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Long shadows precede a cold Maine winter

Spring this year seemed to extend well into July. Summer lasted a mere few weeks, which passed all too quickly. Now autumn promises to quickly become a memory. The long shadows of winter have arrived and daily remind us that winter snows with their friends the Single Digits will soon settle upon us.

Along Maine's midcoast and Down East, the Old Farmer's Almanac predicts that winter 2009-2010 is likely to begin early and last long.

Snow cold fall as early as Thanksgiving, followed by periods of colder than normal temperatures during December. "Persistent cold temperatures" will characterize January, with February experiencing much of the same conditions.

The deep winter will lead into a cold March, only to usher in an April and May that "will be slightly cooler than normal," according to the Almanac.

Sounds to be a bit of a reversal from last winter, when there was considerable snow during much of the winter — especially the first half — but the temperatures weren't too brutal.

Robert Indiana's Hope sculpture exhibit
Extended through Jan. 10 at Farnsworth

The Farnsworth Museum in Rockland,ME, has is extending the Robert Indiana Hope exhibit through January 10, 2010, an indication of the offering's popularity.

The major exhibition of noted American artist's work is "drawn almost exclusively from his extensive holdings at his home and studio, the Star of Hope Oddfellows Lodge" on Vinalhaven Island, a few miles off the shore of Rockland. The lodge structure dates to the late nineteenth-century, is located in the center of Vinalhaven village, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places

The Indiana exhibit "explores the vast range of Indiana’s work from the 1950s to the present, focusing on what he has done since 1978, when he moved permanently to the Star of Hope Lodge," according to the Farnsworth.

The exhibit's works include some of his best known themes – LOVE, the American dream, his Marsden Hartley Elegy series, and the HOPE sculpture as a retuning of his much earlier LOVE work, and his five-element outdoor EAT eat sculpture, which is is exhibited on the Farnsworth Museum’s roof.

In addition to the exhibition itself, the museum has assembled an illustrated catalogue with essays by prominent curator and historian of American art, John Wilmerding, and Farnsworth chief curator Michael K. Komanecky.

While the Indiana exhibit ends Oct. 25, the museum is a significant repository of Wyeth family — N.C., Andrew, James [Jamie] — works, which are regularly on display at the museum's Wyeth Center. The Farnsworth in located on Main Street in Rockland.


Maine sails and seals
Sailing out of Rockport harbor toward Islesboro, lie The Ledges. This dangerous outcropping of granite is home to Penobscot Bay seals, and provides ample testimony to why one always sails on Penbay with a navigational chart close at hand.

Lobster prices collapse as global demand evaporates
The recession has been hard on lobstermen. What a Portland TV station called in June " a worldwide collapse" in the lobster market is continuing through August. That's because city executives' expense accounts have been curtailed and high-end restaurant patrons are cutting back. As a result, demand for lobster is off considerably.

Slack demand means low wholesale prices. Some fishermen say the "boat price" (the per-pound price they get from coops and wholesalers) hasn't been high enough to make a living. Of course, what constitutes "a living" varies.

The rock-bottom boat price for lobsters now in late-July ranges from $2.35 to $2.75-a-pound for shedders, the soft shell molting lobsters; hard shells, if you can find them, are slightly higher.

Portland's Channel 8 reported that the city's Free Range Lobster company is retailing the shedders for $3.99 in late July — and they're "flying out the door."

One lobsterman told a coastal tabloid, the Working Waterfront, that $5-per-pound was necessary to cover his expenses. However, a Vinalhaven fisherman said that $2.50 would provide 50-cents for bait and "$2 to take home;" we assume that he must be fishing with a rowboat and imagination, since he didn't include fuel or the capital cost of equipment (boat, traps and rope).

Keep these prices in mind when you sidle up to a lobster pound and order dinner. Some are way overpriced; others are reasonable. Pay attention.
ng breezes from the Atlantic out of the SSE — great for sailing and escaping urban heat!

MaineSail offering Amazon gear
Responding to that perceived need, MaineSail has joined with Amazon.com to create MaineSail Gear, a selection of quality products -- from baby gear to the top guide books -- that can make travelers' Maine vacations more enjoyable [PS: Amazon has a Columbia "Cathedral Peak" — whatever that is! — vest on sale that we rally like and think is idea for Maine!]. Full Story.

Getting about in Maine demands patience
Locals say Maine has two seasons: Winter and Road Repair. They’re not kidding, and this makes travel on Maine's roads problematic. Full story

Time to set sail on the Maine coast
For a true Maine experience, there's hardly anything more exciting -- and relaxing -- than a multi-day sail onboard a wind-powered schooner. And the Penobscot Bay has a full dozen of these historic boats that offer trip durations ranging form a couple days to a full week.

The boats range from 46 to 132 feet in length on deck with cabin accommodations for six to 40 passengers. Smaller boats, such as the Mistress, don't necessarily have tighter accommodations than the larger vessels.

Mistress is the smallest in the multi-day fleet and takes only six passengers. By contrast, some of the boats in the 60-foot range take 20-or-so passengers. Read Schooners. MaineSail offers a narrative of a week's sail on Penobscot Bay so that you can learn from those who've been aboard a sailing schooner. Read Sailing.

Stay in "The real Maine"
To get an authentic Maine experience, you should stay more than a few nights. When considering where you'll stay, include bed and breakfasts, inns, and InnSeason that will essentially allow you to live like a local. You can book a resort like InnSeasons Resorts with no more commitment than you would for a hotel. Try the InnSeasons Resorts for a stay in a traditional seaside town.

First light, highest tide
Maine is the northern-most and eastern-most state in America. As such, it receives the nation's first -- and some say its best light. Through the years, artists (and tourists) seem to have agreed. See for yourself!

Frommer's dozen
Portland, Maine, squeaked into the top 12 in last year's [2007's] Top Travel Destinations. "Fantastic mix of culture and education" with several Gourmet hit restaurants." "Extreme weather," though,can make Maine travel challenging. Full story

Speedy Jaunt
The CAT is a high speed passenger and car ferry operating on two Maine travel routes:Portland - Yarmouth, NS, and Bar Harbor - Yarmouth. Carrying up to 775 passengers and 240 cars across the Gulf of Maine, the ship operates from May to October. In our opinion, The CAT is the best way to travel between Maine and Nova Scotia, and the most fun.