So when do the leaves turn?

      "So when do the leaves turn?"  In Maine, we often get that question, usually asked by a tourist positioned beside a still green tree.  The truth is, it varies from year to year.  And it's different by plant and by location.  Poison Ivy and sumac turn before maples and birches which turn ahead of oaks.

     That top shot was taken September 27 on the Souadabscook Stream.  Most trees are green, but the swamp(red) maple is blazing away.

     A few days later we explored Hamilton and Hermon Ponds and caught these shots.

     Most of the trees have turned, some have even lost their leaves.  The undergrowth is still green though.

    On October 12, while paddling on the Penobscot, we captured the opposite.

   Here the trees, which are mostly pine will stay green, but the undergrowth is a vivid red.

   The shore of the Penobscot, graced with high walls tend to change later than many places.  It was October 18th when we captured this picture.

    By October 25th, most of the maples are bare, but the oak trees still had their foliage.

    But though the river had muted some, these trees at Bangor Waterfront Park were still bright.

     That's a red maple in front of a sugar maple.

     There is no one date for glorious foliage, but scenic vistas can be found from late September through late October, if you're will to search a bit.

A Somber Monday

     As some of you have guessed, we are the kayakers who discovered the body of Barbara J. Goodwin in the Penobscot River.  As Trashpaddler noted on a similar occurance, this is something no paddler ever wants to encounter.  Our hope is that she and her family can find peace and comfort.

Greenland Drip Rings

As our water gets colder and colder – Mark, a dedicated Greenland-style paddler (GP), starts to look very enviously at Euro paddles with their nice drip rings. Mark loves those skinny wooden paddles – but the water running back from the blades over the paddler's hands can be uncomfortable in colder weather. Some die-hard GP enthusiasts will say “just get good gloves” - and he has tried – but the gloves never seem to stay waterproof for very long.

Mark's past experiments with GP drip rings have not been very successful – however this year he may have finally found a design that works (for him anyway). Of course, it required an entirely new paddle design and some changes to his paddling form – some might even question if it really is GP any more – but he likes his warmer hands!

Here's his not-so-secret recipe to make drip rings and gain drier hands for Greenland-style paddlers:

Materials

1. Extra-long dedicated winter paddle
2. 7/16” (1.1 cm) kernmantle line (braided covering over loose core) for the drip ring base
3. 1/4” (0.6 cm) kernmantle line for the capping line on the ring (may not be necessary)
4. Waxed nylon sailmakers twine and needle

Procedure

1. Make a very long paddle. His normal paddle is 88” (223 cm) long. For his drip ring paddle, he made it 92” (234 cm) long and full width 3.5” (8.9 cm) at the ends. You want a paddle that has long blades so that your hands (and the drip rings) can stay out of the water. You also want a paddle with enough blade area and power to do most corrective strokes with your hands on the loom (similar to a Euro blade in this respect.) The goal is to reduce extended strokes which put your hands in contact with wet blades. You might find that a paddle like this requires some adjustment of your paddling style – you may have to slow down your pace a bit and play with your paddling angles.
2. Figure out where you should place your drip rings. You can temporarily attach a couple of rubber bands or some rope and try different locations on the blade. You want to find the location that keeps the rings out of the water most of the time yet isn't too close to your hands.
   
   
   
3. Use a round file or rasp to cut a shallow groove in the paddle at the correct location (first frame in photo above). For Mark, it's about 2” (5.1 cm) to the outside of his hands when he's gripping at the “home” loom location. The groove keeps the ring fixed in place and might also reduce water seepage under the ring.
4. Cut a length of the 7/16” line maybe 3/4” (2 cm) short of the circumference of the paddle shaft and use a lighter to melt the ends closed. Watch out for that molten plastic – it really hurts if it gets on your skin!
5. Wrap the line around the shaft in the groove with the ends centered about the power face of the paddle (the “top” face that doesn't see dripping). If you have a symmetrical GP paddle, just pick one side or the other and call it the power face. Use waxed sailmaker's twine to sew the ends together (second frame). Use a stopper knot and a couple of large stitches to pull the ends towards each other, using the mechanical advantage of the stitch loops to tension it. Then, take some frapping turns around the stitches to add further tension (third frame). Finish off the binding with a couple of half-hitches (fourth frame). Trim and melt the end of the twine (fifth frame). 
   
