Truck Camping @ Cobscook Bay Park Maine by Joseph S. Palmer

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Photos and text as seen in Downeast Coastal Press

"In every walk with nature one receives more than he seeks." John Muir

Cobscook  is a Maliseet-Passamaqoudy word for "boiling tides".

Cobscook Bay Park -by Joseph S. Palmer

Cobscook Bay State Park is surrounded by the salt waters of Cobscook Bay, 4 miles south of Dennysville. The park contains 888 acres of land and gives magnificent views of the ebb and flow of the tides.
Across from our campsite were two small islands. At low tide we treked across the mudflats to do some exploring. The island we chose offers a fascinating geological history of the area. The name "Cobscook" is a Maliseet-Passamaqoudy word for "boiling tides". With the changes of tides, the water seems to bubble. The tides on average rise to 24 feet, with some reaching as high as 28 feet.

One island was decorated a single giant pine tree growing on the ledge. How could it survive surrounded by salt water?
We discovered the park to be a heaven for bird-watching. One camp assistant said the park has more than 200 species of birds, including the America bald-eagle.
We were fortunate to see a nest in a tall spruce on our campsite with fluffy, white - feathered chicks. We speculated they were raptors of some type.
Although we cooked all our meals on an open fire pit, early mornings we drove a short distance to a local friendly grocery store for our coffee. We camped two days and  have vivid memories of the park's beauty and facilities.

TRUCK CAMPING at Cobscook Bay by Joseph S. Palmer

Prior to our oldest daughter's wedding, which took place on Sunday July 3, we had confirmed a campsite reservation at Cobscook Bay State Park. We knew that after the wedding we would need to get away from it all, "...a walk with nature..." kind of idea.
Put simply, we would be going truck camping with two tents and a bug shelter, four bicycles, four kayaks, firewood, and of course camera equipment. (Check out the wooden rig we built to accommodate our toys.)

We never been camping previously, but Doug Thompson and Kirsten Jo Palmer Thompson, who taught school in China two years ago and now in the Philippines, were seasoned campers. The four of us made a good team.
After we arrived at Cobscook State Park, the campsite we ended up with was for small groups, with an
Adirondack shelter and a fire pit right on the bay. We parked the truck and unloaded the kayaks . The tide was high and I immediately took a panoramic photo of the bays, looking toward the ocean. Before we unpacked, we jumped into our kayaks and paddled around the cove.
Speaking for the four of us, I think we experienced the sense of peace and tranquility to which John Muir's quote refers to. No mobile phones, TVs, iPads, iPhones or computers- just the cry of gulls and the squawking of crows.
Later in the afternoon of our first day, Doug spotted a nest of baby chicks in a 40 to 50-foot-high spruce tree on our campsite. Through binoculars the fluffy chicks seemed more white than grey with black around the eyes. Doug speculated they might be baby owls. After checking with Ethan Davis, a park assistant, he thought the chicks to be baby falcons. Off and on for the rest of the day, I looked with excitement at the nest through binoculars.
Our two days at Cobscook Park went fast. We cooked on the fire pit. Talked among ourselves. Listened to the silence. We trekked across a mud flat and rock weed to a nearby island at low tide. The pristine beauty of Cobscook Bay gave us a sense of inner peace.

Aeta Tribal Village- A Photographic Tour- Subic Bay- Luzon Island, Philippines; Photographs by Joseph S. Palmer

If there is one thing you should definitely not miss in Subic Bay Freeport, it is the nature tour at the Pamulaklakin Trail. I took the tour. Several days later I visited the Aeta Tribal Village.

The trail is situated along the road to the Binictican housing complex. It is a little obscure and there is a big chance you would miss it on your first pass if you are not paying attention. Once in, you might not find the compound distinct from any park or place.

What is special is the tour, or more appropriately the lesson that the Aeta guide will give you.

An extended family is seen here waiting for their morning ride to take  them to a market to sell their crafts .

A child waiting outside the complex to accompany her mother and extended family, who go daily  to a local super market  to sell their crafts.Wild honey is one of their special items.

When I began my trek toward the tribal village, I wondered what type of clothes would be worn there.
.

