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You are here: Home / Photo Blogging / On The Road / On the Road and In Your Backyard

On the Road and In Your Backyard

by Alain Chamot (1971-2020)|  September 12, 20175:00 am| 39 Comments

This post is in: On The Road, Open Threads, Readership Capture

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On the Road is a weekday feature spotlighting reader photo submissions.

From the exotic to the familiar, whether you’re traveling or in your own backyard, we would love to see the world through your eyes.

Submit Your Photos

Good Morning All,

This weekday feature is for Juicers who are are on the road, traveling, or just want to share a little bit of their world via stories and pictures. So many of us rise each morning, eager for something beautiful, inspiring, amazing, subtle, of note, and our community delivers – a view into their world, whether they’re far away or close to home – pictures with a story, with context, with meaning, sometimes just beauty. By concentrating travel updates and tips here, it’s easier for all of us to keep up or find them later.

So please, speak up and share some of your adventures and travel news here, and submit your pictures using our speedy, secure form. You can submit up to 7 pictures at a time, with an overall description and one for each picture.

You can, of course, send an email with pictures if the form gives you trouble, or if you are trying to submit something special, like a zipped archive or a movie. If your pictures are already hosted online, then please email the links with your descriptions.

For each picture, it’s best to provide your commenter screenname, description, where it was taken, and date. It’s tough to keep everyone’s email address and screenname straight, so don’t assume that I remember it “from last time”. More and more, the first photo before the fold will be from a commenter, so making it easy to locate the screenname when I’ve found a compelling photo is crucial.

Have a wonderful day, and enjoy the pictures!

 

So it looks like most folks and their loved ones are safe, but some are dealing with damage and post-flood issues. Not just in Florida – in Georgia, Cuba, much of the Caribbean, and don’t forget Texas and Louisiana. And of course Mexico and the ongoing conflagrations in Oregon. There’s a world of pain out there. Likely just a harbinger we’ll look back on as a missed “warning”.

On a much-needed, more positive note, we have some neat pictures today – enjoy!

Today, pictures from valued commenter RedDirtGirl.

Spent the week at our family’s house on a small island off the coast of Maine.

The family house

Gott’s Island Maine

Point Field Farm

What used to be the island village, when it was a year-round fishing community, about 80 years ago.

Me getting out of frigid water.

50% glad-you’re-back.
50% stink-eye.

 

Thank you so much RedDirtGirl, do send us more when you can.

 

Travel safely everybody, and do share some stories in the comments, even if you’re joining the conversation late. Many folks confide that they go back and read old threads, one reason these are available on the Quick Links menu.

 

One again, to submit pictures: Use the Form or Send an Email

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Previous Post: « Tuesday Morning Schadenfreude Open Thread: Never Give the Son-in-Law A Real Job
Next Post: Contractual log-rolling between Medicare and Employer Sponsored Insurance »

Reader Interactions

39Comments

  1. 1.

    OzarkHillbilly

    September 12, 2017 at 5:33 am

    Stink eye indeed.

  2. 2.

    p.a.

    September 12, 2017 at 5:53 am

    Looks nice, but you don’t fool us with that American flag, lefty!

  3. 3.

    rikyrah

    September 12, 2017 at 6:10 am

    Thanks for the pictures.
    There is definitely a plan being formulated in that last picture??

  4. 4.

    eclare

    September 12, 2017 at 6:27 am

    That water must be freezing!

  5. 5.

    debbie

    September 12, 2017 at 7:16 am

    Beautiful, but no community response to the backward flag?

  6. 6.

    RedDirtGirl

    September 12, 2017 at 7:17 am

    @p.a.: I actually did move the flag after the first day. It was in the way.

  7. 7.

    RedDirtGirl

    September 12, 2017 at 7:18 am

    @rikyrah: Don’t you know it! She peed on my bed within an hour of me getting home!

  8. 8.

    JPL

    September 12, 2017 at 7:44 am

    @RedDirtGirl: Thank you for the pictures. Does anyone live on the island full time?

