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NNE Summer 2013 Thread


klw

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Powderfreak, MainJayhawk, Eyewall and J. Spin... Holy crap you NNE folks can take pics!

 

Thanks mob – I’m not on quite as much in the summer to give props to the guys for all their great photos, but I do check in frequently enough to catch most of them, and they’ve been spectacular.  And, as if those guys weren’t already putting out stunning photos, Eyewall moves to NNE and kicks it up another notch with his fantastic HDR imaging.  A look through the NNE thread is typically a feast for the eyes as much as one’s weather appetite.

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Thanks mob – I’m not on quite as much in the summer to give props to the guys for all their great photos, but I do check in frequently enough to catch most of them, and they’ve been spectacular. And, as if those guys weren’t already putting out stunning photos, Eyewall moves to NNE and kicks it up another notch with his fantastic HDR imaging. A look through the NNE thread is typically a feast for the eyes as much as one’s weather appetite.

I meant the winter as well, seeing gorgeous shots of kids earning their turns is beyond awesome. My 3 and 5 year old boys are skiing as well (and loving it) and I invested in a Canon 1.4 35mm lens to go along with my super heavy 70-200 lens and hopefully I'll get to post some good shots in the ski thread this winter.
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Powderfreak, MainJayhawk, Eyewall and J. Spin... Holy crap you NNE folks can take pics!

Thanks but the credit needs to go to the beautiful surroundings we live in. If you are in the land of mountains and lakes everyday, you are bound to see some really cool sights.

I just love documenting the weather through photography, though. I've got photos of just about every snowfall for the past 5 years, lol.

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I meant the winter as well, seeing gorgeous shots of kids earning their turns is beyond awesome. My 3 and 5 year old boys are skiing as well (and loving it) and I invested in a Canon 1.4 35mm lens to go along with my super heavy 70-200 lens and hopefully I'll get to post some good shots in the ski thread this winter.

 

That’s great to hear – there’s nothing like getting photos with the kids out in the snow.  In that respect, it’s like PF said; Mother Nature makes it easier for us here with all the great powder and scenery.  I definitely enjoy documenting the winter storms, both through the photos and the daily weather measurements, and I think it helps in terms of keeping people apprised of what’s going on up here in ski country.

 

Congrats on the addition of the 1.4 lens, that’s super bright, so you should be able to get some really nice shots on even the darkest midwinter storm days.  What camera body/bodies do you shoot with? – I’m guessing something by Canon based on the lenses?  Where do you guys like to ski?

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That’s great to hear – there’s nothing like getting photos with the kids out in the snow. In that respect, it’s like PF said; Mother Nature makes it easier for us here with all the great powder and scenery. I definitely enjoy documenting the winter storms, both through the photos and the daily weather measurements, and I think it helps in terms of keeping people apprised of what’s going on up here in ski country.

Congrats on the addition of the 1.4 lens, that’s super bright, so you should be able to get some really nice shots on even the darkest midwinter storm days. What camera body/bodies do you shoot with? – I’m guessing something by Canon based on the lenses? Where do you guys like to ski?

I have a 60D, i work for a camera company in NYC that has a rental department so I can rent any camera package for just a few bucks but I've found the lenses to have a far greater impact on image quality than the camera. I generally take my kids to Hunter mountain as they're too little to really travel too far but I'm planning a trip to either Stowe or Jay Peak this year so I hope to get some shots of tiny helmets protruding from the snow.:)
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Powderfreak, MainJayhawk, Eyewall and J. Spin... Holy crap you NNE folks can take pics!

 

 

Thank you and I am definitely learning since going to Camera Raw format (makes a huge difference). I love it here so far as I thought I would.

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By the way I am already noticing some hints of fall color beginning to show up. Is that just slightly early?

Not particularly early.  Trees that are under some sort of stress are the first to show signs.  I will say that the leaves have started taking on that tired look.  The green isn't quite as bright.  Fall is coming.

 

While on the subject of trees, has anyone noticed how the apples are doing?  I have a couple of trees and they have a lot of apples this year.  Are there any old time sayings about the apple crop and the following winter? 

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Something a little different today. Instead of the mountains, I went to the ocean. It had been 8 years since I visited the Fox Islands and decided with three days at my disposal that one of them would be spent on a walking tour of Vinalhaven and the surrounding area.

