Showing posts with label acadia national park. Show all posts
Showing posts with label acadia national park. Show all posts

Friday, August 14, 2009

Looking closely

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Snails on a beach in Maine - I’m totally missing Maine - seems like forever that I’ve been editing my vacation photos!


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I was enamored by the starfish (if you couldn’t already tell), even ones left up on the rocks after the tide went out. I felt as sorry for them as I did our ducks last winter - the ducks missing the water the city had drained out of their area.


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I’m not sure what was going on in this shallow water. I know it’s a starfish and one of those weird water-worm/snake things. I wondered if the worm-thing (technical term) was trying to eat the starfish but I really have no clue. I’ve already showed you how slow the starfish moves - I’m betting lots of things eat them!


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The starfish seem to not care what they are “walking” on - but the snails and barnacles don’t seem to mind either.


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My son, Haden, was an expert at finding the minute stars! Several times we thought he had found one with a missing “leg”, only to see the star in the water with all 5 points. Odd.


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See, this is the same starfish - all “legs” in tact.


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They are so magical! They appear soft and squishy, maybe even slimy, but they aren’t. They are kinda hard, like a crab, not quite that hard, but rough to the touch, not slimy at all.


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This is the underside of a starfish - he’s still trying to move, as the water comes in and out, the star floats then lands, wiggles, floats, then lands. . .


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If you look close, in the pools left on the beach, you will find all kinds of life. Just have a little patience, sit and watch, then you’ll notice movement and discover something new.


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In this photo alone, there’s a starfish, barnacles, many snails, and many “bugs” and some slugs. . .



Camera Critters


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Beautiful, even in death.

Friday, July 31, 2009

How to eat crab

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As we were leaving Sandy Beach, we discovered a gull eating a crab.


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Or, uh, attempting to eat a crab.


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He finally got hold of it.


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And as we watched, he ran, then flew. . .


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And dropped the crab. I think they do this to break into the shell.


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I don’t think the crab will be attempting to escape after that tumble.


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Camera Critters

Thursday, July 30, 2009

Just a little beach walk

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Not sure what kind of flower this is, the guys found it while hiking near sandy Beach in Acadia National Park.


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I explored the water’s edge while waiting for them. Snails, weird water bugs, starfish, and all sorts of nearly hidden creatures.


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When we found this little fellow we did not know what it was either.


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But we found out later, while on the lobster boat, that it’s a Toad Crab.


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He must have been a baby. Such a tiny guy!


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So unusual looking!


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PhotoStory Friday
Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

Friday, July 24, 2009

Dance lil Starfish, dance!

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Haden found the tiniest little starfish! We had to take a look. Then he placed it back in the water and it began to dance!


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He looked like he was exercising, or dancing, but he sure didn’t look like he was traveling. Think of all the energy he uses to progress an inch!





Camera Critters

Thursday, July 9, 2009

Cadillac Mountain & Thunder Hole in Acadia National Park

Oops - let's try this again. :)

PhotoStory Friday
Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

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Bar Harbor, Maine as seen from the top of Cadillac Mountain (1530 feet) in Acadia National Park. We managed to go up at night and see all the stars in all their glory and go back up during the day. We did not manage to get there at sunrise - have I mentioned that I’m not a morning person? - Since Cadillac Mountain is the tallest point on the US Eastern coast it is where the sun strikes first and I’m sure it’s a glorious sight to behold. If only I weren’t so out of it in the mornings - then add it that we were on Eastern time, instead of Central like I’m used.


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Bar Harbor has lots going on at all time. The boats I posted a couple of days ago were in that bay. And that big island you see has a visitors center that can be walked to when the tide is right.


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Haden and Dennis were eager to get over to Thunder Hole so off we went.


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Thunder Hole is a small inlet, naturally carved out of the rocks, where the waves roll into. At the end of this inlet, down low, is a small cavern where, when the rush of the wave arrives, air and water is forced out like a clap of distant thunder. Water may spout as high as 40 feet with a thunderous roar! Hence the name: Thunder Hole.
~taken from Acadia Magic


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We weren’t there at the right time of day to hear the thunder but we enjoyed the splashing anyway.


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We could have used another week in Bar Harbor easy!


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