Harbor Seals

We all took a boat tour around Monhegan today on the Balmy Days ferry.  The kids loved it!  We got to see Manana (small island across from Monhegan) up close, the whole village and the cliffs from the ocean, a Mola mola (ocean sunfish) at the surface, and then we spotted a whole bunch of harbor seals sunning themselves and swimming around Seal Ledges.  What a blast!  

Rainy day

You'd think that an entire of rain would have made us sad and gloomy, but we had a blast.  Erich kept a cozy fire going all day, and we played Monopoly, Rummikub (my older son is really scarily good), cards, built legos, played with matchbox cars, and spent some good quality family time all together.  We even hiked a bit in the rain.  The boys were so cute under their shared umbrella.   Then, I ended the day near sunset, when the rain stopped, photographing some soaked flowers and fungal polypores. :) 

Cold windy day

Today it was really cold and windy on the island.  We bundled up and hiked anyway - we went to Gull Cove and scaled the big rocks, got to take a tour up into the top of the lighthouse with Oma and Opa, and threw rocks at Swim Beach.  There was no sunset and it was very gray, but I did manage to get some blur shots of the crashing waves on the rocks by the house tonight. 

Beauty on the cliffs

I hiked to Squeaker Cove through Cathedral Woods today all by myself.  Erich took the kids for a couple hours.  I was in HEAVEN.  I was actually talking to myself out loud....crazy anyone?.... saying over and over again how incredible and amazing this place is and, once in awhile, I just stopped and smiled like a lunatic, breathing deeply and giggling.  Yes,  I had a very nice hike.  

Hike with the boys

We all took a hike through the Whitehead trail to the east side of the island today.  We took our time walking through the gorgeous forest.  It was so lush and green.  The boys were amazed by all the moss on the forest floor.  They kept stopping to pet it and see how soft it was...hilarious!  It was so peaceful.  All we could hear were cawing crows, seagulls and, as we neared the cliffs, the crashing surf.  The trail ended at the most amazing view of the cliffs and ocean. 

Sunset at Lobster Cove

Erich and I watched a phenomenal sunset up at Lobster Cove tonight after the kids went to sleep.  There is a shipwreck of a tugboat that crashed years ago, as well as a life ring perched on the cliff there in case anybody falls off the rocks into the crashing surf.   The undertows and high surf in the ocean on the southern side of the island are particularly dangerous, and there are many chilling stories of people that fell and were lost in the sea, never to be found.  The raw beauty of this place blows me away.

Traveling to Maine

The day of our long-awaited vacation has finally arrived!  We traveled to Maine to spend a week with Erich's parents today!!!  It was a LONG day.  We had a 6am flight, so we had to wake up at 3:45am to just barely make it in time to board the plane.  Then, after 2 plane rides, we rented a car from Portland and drove 2 hrs to Port Clyde, where we boarded a ferry boat and rode to Monhegan Island, a 1.75 miles long by 0.75 miles wide island located 12 miles off the coast of Maine in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, where Erich's parents own an amazing cottage (see photo below).  We haven't been here in six years...much too long!  After the very long trip, we were all really excited to step off that boat and see Oma and Opa!  


I feel most myself on this island. I LOVE this place... The second I stepped off the ferry, I felt myself unwind.  I love breathing the fresh, cool sea air, hearing the seagulls, living the simple, slower-paced life, walking everywhere (no cars on the island), being surrounded by stunning nature, the wild flowers, having a zillion photographic subjects at every turn, hiking any of the 17 miles of gorgeous, pristine trails through the woods to breathtaking views of the cliffs.....  It is just heaven.  I am really looking forward to this vacation.  I may not come back home. ;)