Neil Jones worked at Hodgdon Yachts for a long time. He and Chip Haggett (pictured) were good friends. They often worked together on complicated projects that required unique approaches and imaginative solutions.

I spent a bunch of time with Neil and Chip during the construction of the extraordinarily beautiful yacht Antonisa. They were building the yacht's working fireplace with all its elaborate and intricate enclosures. It was going to be the central focal point of the main salon, or downstairs living room, as I used to call it! There was no room for error — a piece of fine art fitted perfectly into curves and sections of unimaginable precision. And I have photos to prove it.

One of the nice things about the Rite Aid parking lot this time of year is the view. There are some very colorful trees on the front lawn of the high school, and generally less traffic to obstruct. It's easy to see why Rite Aid chose their location.

But, be careful, traffic varies. School dismissal traffic can be challenging. Sometimes it’s smarter to stay parked and enjoy the view or return to the pharmacy for more of what you came for. Alternatively, avoiding the area during school traffic is easier.

This summer I photographed a wedding atop a high knoll overlooking Penobscot Bay at a location called Point Lookout, in Northport.

Oddly, Point Lookout was the name of an area near the central Pennsylvania coal town where I grew up. That is where the similarity ends. There's no coal being dug at or near Point Lookout, Maine.

Our two ducks came from Walmart, but we bought them at a yard sale. They didn't cost much and they are nice to have around. They are always there for us.

This time of year other ducks come to visit our two ducks. They are always there for them, too.

A great blue heron stopped by once this past summer (it may have visited before, but I never saw it).

You can't not drive by this tree on your way around the Harbor.

It’s at the very sharp curve just beyond Tugboat Inn opposite what is called “Pagoda Point.” It’s a hardwood that sits on the water side of Commercial Street. It’s a significant presence there along that stretch.

Danilo Konvalinka, Douglas Henderson and Lois Ernst Konvalinka opened the Musical Wonder House, located at 16-18 High Street in Wiscasset, in 1963 and started what would become a one-of-a-kind collection of mechanical musical machines, automata, and specialized, ultra precise hand-crafted instruments.

For anyone who has ever visited the “museum” as it came to be known, there was little doubting its unique identity. Entering seven magnificent rooms overflowing with music history was overpowering and emotional.

Glenn-Geary sounds like a good Scotch whiskey to me.

The Jacob Pike and Kelani & Donna, two similar boats, visited Goudy & Stevens’ docks during my early photo days.

It has been nice to see Glenn-Geary in the Harbor, at anchor out toward Tumbler Island on one of the old Sample (now Boothbay Harbor Shipyard) moorings. Glenn-Geary’s unique shape harkens back to a different period in coastal fishing and netted-off-coves nearby.

Ebenezer and Diddy Decker once lived at Decker Cove on Southport.

Rumor has it that one of their buildings was floated in from Cape Newagen. It’s a rumor worth sharing.

Seems that buildings were moved pretty regularly around here. You never know where the old homestead might end up. Eb and Diddy picked a nice spot, especially if the house landed before the bridge was built. Not sure about that. I will need to submit that question to the Southport Historical Society for clarification.

Aren't the sunsets wonderful this time of year?

Sorry if I'm overdoing it, especially after sharing the moonless super moon photo from Monhegan. It’s difficult for me to resist the night sky's lighting up.

Bob Dey from East Boothbay doesn't photograph much anymore, but he continues to see in a special way. His photographic skills, along with an ability to describe what he sees, have been enhanced and refined by a lifetime of keen observation.

He worked as a photojournalist in the military, recording what he encountered through his travels and assignments.

Barna Beal Norton was the first Beal I met in Maine. He lived in Jonesport, but I'm not sure he was related to Danny. However, there are many Beals in the Jonesport-Beals Island area — there's a good chance Danny Beal was kin.

I think Captain Beal Norton was sort of the area's majordomo back in the early ‘80s when I met him.

The puffins were coming back along the Maine coast and I was quite excited to discover Machias Seal Island, a substantial “home base” for the little migrating buggers.

If you had been on Monhegan last week hoping to see the “supermoon” rising from the sea, it would have looked a lot like the photo above.

It wasn't our primary reason for visiting the “magic island” so we had no idea where or when the moon would rise. But, as we intentionally overheard conversations among the smartphone set, a plan began to take shape.

If I had a nickel for my every Barrett’s Park photograph — weddings, senior pictures, family reunions, birthday parties, scenes of Lobster Cove, boats on Linekin Bay, Sprucewold shorelines, after glowing sunsets over Cabbage Island — we could buy a nice big whopping cheeseburger meal with all the fixins at the Bath Heartstopper's drive-thru and chase it with a large DQ chocolate soft serve.

Yes ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, it’s that good!

Lots of boats have been launched from the Washburn & Doughty East Boothbay facility.

But my first boatyard experience with the company was on the banks of the Kennebec River in Woolwich.

A commercial fishing vessel, Jacqueline Robin, was being built outdoors. It was a pretty bare bones operation, and in the winter, really cold.

It seems that around Labor Day, people from all over the country collect in their favorite spots to spend quality time together. In the last couple of weeks I have photographed five different family gatherings from Texas alone. Groups from Houston, Sugarland, Austin, Dallas and Abilene have all arranged their lives to visit Maine and coincidentally escape incredible temperatures that exceed 100 F on a daily basis. I'd want to come to Maine too!

It’s been fun. For some of the families, it was their first Maine visit. Others were veteran Maine visitors with intentions to return until they were incapacitated. And what great weather! Nice breezes, occasional rain (which apparently is rare in many Southwest regions right now), cool nights and the ocean!

Summer doesn't seem quite summer until the phlox ignites. A wonderful blast of color that seems to wait until just the right moment, then it’s everywhere.

During a recent visit to the Rittall Farm (home of the Community Garden) I was drawn to an old barn sided with natural shakes. The east side of the barn, up to almost window-height on one end, overflowed with phlox. The plants held a remarkable aroma and contrasted perfectly with the graying shingles.

Albert Greenleaf does not go lobstering. I don't know if he ever did, even though he grew up on the western shore of Barters Island. He could go to the waters of the Sheepscot River easier than he could go to town.

Albert did go to Germany in the service, though. He speaks German. If you say “guten tag” to him as he is walking to the fire station he will reply accurately and precisely in German. Maybe going to Germany had something to do with why he didn't go lobstering. I'm not sure.

Some of my earliest work here in the region was with Bigelow Lab.

Charlie and Clarice Yentsch hired me to make some photographs at the labs for a promotional piece they were preparing. I remember wandering around the McKown Point property recalling smells from high school chemistry class mixed with washed up dead fish that our dog rolled in. There was a lot of strange equipment and some pretty interesting people. Rather fascinating actually.

The milkweed is blooming here at the old homestead. What a wonderful fragrance. I never realized.

To me, milkweed always showed up on our fall field walks to school. Nothing to write home about — old dried up pods with silky strands, seeds and white goo. Interesting shapes though.

The most common question asked by many who live here year around is, “What is it like here in the winter?” The second most common question is, “What is it like here in the winter?”

Well, the answer is not simple. It depends a lot upon who you ask. If you ask me, last winter was, on a 0-10 scale of aggravation, an 8.795. Scores did not seem to vary much throughout the region.