Lynn Amber - Travel & Photography
sharing my thoughts through words and images
Wednesday Walkabouts: Around Mount Desert Island
Wednesday was a busy day for me. I had several goals to accomplish – visit Thuya Gardens to see what was blooming and visit with the Monarch butterfly caterpillars, walk the loop around Witch Hole Pond in search of pitcher plants, and pick up a package in Bar Harbor (a new air mattress for my upcoming Isle au Haut camping trip).
I started with Thuya Gardens. It was the perfect day for photographing flowers. There was a light cloud cover with no threat of rain. The last time I had visited Thuya Gardens in early July, irises and peonies were the flavor of the day along with a smattering of foxgloves. The season got off to a slow start due to the cool, wet spring. Today, I was anxious to see how the garden had progressed over the last month. It was a riot of color! Dominating the scene were lilies, foxglove, delphinium, astilbe and phlox. The lilies, in particular, were at their peak and absolutely stunning.
I managed to visit the Monarch caterpillars in their hidden spot in the garden among the milkweed plants at just the right time so as to be all alone with them. Given that I have never seen the garden so overrun with visitors, I can only say that my solitude was serendipity. I had at least ten minutes to observe the caterpillars in action and shoot photographs before anyone else located this little land of enchantment.
After my Monarch caterpillar fix, I drove over to the end of Duck Brook Road to hike the Witch Hole Pond carriage road loop. I knew that the pitcher plants were blooming and wanted to seek them out. Along the way, I scared this little creature at pond’s edge.
After my Witch Hole Pond excursion, I drove back home and hopped on the shuttle into Bar Harbor to pick up my package. I am convinced that the first two weeks of August are the most popular vacation times for the majority of folks worldwide. As I pushed my way through the throng of tourists, I was struck by the absolute calm of the harbor compared to the streets of Bar Harbor.
Lynn Amber - Travel & Photography 