   
   
6. Use marine sealant to fill the gap between the ends, although it really isn't needed if you put the gap on the top of the paddle – gravity takes the water to the bottom surface of the paddle.
7. Try out your rings and see how they work. Mark found some strokes resulted in water flowing over the top of the ring and getting on his hands (mostly his right hand for some reason – he must have an asymmetrical stroke as well as an asymmetrical paddle!). You might find that a larger diameter line would cure this – feel free to experiment. Mark has concerns that a larger line might be too stiff and not follow the curve of the paddle blade, leaving a gap under it.
8. Rather than going with larger line, Mark chose to sew on a “capping” line on the shoulder of the base line. This makes a kind of lip on the ring that creates turbulence in the water flow as it comes down the blade, forcing it to drip off, rather than flow over the ring. It seems to be working. He uses a 1/4” line for this purpose. (He also tested an 1/8” capping line and loose ends to help encourage dripping – 1/8” was too small. The loose ends didn't improve performance.)
9. To sew a capping line on the shoulder of the base line, you can use a straight needle – but angle your stitches so that the needle doesn't run into the shaft of the paddle. If you have a curved needle you probably won't have to do that.

Here's the completed ring with the capping line on the shoulder. Mark reports that it works pretty well. Occasionally, a head wind can blow the drip stream back on to the shaft – or the ring might go below the water surface and bring up a bit of water – but it is a vast improvement over no rings. He expects he will still be wearing gloves as the season progresses but hopefully they will actually keep his hands dry and warm with the help of the rings!

(And yes, as you can probably tell by the vocabulary used, Mark did write this!)

The drip ring in action

A Sighting of Ctenophora

At least four little creatures are in this picture

   We were on the south side of Long Porcupine island, headed back to Bar Harbor, when I noticed something iridescent in the water, then something else and another!   Dozens of quarter-sized striped balls with two long tentacles.
   A little ways on, there were more, and then a few of these larger creatures:

 

   We watched and photographed. Through the rest of the trip, we occasionally stopped and searched for more.  There were none close to Bar Harbor, or Bar Island, but most other places we saw them.

  My Mac's Field Guide to Northeast Coastal Invertebrates identified the larger creatures as Northern Comb Jellies and the superball-sized ones as Sea Gooseberries.  Some more research at home would provide some interesting tidbits.

Both Northern Comb Jellies and Sea Gooseberries are Ctenophora.  (Americans get to use CB language to pronounce Ctenophora, "10-o 4-a little rainbow buddy,"  but everyone else has to append a "ka" on the front.) Ctenophora are a separate phylum from jellyfish, (which are cnidarians).  Both ctenophora and cnidarians are simple brainless creatures.  Both are a mass of jelly with cell layers outside and lining the body cavity.  In the ctenophora those layers are two cells thick (versus one for the jellyfish.)

An underwater shot

Ctenophora get their name from their combs (or ctenes.)  These combs are made up of rows of fused cilia, whose movement propels the little creatures.  It is also the movement of cilia which causes their iridescence.

This is blurry but is shows a few flashes of green and blue

Those two strings hanging out from the Sea Gooseberry are not stingers.  Jellyfish may have stingers, but ctenophora do not.  The strings are made up of sticky cells, used to capture prey and drag it to their mouths.  (One end of the body is a mouth, the other an anus.)

These little creatures look harmless, but Ctenophora are voracious carnivores; consuming zooplankton, fish eggs and pretty much anything else they can stuff inside themselves.  They can eat ten times their body weight every day.

One species of ctenophora, the sea walnut or Mnemiopsis, is an invasive species in the Black Sea, destroying the fishing industry there.

Blooms of ctenophora, like jellyfish blooms, can be a sign of an ecosystem out of whack, or they might just indicate favorable conditions for breeding.  Ctenophora reproduce year 'round.

There are about 150 known species of ctenophora, found from arctic to tropic waters.  Many are bioluminescent.

So, those were our new species sighting of the day!  If you'd like to learn more, check out:
 Wikipedia: Centaphora   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ctenophora
Centophores - some notes from an expert - http://faculty.washington.edu/cemills/Ctenophores.html
Smithsonian Jelly Fish and Comb Jellies  - http://ocean.si.edu/jellyfish-and-comb-jellies

Mark is moving on...

Birch Point through Muscle Ridge: Third Time's Rather Charming

On the beach, Muscle Ridge Islands in the distance

It was a surprisingly benign and bright day at Birch Point State Park.  A weekday, just before the 9AM opening time, but the gates were open.  We weren't alone in the park, a couple was out for a morning walk, another exploring the beach.  Mark and I were heading for Two Bush Light beyond the Muscle Ridge Islands.  (Muscle is a variant of mussel, the ridge is named for the blue mussels found there.)

It's a 1.5- 2 mile crossing to the Muscle Ridge Islands.  In the morning, our main issue was paddling almost directly into the sun.   But soon enough there were islands to distract us.   There were several granite quarries on the various islands of Muscle Ridge, and the scars of those activities are evident along the shoreline.

