MAINE: my final frontier. These are the voyages of the Scooter Vespa 250 i.e. Super. Its continuing mission - to explore America's most heavily forested state - to roam the vast coastline, numberless lakes, and mighty mountains. To boldly go where no scooter has gone before!

Monday, January 9, 2012

Late Afternoon Ride

I prefer riding in the middle of the day during these winter days of limited light. But yesterday, I found myself leaving home just an hour before sunset. Riding through Falmouth on my way to the Town Landing with the sun behind me, I turned toward the sea and saw this scene.


This won't make the Cloud Appreciation website, (http://cloudappreciationsociety.org/) but I thought it was an interesting scene.


I took the photo from this spot. Ahead is just about the longest stretch of straight road on my ride to the Landing.


It's low tide at the Falmouth Town Landing. In about six hours, my GTS would be six inches from the ocean.


The pavement on which I'm parked is a launching ramp at high tide. Note the homes in the background; while many of us waste money on silly things, a home like these, in this incomparably beautiful place, is the perfect definition of wise investment.


Above and below: Really nice backyards!



Science lesson of the day: If the sea water was "wicked cold," the gull on the right would be standing on one foot. Gulls send extra warm blood to the feet when the weather is cold; as the temperature drops, one foot rises to get warm in the feathers while the other supports the hardy bird.

Ducks have an inner layer of downy feathers that create an air pocket that traps body heats; the outer feathers are coated with a special oil secreted and spread over the body as the duck preens.

I've got to believe this is the origin of the envious phrase, "Oh, you lucky duck!"