Fall On The Farm

There are so many beautiful places to view the colors of fall along the Maine coast. The Aldermere Farm in Rockport, is a special place to begin with, but come fall, the farm becomes a magical place, where one can get lost in a world of falling leaves, rolling fields and rocky beaches. Home to a special breed of cows called Belted Galloways, the Aldermere farm is part of the Maine Coast Heritage Trust, a fantastic organization started by David and Peggy Rockefeller, which aims to protect and preserve beautiful and wild pieces of land along the coast. The 136 acre property, formerly the summer home of Albert Chatfield, was bequeathed to the trust in 1999, and is now open to the public. The Belted Galloways, famous for their white striped belly's, originally hail from Scotland. They were brought to the farm to breed because of the similar climates that can be found along both the Scottish and Maine coasts. The cows are used to wet and cold weather, which is prevalent in Maine for at least half the year. I live a mile down the road from the farm, and walk by the beautiful property most mornings. There are a number of trails that wind through the property, with one particular trail leading down to a rock strewn stretch of coast that looks out onto the Penobscot Bay and the islands of Vinalhaven, North Haven and Deer Isle. To sit on the jagged rocks at the end of the trail on a sunny morning, while the incoming tide of the bay laps at your feet is quite an experience to be had. In the last three weeks, the farm has exploded in it's fall colors, as the leaves have turned orange, red, and yellow. A few days ago I took a stroll down the ocean path and found a majestic maple tree in a grassy area at the edge of the Bay. I sat back and listened to the wind as it whistled through the pine trees. I watched the late afternoon sun dance along the edge of the rocks as it shimmered off Penobscot Bay and illuminated North Haven and far off Blue Hill with a golden hue that could only be described as dream-like. A few birds swooped and soared over the water as a lonely sailboat headed for a safe anchorage in Rockport harbor. In such a moment of serenity, I couldn't help but thinking of Winter and how this quiet landscape will soon be transformed into a snowy scene of powerful gusts and biting cold. In New England, the seasons change with such force that the departure of one means the next is never too far off. With that knowledge in hand, these late October moments demand the utmost attention!