  9. 9.

    satby

    September 12, 2017 at 7:47 am

    @RedDirtGirl: that was the special revenge of one of my dearest cats long ago. Her name was Fink because she could be such a brat, but she was also the sweetest cat when she wanted to be.

    What a great looking place for a relaxing vacation!

  10. 10.

    Betty Cracker

    September 12, 2017 at 7:59 am

    New England fishing villages are the most picturesque places in the world, in my book. If I were made of hardier stock, I’d go live in one. What do you see while snorkeling there?

  11. 11.

    raven

    September 12, 2017 at 8:03 am

    Nice

  12. 12.

    JPL

    September 12, 2017 at 8:06 am

    @Betty Cracker: When do we see pics of your amazing adventure? Irma is a real pain.

  13. 13.

    maurinsky

    September 12, 2017 at 8:06 am

    The water off the coast of Maine is brutal, but I honestly thought I was going to get frostbite when I dipped my toes in the Pacific.

  14. 14.

    Steve in the ATL

    September 12, 2017 at 8:12 am

    @maurinsky: had the same experience with the English Channel in June. How the hell did Le Touquet ever become a beach resort?

  15. 15.

    MomSense

    September 12, 2017 at 8:18 am

    I love Gott’s Island. These photos remind me I need to take a kayaking trip there next summer. Many of my friends kayak all winter but that is way too intense for me. I can barely handle the summer ocean temps, although the water is warmer than the air temp in winter.

  16. 16.

    Betty Cracker

    September 12, 2017 at 8:21 am

    @JPL: I’ll do a post on it at some point, maybe later today. We made it home last night. Parts of our fence got blown away, the banana trees are flattened, and the yard, driveway, bar, walkways, etc., are carpeted with bamboo leaves, but aside from that, we’re fine. We even have electricity. No one else in my family does!

  17. 17.

    JPL

    September 12, 2017 at 8:35 am

    @Betty Cracker: I’m glad that you’re safe!

  18. 18.

    Another Scott

    September 12, 2017 at 8:35 am

    @Betty Cracker: Weather is chaotic – it’s impossible to predict perfectly. Unfortunately. Sorry you ended up heading into the storm rather than away, but I’m glad that everything is mostly Ok at the homestead.

    Good luck with the cleanup. Remember, most injuries and deaths happen after the storm passes, so be careful!

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  19. 19.

    Just One More Canuck

    September 12, 2017 at 8:54 am

    @Betty Cracker: fantastic news! Have the dogs stopped farting?

  20. 20.

    Catherine D.

    September 12, 2017 at 9:00 am

    @Betty Cracker:

    Guess your spousal unit is smug about not fixing the fence!

  21. 21.

    Barbara

    September 12, 2017 at 9:04 am

    @maurinsky: A year ago, in June, I happened to be on the Pacific Coast one weekend (Santa Barbara) and the Atlantic Coast the next (Norfolk). I can attest that the Pacific Ocean felt much colder.

    Great pictures of Maine — I especially love the sky in the second.

  22. 22.

    Betty Cracker

    September 12, 2017 at 9:14 am

    @Just One More Canuck: Never!

    @Catherine D.: He totally is!

  23. 23.

    cosima

    September 12, 2017 at 9:20 am

    That is an amazing place to be able to get away from. I’m very envious. Very different from our family’s cabin in Talkeetna (walking to the outhouse terrified me, particularly in the dark, but daylight was no guarantee that you wouldn’t meet unpleasant things).

    On a separate note, I tried to submit some photos of Scotland via the super speedy form, and spent ages uploading & adding context and it said the link didn’t work after all of that. Any way to find out if it actually went through (not sure I have it in me to do that all over again!)?

  24. 24.

    Just One More Canuck

    September 12, 2017 at 10:16 am

    @Betty Cracker: that’s good! (yeah, good, that’s it) If they were acting normally, that means they weren’t stressed, and just thought they were out for a ride with you and Mr. Cracker and the chickens

    We had our cat (Elsa the wonder nut) lodged at our vet for a couple of weeks – when she got home, she started sneezing repeatedly – we took her back in and they said it was a reaction to stress – she’s fine now (sleeping behind me as I type)

  25. 25.

