Blue skies were the norm in August and September

Here in the northeast part of the U.S.A. summer never really arrived this year. We (I was just one of many) complained loud and long about the gray skies and rain that dominated June and July. Since August 1st the skies have looked like they do above much more often than not. It doesn't make up for the lack of good weather (for golf, swimming, boating or otherwise enjoying the outdoors) in June and July, but it helps.

How'd they know just what to get me for the Guiness anniversary?

Guinness Stout turned 250 years old yesterday.

This fine looking truck rolled up just outside my front door in the early afternoon.

What's the time difference between Maine and Ireland?
It might have even arrived here at close to the time that everyone in Ireland was celebrating.

Warning!

Shutterday's theme this week is Bicycle.

Here's one that was tagged (but not yet bagged!) on the University of Maine campus in Orono.

Stalking the elusive Kirlin is very tricky come Festival time and provides great sport!

Come American Folk Festival time our friend Jeff Kirlin, when he's not squirreled away in his warm, dry, wimpy lair in order to avoid a little dampness and cool temperatures, scampers about the Festival site taking photos every few seconds. You can see a small portion of the photos he took on his flickr site and a few selected photos (with commentary, natch) on The Thing of the Moment blog.

We deployed four cameras and four photographers, knowing how rare an opportunity this would be, in the hope that we might capture photographic evidence that he does, indeed, venture out into the wild.

Several of these photos are mine.
Guest photography provided by Jennifer Murphy, Caitlin Murphy and Rose Murphy.

Jeff was the only person at the Festival that had a 'pants' clause.
As evidenced above, he was adhering to that requirement.

Whoa! Dueling cameras and Jeff isn't in on the draw!? Dude...!

Are we synchronized?

This is two years in a row someone's captured him while feeding.
Do I smell a National Geographic documentary?!

No longer in anything resembling his natural habitat.

So, how often have you had your lens(es) licked by a dog?

"This thing ain't going up until you lose a few cameras!"

Decides on LIFO algorithm and says goodbye to newest camera.

Liftoff! How many G's were you pulling?

Wish I could've been up there, too. Cool vantage point!