BILL MACH - JOURNEYS WITH A FRIEND

While resurrecting some older photos from closets, drawers and other locations that seemed convienent at the time,I started browsing thru them,remembering where they were taken, why they were taken, and who was with me at the time. As I rekindled the past,it brought back memories of an old friend of mine who passed away several years ago. His name was Bill Mach, and I realized that most of the images I was looking at were taken with Bill on one of our many expeditions thru the back roads of New England, especially in the state of Maine, as we were both fond of lighthouses and the coastal regions of Maine.
Bill was a talented amateur photographer, whose passion for the medium bordered on obsession.
He was always ready to hit the road for a journey to some previously unexplored place,his energy and enthusiasim was boundless.
So I decided to put this popourri of images up in fond rememberance of our journeys together. As I find more images in places I haven't discovered yet,I will post them here. I hope you enjoy them.

BOOTHBAY HARBOR

BOOTHBAY HARBOR ON A MISTY MORNING

CROSSWALK

I WAS TOTALLY CAPTIVATED BY THIS CROSSWALK I CAME ACROSS WHILE ON AN EARLY MORNING DRIVE THRU SOME RURAL AREAS OF MAINE.
I WONDERED IF THE PAINTER MISSED HIS INTENDED TARGET. (FRONT DOOR OF BUILDING). OR WAS HE JUST HAVING FUN AT EVERYONE'S EXPENSE?

EMPTY GLOVES

I WONDERED ABOUT THE GLOVES. THEY SEEMED TO ADD AN AIR OF MYSTERY TO THE WHOLE SCENE.

A PERFECT MATCH

TOOK THIS SHOT ON A WHIM, SIMPLY BECAUSE THE GULL MATCHED THE BOAT.
PORT CLYDE,ME.

NO VACANCY

I JUST LIKED THE OVERALL SUBDUED COLOR OF THE SCENE AND THE INTRUSION OF THE DOCK INTO THE CLUSTER OF BOATS. IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY I SHOT THIS AT CHRISTMAS COVE,ME. IN THE EARLY MORNING ON A CLOUDY DAY.

WAITING FOR HIGH TIDE

TAKEN AT THE SMALL FISHING VILLAGE OF PORT CLYDE,ME.
WE HAD JUST LEFT THE MARSHALL POINT LIGHTHOUSE AND DECIDED TO DO SOME EXPLORING AND CAME ACROSS THIS SCENE THAT JUST BEGGED TO BE PHOTOGRAPHED.

DAMARISCOTTA

I TOOK THIS SHOT FROM ROUTE 1 WITH A TELEPHOTO LENS AS WE WERE ON THE WAY TO ROCKLAND,ME. FOR THE LOBSTER CELEBRATION AND A VISIT TO THE TRANSPORTATION MUSEUM AND THE OWLS HEAD LIGHTHOUSE.

PEMAQUID LIGHT AT DUSK

THIS VIEW OF THE LIGHT WAS TAKEN FROM THE REAR OF THE KEEPERS QUARTERS. AT LAST COUNT I BELIEVE THERE ARE 64 ACTIVE LIGHTHOUSES' IN MAINE. TO MY KNOWLEDGE THERE ARE NO MORE ACTIVE KEEPERS OF THE LIGHT, AS THEY HAVE BEEN AUTOMATED SINCE THIER OPERATION AND MAINTAINANCE WAS TURNED OVER TO THE US COAST GUARD.

MORNING LIGHT

ANOTHER VIEW OF PEMAQUID LIGHT.
BILL AND I LEFT SOUTHBRIDGE,MA. AT 1:00am, FOR A TWO HOUR DRIVE TO MAINE FOR SOME SUNRISE SHOTS.

REFLECTIONS

REFLECTION OF THE PEMAQUID LIGHT AND BELL HOUSE IN A TIDAL POOL GAVE IT THE APPEARANCE OF BEING PHOTOGRAPHED FROM INSIDE A CAVE.

PEMAQUID LIGHTHOUSE

THE PEMAQUID LIGHT IS ONE OF MY FAVORITES, I'VE LOST COUNT OF HOW MANY TIMES I HAVE PHOTOGRAPHED IT.
ALTHOUGH PICTURESQUE, IT HAS PROVED FATAL TO MANY OVER ADVENTUROUS TOURISTS WHO VENTURE TO FAR DOWN IT'S ROCKY SLOPE. SEVERAL YEARS AGO, A FATHER AND TWO SONS WERE SWEPT FROM THE ROCKS DURING A STORM, AND LOST AT SEA.

