... after oversleeping a bit i drove to fairfield, picked up john, coffee, and donuts, and said, "where're we wandering today" ... his response, "i hear there's a giant ice circle in westbrook, let's go see what that's all about" ...
... an hour or so laughing at the latest entertainment provided by america's head clown, then we parked and crossed the river to westbrook's parking garage ...
... absolutely fascinating ... over three-hundred feet across, it's spinning just fast enough that you can see it moving ...
... we strolled back to the other side of the river ...
... another from the parking garage (i'm tired, so i'm not paying much attention to chronology right now) ... i wanted to go skating ... most intriguing, scientists cannot specifically explain the formation of this giant ice circle ...
... yours truly photographed by john ... no, those trousers aren't too big ... they're part of my lined "stay warm while out picture taking in the cold" outfit ...
... based upon his very limited knowledge of english and heavy accent i deduced this gentleman was from far away ... when i finally managed to decipher what he was asking, another clue was his question, "what is it" ... it took a bit, but i finally determined that winter, as in frozen water, etc., was something new to him ... we had a nice talk ... i told him he could go up to the top of the garage (visible to the very left in the photo) ... after being reassured that it was "okay" he most excitedly headed across the bridge ...
... fascinating ... absolutely fascinating ...
... after a nice lunch at chipoltes, we crossed the fore river in portland and found our way to the spring point ledge lighthouse ...
... we wondered about both the roman numeral markings on all of the sections of the iron structure as well as its unusual relationship with the jagged rocks forming the breakwater ...
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... it turns out the while the lighthouse is almost 120 years old, the breakwater was constructed out to and around it in the early-1950s ... as for the numbers, the iron sections were built in new york, assembled, marked, then disassembled and shipped to maine ... even with a brisk sea breeze it was a great day to visit ...
... after spring point we drove over to bug light ... it was built before the civil war, but as the shoreline was extended by fill it eventually became obsolete ... joints in the curved cast iron plates are hidden by the beautiful corinthian columns ... i consider this one of the most difficult lighthouses to photograph, but john unknowingly helped me find a pleasing composition ...
... climbing across the rocks until i found this vantage, i was forced to admit to myself that it's possible i'm a teensy-tiny just-a-little-bit less spry than i once was ... no matter, it was worth it ...
The murmur rose soft as I silently gazed
On the shadowy waves playful motion
from the dim distant land, till the
lighthouse fire blazed
like a star in the midst Of the ocean.
THOMAS MOORE
... a wanderbout in which we saw something new ... a wanderabout in which we visited things familiar ... a wanderabout shared ... what a wonderful day ...