Landscapes

2017-08-11 Electricity

Last month I trekked up to a remote location in the Maine North Woods for a little getaway. It was just me and Mother Nature. I spent four nights away from cell phones and computers, “to do” lists, and traffic jams. I passed the time kayaking, observing wildlife, and reading. I watched the days pass by in slow motion and allowed my mind to achieve an inner calm.

Last night, sleeping in my bed back in Vermont, I was woken up by a passing lightning storm. As the rain pounded down and the thunder rumbled, I was reminded of my last night in the North Woods where I witnessed a spectacular storm blow in where my little cabin sat. Inspired by last night’s storm, (more…)

2016-07-30 The Great North Woods

Every year I do my best to find the time to get to Northern Maine. For me, it has almost become a pilgrimage, and I look forward to this annual trip as a way to get off the grid and ironically, recharge. I find that I am most at peace when I can get away from it all and be close to nature. Where I go there are no cell phones, texts or emails, or anything resembling a meeting or appointment… unless you consider a sunrise rendezvous with a moose to be a meeting. This year I planned six nights in Northern Maine (with my father in-law Lee Cordner and good friend Jim Borden), with four of these nights totally off the grid, however a family emergency drew me home after only half of the trip. Although my visit was short and sweet, I did have two days to enjoy the wilderness, and for that I am thankful. (more…)

2015-08-26 Nightlife of the North Maine Woods

One of the great benefits of visiting remote areas such as the North Maine Woods, is that there are very few people, allowing you to connect with nature in a way that you simply cannot do when surrounded by the hustle and bustle of civilization. A side effect of being remote, is that there is a lack of human-made light sources to pollute and drown out the night sky. Perhaps, it would be better to make the statement that a side effect of a concentrated human population, is that there is an abundance of human-made light causing there to be a diminished view of the night sky. In the North Maine Woods, there are no light pollution side effects from the street lamps, headlights and yard lights of towns and cities, just as nature intended. Looking up at the night sky from such a remote location is actually (more…)

2015-08-23 North Woods Panoramas

Every year I try to make a pilgrimage to the North Woods of Maine. Since 2008 I have been visiting this region of Maine and have developed a deep love for this true wilderness. Most of this area is well out of cell phone service, and once you venture off the beaten path, there are very few people. You cannot realize the significance of this until you have experienced it for yourself. Without connectivity with the rest of the world you quickly settle into an inner calmness and with clarity can focus on the moment, on the natural surroundings. All anxiety drains as the troubles of everyday life fade into the past. The relief is so powerful that even as I type these words, bombarded by the sounds of church bells, cars, sirens, the whine of the computer, the throb of the air conditioner, the airplanes approaching a nearby airport, the chime of an email on my smartphone, I am able to pause, (more…)