BOATS

THESE BOATS WERE FOUND BEHIND THE HOSPITAL IN BOOTBAY,ME. THE SINGLE SOLITARY PLANT GROWING IN ONE OF THE BOATS IS WHAT CAUGHT MY EYE.

MISTY MORNING AT THE NORTHERN PIKE

THE NORTHERN PIKE IS AT THE HEAD WATERS OF THE SEVEN MILE RIVER. IT'S A HAVEN FOR LOCAL FISHERMAN WHO STOP IN FOR AN EARLY MORNING COFFEE, AND BUY SOME BAIT BEFORE THEY LAUNCH THIER BOATS FOR THE DAYS FISHING.
THE RIVER RUNS FROM BROOKFIELD,MA. TO THE ADJOINING TOWN OF SPENCER,MA.

RETIRED

TRADITIONALLY FRUGAL AND CONSERVATIVE, NEW ENGLAND FARMERS RARELY DISPOSED OF ANYTHING THAT THEY MIGHT HAVE FURTHER USE FOR AT SOME LATER TIME. THEY SIMPLY RETIRED IT TO SOMEPLACE OUT OF THE WAY, WHERE IT REMAINED FORGOTTEN AND BECAME A RELIC OF THE PAST AS THIS OLD WAGON DID.

COUNTRY ROADS

THE FALL SEASON IN NEW ENGLAND IS ONE OF THE MOST COLORFUL TIMES OF THE YEAR, ESPECIALLY ON THE RURAL COUNTRY ROADS, WHERE MANY OLD FARMS STILL SURVIVE, AND ARE REPRESENTATIVE OF TIMES PAST.
THIS IS ONE SUCH DIRT ROAD IN EAST WOODSTOCK,CT.

PLYMOUTH

FISHING TRAWLER DOCKED AT PORT IN PLYMOUTH,MA. IN ADDITION TO BEING A TOURIST ATTRACTION, THE TOWN OF PLYMOUTH, WHERE THE PILGRIMS LANDED IN 1620, IS STILL AN ACTIVE PORT FOR LOCAL FISHERMAN.

SIESTA

ONE OF THE INTERPRETERS AT OLD STURBIDGE VILLAGE TAKING AN AFTERNOON BREAK ON THE VILLAGE GREEN.

WATER LILY

A SINGLE SHAFT OF EARLY MORNING SUNLIGHT STRUCK THIS SOLITARY LILY IN A POND ADJACENT TO THE GRIST MILL AT THE MAJOR MOORE STATE PARK IN PAXTON,MA.

THE BASKET WEAVER

THIS SHOT WAS TAKEN AT OLD STURBRIDGE VILLAGE, IN STURBRIDGE,MA. THE VILLAGE IS A RE-CREATION OF AN 1800's VILLAGE, COMPLETE WITH COSTUMED INTERPRETERS WHO PLY THIER TRADES AND SKILLS AS THEY WOULD HAVE BACK IN THAT PARTICULAR TIME FRAME. I TOOK THIS IMAGE AS I WALKED BY AND SAW HER BUSY WEAVING HER BASKET. IT REMINDED ME OF THE PAINTING, WHISTLER'S MOTHER.

PRIMAL ENVIORNMENT

THIS IS A PRIMORDIAL SWAMP NEAR THE RIED STATE PARK IN MAINE. YOU GET THE FEELING THAT YOU HAVE STEPPED BACK IN TIME. DARK AND WET ALL THE TIME. WHAT EVER YOU TOUCH IN THE WAY OF VEGETATION, IT SIMPLEY CRUMBLES IN YOUR HAND. AS YOU LOOK AROUND, YOU EXPECT TO SEE SOME PREHISTORIC CREATURE.

PEMAQUID LIGHTHOSE

A VIEW OF PEMAQUID LIGHTHOUSE FROM BOTTOM OF ROCKS. THE DEMARCATION POINT OF HIGH TIDE IS CLEARLY VISIBLE.

GRAIN HOUSE

THE GRAIN HOUSE WHERE THE MILLED GRAIN WAS STORED SITS BY THE POND, WHOSE WATER POWERS THE GRIST MILL.

GRIST MILL

GRIST MILL AT THE MAJOR MOORE STATE PARK IN PAXTON,MA. DATES BACK TO THE EARLY 1800's. EARLY MORNING ON A REAL COLD, CLOUDY DAY.