Friday, July 3, 2009

With all of the rain we have had recently, there is a lot of water going over the falls on Hadlock Brook! Usually it is down to just a trickle at this time of the year.

Tomorrow is Bar Harbor's big day, and hopefully the weather will cooperate. Also, the sail racing season begins today when the Southwest Harbor Fleet holds it's first races this afternoon. And don't forget the Acadia Repertory Theatre opening tonight. There is a lot going on, so get out and enjoy. We have a complete list
on our Happenings page.

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

We haven't had much opportunity to see the sun for the past week, but it did make an appearance for several hours yesterday afternoon. So just in case you forgot what it looks like, here is a photo of the late June sunset!

Just three more days until the 4th of July, and if you are planning to be in Bar Harbor on Saturday for all the festivities, now is not too early to plan how you will get there and back home. Driving in town will be very difficult all day, especially late morning during the parade and from about 8:30 to 10 in the evening for the fireworks. The Island Explorer might be a good option if you can park on their route outside the village, but check the Explorer website for details on schedule changes for the 4th. If you do drive in, park either on West Street extension or at Emerson school and walk from there - you'll be glad you did! Whatever you decide, Bar Harbor is a fun place on July 4; so come on over, be patient, and enjoy the activity.

Monday, June 29, 2009

Birdsfoot Trefoil in bloom beside a road in Pretty Marsh.

It's hard to believe, but here we are approaching the 4th of July! Time sure flies at this time of the year - even if it continues to rain! Hopefully, the weather will clear by later in the week.

Several long-running summer activities also begin in earnest this week. The Bar Harbor Music Festival starts on Wednesday and continues through most of July. The Acadia Repertory Theatre opens Friday evening and will present a total of four plays through the end of August. There are lots of tourists around right now as well, so the island is very crowded! Take the Island Explorer if you can, but try to get out and enjoy all of the action.

Our recent rain has provided us an opportunity to post some of the pages we promised for the Island Heritage section of our website. Check them out when you get a few minutes. If you are interested in MDI, you probably will be interested in reading some of that material. We plan to get the remaining pages up soon!

Thursday, June 25, 2009

We neglected to mention yesterday that the Island Explorer, our popular and free island-wide bus service, started its runs for the season this week. You can get the full schedule by going to the Island Explorer website. While you are there, you might be interested in their unique, online satellite tracking system showing the current location of each bus on its route.

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Friendship sloops off Northeast Harbor last week.

Rain, rain and more rain! This has been a long stretch of damp, cool weather thanks to a stalled low pressure system off Nantucket. Hopefully, we'll clear a little over the next couple of days. Would-be sailors are getting restless!

Brass Week in Bar Harbor began yesterday, and along with the ongoing Legacy of the Arts Festival, there are a lot of great music concerts available over the next few days to take your mind off the weather. The entire list is at your fingertips on our Happenings page.

Monday, June 22, 2009

Rosa Rugosa

As it turned out, we had a lot more than "showers" over the weekend. There was heavy rain at times with almost 4" coming down Friday evening and early Saturday causing washouts in many places around the island. Clouds and drizzle are still hanging around and should continue for most of the week.

One good thing about all of this rain is that the grass and flowers love it. Our beautiful beach roses (Rosa Rugosa) are in bloom now. They are common in shorefront areas just above the high tide line. Because they like the salt, they also can be found near roadsides where salt is used to melt ice during the winter months.

After a long hiatus, there is a new post on MDI Blog, along with a new design for the blog page. Check it out, and we'll try to post there more frequently in the future.

Friday, June 19, 2009

Passing Bear Island lighthouse under sail on Wednesday afternoon.

As predicted, the showers have arrived and likely will hang on through Sunday, so today and tomorrow probably will not be great sailing weather. Nevertheless, there are several events of note coming up. Tomorrow, Legacy of the Arts week in Bar Harbor kicks off with a two day art show on the Village Green. Also, Saturday and Sunday are the National Park Service's first of three fee-free weekends planned for Acadia National Park this summer. The other two are scheduled for July 18-19 and August 15-16. To top it all off, Sunday will mark the summer solstice, the longest day of the year, with sunrise here around 4:45 a.m. and sunset after 8:20 p.m. For a complete list of all activities, go to our Happenings page. Don't let a few raindrops keep you from enjoying our beautiful island at this busy time of the year!

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

We have a beautiful day coming up today so take advantage of it before more clouds and showers return for the weekend. Those involved in the local schools are excited, because Friday is the last day before summer vacation. Also, Bar Harbor's Legacy of the Arts week starts on Saturday with an art show on the Village Green. In addition, there will be lots of live music, so check it all out on our Happenings page.

Monday, June 15, 2009

Raindrops on lupine leaves

Our recent rain showers have left everything looking lush and green. Lupine is blooming now in fields and along roadsides, and wild iris can be found near many wet areas. The sun should return tomorrow, so this week will offer plenty of opportunity to be out and about!

Friday, June 12, 2009

Duck Brook Marsh

A rainy day today should give way to sun again for tomorrow, although the weather likely will continue to be unsettled until early next week.

More and more visitors are showing up each day, and the Cadillac Mountain Road in Acadia Park should be reopened this morning to buses and RV's after its brief closure for paving. Also, graduation at Mount Desert Island High School is Sunday, and another cruise ship is in town - so there is lots going on despite the weather!

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Sunset over Bartlett's Island

We have enjoyed beautiful late spring/early summer weather lately, but we are overdue for some clouds and showers. They may be coming our way for the next few days starting today!