Vinalhaven, a town of around 1,100 year-round people, is about 15 miles off the coast of Rockland on Maine's mid-coast. First ferry leaves Rockland at 7:00am, so another early wake-up call of 3:30am. 107 miles in the car and I was at the ferry terminal. Weather was terrific with little chop on the water, but still I needed two shirts and my hiking rain jacket to stay warm. Just standing around on the top of a moving ferry is cold stuff! I was amazed by how many lobster buoys are scattered about - the surface was a colorful mosaic of assorted buoys.

An hour and fifteen minutes went by before we arrived at the Vinalhaven terminal. I put on my backpack and headed out. Vinalhaven's primary industry is of course lobstering, and it seemed every house had dozens of traps stacked in the yard.

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The road I took led to an abandoned granite quarry which has been filled with groundwater. This is a favorite swimming hole of local peeps - one guy stripped down to his skivvies and dived in as I was leaving.

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I followed the road for a couple hours with a few looks into various coves and wetlands. I then decided to head back toward the village and check out the working waterfront. There was always a lobster boat coming in to unload its catch.

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Not wanting to arrive home after 9:00, I decided to catch the 2:45 ferry back to the mainland. For me, the highlight of the adventure was actually the ferry ride through the islands. The rocky shoreline was very impressive, even moreso at low tide. I should have taken a temp check on the island - I would guess low 70s ... very comfortable. Much warmer back in Rockland where my car parked in the sun greeted me with furnace-like heat. A fun day on Maine's mid-coast! :)

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By the way I am already noticing some hints of fall color beginning to show up. Is that just slightly early?

Yeah there are more "hints" at this time than usual....the stressed trees are going first obviously but this was a very stressful summer for vegetation. Tamarack is the regional expert on trees/vegetation here (Eek too), but my botanist friend said the wild swings in weather this summer may lead to an earlier fall foliage.

Apparently trees will adapt to one pattern or another, but don't like the sharp changes from cold/wet in June, to high heat and humidity like we saw in July (the change occurred like flipping a switch, several weeks its 70F and raining, then two days later start a stretch of 90/70 that seems to go on and on, only to flip back to predominately cool these past few weeks).

Apparently the more damaging option is going from cold to sustained very hot temps in a short period of time...but we will have to see what happens. I've noticed things seemed a little early to me, but if Sept is mild it will slow it down.

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Not particularly early.  Trees that are under some sort of stress are the first to show signs.  I will say that the leaves have started taking on that tired look.  The green isn't quite as bright.  Fall is coming.

 

While on the subject of trees, has anyone noticed how the apples are doing?  I have a couple of trees and they have a lot of apples this year.  Are there any old time sayings about the apple crop and the following winter? 

This.

 

And yes, I have an apple tree in the backyard that is absolutely weighted down with fruit this year.  The deers will have a field day this fall....

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Eek's the savant for all the cultivated vegetation; my info runs more to the native trees.  Eek's knowledgeable on them, as well.

 

Things look about normal for the time of year around here, some trees with foliage looking "tired", some with a bit of color, the white birch alongside our driveway beginning to litter.  Swamp maples actually seem a tad behind, surprising to me since the water table has remained high.  (Though sometimes individual trees that have adapted to very wet conditions quickly get stressed at the first hint of dryness - not happening this year.)  Our apples had a poor set, considering the abundance of blossoms.  Of course, their blossom time was right when May was drenching us, not particularly favorable wx for pollinators.

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Eek's the savant for all the cultivated vegetation; my info runs more to the native trees.  Eek's knowledgeable on them, as well.

 

Things look about normal for the time of year around here, some trees with foliage looking "tired", some with a bit of color, the white birch alongside our driveway beginning to litter.  Swamp maples actually seem a tad behind, surprising to me since the water table has remained high.  (Though sometimes individual trees that have adapted to very wet conditions quickly get stressed at the first hint of dryness - not happening this year.)  Our apples had a poor set, considering the abundance of blossoms.  Of course, their blossom time was right when May was drenching us, not particularly favorable wx for pollinators.

 

Pot?

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Something a little different today. Instead of the mountains, I went to the ocean. It had been 8 years since I visited the Fox Islands and decided with three days at my disposal that one of them would be spent on a walking tour of Vinalhaven and the surrounding area.

 

 

Great stuff as usual. 

