When Quiet is all there is to Hear
Nine days passed between the January snowstorms of the 12th and 21st, and during this span, a winter hush momentarily prevailed in the air along Midcoast Maine.
The snowy reprieve provided ample sunshine, calm winds and a liberal dash of chill in the absence of gale force winds and swathes of heavy snow.
Personally, I have found there are few experiences more invigorating than basking in the placid air of winter and soaking up a brisk pureness that permeates the atmosphere at this time of year.
So in the days that followed the storm on the 12th, I made it a point to be outdoors as much as my free time would permit despite low temperatures that dipped as low as single digits.
Whether it was rising before dawn for first light, or having the opportunity to bid another day adieu at sundown, I relished the one common thread that seemed to bind many of these moments together – the magical stillness of winter.
It is easy to give January’s coastal waters and harbors a quick glance and visually see the lack of activity on the seascape, but the power of winter’s stillness cannot be fully enjoyed until one stops altogether – preferably by water’s edge or along a wooded area blanketed in white, to listen intently.
Only then can the deafening quiet of winter stillness be heard and its peaceful overtures, sprinkled about the frigid open air, absorbed in renewing fashion.
Such serenity also accommodates the sequential moods of the day, from the poignant stir of an icy dawn to the softness of sunset when the sky and snow-covered landscape are bathed in a sea of pastels.
Even when the stray sounds of nature dare to intrude on the realm of stillness, the noise is less of an interruption and more of a splendid accent for a silent but unmistakable language of the soul.
The harmonious sounds of a gentle sea lapping along the beach, playful tides lifting layers of new ice and causing it to fuss, tired trees creaking after being nudged by a brush of breeze or a stray gull’s lonesome coy that fades on the wings of flight, are in fact complimentary stanzas to this delightful winter interlude.
As with all good things, such tranquility came to an end when it was ushered off center stage by the January 21, 2011 snowstorm. In the wake of the storm, winter’s coldest days to date are in the offing as bone-chilling air moves down from Canada during the week of the 24th.
The Arctic blast promises to grip the Midcoast region in an icy cold that will be anything but serene as gusty winds send wind chills down to a minus 25 degrees or more below zero.
It will be then that I will try to muster the warmth of a bygone winter stillness that still shines bright in my mind, though I have a feeling such a memory will do more to warm my soul than anything else!
Random Midcoast Maine images from January 13, 2011 through January 20, 2011…
Awesome photos Bob and Ann. Love the sea smoke, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a photo it before.
I, too, have never known ‘sea smoke’. I love it! Oh, Bob, the noise this stirs in me ole’ heart and head is hardly quiet! But your images and words are oh-so-peaceful. Lovely. Thanks.
Your prose makes me shiver and here I am complaining about the 20’s!
The pictures – WOW – what else is there to say? As I remember these areas from my summer visits, it makes it even more beautiful to see in the ‘winter coat’.
Many Thanks to you & Anne-Marie.
Al Smith
Bob and Ann-Marie thanks for taking us to mid-coast Maine in the winter. Got to move up there so we can experience these scenes and moods in person. Meanwhile we look forward to your wonderful photo stories to make our day. We hope that you are working on a compilation of these treasures for publication, “Winter On Midcoast Maine”. Please sign us up for a first edition. Keep up the fantastic journalism.
Lovely pictures. Great lighthouse pictures. We also are out taking pictures of our Maine winter. Great time of year for some of the best Maine pictures. Keep up the great work. Thanks.
Bob, Good of you to share your winter shots from over east. Winter is winter everywhere, but you make it look good. Over here on Lake Superior the commercial fisherman call it ‘frost smoke’, and that’s what causes all the lake-effect snow. The big lake is still open and the blue is a welcome counterpoint to all the white.
Bob & Ann,
Once again enjoyed your writings about coastal Maine.Being a snow lover,your thoughts put in prose and the beautiful pictures touched me deeply.You are a master of the English language..
AS I look out my window to a frozen Bullock’s Cove and its snow covered banks I am pleased to have at least a slight idea of what it is like in coastal Maine. Being on that snow /rain line, it looks like we may get more rain than snow in the up coming storm. Not Happy.
Dave
How lucky we are to live in a place that creates poety for the eyes and mind, but like every poem it takes a poet to gather the words,create the poem.
Many thanks for venturing out these frigid days.
Sallie Leighton
oops……did not proof read..and my fingers have not had enough coffee.
Sallie
I hope we don’t lose you to Simon & Schuster.
Gorgeous photos, Ann and Bob! Winters in Maine are harsh but also incredibly beautiful, as you’ve captured here. And sometimes silence can be one of the most beautiful sounds of all.
Photos enjoyed by many over here in the UK – they don’t quite understand how we “survive” it though!! Thanks Bob and Anne
How nice to be able to “visit” favorite places in Maine without leaving our cozy den in Oswego NY!
All I want to know is when are you two folks gonna come out with a book. You know, one of those beautifully bound table top editions. Your work, if I am any judge, is superb. I save every one. And with the weather forcast upcoming for tonight, the 27th, as well as possibly the next two or three days, I can’t wait to see what you two come up with!
Thank you, both.
I truly enjoy receiving your beautiful images and words. Thank you, Ann-Marie & Bob, for taking me on this journey.
Please keep these beautiful pictures coming! Thanks so much.
Thank you both for sharing your talent for photography and writing.