Also evident, is that on High Island there's someone with some real stone masonry skills.

Every time we've been to Muscle Ridge a strong current  runs northeast-southwest through the islands.  This day was no different.  So our travel from High to Pleasant was fairly swift.  We crossed under a bridge mid Hewett Island.  It was close to high as we passed under, and the water was about as high as would allow passage.

Behind the bridge was a quiet harbor.

 The seas were quiet, so we decided to look at Two Bush Light.

 The bushes which gave the isle its name are gone.  There's a fair amount of brush though.  Two Bush Island is a bird sanctuary, with no good beaches. Out on the edge of Muscle Ridge, Two Bush Light is a lonely light on a small island.  When it was manned, winters there must have been rough.  The lighthouse has been automated since 1964.  A large lighthouse keeper's home was demolished by Green Berets in 1970.   You can see a picture of the lighthouse keepers house at Wikipedia.  Demonstrating it's dual function as a bird sanctuary, this eagle posed for us on Two Bush Light.

Mark getting another photo

After looking at the light, we headed back through the islands.  That's where we found some of the nicest views of the trip.  Many  islands have houses or work structures.

Flag Island has an array of structures

 The small islands with Camden's hills behind were quite scenic.

Ducking between Andrews Island and the Neck was like finding ourselves in a bog.  An unexpected treat three miles off shore.  We tended to stick close to Hewett, Andrew and the Neck as we paddled, and did not find the current too stressful, other than on the eastern side of the Neck.

Behind The neck

There are two MITA islands in Muscle Ridge, we stopped at one for lunch and a break before heading in.

The current followed us most of the way across, we used a twenty degree ferry angle from Otter to Otter Ledge, and even beyond a bit.  But mostly is was just a simple paddle back, to a beach now filled with a lunchtime crowd.

Muscle Ridge is known as good place for wildlife, we did see several flocks of scoters and mergansers.  Not many seals though, although a couple trailed us to Otter Ledge. 

Seals which did not follow us

We'd been through Muscle Ridge twice before, but never noticed the lovely views we saw on this trip.  The first time storms were pending later in the day. We glided through the islands, headed in by Sprucehead Point and Waterman Beach and paddled back along the shoreline.  Sticking close to shore made sense in light of the pending storms, and it was a different area to explore, but it meant we never saw the backdrop of the Camden Mountains.
   Our second visit was on a beautiful clear-sky day, but the seas were rough and while we were out there the wind picked up.  We cut our tour short.  The views must have been there, but I didn't notice them. We worked our way across the channel from lobster buoy to lobster buoy, grateful for evidence of  progress.  As we were heading in, it seemed like every sailboat in the area was headed out to play.  We struggled forward, would see a sailboat heading through, stop to give them right of way, and blew backwards out to the islands.  Then, after the sailboat passed by gleefully, we'd begin our slog forward again.  I think it took us an hour to make the crossing.  I was so grateful to arrive at Birch Point Beach that I decided to do a roll to celebrate.  Even better,  with the loaded boat and tired arms, my roll worked perfectly.  As I was researching the area, I came across this tale of a kayak group similarly stressed by building winds. (http://trekalong.com/chaseoutdoors/2011/07/17/blustery-misadventures-in-the-muscle-ridge-islands-7/)  

Summary:  Launch 9AM Birch Point State Park.  $2 entrance fee.  Pit toilets, parking for about 20-30 cars.  Finish about 1PM.  One stop.  High Noon.  13.8 miles 

As I was looking up things before the trip I came across an article about a new quarry being started on tiny High Island to mine granite for Wannamakers.  I can't seem to find it now, but this is a similar article about  
An old article about Dix Island, a granite graveyard http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1930&dat=19170922&id=DAwgAAAAIBAJ&sjid=S2UFAAAAIBAJ&pg=2107,1697720

Three steps toward paddle boards

We've been debating getting a paddleboard.  It seems like we have less time to paddle and the same old places are starting to feel dull.  Could a paddleboard be the answer?
So far we've taken three steps into paddle boarding:
Step One:  Try an alternative board.

Greenland style paddle boarding - he is headed in to grab a life jacket

A couple of years ago we, we searched Uncle Henry's, a local want ads magazine, and bought an inexpensive used wind surfer.  The sail joint was broken, but we didn't plan to sail it, instead we took it to lakes to play on.  A wind surfer is narrower than a paddle board, with less curve up toward bow.   The sides slope down, unlike some paddleboards which have raised edges. It has a small fin and a keel.  It worked pretty well, with the keel in place it rarely flipped, but was hard to turn.  We used it with the keel a few times, but almost never use the keel anymore. 