The Acadia Birding Festival begins tomorrow and runs through Sunday. Many folks are surprised to learn that Mount Desert Island is one of the best places in North America for bird watching. We are on the Atlantic Flyway, and we are at the northern end of the range for many southern birds while also being situated at the southern end of the range for many northern species. Audubon found this area perfect for much of his research. For information call 288-8128 or check it out online.

Monday, June 8, 2009

Yesterday was a beautiful day for the Blessing of the Fleet in Bar Harbor as a part of our "Working Waterfront" celebration. The Maine Seacoast Mission boat "Sunbeam" served as a floating chapel for this annual service that is so meaningful to many from our island "who go down to the sea in ships".

We have one more day (today) of sunny weather before showers return for mid-week. Still, summer is almost upon us and there is lots to do, both around the house and for pure entertainment. The full "Strawberry Moon" was last night and will repeat tonight, so take a look if the clouds hold off.

Friday, June 5, 2009

"The Cat" at her pier in Bar Harbor on Wednesday morning

"The Cat" is back!
Our high speed ferry arrived in Bar Harbor on Sunday evening and made her first runs of the season on Monday. Until July, "The Cat" will depart Bar Harbor for Yarmouth, Nova Scotia on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday mornings. More detailed information is available on her website.

After some locally dense fog this morning, our weather looks pretty nice for the upcoming weekend. Don't forget National Trails Day tomorrow and the Working Waterfront celebrations on Sunday!

Wednesday, June 3, 2009

Duck Brook

Unlike many parts of the country, schools are still in session here on Mount Desert Island, and they will be until around June 19 - so drive carefully early in the morning and around mid-afternoon when school buses are on the roads. Once the kids are finally out, they don't have to go back until after Labor Day!

Many adults would probably like to be spending the day in school right now - or at least inside a building of some kind - because the mosquitoes and black flies are fierce at the moment. Fortunately, they are probably at their peak of peskiness, and conditions should improve considerably by the middle of June.

Monday, June 1, 2009

Apple blossoms beside an old stone wall.

Welcome to June - our first real month of summer!

After the passage of a cold front last night that sparked some severe storms inland, we have lots of clear, cool air and sunny skies this morning. If you have been planning to take in the views from the summit of Cadillac Mountain over the next few days, be advised that the National Park Service will be repaving the road up the mountain starting today and continuing through June 11. Tour buses and RV's are not allowed during this period, and passenger cars should expect delays.

Friday, May 29, 2009

Despite our cool, wet weather the past few days, this is the perfect time of the year to look for wildflowers along the roadsides and in the woods all over Mount Desert Island. Above are some rare, yellow Lady's Slippers in bloom at the Wild Gardens of Acadia earlier this week.

Another cruise ship visit is on tap for Bar Harbor today. Also, the Happenings calendar is picking up significantly and will stay busy throughout the next four or five months, so check it out and take full advantage of this wonderful time of year!

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

If you have never visited the Wild Gardens of Acadia at the Sieur de Monts Nature Center, or if you haven't been there in a long time, now would be a great opportunity to go and check it out. The garden is in beautiful condition and lots of the wildflowers are in bloom.

After about two weeks of warm, dry weather, we appear to be in for a few rainy days . Things should start to improve by the weekend.

Monday, May 25, 2009

MEMORIAL DAY 2009

Remember and honor their sacrifice.

Sunday, May 24, 2009

(photo courtesy of Downeast Windjammer Cruises)

The four-masted schooner "Margaret Todd" is a familiar sight in the water off the town pier in Bar Harbor, but it is quite unusual to see her hard aground on the gravel bar that connects MDI to Bar Island. Not to worry, however. This grounding was intentional. In the manner of sailing vessels many years ago, Captain Steve Pagels brought her onto the bar at high tide last Tuesday so that regular maintence work could be accomplished on the hull below the waterline as our normal 12 ft. tide receeded. Just a few hours after this photo was taken, the "Margaret Todd" was afloat again and back to the business of offering cruises under sail on Frenchman's Bay.

Friday, May 22, 2009

A tranquil Thursday afternoon along the shore of Long Pond.

Many spots around Maine saw record high temperatures yesterday as the thermometer soared to near 90. Here on the island things were not quite so hot, but we are definitely having a great start to the Memorial Day weekend. Lots of tourists are showing up, and it may be that the uncertain economy will cause folks to vacation closer to home this summer, bringing us a strong influx from the heavily populated northeast!

In addition to tourists, this warm weather has brought out hordes of mosquitoes and black flies. If you are out and about right now (and you should be), don't forget to cover up exposed skin and use plenty of a good insect repellent. Other options would be to stick close to the shoreline or breezy mountain summits.

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Tour buses await cruise ship passengers on lower Main Street in Bar Harbor.

It's hard to believe that we are now less than one week from Memorial Day! Our spring weather continues to be quite volatile with some warm days, some cool rain, some high winds, and even some patchy frost away from the immediate coastline last night. It looks like the old-timers knew what they were talking about when they warned about planting outdoors too early in May.

More and more tourists are showing up on the island every day, and this coming weekend should bring another heavy influx. Some would say that Memorial Day is the official start of our summer like it is in other parts of the country. Others around here, more steeped in local tradition, prefer to think of July 4 as the beginning of "the season". Either way, we have a lot of fine days to look forward to, so take full advantage of them because we all know that summer seems to pass around here in the blink of an eye!

Saturday, May 16, 2009

"Maasdam", Bar Harbor's first cruise ship of the season, at anchor in Frenchman's Bay on Thursday.