Maine Thing

I completed 100 rocky Old Dominon miles and then promptly ran away to Maine for two weeks for a work detail with shorebirds and seabirds on relatively remote islands.

View over Bar Harbor from Cadillac Mountain, Acadia Nat'l Park

Eagle Lake as viewed from Cadillac Mountain, Acadia Nat'l Park

Dramatic coastline along Park Loop Road, Acadia Nat'l Park

Arctic tern adult, Petit Manan Island, Maine Coastal Islands Nat'l Wildlife Refuge

Atlantic puffins and a razorbill, Petit Manan Island, Maine Coastal Islands Nat'l Wildlife Refuge

Atlantic puffins and razorbills, Petit Manan Island, Maine Coastal Islands Nat'l Wildlife Refuge

Eastern Brothers Island's dramatic topography, Maine Coastal Islands Nat'l Wildlife Refuge

Lupine overlooking Blue Hill Bay, Mount Desert Island

Arctic tern chick, Metinic Island, Maine Coastal Islands Nat'l Wildlife Refuge

When in Maine....

Views of Metinic, Maine Coastal Islands Nat'l Wildlife Refuge

Newly hatched common tern chick, Ship Island, Maine Coastal Islands Nat'l Wildlife Refuge

A herring gull chick (who was the size of a chicken) about to take out my sunglasses
Metinic Island, Maine Coastal Islands Nat'l Wildlife Refuge

In fact, as of this writing, I still haven't even seen my horses (arrived home yesterday), but my BO reports they're looking great & I WILL see them tomorrow.

Two weeks away has been great for Q because she has been 110% left alone to be a horse and it has been great for me, too, because I have been able to take time to wrap my head around the entire crazy feat.

It was so surreal for the first 7 to 10 days post-completion! It really became a reality as I began my trip northward. First, when I was at the local watering hole in Davis and all of my outdoorsy mountain biking friends all individually took a moment to come over and congratulate me on the ride. They're endurance athletes of another kind and they recognized the feat for what it was. Answering their inquiries and thanking them for their interest really drove home the whole, "I completed a 100 mile ride" thing. Then, the following night I was in DC with Austen and Emma and other new-to-me horse girls. Austen and Emma's enthusiastic questions about the ride plus an evening of horse-talk with the ladies cemented things even further.

Visiting with some of the DC-area bloggers
Austen's recap here
Emma's here

I'll certainly share the typical "what worked/didn't/needs more contemplation" in a following post, but for now, know all are healthy and well following the OD 100. The two week reverie through work in Maine has helped settle my mind in more ways than one and I'm eager to get back in the saddle (on Griffin, Q still has more vacation ahead) this week!

And, because there are never enough photos of baby birds, I leave you with this little nugget.

Arctic tern chick, Metinic Island, Maine Coastal Islands Nat'l Wildlife Refuge

Northern Travels

I headed north to Maine for work and found some fun along the way. Here is a glimpse into the trip.

Paused in MD to see these ladies.

Gracie played, too.

The canal in downtown Frederick is very picturesque

Finally crossed this state off my list

Killed some Ethiopian with Hannah and Amanda in Mass.

Walked the breakwater (7/8 mile) out into the Penobscot Bay near Rockland, ME

I love the fishing / lobster boats so much

And the rocky coastline...I love that, too

And the conifer trees on the rocky coastline

I also love sailboats paired with the rocky coastline

And sunsets along the water

See the mist receding in the distance? I can't look at this photo and not hear music from the score for Pirates of the Caribbean. I feel like the Black Pearl is going to emerge from that mist at any moment.
This photo and the following one taken at Schoodic Point - newly opened/acquired NPS land.

Wish the mist hadn't been there so I could have seen the islands in the distance. Did you know there are over 4,600 islands off the coast of Maine?!

And again with the fishing / lobster boats. I adore them. Oh, and a lighthouse.

This bog not only looked like high elevation parts of WV (Dolly Sods/Canaan) it also had the same familiar smell.

This trail, too, reminded me much of the Sods/Canaan.

Except that trail ends with a view like this where my mountain trails would end with a cliff into a mountain vista.

Again with the mist... Again with the Hans Zimmer score...

Downeast Maine, I seriously love you.

The very rare photo of me attired for work.

South meets downeast Maine. Because YUM.

Two 2 lb. lobsters. Do you know how much they cost me? $19.94 that's not too bad at all. And they were delicious.

Sunrise over the Penobscot Bay.

A beautiful morning over calm waters...

...which was great because boat travel was much smoother! Island hopping time.

Metinic Island owned and managed by USFWS for seabirds - common, arctic, and federally listed roseate terns in particular.

The Owl's Head lighthouse with schnooner

The hell that was driving over the JFK bridge into NYC during a deluge at 11p.
I knew city folks sucked at driving in inclement weather, but dear god.
Driving 15 mph and stopping dramatically with no warning is a little excessive. Fortunately, I and my car survived.

(The dreaded bridge in the sunlight.)
I was in the city for the 14th anniversary of 9/11.

The Irish Rover in Astoria where beer is cheap (for the city) and I got into an argument with the two Irish owners about steeplechase horses...and it earned me a beer on the house!

Mi hermano y yo.

A very poor picture of the very best salmon I've ever had. Check out Isabella's on the Upper West Side.

Empire State showing off at night.

Technology vs. paper. Everyone biding their time on the subway in some fashion.

And then I made it home again. Where it was in the 40s (observe our attire) and rained for the first 3 hours I was back.
But it cleared up right before sunset making for a beautiful, beautiful [windy and cold] evening.

And it was so good to be home with this kid again. I missed him.

My mountain momma showing off why she's wild, wonderful and almost heaven.