Look at those hongry huney bees!!
Tag: maine
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First to see the sun in the United States
It’s said that if you view the sunrise from Acadia National Park’s Cadillac Mountain, you’ll be among the first people in United States that day to view the sun. It’s probably tourist fodder, but still Megan and I tried it out. It was really crowded up there, but worth the journey. The light and vistas were quite beautiful. I tried my best to capture them in these photos.
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In the lane, snow is glistening…
First major snowfall at the new abode. It’s what some would call “emergency weather”, but here in Maine we call it “Friday”.
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Frolicking in the Autumn Mist
Here are a few photos that I took at Evergreen Cemetery. It has been my happy place this autumn. I’ll go there on mornings for a long walk, catch some Pokemon, and snap some photos with my phone. Maybe I’m just noticing, but the foliage seemed particularly bright and beautiful this year. Enjoy.
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Choppy waters courtesy of Hermine
Yesterday we visited Fort Williams park to check out the stormy seas delivered by Hurricane Hermine. The storm did not come directly to Maine, but it breezed by a few miles off the coastline. We were surprised to see how many brave ( or stupid ) people were getting close to the edge of the cliffs to enjoy the sea spray. Enjoy the photos and videos.
A video of the splash zone near the lighthouse.
A video of the cliffside overlooking the bay with Portland in the background.
A video of our shadow waving to the waves.
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3 Lighthouses
In the last installment from our Peaks Island photo walk, let’s look at three lighthouses.
Ram Island light house as seen from the East side of Peaks Island.
Spring Point light house as seen from the Peaks Island ferry.
Bug Light and a plethora of kites as seen from the Peaks Island ferry. -
Balanced Rocks
Here’s yet an other installment from our recent walk around Peaks Island. On the east side of the island, there is a place where travelers are welcome to add to a rock garden. There are many carefully balanced rock towers. It was very peaceful.
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Maine Coastal Structures
Here’s a third installment from our Peaks Island photo walk this past weekend in which we look at some buildings and homes on the Portland area coastline.
I want to live in this tree house.
New home in progress.
Southern Maine Community College, and Fort Preble. -
Portland Maine seascapes
On our recent Peaks Island photo walk, we snapped more photos than we could handle. I’m going to publish them over the course of a few days to make it more manageable. Today’s photos show boats and seascapes. Enjoy.
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Peaks Island photo walk with Megan and Papa John
Today, we walked the about 4 miles around the edge of Peaks Island. It was a really beautiful walk, and I’ve got a few posts worth of pics. It was great, as always to spend the day with Megan and John, and walk side-by-side with them. We had a great left-over picnic with amazing views.
There a were many lovely gardens on our photo walk.
Cormorants resting ( or roosting? ) on a rock.
Megan and John during a pit stop.
The back side of Peaks is scenic and serene.
Bizarre mail box.
The all-knowing weather rock.
Papa John is a traveling man.
Papa John and Megan
A strange shrine in the grill of a car. -
Bug Light Park
Mr. John Jackson, aka Papa John, road into to town this week. Today I took the day off so that Megan and I could give him a lighthouse tour. Here are a few photos.
A dog fetches a tennis ball, with Portland in the background.
Bug light.
The Peaks Island ferry making a run.
Green buoy.
Papa John and Megan with Bug Light.
Papa John and Megan with Ram Island in the background.43.6414716-70.2408811 -
Tall Ships in Casco Bay
I caught some of the tall ship parade on Saturday. The day was overcast and hazy. The waves were choppy. And boy was Spring Point crowded. Here are some of my favorite shots.
A crowd on the break water watches the El Galeón.
Spring Point sees a huge turn out for the tall ship parade.
A view Maine lobster boats look in awe at the El Galeón.
The Oliver Hazard Perry in Casco Bay.
The Picton Castle with Fort Scammel.
The Picton Castle and a tug boat.
The Picton Castle
The Lynx and Spring Point Light.
El Galeón and Spring Point Light.
El Galeón, Fort Gorges, and multitudes of kayaks. -
A hot day on Peaks Island
Yesterday, Megan and I set sail for Peak’s Island for an audition. It was scorching hot, with temps in the mid 90’s. We walked about a mile down to the North end of the island. It was the first I’d seen that part of Peak’s, and it is really lovely. Unfortunately, I forgot to bring my camera so I couldn’t snap any pics. The good news is that we got into the play, and I’ll be able to go back for a photo walk. Here are a few quick ones I snapped with my phone.
Island priorities.
Island transportation.
My temporary office while Megan auditioned.
View from TEIA.43.6605159-70.1907335 -
1960s Advertisement
Here is an advertisement for Day’s Jewelers and Appliance store from the late 1960s. Days is still running in Portland today, though they only sell jewelry now. Back then a color TV was $379.95 while a diamond ring was $150.00
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PortFringe 2015 Summary
Holy wow. It was an exhausting week filled to the brim with great new plays.
