Rockport and Camden used to be one town at the mid-coast of Maine. Now separated as two but are still joined closely with easy access. The Maine Route 1 could lead me from Rockport in the south up to Camden in just 6 minutes, but I chose to drive into Camden using the side streets, the scenic route, more slowly, stopping for photos along the way.
The day broke grey but I was grateful that despite the overcast sky, there was no rain. Actually, after that wet pounding on I95 to Portland the day before, all the rest of the driving in my road trip was breezy and enjoyable.
The scenic route from Rockport to Camden was particularly memorable. Here’s a view out to Rockport Harbor along the drive:
And what I saw as I looked down to the ground was an unusual sight, for me anyway:
Apples everywhere:
Coming from the foothills of the Rocky Mountains in Western Canada, I’d never seen so many apples fallen from trees, covering the lawn. I mean, they were not tiny Crabapples which are common back home, but big ones that I usually associate with orchards, but not at a harbor or marina.
What I did connect though was the huge number of apple pies they could make…
From Route 1 heading north I turned off Pascal Avenue, then followed the scenic loop beginning with Central, then Russel, Limerock and Union. Once on Russel Avenue, I came to the Aldermere Farm, a landmark of mid-coast Maine. The farm is the world’s premier breeders of Belted Galloway cattle, or ‘Belties’, a breed originated from Southwest Scotland.
These white-belted cattle sure made one whimsical picture as they lazed on lush green pastures… think Oreo cookies in a large dish of wasabi:
Seeing I had a camera, this ‘beltie’ showed off how to scratch an itch with no hands:
The foliage was still overwhelmingly green, making the few sporadic splashes of orangey-red even more inviting, confirming to me, yes, I was a week or two early. No matter, this kind of a setting was pure joy, even just for a look. And yes, the grass is always greener on the other side…
***
Follow my New England series:
- A New England Fall Foliage Road Trip
- Historic Concord
- Lobster, Lobster
- Scenic Drive from Rockport to Camden
- Camden: A Gem of a Town
- Orange is the Primary Colour
- Finally, Fall Foliage
- Vermont: More Than Scenery
- Serendipity on Route 7
Ripple Effects 
Oh, those sweet cows … Oreos in wasabi, ha! 🙂 Loved your photos and the whimsy in your words today. ❤
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Thanks for stopping by the pond here at Ripples. Glad you enjoy the post. Come again! 😉
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But of course. 🙂
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The cows are a little surreal looking! I don’t think I’ve seen those before. And there are a lot of cattle around here!
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Michelle,
They were the most interesting cows I’ve ever seen, albeit I admit I’d seen mainly Alberta cattle, Angus mostly, plus the brown ones, but never an Oreo cookie lookalike. 😉
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Beautiful! Camden is one of our favorite spots in Maine and I recognize that drive. Did you go to Mount Battie? The view looking down over Camden is spectacular, plus there’e the Edna St. Vincent Millay marker.
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JoAnn,
What timing! Writing that post at this very point of time as your comment came in. Tomorrow’s entry is “Camden: A Gem of a Town.” See you then. 🙂
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Can’t wait to read it and see your photos!!
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Those cows are so interesting. Those fall colors aren’t always predictable…
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What a shame all those apples going to waste! I bet the local squirrels are well fed!
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LOL… love your descriptions of Oreo cookies and wasabi…. 🙂
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Cause I like both. Not wasabi per se but the sashimi that goes into it. 🙂
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I love the cows. “Oreos in wasabi” *chuckle*
Thanks for sharing this.
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There are a couple of herds of those designer cows that I’ve seen here in Texas, but they’re the only ones I’ve seen I think they’re wonderful. As in your area, we have mostly plain brown, or brown and white, or black — Angus, Jersey, Santa Gertrudis. There are lots of varieties.
Rockport has one of the best community bands in the country. And they have quite a history. I think you’ll really enjoy this well-produced video of the early history of Rockport and Camden. I loved it, and I haven’t even been there!
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Love the cows and the idea of oreos and wasabi! What a combo! I’m curious — did you snatch an apple or two? Some looked a bit smushed but others quite yummy! Definitely a beautiful drive. So glad you got of the car and spent some time with those splendid cows!
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Jeanie,
I was trying to find a good enough one to eat but couldn’t. All of them had started to rot. (I was looking for a perfect one you see) But tell me, was that kind of a sight ‘common’ in the U.S.? I’ve never seen apples falling from trees, covering the ground and being lay waste like that, like they were mere acorns, or pine cones. Here in my neck of the woods, we don’t even have apple trees like that with such natural, fruitful harvest.
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Not really. I think it’s probably a regional thing, although when I was a kid we had apple trees in our yard. They never gave off big fruit, maybe the size of a golf ball and very sour — and they sure were a mess when they fell. We would rake up for hours! I suspect they were OK to eat or cook with but one would have to have a lot of time to peel so many and a lot of sugar to sweeten them up! That said, a number of people do have fruit trees in their yard — my neighbor and another friend have peaches and someone else I know has plums. Me? I have basil.
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