Mark Twain was right: if you don’t like our weather, wait a minute. From morning to afternoon, from inland to shoreline, the changes can be dramatic. A blue sky at dawn becomes a green squall at dusk. The still warmth of open fields gives way to cool ocean breezes.

With its natural beauty, coastal Maine draws us outdoors and into more active pursuits, but the weather can catch us unawares if we are used to life indoors. We learn to grab a jacket, even on a warm spring morning. To keep an umbrella in the car, and in the winter — a snow shovel and some sand. To listen to weather forecasts, but not be a slave to them.

Not long ago, when an island ferry wasn’t running, a lobsterman offered us a ride back to the mainland. We found ourselves holding tight as wall after wall of water rose and fell in front of us. With wheel in hand, the lobsterman muttered over the weather forecast, and how wildly it had missed the mark. We were only glad to be in experienced hands.

The links at the left will help you explore this magnificent, if unpredictable, aspect of life on the coast of Maine.