Standouts include Dolphinephilia, a trippy farce based on the true story of Margaret Howe Lovatt. It was presented by the mysterious Marine Mammal Communication Project. Also in the realm of the absurd was Aliens vs. Beckett, a spin on the classic Waiting For Godot, and presented by the always slimy Crowbait Club. And The Green Room, a hilarious one-man show featuring a man arguing with his sock puppet.
And those were only from the shows that I saw. The festival featured dozens of acts, and after soldiering through this week, I commend all who gave the effort for their art.
Megan, as per her usual mode, outdid herself. She acted in three plays, and wrote/directed one as well. I really enjoyed the perky conversations of Take the Long Way home, and the excellent set designed by Carl Currie. And Megan’s performance in the poetic Boy Come Home was perhaps the best of her career.
I also acted in my first PortFringe show. I shared the stage with my wife, as well as the talented Adam Ferguson and Kristina Balboa in Allie Munier’s comedy I Can’t Take You Anywhere. It was an honor to act in such a well-written and humorous play. I hope Allie submits it to more festivals.
I shaved my beard for my art. Most people liked it, while others, myself included, found it strange to see my bald face. One person said that I looked like a creepy pedophile, and that hurt a bit. I’ve never quite understood that comment. How does one look like a pedophile? Perhaps it says more of the describer than it does of the described.
I’m glad the week is over and that we can get a break. Enjoy some photos.
The slimy facehugger from “Aliens vs Beckett”
Cleaning up after “Boy Come Home”
My shiny new, bald face.
The cast of “Take the Long Way Home”
The set of “Take the Long Way Home” -
Pride Portland 2015
Today was my first time catching the yearly Pride Portland parade. SPOILER ALERT: it ends with an enormous rainbow banner carried by hundreds of people through the streets of downtown Portland. The overall mood was one of enthusiasm and support, a nice thing to see during these troubled times. Here are some photos to give you an idea of the vibe. Also some of my favorite posts from around the ‘net.
Folks all over the web were posting about Portland Pride
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Our first camping trial was a success
Megan and I completed our first camping trip today. We spent a night at a campground 2 miles from our apartment. Our goal was to get our new tent out its box and make sure we could set it up. Also, as it had been a while, I wanted to make sure I could still light a fire. Success! The tent was easy and breezy, and I made us breakfast on a campfire!
A few folks have expressed curiosity at our sudden interest in camping. Why are we doing this?
- It’s a cheap way to travel.
- As a programmer who sits most of the day on my bum in front of a computer, I need some downtime that gets me moving in the great outdoors.
- Car camping is a gateway drug. I hope to learn some real survival skills, and car camping is a good first step for someone who grew up in comfy suburbia.
Our end game is to move to Denver. After living all our lives in New England, we hope to climb to the top of it before we fly away!
Before I sign off, here are two quick gear reviews. This first peice of equipment, the Camp Chef table, is a hybrid between a food preparation table and a portable pantry. There is a great episode of Parts Unknown, where Bourdin visits Quebec and meets some chefs who manage to prepare gourmet meals in the wilderness. Megan and I plan to do the same, and this table will help us get there. We’ll post some pics of our creations over the summer.
Next, our tent, the Midori 3 by Eureka, was a gift from Papa John. It is a solid couples tent. It is roomy, easy-to-assembly, and very breathable. We extend a big thank you Papa John, who is currently touring the country with just his motorcycle and tent! I believe he is at Glacier National Park today.
Ok, that is all for now. I’m sure I’ll talk your ear off again after the next camping trip.
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2015 Portland Fringe Festival
For the past seven years I’ve supported my wife, Megan, in her whole-hearted devotion to the difficult art of play making. This past year, I’ve been joining her onstage and backstage occasionally. I’m thinking about changing my title from Rocco Tripaldi, Theatre Husband to the slightly elevated Rocco Tripaldi, Frequent Collaborator.
As I move forward in this endeavor, a quote from the legendary comedian, Groucho Marx comes to mind: “I don’t care to belong to any club that will have me as a member”.
I learned today that a play that Megan is a part of earned over $1000 in crowd funding to appear in this year’s Portland Fringe Festival. When I heard this news, I initially thought that it seemed excessive to solicit donations for Fringe, which is essentially a way to test out new work. Megan reminded me what Fringe is really about. The festival, like most other theatrical events, is competitive. The artists involved don’t simply want to test out their work, they want to take it to the next level. Sometimes you need to make a big impression to achieve that.
Friends in Portland, friends in Boston, friends in New Hampshire and Rhode Island: come see PortFringe. Come especially if it’s been over 5 years since you’ve seen a play. Come as an excuse to visit us and visit Maine. Come to see great artist striving for bigger spotlights!
