Fiddle Dee!

I was fortunate to be asked to shoot a story on the Maine Fiddle Camp for Down East magazine. The story, shot last summer, appears in the April issue of the magazine, which is on the newsstands at this time.

I was told before shooting the story to focus on the camp food, and having spent many a summer at camp--first as a camper and later as a counselor--I thought I knew what to expect--s'mores, shepherds pie and spaghetti night.  Boy, was I wrong.

Omigosh, this was a camp food experience like no other. Think rosemary focaccia, beet salad and blueberry cobbler from scratch.  And, everyone insisted that I not go home hungry. I can't remember the last time I was fed so well on an assignment!

If you are a Maine fiddler, no doubt you already know about the camp. If you are a Maine fiddler and haven't attended, don't put it off any longer. You owe it to your stomach to go to this camp!

(Still) More Snow

As much as everyone in Maine is surely ready for the end of this year's record-setting winter--where many towns have seen almost 100 inches of snow, road departments have nearly depleted salt supplies and school children have been sent home because of fears that roofs may buckle from unanticipated loads--it's difficult not to see the beauty in March snows. 

With temperatures hovering near freezing, March snows are usually the most photogenic. The temps are cold enough to form fat flakes of snow but warm enough that photographers can get out and take pictures without paying for it with throbbing fingers and toes.

Here's a lone oak with tire swing from one of my favorite roads in Brunswick.

Bravo to the new Penobscot Narrows Bridge and Observatory

Okay, I'll admit it: I'm smitten with the new Penobscot Narrows Bridge and Observatory. I've been to the top of the observatory at least ten times and I still smile in amazement each time I round the bend on Route 1 and catch the first glimpse of it ahead. I can't help but pull my car over and jump out with my camera, hoping I'll be lucky enough to catch a tugboat or ship making its way under the span.

The new structure, which is located adjacent to Fort Knox, carries U.S. Route 1 traffic across the Penobscot River near Bucksport--moreprecisely between the communities of Prospect and Verona Island.

More than just a bridge, it's an engineering marvel, a work of art. The 2000-plus-foot-long cable-stayed bridge (in the style of Boston's Zakim Bridge) sports one of only four bridge observatories in the world--yes, in the world, and the only one in the U.S. The 420-foot observatory tower, fashioned after the Washington Monument which was made with granite quarried nearby, offers incredible, panoramic views in all directions. On a clear day visitors can see the Camden Hills, Acadia, and even Katahdin.Kudos to the Maine Department of Transportation, to Figg Engineering Group or to whoever it was who came up with the ingenious idea of incorporating an observation tower into the new bridge. In its first season the observatory drew almost twice as many visitors as officials had been expecting. I guess that shows a lot of folks were smitten, or at the very least intrigued.I was fortunate to be asked to shoot photos of the bridge and observatory for a story that appears in Down East Magazine's April Vacation Planner issue. The issue won't be on newsstands until the middle of March, but subscribers are getting a sneak preview as the magazine is already showing up in mailboxes. If you are a bridge aficionado or just enjoy great views, check out Jeff Clark's story in the magazine.

And, by all means go see the bridge in person if you haven't already. For more photos of the Penobscot Narrows Bridge and Observatory click here.