Portland, ME.

Monday, September 26, 2011

Portland, ME.

We left Moody Beach Campground for a day trip up to the Portland area. But first I had made arrangements to get some goat's milk product at http://www.creepingthymefarm.com/ in Buxton, ME.

Marie and her husband showed Joe and I around the farm.We meet pretty Mrs. blue eyes, Lilly, who is the "spokesgoat" and queen of the herd. They have a micro goat dairy farm on about an acres of land.

Their goats are Nigerian Dwarf goats. These are the kids (baby) goats. If you make an appointment, Marie will show you around the farm and then she has a plate of samples to try. We sampled several kinds of cheese, milk, yogurt, and fudge made with the goats milk. I bought milk, Feta cheese, (which was really good), yogurt, and fudge.

We left the farm and headed NE for about 20 minutes to Portland. We were trying to find the Visitor Center, but missed it, and ended in a parking lot across from a cruise ship. I didn't know cruise ships came into Maine. We found the Visitor Center, got lunch and poked into a few shops in downtown Portland.

We found our way to the point of Broadway in South Portland. There are two lights at Broadway point, but we only saw one because, the day was waning. Spring Point Light is in the far right corner of the picture. The other light is call Bug Light, just north from Spring Point Light.

Fort Gorges, Hod Island Ledge, Casco Bay, Portland, ME. (and a annoying smudge on the lens)

Fort Preble located on the campus of the Southern Maine Community College, located next to Spring Point Light.

Looking through a gun wall of Fort Preble toward Portland Head Light.

Spring Point Light is on a 900 foot breakwater made of 50,000 tons of granite.

I picked up Mallery, and carried her under my arm as I started out toward the light. There was no way she could manage the wide gaps.

Close up of Fort Gorges on Hog Island Ledge.

I didn't get all the way out to the lighthouse, because my arm was hurting from carrying Malley, and trying to manage the large steps. I just zoomed in, before heading back.

Joe came up from behind me, and I asked him if he would please carry Malley back. He said yes, but I knew he was saying under his breath, " Why did you bring her out here in the first place".

This breakwater path to the light is much more difficult to walk on than others we have been on. The large boulders are much farther apart, and in some areas, you need to almost jump across. I would not recommend this walk to someone with limited agility.

Fort Scammel on House Island.

Off to the south Joe zoomed in on the next Lighthouse we were going to visit, Portland Head Light.

Zooming in a little more.

Our next drive was to Cape Elizabeth and the Portland Head Light.

We have been told and have read that this is the most photographed lighthouse in America.

A matching donation box.

The gift shop was closed by the time we arrived.. It is open from 10 AM to 4 PM.

View looking north from Portland Head Light.

With a close up using the zoom, we see Spring Point Light also.

Further zooming in.

Beyond Spring Point Light with the zoom, Portland coastline is visible.

Straight out from Portland Head Light in Cape Elizabeth is Ram Island Ledge Light.

This light was built in 1905 and automated in 1959.

On the south side of Portland Head Light is a sign along the coast.

It reads, " Annie C. Macuire Shipwrecked here Christmas Eve. 1886. Annie C. Maguire, a three-masted bark, was sailing from Buenos Aires, on December 24, 1886, when she struck the ledge at Portland Head Light. Keeper Joshua Strout, his son, wife, and volunteers rigged an ordinary ladder as a gangplank between the shore and the ledge the ship was heeled against. Captain O'Neil, the ship's master, his wife, two mates and the nine-man crew clambered onto the ledge and then, one by one, crossed the ladder to safety.

The cause of the wreck is puzzling since visibility was not a problem. Members of the crew reported they "plainly saw Portland Light before the disaster and are unable to account for same."