Sidewalk Art Festival

Originally uploaded by atteancanoe.

The weather was beautiful and a great day to be outside getting some exercise.

The 43rd Annual WCSH 6 Sidewalk Art Festival is August 23, 2008. Approximately 300 artists and 40000 visitors attend this festival.

Portland Museum of Art

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Originally uploaded by atteancanoe.

Today after a busy week at the office and rain every day, the sun was finally shining. It was a nice day to visit Portland as a tourist instead of a daily commuter and enjoy the Portland Museum of Art. We have been planning to see ‘Georgia O’Keeffe and the Camera - The Art of Identity’ that runs from June 12-September 7.

I really needed to visit this exhibition today to wake up and imagine a ‘Ghost Ranch’ my wife and I can someday retire to in the near future. I’m sure she will find plenty of scenery to enhance her photography skills and splash her favorite colors on canvas. I imagine the history of New Mexico with all of its spiritual culture, along with the beautiful high desert colors and spectacular sunsets, to paint with words. I’m also looking forward to seeing the high altitude night sky full of stars I hear is so beautiful in the high desert of the Southwest.

Georgia O’Keeffe took long walks and described the stunning vistas of the Ghost Ranch landscape that excited her in long letters to her friends. I certainly want to research these letters and imagine looking through her eyes at the surrounding high desert.

I was totally inspired by this exhibition - I imagined packing my bags and moving to Abiquiú in Rio Arriba County along the Chama River and living the rest of my life in an Adobe house surrounded by the beautiful high desert scenery in the Chama Valley.

Eastern Promenade 29 June

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Originally uploaded by atteancanoe.

The sun broke through the cloudy sky - we had thunder showers earlier this morning and this evening - but it was nice to be overlooking Casco Bay watching the sailboats disappear into the fog. There was a cool ocean breeze and the tourist were bundled in their jackets.

Portland Headlight

Originally uploaded by atteancanoe.

For the past 38 years i have been taking photos of this structure and it always seems to amaze me how i see something new.

this old light, under the order of george washington, has been guiding ships as sea into the portland harbor, since 1791

Cape Elizabeth

Originally uploaded by atteancanoe.

It started to shower as we were driving through Portland - along the city streets caution lights were flashing, indicating the draw bridge was up. After waiting at the light at the bridge, an empty orange and white oil tanker passed under the bridge.

by the time we arrived at Fort Williams and got out of the RampVan, the orange and white oil tanker was already headed out to high seas.

Ft-Popham Kennebec River

It was a nice day to visit the mouth of the Kennebec River where it flows into the Atlantic Ocean.

Imagine the surprise being in a Confederacy ironclad warship and sailing broadside to Fort Popham:

“Fort Popham’s armament consisted of 36 cannons arranged in two tiers of vaulted casements. Each cannon weighed roughly 25 tons and fired solid shot, each weighing almost 480 pounds. The back side of Fort Popham was built with a low moated curtain containing a central gate and 20 musket ports.”

I was surprised to find a parking spot where I could easily wheel out of my RampVan and feel like a tourist.

Playing around with a photo editor when I got home was as fun as taking the photographs.

Casco Bay - South Portland

Normally we sit at the park on the Eastern Promenade in Portland, Maine and watch Casco Bay, while eating a sandwich. Once in a while we head over to South Portland to get a different view and watch the personal boats and the commercial boats, while they are busy playing in the wind.

This photograph was filtered using Corel PhotoPaint.

Graphic Filters

It is always fun to tinker around with various filters in Corel or Gimp.

Potholes - Highways and Snow Fields

This afternoon driving into Portland, I’m starting to get used to the huge deep potholes in most of the Maine highways. Potholes along the RailRoad Crossings are the winners so far - they are horrible.

Looking at the snow in the farm fields and in everyone’s yards I noticed the snow seems to be melting leaving behind strange arrangements of potholes? I have never noticed this before.

Do you ever feed wild birds from your bare hands

In 1972, I used to travel up to the mountains on the northwestern border between Maine and Quebec, Canada. I went to high school in Jackman, Maine. My parents had a log cabin on the shore of Big Wood Lake.

When it snowed, the wild birds waited for the feeders to be filled. The wild birds were never scared to eat out of your bare hands.

Try it some time….