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Wow, where the hell have I been?  ;)

 

Nice stretch of weather we've had lately--cool nights (40s/50s), warm days and the garden cranking along nicely.

 

Definitely some foliage/color already visible in a few spots on the ridges around here.

 

Terrific blueberry and apple season so far. 

 

Jayhawk--Rockland and Penobscot Bay are old stomping grounds of mine.  Crewed on one of the windjammers out of Rockland for many summers back in the 90s.  Beautiful area and nice shots on your part.

 

Speaking of the Maine coast, my wife and I are heading out on Friday and bound for West Quoddy Head (eastern most point in the US), Campobello Island, NB for a couple days/nights and then a few more "in town" at Bar Harbor and Acadia/MDI.  Been a while since we've had a proper vacation--can't wait.

 

Right now, it looks like the wx is going to cooperate.

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Wow, where the hell have I been?  ;)

 

Nice stretch of weather we've had lately--cool nights (40s/50s), warm days and the garden cranking along nicely.

 

Definitely some foliage/color already visible in a few spots on the ridges around here.

 

Terrific blueberry and apple season so far. 

 

Jayhawk--Rockland and Penobscot Bay are old stomping grounds of mine.  Crewed on one of the windjammers out of Rockland for many summers back in the 90s.  Beautiful area and nice shots on your part.

 

Speaking of the Maine coast, my wife and I are heading out on Friday and bound for West Quoddy Head (eastern most point in the US), Campobello Island, NB for a couple days/nights and then a few more "in town" at Bar Harbor and Acadia/MDI.  Been a while since we've had a proper vacation--can't wait.

 

Right now, it looks like the wx is going to cooperate.

 

The whole coast is a real treasure, I worked in the Camden/Rockland/Rockport area for years

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Another low near 60 here right on the lake. Definitely 50s as you get just inland. The one thing I love is how fast the temp drops around here after sunset.

Yeah...hence why I'm so adamant about why A/C isn't really needed and window fans get the job done 99% of the time. It's rare to be above 70-75F in the Summer between sunset and sunrise. Yesterday felt hot and I only reached 78F. What a nice stretch. Hopefully next week ends up as only low/mid 80s max.

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By the way I am already noticing some hints of fall color beginning to show up. Is that just slightly early?

The first hints of color in the lower Champlain valley usually show up around mid-August.  Like mreaves said, it's the stressed trees that turn.  These could be road-side, in a neighborhood, or a solitary tree amidst a green-leaved stand of hardwoods on a hillside.  I've noticed that these trees hang on to their color for a long time, sometimes into late September or the 1st week of October.  Perhaps they're the scout trees, on the lookout for the first frost.  Or perhaps they're the sentry trees, telling everyone in the neighborhood to start hoarding the sugars produced by photosynthesis.  Either way, they seemingly always trick me into thinking that fall is coming early, and that it's time to get out the fleece and the long pants.

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Maine mid coast is something I also wanted to conquer.

In any case, another awesome day on Winni. The water is significantly cooler than the Gulf of Mexico feel back in July. Currently 66 outside.

 

First on my list is The Samoset for golf. You can chuck Sugarloaf and Sunday River up there too.

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Wow, where the hell have I been?  ;)

 

Nice stretch of weather we've had lately--cool nights (40s/50s), warm days and the garden cranking along nicely.

 

Definitely some foliage/color already visible in a few spots on the ridges around here.

 

Terrific blueberry and apple season so far. 

 

Jayhawk--Rockland and Penobscot Bay are old stomping grounds of mine.  Crewed on one of the windjammers out of Rockland for many summers back in the 90s.  Beautiful area and nice shots on your part.

 

Speaking of the Maine coast, my wife and I are heading out on Friday and bound for West Quoddy Head (eastern most point in the US), Campobello Island, NB for a couple days/nights and then a few more "in town" at Bar Harbor and Acadia/MDI.  Been a while since we've had a proper vacation--can't wait.

 

Right now, it looks like the wx is going to cooperate.

 

The AK geography Nazis dismiss W.Quoddy, because a couple of the Aleutians lie west of the IDL.  meh.

 

My blueberries were mediocre, have not checked the wild ones.  However, the blackberry bushes down the woods road are nearly fruitless, and they were full of blossoms earlier.  Same way for my 3 apple trees.

 

Broke the string of <80 highs yest, also it was +4 so the run of below avg stops at 23 days.

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