Before I get ramped up for this week in my adventure series, I wanted to share a subject unrelated to the photo. How unlike me!

So, as I have mentioned in the past, for those of you who follow along this meandering path, we have a very energetic 3-year-old Labradoodle who needs to be ambitiously exercised regularly (chasing tennis balls would be of paramount importance) or she becomes a Monster from the Black Lagoon! Getting her YaYas out, is what we call it! We are very fortunate to have some large open space to exercise Leica, much of which is covered with meadow grasses and low bushes, prime, unfortunately, tick-haunting grounds.

A long time ago (I seem to be saying that a lot lately) I met Edith Hazard at Bookland in Brunswick during a book signing. Edie, as I have come to know her, was meeting and greeting with her newest book, “Singing for your Supper,” and I was signing my first book “WINTER.” We weren’t overrun with interested customers – well, at least I wasn’t, so we had some time to visit. Bookland was approaching hard times as bookstores everywhere were beginning to feel the pressure of online shopping. However, the wonderful managers of our “local” stores were committed to promoting Maine authors and artists. Karla and JoAnn were huge supporters who, despite waning markets, really emphasized, in their respective locations, Maine products. I guess that’s what Edie and I were, however, I hardly put myself in the same class with Ms. Hazard. I did photographs, she does words, and has continued to pursue and develop her craft over the many years since our chance meeting.

I was standing at the kitchen sink last week, helping to clean up some dishes from the evening meal, when I looked up from my basin full of pans to see all sorts of flashing lights at the end of the driveway. I thought it a bit peculiar. I had not ever seen that particular array of lights before and hoped there hadn’t been an accident. I grabbed a jacket to take a walk down to see what was going on and, by the time I got back to the window, the lights were gone! False alarm I hoped. Sort of put it out of my mind.

So fun to see Lara Tupper on home turf again! She and hubby Bobby Sweet, who now live in western Massachusetts  (no apology necessary), provided a lovely evening of entertainment at the Boothbay Harbor Opera House this past Saturday.

Alert! Critters are on the move – skunks, raccoons, porcupine, etc. Keep an eye on your pets!

The osprey are back. And all those single out in the open high in the air landing zones are back in use.

I finally cracked! I couldn’t take it anymore. Too much rain. Too much wind. Too many trees, branches fallen. Too big the waves. Nothing I could do.

“Punxsutawney Phil” made a gross miscalculation, at least for us Mainers. The hog didn’t see his shadow. If he had looked for it around here over the last week I believe he would have run the risk of a fatal appearance! We took another big hit and shadows were rare if available at all. There was not much sunshine.

Nat Wilson is very well known for his sailmaking. For just shy of 50 years he has been building and repairing  sails for an extraordinary number of sailing vessels from around the world. He has produced over 2,600 sail plans and worked on tens of thousands of sails. His work and reputation are exceeded only by his good looks and charming personality.

One of the most challenging photographs for me to make is of another photographer. They know too much and often are better informed re: the craft than I am. And, often they are on the back side of a camera for the same reason I am – not wild about being photographed! It’s not a coincidence that I prefer to be the clickster more than the clickee!

Every year, during what might be considered the “off-season,” the Boothbay Harbor Opera House hosts “Open Mic,” an opportunity for the less famous but no less talented individuals of the surrounding communities to share a song or two with neighbors and friends.

Just when we thought we had seen the worst of it, whacked again!

These occasional “so-called” 100-year storms seem to be becoming a little more frequent. Somehow we have lost track of the timeline. Perhaps a new name could be “Seasonal weather dysphoria” – unlikely weather events becoming more likely!

Over 300 people attended the University of Southern Maine Hannaford auditorium on Sunday, March 3 to honor Kirsten Neuschäfer, winner of the Golden Globe Race, solo sail around the world. The Portland Yacht Club sponsored the event which allowed everyone to hear Kirsten speak about her experience accompanied by photographs from the race.

A very long time ago a friend gave me a book with photos and text by Ansel Adams, one of the most recognized and accomplished photographers of the 20th century. It was a random gesture offered partially as a bit of a joke at the time since I had no specific interest in photography. But the book made a big impression and sort of jumpstarted my curiosity about and experimentation with black and white film, its processing and printing. Mr. Adams’ work helped me see things in a different way which encouraged an adventure never imagined.

Life was normal and calm in the Hannaford vegetable display zone. Celery, carrots, avocado, apples with a small dash of organic romaine. Done! In the basket. On to the dairy area and then to check out. Items 14 and fewer, please. I was just under the limit – 13 items and a speedy checkout person. Happy camper to avoid the self checkout which causes me to return to the aisle for antacids! For the life of me I cannot explain why scanning so provokes me and frustrates all those nice people behind me in line to check out. It has something to do with my annoying attitude regarding computerized everything. This, I fear, is a never ending affliction. Please give me human contact and someone to pack things properly in my carry on baggage. I don’t care if it doesn’t fit in the overhead compartment.

In my senior high school yearbook, all students were asked to list clubs, sports, awards, etc., and to state what might be accomplished after graduation. We got all sorts of ambitious comments like skateboard to the moon and back; lay rubber down Front Street in my Falcon station wagon; eat 40 ZAGNUT candy bars while painting the principal’s pickup purple! You know, the usual. But then there were some of my more reasonable classmates who planned on going to college, enlisting in the Army (it was Vietnam time), traveling, mining, becoming a doctor or an engineer or starting a trucking business.

Black and white photography has always been a fundamental interest of mine. It’s where my interest in photography began as a child when I discovered my grandmother’s box camera, negatives and a stack of small prints in the top drawer of the candy dresser. I was smitten early on by how it was possible to make recognizable prints of my family using this instrument and the transparent product I came to know as negatives. My grandmother never really explained the process but was always happy to chat about the photos and their subjects. It was pretty cool stuff.

Over the years I have had the extraordinary privilege of photographing many great projects in the region. Constructions that have been built, repaired or restored by highly skilled craftspeople which, for the most part, once completed, have headed south to warmer places for much of the year.

Nothing like a few days without water to make a believer out of you!

Just when things started to settle down a bit after the storms we landed a new challenge -- a good old-fashioned water line from the well freeze-up. It's a little irritating. Reaching for the spigot and getting nothing is a very sobering experience. Carrying water to flush also expands one's horizons. My scheduled once a week shower, needed or not, got pushed out, too. It's a beautiful thing!

It’s kind of odd, isn’t it. To look out at the calm sea after all we have been through this past week. In sort of a weird kind of way it’s like someone out there said “Let’s go to work on the coast of Maine, now the job’s done, let’s rest.”

Well, we finally got it! And maybe then some. At 5 p.m., right now, it is still snowing. I plowed all our roads once around 1 o'clock thinking that maybe the weather folks might have an inside track. Everything got filled right back up and I'm not really sure when it will stop. What I do think I know from weather forecasters is that it will be 50F with rain on Wednesday! Won't that be fun?