Enjoying a Rare November Warmup in Downeast Maine

The temperature soared into the low 60s on November 12 in Washington County, a very rare and welcome change in the temperature for the middle of November. Fishermen in Bucks Harbor walked the docks in short sleeves as they counted their daily catch and wiped the gathering sweat off their faces.

Locals walked their dogs down the road, enjoying every minute of the warm afternoon sunshine, which bathed this island-studded inlet ten miles south of Machiasport in a soft light that seemed to linger all afternoon. Down at Jasper Beach, the sun cast shadows across the giant expanse of rocky sand and stone that makes up this stunning stretch of coastline.

The wind was light and the breeze was just right. It was perfect weather for this time of year, which usually lends itself to cold days and bitter nights. Down in South Addison, where the Pleasant River empties into the Gulf of Maine, the sunset was breathtaking! I watched as sheep roamed the rolling fields of this tiny hamlet, awash in a pink light that covered the sky and provided an amazing backdrop for the ending of another afternoon Downeast.

The sun reflected off the water, slowly sinking into the balsam firs that surround the shores of Cape Split Harbor. Winter on the coast of Maine can be an unwelcome guest at times. That being said, a rare November reprieve is certainly a guest we wish would stay for as long as possible!