shacks with each one claiming to serve the best. Now, I can tell the difference between lobster rolls, but with steamed lobsters it’s hard to distinguish among them.
When it comes to lobsters, there are two places I enjoy them most. One is on the boat anchored off an island enjoying a picnic with a good lobster roll, one that is mixed with a little mayonnaise and nothing more.
The other is at home where we serve up some pretty good lobster be it steamed or as an ingredient in a tasty dish. 
Each year during the holidays we return to Maine for a taste of winter. A few days is generally enough to tell us we are happy not to have to endure more. There is something good to be said about winter in Houston.
The schooners that sail Penobscot Bay all summer were bound in shrink wrap to protect them from winter weather.
Some brave soul had braved the cold long enough to shimmy up the mast to top it with a tree.
The schooner was not the only thing to sport a tree. So did the fuel dock at Rockport Marine where we fill Pipe Dreams with diesel to keep her running on our summer boating adventures.
It was so cold that the harbor was partially frozen, a sight not often seen.
The ice locked in place the few lobster boats that remained in the water.
With the temperatures well below freezing, sea smoke floated across the water, a sight full of mystery and beauty.
Snow made the landscape a winter wonderland.
With their wooly coats, sheep seemed able to bear the cold but they stayed close to the barn since the snow in the pasture was too deep for them to frolic
Yes, these are visions of winter, but this holiday was foiled by an Arctic blast with temperatures so cold outside as to be almost unbearable for more than a few minutes. To make matters worse, the heat in our house was not working properly meaning that we stayed bundled up and spent most of our time in front of the fireplace. We stood it for two days before the hubby decided he’d had enough of 40 degree temps in the house. Though weather foiled our stay, it was long enough to capture some of the season’s magic and gave us yet another memory of the time we spend in Maine.
Walking on the dirt road
Tini time on the porch
Excursions on Pipe Dreams
Finding mussel heaven
Lobster boats
Rockport Harbor
Sunsets
Until Pipe Dreams is back at the dock and we’ve had our first boat outing, summer hasn’t begun. Thanks to blustery seas, it’s taken a few days to get that first trip underway.
Leaving Rockport Harbor behind I begin to see all the familiar sights that are so dear. 
Indian Island with its lighthouse still stands guard at the mouth of the harbor, and in the distance a schooner loaded with visitors is powered by a gentle breeze.
Farther out are the islands that separate us from the Atlantic Ocean and make this part of the Maine coast the absolute best for boating.
Lobster buoys dot the water,
High above are clouds floating in a clear blue sky, and I wonder how life could be any more perfect than at this moment. I close my eyes in gratitude for the privilege of being in this beautiful place.