Today most Aeta who have been in contact with lowlanders have adopted the T-shirts, pants and rubber sandals .

Example of  a tree growing in the jungle.

Using an Aeta guide we walked almost two hours through the jungle and then on to red dirt road.

Along the trail where two boys collecting nuts to use to invent and play games.

The first dwelling seen on the trail was this thatched roof  house.

Children stop at a family store just to look and possibly day dream about something to eat.

Another dwelling along the trail.

A young girl takes a break from helping her family.

Then from no where cyclists peddled down the trail.
Cycling is a big sport in the Philippines.
I'm assuming that these cyclists were peddling through the village and not residents of the village.

In the Aeta village (pronounced eye-ta) electricity is available but not every family can afford it.  

It is mid morning and the sun is heating up the village..

Two boy are seen playing an electronic game.

In the evenings, one can hear karaoke music played for entertainment. Local beer is also sold.

Children in every culture invent games to play.
Here they are playing with a wooden pole.

Smaller children copy their older brothers and sisters.

The Aeta  village has a population of  400 with 200 dwellings.

A couple stand in the doorway proudly hold their twins. 

If seeing cyclists in the village was a surprise for me, I wondered what was happening here.
My guide did not follow me in into the open air building.
I introduced myself. the woman in the grey shirt .She returned my greeting describing herself  was a Avon Sales Representative.

A young woman waits outside her mother-in-law's store.

The mother-in-law greeted me and I ask her if I may take her photograph?

Brushing back her hair she offered a faint smile.

 I came across a church.

I asked the guide what religion he practiced. He said most of the residents are

 catholic.
As I walked along I wondered where the cemetery was located.

One means of transportation in and out of the village is  a pedicab.

Another mode of transportation is oxen.

The ox is a valuable beast used for  work. 

Here the ox is dragging  material to construct a dwelling.

One source of water in the village is a stream which flows down from distant mountains.

The village school offers education to children.

A woman with her infant on her back walks toward the village center.

My guide holding his child, wife to his right with their children.

A young girl outside of the Pamulaklakin entrance.

A young Aeta boy waits for a ride to take him and his family to a market where their crafts will be sold.

A mother also waits for her ride to the city market.

A traditional dressed tribal member wishes you well.

Whitten-Parritt Stream Clean Up: Stream of Consciousness

The Whitten Parritt Stream flows north to south across US Route 1.

At this point on route 1, the stream  forms a boundary line  between Hancock - Township 7- and Washington County
View Larger Map

As you drive East across the stream, the sign reads  Welcome to Washington County. the Sun Rise County.

A trail on the north side of of route 1, next to the concrete culvert, meanders down to a flowing stream. 

Until Wednesday or Thursday of this week, the embankment leading down to the stream was disgracefully cluttered with trash and tires. Friday morning however the tires and trash had been removed from the stream bank, cleaned up and stacked  on route 1 for pick up.  

Who removed the all this clutch? I don't know, but I hope to get a chance to meet them and acknowledge their good deeds. Seeing that the trash and tires were piled up, I drove a short distance not more than 200 yards and turned left into a drive way where a man was working in his garden. The gardener walked to my car window while black flies swirling around him. He wore a bug net over his hat pulled and down over his head disguising his face. Powering down the window, I  shook hands  with him as I introduced myself. He said his name is Ray Blaisdale. 

You know him as Pastor Ray Blaisdale who served as minister  at Weald Bethel of the Maine Sea Coast Mission in Chery Field. He now ministers in the Ashville Church.
My first question to him was do you know who cleaned up the bank leading down to the stream. Ray did not know. Are there fish in the stream I wondered out loud. "Of course" as he smiled."My  land abuts  the stream"," I have walked the trail many times", he admitted. As we talked a pheasant strutted across his drive way. A roadside mystery has developed. Who was this secret gorillas task force who cleaned up the trash and tires which had been haunting this beautiful stream for years? Whoever you are thank you for your community spirit and generous work. Did you find your  work gloves  left on the stump?

