Bald Eagles

How rare is it to see a bald eagle? How about three bald eagles?!! Driving home from church I noticed a man leaning against a fence railing at a farm and it caught my eye that he was looking at some birds in the farm's field. It took me a second to realize that they were bald eagles - luckily, the farm is 2 minutes from our house, so I raced home and grabbed my camera. I think that the fourth bird is a turkey vulture and he was standing at a distance waiting for his turn at whatever dead animal they were feeding on. The eagle on the far right was definitely the "bodyguard." How cool!!

Acadia National Park

So I forgot to finish our posts on Maine. The final one has to do with Acadia National Park. Firstly, it was cold up on Cadillac Mountain!! At 1500 feet above sea level, this mountain is the highest point on the Eastern seaboard in America and for most of the year is the place in our country where you can be the first to view the sunrise. The views were astonishing! There was a 27 mile loop scenic drive around the park that led to a variety of photo op locations with several ponds and lakes adding to the gorgeous scenery. I'm so glad that God chose to have the earth display His glory...there's no mistaking his hugeness when you're at Acadia National Park. We had to go two days in a row because there's not enough time in one trip to stop at every scenic location. OK, I know this is a little over the top, but we took 400 pictures during this trip!! I just couldn't get enough of all the color, forest, mountains, seacliffs and shoreline. What a blessing!

Otter Bay

Otter Cliffs

These huge boulders by the water signaled getting
nearer to the famed Otter Cliffs

Don't jump...I love you!

Quiet spot next to a creek

Jordan Pond

Near Thunder Hole

Near Sand Beach

Huge mountainside with trees growing on the cliffs

Eyeing Eagle Lake

View of Bar Harbor from Cadillac Mountain

Lighthouse Tour

We took a tour around the bay that included several lighthouse locations. It was cold!!! But definitely worth it...viewing the shoreline and ocean cliffs from the water was tremendous. We also saw several huge mansions overhanging the sea from the cliffs - owned by Rockefeller and Martha Stewart, to name a few. The sea was full of lobster buoys that identified where the traps floated...all 7000 of them!

The Manor House Inn

I am not a frilly, doily-using, lace-loving, antique-appreciating person...but staying at a B&B was all that was available to us at Bar Harbor. And, to be honest, the town was so quaint and almost trapped in time that I can't imagine staying at a hotel for this trip. We stayed at a wonderful place called The Manor House Inn, just a few short blocks from the main strip of Bar Harbor and the shore. And the breakfast was to die for!!

The grounds consisted of a three-story Victorian mansion,
two cottages and a smaller house

Trees!

I love trees. It's as simple as that. In college I had a theory that people fit into two categories: trees or wind. Those that are trees are more solid, firm in their foundation and adapt less to change. Those that are wind are adventurous, nomadic and thrive on change. But the two need each other - trees only 'come alive' when the wind rustles through the leaves and the wind would not have much purpose and couldn't be 'seen' if it didn't have something to intertwine with. So I have always enjoyed watching the interaction between wind and trees. There are no words to describe the trees we viewed in Maine. We happened to be at Bar Harbor during the peak weekend for color change. If I tried to find a word, these come to my mind:
breathtaking
gorgeous
magnificent
shocking
awesome
beautiful
brilliant
But none could really do justice...

I'm downloading a few pictures today of some of our favorite trees. Later this week we'll post more blog entries regarding the Acadia National Park, lighthouse tour, and shoreline. Enjoy!!

Blessed is the man...[whose] delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.
Psalm 1:1a, 2-3

Forest of trees leading down to the bay

Our favorite 'couple' picture from the trip

Beautiful colors growing on a mountainside