After lunch at Jordan’s, I have to shop for a short sleeve shirt as the temperature had risen into the 60s; unusual for a late October day.

We drive to Duck Brook Bridge wanting to walk the carriage road since previously I had focused mainly on the bridge when we were here in 2018. Discovering that the latrine was closed and wrapped in plastic, a casualty if the pandemic as the park did not have enough stafft0 clean, we backtracked to Eagle Lake. When we returned, I sadly noted the brook is very low, due to a dry spring and summer. I try to photograph looking down at the brook as I had seen in other photos, only to discover I am too short to be able to aim my camera over the parapets. I am not crazy enough to climb onto the stone walls. (Note to self: Pack a folding stool for next time.)

There are still patches of bright fall color which is why I love this area and one of my favorite places to walk. The trees make for lovely shade in places and soft filtered light. It wasn’t crowded; a few folks whizzed by on bikes. I was still feeling sore from the Great Head hike so it was slow going. I had to stop and rest a couple times on Rockerfeller’s Teeth, so we only covered a little more than a mile before turning back. Two ladies felt the need to remark to me that I looked like I was in pain. I was. I am not in the best physical shape now that I am in my mid 60s, but I push on not wanting to miss the precious experience of enjoying the beauty in Acadia. I do wish people would keep their comments to themselves unless asking if I am injured and need help. Even a slightly decrypted old lady like me must have her pleasure.

We head to Bubble Pond to set up and wait for sunset and the blue hour when the whole pond will be bathed in a velvety blue. A woman who has been painting the pond kindly offers me her parking spot as there are only a few in the tiny lot. I photograph the bright orange leaves surrounding a carriage road sign and near the road.

I love this place. The reflections in the pond are amazing. I spot a canoe at the shore, a quintessentially Maine scene (see photo at top). Three fishermen return for their canoe and ask if I can take pictures of them with their cellphones of their catch of four beautiful brookies to prove to their friends back home that they caught them. They will enjoy a fine dinner tonight. The moon appears but I can’t focus on it properly. (I found out later that the new Nikon P950 I bought has a moon setting on it.)

When it seems like I might be waiting a long time for full blue hour and I hated to make my otherwise patient husband wait for dinner, we head to the car. I run into another photographer, Mike LeBlanc for the Boston area. We are kindred spirits and chat for quite a while as the light starts to dim. Mike says the blue light is best after the sun sets.

A lady with gorgeous silver hair comes by on a bike. We had seen her earlier on the Duck Brook Bridge carriage road. I marvel at her strength and shout “You’re Amazing! to which she shouts back “You’re amazing too.”