    RedDirtGirl

    September 12, 2017 at 10:18 am

    @JPL: A few hardy souls have done year-long stints over the past 30 years.

  26. 26.

    RedDirtGirl

    September 12, 2017 at 10:20 am

    @Betty Cracker: My fella saw mostly sea urchins, a few shot gun shells and some razor clam shells. I was trying out the snorkel in that pic but it didn’t fit. I mostly floated around on an innertube.

  27. 27.

    RedDirtGirl

    September 12, 2017 at 10:22 am

    @MomSense: So cool that you’ve been there. Not many people know of it since there is no ferry service. Where do you live? Maybe we can have a BJ meet-up/cook-out next summer!

  28. 28.

    RedDirtGirl

    September 12, 2017 at 10:24 am

    @cosima: We have an outhouse there as well. It has a regular sized hole for adults, and a kid sized hole next to it!

  29. 29.

    Mnemosyne

    September 12, 2017 at 10:36 am

    The cat picture reminds me of last week, when I had to take Charlotte to the vet. She was still mad about it later that night, but she still wanted her bedtime snuggles, so she settled down facing away from me rather than doing nose boops for a while like she usually does. Silly kitty!

  30. 30.

    OzarkHillbilly

    September 12, 2017 at 10:37 am

    @cosima: Send Alain a note via the “quicklinks-contact a front pager” at the top of the page.

  31. 31.

    MomSense

    September 12, 2017 at 10:42 am

    @RedDirtGirl:

    I’m in MidCoast but I have a son in Bar Harbor so I’m on MDI all the time.

  32. 32.

    OzarkHillbilly

    September 12, 2017 at 10:53 am

    @RedDirtGirl:

    and a kid sized hole next to it!

    That’s good, when I was a kid a neighbor kid fell into the too large for him hole. Not pretty, had to get his stomach pumped and spent several days in the hospital.

  33. 33.

    cosima

    September 12, 2017 at 11:07 am

    @RedDirtGirl: I really dislike outhouses — far beyond what a normal aversion would be, most likely due to walking (from a young age) from the cabin to the outhouse in the forest of the Alaskan wilderness. We once rented a house in Halibut Cove, one of my favourite places in Alaska — it was a big beautiful house, but it had an outhouse, a very fancy one. One of the women staying there with us, visiting from TX, refused to use it. I can’t remember how that was ultimately dealt with, but there weren’t really many options…

  34. 34.

    OzarkHillbilly

    September 12, 2017 at 11:11 am

    @cosima:

    One of the women staying there with us, visiting from TX, refused to use it.

    My reply would be, “OK.”

  35. 35.

    Alain the site fixer

    September 12, 2017 at 11:36 am

    @cosima: they aren’t in the system – email them using the link above. Should you need to, send them in two or more emails (if they are huge)

  36. 36.

    cosima

    September 12, 2017 at 12:00 pm

    @Alain the site fixer: Thank you.

    @OzarkHillbilly: Definitely left her to find her own solution. She was the sister of a very good friend, raised very privileged, and has since become very down to earth (living on a teacher’s wages will do that to you!) and awesome.

  37. 37.

    WaterGirl

    September 12, 2017 at 12:39 pm

    @Betty Cracker: So glad to hear that you returned to find your home intact. My eyes are leaking tears of joy for you.

  38. 38.

    Origuy

    September 12, 2017 at 12:51 pm

    I once saw a real estate ad for a house in rural Indiana which had “an outdoor bath with a path”. We had one of those until I was five.

  39. 39.

    Aleta

    September 12, 2017 at 1:46 pm

    @RedDirtGirl: We have that too (the little and big holes, with handmade wooden lids for each) in the outhouse at my parents/grandparent’s cabin.

    There’s a barn near where I live now that still has an outhouse tacked on at each end. Maybe so they didn’t have to dig a new hole and move the outhouse when a hole filled up? Just switch to the other side and let the other one compost down. No idea though.

    Your photos are gorgeous. They have that feel. Of feeling oneself in another life, in the kind of light that could change you. I like the old apple trees.

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