Day 209 (Tuesday July 29) - Ripper ride and this blog is done!

It turned out that I just never got around to exercising today. I actually slept in.

After 209 straight days of activity (and taking photos each of those days except for one), I figured that it wouldn't hurt to skip a day and wait until next year to start a new blog for 2016.

I might post the occasional photo here and there, but for now, I'm glad to be done writing this and constantly being behind!

The Ripper ride: https://www.strava.com/activities/355763079

I actually clocked my fastest time of the year on The Ripper, which was a bit of a surprise. It must have been the tailwind!

Contemplating a sticky and hot start to the morning

Day 208 (Monday, July 27)- the first real ride back home

I fixed my flat, packed my pump and actually went for a real ride the next day.

https://www.strava.com/activities/355076162

And I saw a cool set of mushrooms.

Impressive mushrooms!

Day 207 (Sunday July 27) - half hearted bike ride attempt

Oops - first bike ride back and I have a flat tire with no pump.

The walk and ride docs: https://www.strava.com/activities/354614076

At least I took a couple of nice photos with my phone. 

My favorite subject under the summer heat

These camera phones aren't half bad!

Day 206 (Saturday July 26) - last day at Monhegan - wow!

This was our last day on Monhegan. There wasn't really a sunrise to speak of, but I was able to capture a little sliver of it and also take a few long exposure photos of the ocean - the overcast morning was perfect for this subject matter. I started at Gull Cove and then went to Burnt Head and Gull Rock before heading home. A perfect morning walk to start the day.

We had an interesting detour in Darmariscotta Maine, since the car was making a regular thumping noise with every wheel rotation. It turns out that some moisture and other crud had accumulated where we had the parking brake clamped down for a week while the car was parked on the mainland. Whew!

As we left the Island, we enjoyed watching some folks get very wet and cold jumping off the dock!

Until next year, Monhegan...

This seagull photobombed my sunrise! (actually I wanted that to happen)

On the rocks

Looking down at Gull Cove

Jumping off the dock

Day 205 (Friday, July 24) - the vacation from Strava has been great

Without Strava, photographs are a much quieter and nicer way to recall and document your tracks. They force you to think about where you've been as opposed to laying it out in clinical detail.

Friday morning I headed out to Whitehead to photograph the sunrise. Then I headed to Lobster Cove later in the day to watch Katie painting and attempt to photograph the surf. She succeeded at painting; I was much less successful with the surf photos.

Katie and I skipped a few rocks together at Fish Beach.

And then at the end of the day we spent some time by the harbor and had a great family dinner together at the Island Inn. I had the seared salmon with a bourbon glaze - a very nice way to end the day.

The sunrise illuminating a splash

Katie dubbed this seagull "Edward"

Monhegan Laundry

Black Duck Emporium feline lounging

Day 204 (Thursday July 23) - the perfect summer day

It was another beautiful day at Monhegan (what isn't?)

I went out to Burnt Head to photograph the sunrise, the family went for a lighthouse tour, and we saw a beautiful sunset over at the dock.

It was a slow and lazy summer day - just perfect.

Gulls on Uncle Henry's House

Sunset at the dock

The boat at the lighthouse

Anita at the Island Inn

Day 203 - (Wednesday July 22) - stars, stars, stars

The family went for a very nice hike around a good part of the Island through Burnt Head and Gull Cove. After the sun set, I spent several hours taking photos of various Monhegan subjects with the Milky Way. The results were superb.

Lobster traps under the Milky Way

Lobster cove cross

The DT Sheridan

Rope house under the stars

Monhegan Church under the Milky Way