It was unfortunate that the weather turned bad on the day boats arrive for the Windjammer festival. But, Mother Nature nature still holds the trump card. Also unfortunate that I had to go to the archives under the bed for an aged 35-year-old image.
Funny thing is I got a call from a New Jersey gent the day after the old aerial photo came out in the paper. He said in all the years he's been coming here (over 300 trips to Maine) — he was a long haul trucker for UPS — he'd never seen the Harbor from that angle. I traded him some magnificent Jersey tomatoes for a print.
In an attempt to redeem myself for pulling up a retro photo, I got up early on Thursday morning and headed for the Harbor. Southport was very socked in when I left home weaving through the blasting zone by the fire station just up the road.
The TV weather predicted a new front to give us a clear and beautiful day with high water early. And believe me, 5 a.m. is early for Grandpa Mitchell. By 6 a.m. the sunlight had crept down the masts of the big boats and lit up all the right stuff. From the footbridge, it was like watching a motion picture. Very special. I was surprised to see so many people up for early morning walks. Quite a few pigeons, too — the flying bird variety!
The fellow from New Jersey who called, asked me about the ship that was visible at the top of my photo. I recall we often had military vessels visit during Windjammer but I''ll be darned if I could give him an answer. I'd bet there are plenty of folks in the area who would know. Please share.
The exact date of the photo still escapes me but the landmarks of Pierce and Hartung, Pierce Marine, no third floor of Brown's and a few other items might be hints.
What really matters is that people enjoyed a nice visit and will return.