ME II: my kind of day

· Maine Event

We slept in a little and still managed to head down to the farmers' market before 8am. We got a smattering of things including oysters. By the time we were heading home, it had warmed up and was muggy without a breath of wind. Inside the house, it is now usually cooler than outside so it was a relief to get home. Later there was a little breeze making it tolerable. We went on a little bird watching and tree identification walk and then came home and had oysters for lunch (and later sushi for dinner). Woo wee perfection. After lunch, we had a nap and relaxed in the afternoon. Then in the evening we went on a walk with Rosemary who made and brought on our walk with us a lemon mousse for dessert.

The farmers' market has so many more participating farmers and everything is so glorious. Tomorrow Karl and Rebecca arrive for the week and are visiting from Berkeley! YAY I'm so excited that our friends are coming.

I'll talk more about this in the future but just to start Portland Maine's water temperature varies throughout the year with March being an average of 37.8° and the August average is around 64°. In contrast, the Pacific near San Francisco is coolest in June at 52.3° and warmest in September when it is about 56.8°. I'm using this site (San Francisco and Portland, Maine) which may not be perfectly up-to-date or accurate but it gives a picture. I know from watching this from the Gulf of Maine Research Institute, that the Gulf of Maine is the fastest warming water. The main causes are man made global warming, melting artic, and changing of the sea currents. They are an amazingly cool organization.

British flag half lowered
The death of the Queen of England has even affected people here in Maine. I tell you these are flag people. This is directly behind where we live.
view down our apartment
View down the hall of our apartment.
emily's oysters in a bag
It's an OYSTER day. YIPPEEEE! I just have to say that I love Emily the oyster lady also. She is so cool. Don't they look like gems?
oyster on the half shell
One knife, two people. She starts, then he goes, she goes. Each one opened is eaten and then the knife is passed to the next 1, 2,3...12!
man opening an oyster
Such concentration. The more focus the better the outcome.
oyster on the half shell
Just like eating fog, it brings you closer to the elements of being than any other food.
Sign that says Basket Island Oysters
On our walk to the graveyard where we look at birds and trees is this sign, then there is a cooler where it is the honor system and a dozen oysters are $30. So double Emily's. Basket Island Oysters are the local fancy ones their offices are in Portland and they serve them at fancy restaurants. Maybe we will get some at a fancy restaurant and give a report on how they relate. They are all the same species on this coast. This is a cool article about the rewilding of the Atlantic Oyster.
Another view of the Fore River through trees
Hazy day on the Fore River.
larch curtain
Beautiful Larch tree curtain on our bird & tree walk.
smokey sunset
High smoke from the California fires has reached Maine. The air quality here is still significantly better than in the Bay Area because the smoke is still super high up providing us with dramatic sunsets.

Have a delicious and relaxing evening.

Sending love, Tawnia

Farmer's market day generally is a good bird day:

  1. Herring Gull
  2. House Sparrow
  3. Rock Pigeon
  4. European Starling
  5. Black-capped Chickadee
  6. Mallard
  7. Ring-billed Gull
  8. Canada Goose
  9. Eastern Phoebe
  10. Ruby-throated Hummingbird
  11. Gray Catbird
  12. Northern Cardinal
  13. Warbling Vireo