As a new toy  it does pretty well. People used it in pairs, and even trios.  It's really sized for those under 200 pounds, but if you don't mind getting wet, you can put much more weight on it.
 Folks of all ages use it. They  stand up, kneel, or sit with one leg to each side.  We try to have folks who use it wear life jackets, but because it's also used as a float toy, in close to shore that doesn't always happen.  Like in the first picture, he's still in the swim area, its not over his head, but since he now has a paddle, we've called him in to get a life jacket.

Demonstrating the PVC paddle

Along with our windsurfer paddleboard, we have an eight foot section of PVC pipe that people love to use as a paddle. Don't ask me why; I guess just because it's different and it doesn't seem like it should work.
But the windsurfer never feels stable enough to go long distances.  Whether that was the board's size, shape, or our skill level is hard to tell.  

Step Two: renting a big wide paddle board.

Wind surfer left, paddle board right

Last summer we rented a paddleboard for a day.   It was okay, much more stable.  I could imagine using it for paddle yoga. When I paddled it, I could relax and enjoy more, taking in the longer view, rather than spending all my time balancing.

Again windsurfer is left

But we still resisted...  But all those slick boards, the health benefits of standing and exercising....articles like Baffinpaddler's about the benefits of a paddleboard...

So we signed up for Step Three: a paddleboard lesson.  The morning of the lesson it was pouring and not surprisingly, the guide called to see if we wanted to cancel.  We'd heard better weather was coming, and decided to risk going ahead.
What a game guide we had!  Tina Fish, who works for Belfast Paddlesports; ready for adventure on the water. 

Tina assessing our sanity

    Plainly the better weather wasn't here yet.

It's the ideal day for paddling!

 We told her we were looking for tips on dealing with wind and fast moving water.  We wound up trying four models, in a wind that was really too stiff for beginner paddleboarding.  What we learned:

Paddle boarding in the rain isn't that bad; though I wore a wetsuit and dryjacket... 

 Most boards are not sized for Mark, it took a couple tries to get him a board.

 Paddle boarding up wind is tough.  I couldn't get the basic-style board (the green one) to make progress upwind when I was standing, and wound up switching boards with Tina.  Then, upwind progress was slow.  Eventually, we both followed Tina's lead, and knelt.   And both of us thought how much easier this would be in a kayak.  But to be fair, it would be even easier on a jet ski.  It isn't always about what's easiest.

Notice the raised edges, making it easier to lean and turn.

 Paddle boarding on the ocean is entertaining, and when the sun came out it was even nicer.  Paddleboarding did use different muscles, we were pretty tired after an hour and a half.

So, no brilliant insights, but a fun experience.  We'll see if we give in to temptation....

Winds of the Compass Rose

I happened upon this compass rose behind the Camden Public Library.

Then while taking these close ups, I saw that these weren't merely decorations but wind names. (all names are listed below.)

Some harken back to Greek or roman wind names.

Others like "Nor'easter" and "Trade"  seem to have a New England origin.

 
Plainly this needed more research.  At Wikipedia, I learned the following tidbits:   Linguistic anthropological studies show the majority of human languages(64%) have four cardinal directions; generally East-West equivalent indicating sun rise and sun set, and North-South equivalent for seasonal winds.

Aristotle referred to ten winds, North, South, and Pairings of East and West corresponding to various latitudes.

It was Timothenes of Rhodes who added to more points to make the classic 12 point compass rose.

These were interesting findings, and for awhile I thought this might be an augmentation of a classic compass rose.  But, after  looking up each name, I think this is merely an artistic decoration listing sixteen names of winds. 

The names from the Camden Compass, in case you're straining your eyes at the pictures are: 
NNW-N: Tramontana-  an Italian north wind
N-NNE: Boreas- Greek God of the North Wind
NNE-NE: Nor'easter
NE-ENE:  Trade
ENE-E: Foul
E-ESE: Eurus-  Greek God of the East Wind
ESE-SE: Tornado (from Spanish)
SE-SSE: Cyclone
SSE-S: Sirocco- a Greek wind from the Saraha
S-SSW: Auster - Roman God of the South Wind
SSW-SW:  Monsoon (from Arabic)
SW-WSW: Typhoon (from Persian)
WSW-W:  Fair
W-WNW:  Zephyrus- Greek God of the West Wind
WNW-NW:  Westerly
NW-NNW:  Mistral- a regional French wind
Referenced Wikipedia Articles:

Compass Rose :http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compass_rose
Classical Compass Winds : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Classical_compass_winds

(And, yes, we have been paddling this summer, but we're kind of in a rut where we paddle the same waters over and over.)