Eastport, Me, and our 55th. Anniversary

 To celebrate our 55th. wedding anniversary, Susan and I drove up to Eastport, Maine, for 5 days in a wonderful Air B&B, and then continued on to New Brunswick (next blog).  It was incredibly hot for much of the time, but we found ways to escape the heat, and enjoy the incredible beauty of the coast. 

Here is a picture record of the Eastport time. 

Downtown Eastport, with statuary on the breakwater. 

Our B&B, very attractive, beautifully furnished.

A wonderful hand-crafted door with stained glass, and hand-carved whales.

My second day, I had scheduled a whale watch, but the fog was too thick and it was 
rescheduled for the next day.

And the weather was perfect, cool, light wind, great people on the boat. 

The whale watch was out of Lubec, Maine, and continued north past Eastport. 

The naturalist on board promised me an Eagle, and....

Common Murre

Black Guillemot

A Razorbill.  All of these birds I haven't seen since Alaska, 10 years ago. 

Razorbill

Great Cormorant

And a magnificent Finback Whale, the second largest animal on the planet, 
after the Sperm Whale.

Bonaparte's Gull
If I may say so, one of the loveliest photos I have ever taken. 

Wonderful state parks, with great spots for a picnic. 

And the views!

West Quoddy Head Light, near Lubec.

Final night in Eastport.  

Don as Host in Brevard (Cascade Lake Home)

 Don had Bruce and I for several days at his beautiful home both before and after the Tappan-Hayes re-union.  We witnessed the emergence of Pee-dee (is that spelled right, Don?), and with Barbara joining us on the deck, got in our rehearsal of the "Amazing Tappan-Hayes Variations", uniting the four syblings together in rehearsal for the first time in our lives.  My god, we laughed and laughed!  It is amazing (pun) that we were able to accomplish anything!

A remarkable moment for me was walking down to the gazebo next to Mary's Falls and practicing in the solitude of the woods.  Perfect.

Don is his favorite spot.

And Pee-Dee finaly, after months, joining him.

What's not to love?

Don's deck, and woods, pano with my phone

Maidenhair Fern

A walk down the driveway with Snowball. 

An Imperial Moth (Eacles imperialis), on the back porch. 

The rehearsal! Mein Gott!

Another big changed in Brevard, a brewery. There are others as well. 

Bruce enjoyed the artwork.  A little Crumb influenced?

The gazebo near Mary's Falls

Early on the Blue Ridge Parkway

 When I arrived at Don's, I got up the first morning and drove solo up onto the Blue Ridge Parkway, before dawn, to see the sunrise at Pounding Mill Overlook, and to be with Mom and Dad for a moment.  It was the usual religious experience, renewing my wonder at the beauty of the mountains, and my great blessing at having grown up near them, and hiking and birding them. 

Thank you, Don MacLeod.

Just about to break. 

And an explosion of sunrise.

The first light on Looking Glass Rock

And further west on the Parkway. 

A panorama with my phone 

At the parking lot for the Pisgah Inn, a welcoming Dark-eyed Junco

Eggs and grits at Pisgah Inn

Just before descending back to Brevard, a view of 
Looking Glass Rock, and Pounding Mill Overlook on the right. 

And, of course, Looking Glass Falls, probably the most photographed falls in the East, 
perhaps after Niagara Falls.

Don, Doug, Bruce on Blue Ridge Parkway

 The day before Bruce and I flew back to Boston, we drove up for a beautiful morning on the Blue Ridge Parkway, the absolute jewel of scenic drives in the East.  An amazing display of Turk's Cap Lilies, and Carolina Lilies lined the road.  Bruce climbed to the top of Devil's Courthouse, and using my 800mm lens, I was able to take him from the parking lot below. 

Dinner was at a remarkable Italian Bistro in Brevard, and the best night of conversation. A wonderful end to a great adventure among friends and family. 

Pounding Mill Overlook 

Grumpy old men?
("Crickets")

Bee Balm

A few Rhodies left

Turk's Cap Lilies.  Don explained that the difference between these and the Carolina Lily
is that the Carolina only appears as a single, or at most, double blossom on one plant. 

Devil's Courthouse.  

This must be Bruce's first climb in many, many years. 

And the son finally hists the mountain.