Bar Harbor's newest addition to its excursion fleet - the restored Chesapeake Bay oyster schooner "Ada C. Lore" - returns to port after sunset last Thursday.

After a brief visit by sunshine yesterday, we are back into the mist and fog this morning. Once again, it looks like showers will be around for most of the week. This kind of cloudy, wet weather is unusual for us in August which is normally a dry, sunny and warm month! At least we are not seeing the extreme or destructive conditions that have been experienced in other parts of the country!

Rain, rain and more rain! Our wierd weather this year seems to just keep on coming. It's thick-a-fog this morning with more showers and thunderstorms in the forecast. There may be a little break tomorrow, but then it looks like more unsettled conditions for the rest of the week. And it's August - go figure!

Welcome to August! The next two weeks should be our busiest time of the entire year, so be patient when trying to get around the island, but try to enjoy all of the activity! After August 15, things will begin to slow down a little as families return home in preparation for the start of many schools.

Unfortunately, the weather doesn't look too promising this weekend, but August usually produces reliably good summer conditions, so hang in there! Things should improve by Monday or Tuesday.

After reporting on the terrible fire in Northeast Harbor Tuesday morning, we'll try to turn our focus once again to some of the more pleasant aspects of life on Mount Desert Island.

Lobster fishing is nearing the peak of the season and our fisherman friends tell us that the catch is up while the price is going down accordingly. As locals know, this time of year most of the lobsters caught are "shedders" (lobsters that have recently molted into a new, larger shell that starts out soft, but gradually hardens in the salt water). Lobsters may shed their shells as many as 20 to 25 times before they reach minimum legal size of about 1 1/8 pounds.

Main Street Northeast Harbor will be significantly different as a result of this morning's tragic fire. Fortunately there was no loss of life and apparently only one injury. However, The Colonel's Deli and the Wingspread Gallery are gone. Firefighters are in the process of knocking down the Joy Building which is still burning inside. The Kimball Shop Boutique appears to have partially burned, and other adjacent buildings (including the rest of the Kimball Shop) may have received smoke and water damage.

There is a serious fire this morning along Main Street in Northeast Harbor. It apparently started about 2:45 a.m. at The Colonel's Deli and spread to several other buildings. Firefighters from all over the island and the mainland are still on the scene trying to contain the blaze.

Sunday, July 27, 2008

It's the middle of summer, and our long days combined with warm weather help to keep Bar Harbor active until late in the evening. Eating ice cream and people watching are favorite activities. Most shops stay open until 10 or 11 p.m.

Don't forget the art show today on the Green in Southwest Harbor. And - Tuesday is the opening night for Acadia Repertory Theatre's new offering "The Ice Fishing Play".

Thursday, July 24, 2008

Photo of the Gulf of Maine taken on July 16, 2008 by the GOMOOS satellite of the University of Maine.

Most of us occasionally enjoy seeing ourselves from a somewhat different point of view. Well, we thought you might like to see how MDI and the Gulf of Maine looked from space just a few days ago when there was little cloud cover! Rather pretty, don't you think? Makes you want to take special care of our beautiful Maine coast, doesn't it?
By the way, for perspective, it's 100 miles across to Yarmouth, Nova Scotia on the right!

Another relatively quiet weekend is on tap, but it certainly wasn't quiet last night with about 4 hours of thunder and lightning during the "wee hours". That has been unusual in recent years right here along the coast, since thunderstorms haven't been able to survive as they approach the cold ocean. The clouds and showers should clear out by tomorrow, however, leaving us some nice mid-summer days Saturday and Sunday.

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Large Purple Fringed Orchis along a carriage road near Hadlock Pond yesterday.

Don't forget the steel drum band "Flash in the Pans" tonight in Southwest Harbor. Weather should not be a problem, because they will be under a large tent on the Pemetic School lawn. You and the kids will definitely enjoy it!

Thursday, July 17, 2008

Sightseeing and whale watch boats are tied up for the evening as the sun sets in Bar Harbor.

This weekend, things on the island shift back into high gear with the Quietside Festival in Southwest Harbor. There is a full schedule of activities on our Happenings page.

Earlier in the season there was some concern that high gas prices might reduce the number of visitors to MDI this summer, but that does not seem to be the case. The island appears to be as busy as ever. There are, however, more folks here from Canada, Europe and Asia than in the recent past - probably because of the weak U.S. dollar compared to most other currencies. The U.S. dollar is just about at par with the Canadian dollar for the first time in many years, making visits to this country a great value for our northern neighbors! There also have been more cruise ship visits and more bus tours so far this year, all contributing to plenty of activity!