Wind whirligigs at a shop in Old Port, the revitalized warehouse section of downtown Portland near the waterfront of Casco Bay.

A home decor shop display in the Old Port section of downtown Portland.

Shop signs in the Old Port section of downtown Portland.

Portland Head Light, Portland, near sunset as a storm moves through Casco Bay.  Completed in 1791, it is Maine’s oldest lighthouse.  Like Nubble Light on the previous page, a nearby maritime accident spurred its construction; unlike the oft-delayed Nubble Light, the time between the proposal and completion of this lighthouse was less than seven years.

Portland Head Light.  Construction of the lighthouse was first supervised by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, which included Maine at the time.  After authority for lighthouses passed to the Federal government in 1789, President George Washington authorized funding for its completion.

Portland Head Light the following evening before sunset.

Portland Head Light.

Portland Head Light just after sunset.  From here, the lights of twelve other lighthouses can be seen on a clear night.  The tower’s height changed often over a quarter-century starting during the Civil War, from its original 72 feet up to 80, down to 60, back up to 80, and finally up to its current height of 101 feet.

Portland Head Light and a ship sailing out of Casco Bay just after sunset.

Lobster buoys at the town wharf in South Freeport.  Though only a few miles from the famed L.L. Bean store and the outlet shops of Freeport, South Freeport is lightly visited - and then primarily for a lobster lunch at the wharf.

If you’re a lobster, this is the last thing you want to see: a view of the South Freeport harbor from inside a lobster trap.  If you’re not convinced...

...then just ask these guys.  Those thick rubber bands around their claws keep them from pinching off the extremeties of their neighbors as well as those of their human handlers.

Their human handlers: the crew of the lobster boat Snowbird with their latest catch at the South Freeport wharf.

After loading up with supplies...

...it’s back out to the lobster traps for more.  Ten paces from this spot is a wonderful lobster shack where the local catch can be had for lunch.

Heavy weather moves into the harbor at South Freeport.