Pics from our two vacation days capping the end of the season. The first are from Baxter State Park and the second are from a whale/puffin-watching cruise in Bar Harbor on Katie's 21st birthday.

We took a nature walk along the huge Sandy Stream Pond, where we saw the moose and all sorts of cool birds.

A successful binocular photo of a cedar waxwing, one of my favorite birds.

This photo was posed.

And this one was candid. We were wondering how to take the shot when Jan and I freaked out at some belted kingfishers flying across the pond. All Katie had to do was press the shutter.

Some sort of foliose lichen growing happily on a log.

Jan wrote down the birds we saw and wished for a boreal chickadee at lunch (also near a fabulous lake). We pished them in a few hours later.

We set off to hike a part of Mount Katahdin, the towering mountain that marks the end of the Appalachian Trail. Hiking the whole mountain entails hard-core climbing and takes the entire day, so we chose a shorter trail. Unfortunately the rain clouds gathered and drove us back down before we'd gone very far.

Katahdin Stream Falls is a waterfall near the base. The sound of rushing water accompanied us as the trail wound along.

I don't think I've ever seen running water this clear.

A mysterious, knobby caterpillar hanging out near the falls.

Digression: Jan and I saw this caterpillar yesterday while hiking south of Boston. We think it's made of pipe cleaners.

The aptly named Stump Pond, which was kind of devoid of wildlife but still cool-looking. Rain clouds clashed with the crazy blue sky.

Sage advice from park authorities.

As consolation, the weird weather that cut short our hiking later produced the most breathtaking rainbow. It was perfectly arched, and there was even a double rainbow outside it. We pulled over on the highway to stare in amazement. I know I must be sounding repetitive by now, but it was seriously one of the coolest sights I've ever seen.

The next day we headed to Bar Harbor for the whale/puffin watch. I have no idea how fast the boat was going, but it was freezing and we were several miles out into the ocean.

Notice the Maine Audubon members hogging the best viewing spots on the right. We (or they) saw a finback and three humpbacks, as well as tons of Atlantic white-sided dolphins.

We were reduced to tourists strolling the bustling streets for trendy souvenirs and good parking spaces.

On the way back, we passed the forest where we spent the whole summer and stopped to snap a final shot. Good luck, white-throated sparrows! *sniff* They grow up so fast...

Final photo: Celebrating Katie's 21st in Orono in a Mexican restaurant. I insisted on the hot sauce.

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Well, that's about it. Last week I drove down to Boston, where I've been staying and meeting up with friends from all parts of my life. Negotiating the streets was tricky at first, and it was strange to realize I'm a tourist in a place so many of my friends went to school or now live and work. But I feel I've seen a good deal of the city now, and I really love its vibes. Plus, getting to destinations (as well as wrestling with car issues) on my own has made me feel a lot more independent. Darned if the parents boss me around after I get back home.

My dad's arriving any minute now on a Greyhound bus, and we'll stay with YF, his parents (my aunt and uncle) and Florence for a few more days. Then back to Maryland, where I will embark on a life of aimless pleasures. Um, and preparing for the monster bird conference in October and thinking about my future. I will see all you Maryland buds in a few days!