A swoop of osprey

Before last night, there was no need for a collective noun describing a group of osprey. They tend to fly and hunt alone. But conditions must have been perfect yesterday evening, the rain gone, the sun setting, the breeze dying, the water surface of the cove smooth and transparent, the fish schooling at the surface. All through dinner, and well beyond, Cindy and I heard them chirping like mad, and watched them soar and dive, sometimes swooping up at the last second, sometimes hitting the water with a tremendous splash and emerging with a mackerel. Cindy says there were eight. I don't know - I was innumerate.

Beech Hill

A wonderful send-off last night for the Land Trust's executive director, who is moving to Hawaii. We gave him a party at the top of Beech Hill, our preserve with the 360-degree views, Penobscot Bay in front, the Camden Hills in back. It was a perfect evening, the islands and sea shining in sharp relief from the setting sun, a brief rain shower dramatizing the hills.

The stone hut with the sod roof is about to celebrate its 100th birthday, and we celebrated too with a lobster and corn boil in a kind of tribute to the Sunday afternoon teas that the original family used to hold there. We too had to carry everything up the half-mile trail, but where the Gribbells drove horses, we drove cars and where they burned firewood, we burned propane. Otherwise, where was the difference of a 100 years?

Best of luck, Doug and family. We'll miss you.

Book readings

A couple of readings coming up:

Camden Public Library, Camden, Maine - Thursday, July 16 at 7:00 pm

http://www.librarycamden.org/event/owls-head-revisited-july-16/


Sherman's Bookstore, Camden, Maine - Saturday, July 25 at 1:00

Owls Head Revisited

My new book has now been published. See the publisher's site at Owls Head Revisited.