See: The Downeast Coastal Press  Vol 23 No. 45 May 17-23 2011 page 10;
Stream of Consciousness: Who Cleaned the Trash from the Whitten Parritt Stream?
Joseph S. Palmer Freelance Contributor



Other Pictures contributed to
The Downeast Coastal Press
as see in May 17-23 issue
by Joseph S. Palmer

Kids spent the morning with their moms looking for periwinkles, rock hopping, and wading at the shore by the Pinkham boat ramp  while the tide ebbed. Here and there were fragments of peanut butter sandwiches and cookies scattered on the beach. A family dog laid on rock weed and noticed all the happenings.Back row, It was a kick back time at the beach. See in this picture is Heather Peters wearing the Roots Tee Shirt, Clarissa West, and her mom Claire West. Resting on the tricycle is Mackenley Peters nearly two years old, and his brother Mackaylon Levi . Cailin Chase wears  a tee shirt "Mom's Little Trouble Maker". Both families frequent the beach on good sunny days and live  in Steuben.

A fishermen is seen casting his net on the Hoi An River, Hoi An, Vietnam as his wife guides the 16 foot boat with a sculling motion at the stern. All the boats  on the Hoi An River have two eyes painted on either side of the bow. The eyes have the power to scare away sea monsters and hopefully chase good fish into the boat. On any good weather day small boats like this one can be seen plowing the waters of the river. Following their daily catch fishermen gather on the following day at dawn to sell their fish at the Hoi An river  market.  This boat was made by local craftsmen with basic hand tools  on an island in the Hoi An River.
Joseph S. Palmer recently visited Vietnam

The first day of Spring was a perfect day along the Narraguagus River.

Spring  arrives very slowly in Washington County Maine.

Winter seems to lay down its coat of snow and cold reluctantly.

Last week this photograph captured the grand old riverfront homes along the East shore of the Narraguagus River in Cherryfield as seen from Wilson Hill Road. In a bygone time, Wilson Hill Road was called US Route 1, many winters ago.

Out & About on Pinkham Bay- Steuben, Maine March 16, 2011

The tide was flooding at the Pinkham Bay Bridge Thursday morning when a lonely looking Canadian goose was spotted in a marsh north of the bridge on Pinkham stream. Periodically it could be heard  making what was I thought was a calling for a mate. Talking with Steve Resotko whose home overlooks some of the marsh reported that he had seen  baby geese swimming in the stream most years, as well as an otter. Steve knows Pinkham Bay its islands and bird life. He and his wife Marty often motor their canoe toward Petite Manan Light.

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Narraguagus River Ice Dam at the Cherryfield Bridge US Rt. 1, March 12, 2011

March 12, 2011 the Narraguagus River, frozen over from a hard Maine Winter, was beginning to break up from rising temperatures and a week  of constant rain. Two concrete bridges built sometime in the 1930s crossing  the river, the Four Corners Bridge referred to by local folks and the Cherryfield  Bridge US Route 1 which goes right through the "center" of town  so to speak. Ice flows floating on the out going tide had jammed against the Cherryfield Bridge today. There seems to be no danger of the ice jam taking out the bridge, although it is possible local flooding may occur and the river banks. Talking with onlookers at the ice dam on the river, they do not recall seeing so much ice at the bridge.  Traveling the river north to the Four Corners I saw mergansers riding the rapids and dodging  ice flows They are quick swimmers and comical in their behavior. A long time ago there was a wooden bridge which crossed the Narraguagus River on US Route 1.My guess is that an ice dam may have taken out that bridge, I'm not sure.  Nothing lasts for ever?

View of Cherryfield Bridge from River Road

                                                            Black and White picture.

From the Cherryfield Bridge North the Ice flows extended 300 to 400 yards.
The intersection of Paddy Lane and River Road

View from the intersection of River Rd. and Paddy Lane looking across the river toward The First Baptist Church.

I'm checking this building's which sits right on the Narraguagus River Banks and Wilson Road.
For me this view of this blue building just south of the Cherryfield Bridge looks peaceful and serene.
Looking closely to the right  right corner of the picture, the bridge's columns can be seen.

This building has a long history. Its previous use was a place to take one of Steve Pagel's boats down the Narraguagus River for a pleasure cruise. If you have information about it history please let me know.