A weekend in the early fall sun

We spent much of this past weekend outside.  One day we took Ella to what I think is the Rachel Carson Salt Marsh Preserve down Pemaquid Peninsula.  We specifically went at low tide so that we could explore, only to learn that "pets" are not allowed.  Makes sense I guess if they are trying to protect the wildlife.  David and I took brief turns walking a little while the other held on to Ella.  I took a couple of photos.

From there we went to Dodge Point where we hiked the "Old Farm Road" down to the shore.  It was a beautiful day.  Ella enjoyed what she, at least, thought of as putting the fear of God/Ella into a number of chipmunks (although no wildlife was actually harmed in the exercise).  

We drove from there down to Boothbay Harbor just for a look.  David showed me a couple of boat launches he'd gone kayaking from with one of the kayaking groups.

Yesterday Ella stayed home and we went kayaking on the Pemaquid River.  Beautiful day, slow and lazy river between banks turning lovely autumn colors.

We paddled up river.  A relaxing and easy paddle, light breeze, warm sun, then under the shade cast by the trees on the bank into suddenly chilled air.  Just lovely.




We came upon a drowned canoe.  Nothing apparently wrong with it, just capsized.  Spooky but kind of beautiful.

And we shared the warm early fall sunlight with other creatures.

A peaceful afternoon.  

Now back to Congress holding health care hostage, a pending government shut down (actually that doesn't sound that bad to me except they'll shut down the wrong things - let's keep the national parks open and shut down Congress).  All this, taking place on the same planet as the photos above.  

Sometimes hard to keep it all in perspective, but trying.

Peace.