Seems to me like little football fans are more cute than ever!
Wednesday
Posted with Blogsy
Sunday
Rolling along a mountain plateau
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| Lunch Spot on the Maury River |
Of course, in Virginia, sections like the one described above always come with a price; in this case the 2000 foot climb west of Lexington during the first 15 miles of the ride to get up to the plateau! It was a great ride and one that we all think would be spectacular when the leaves change color in the fall.
Friday
Lake Weekend
Running, laughing, crawling, crying, squeaking, yelling....it's the Morgan grandchildren invading the Bender lake house for the weekend. Kelley, Katie and Sally joined the Benders and us at Smith Mountain Lake for birthday celebrations, water sports and family fun.
Soon after her arrival Friday night, it was clear that Maggie has imprinted on her mom and general mayhem ensues immediately if Kelley is not in her line of sight. Jeff and I quickly learned to volunteer to get Kelley anything she needed rather than have her leave the room! Aha yes, stranger anxiety, a concept I had long forgotten. Maggie is a beautiful baby with her big blue eyes, progressing developmentally on schedule; crawling, standing, babbling, laughing, a typical one year old. It is hard to believe she is a year old and we were celebrating her birthday. She loved the balloon Sally brought for her and her first swim in the lake.
Henry, as usual, was his normal energized self. Upon discovering presents about on arrival, he was quick to inform everyone that his fourth birthday was next week! He also informed Uncle Jeff that he thought maybe tomorrow they could go for a jet ski ride! One of the surprises this weekend is that Henry decided he liked ice cream! You see he hasn't eaten it by choice to date. The difference? SML has an ice cream boat that comes around to the docks in the afternoon. So Henry decided to give it a try and ice cream became a daily ritual!
Audrey is a sweet cuddly nine week old baby, noted for her squeaking sounds and otherwise doing what babies do; sleep, eat and poop! She was a hit with the adult females in the group...so cute.
Saturday was a beautiful sunny day for enjoying the water. Kelley took Maggie for her first swim in the lake. Tom discovered he loved driving a SeaDoo! Henry caught a fish and earned a tee shirt. He found out he could catch fish in the baby swimming pool with his bare hands this year to throw them back into the lake; last year he tried and tried but couldn't do it. Jeff took everyone for a ride on the jet ski and Sally discovered her need for speed! Jenny, Gretchen and Katie showed off their paddle board skills.
We had a grand weekend at SML, good food, drink, fun and fellowship. Thanks to Jenny and Jeff for being our hosts. We love having you guys in VA 4-5 months during the year. Jenny and Jeff had their first "grandparent in training" weekend. Jeff could not believe the noise and constant activity and Jenny said she was so tired Saturday, she wend to bed at 10:30 p.m......a bedtime she had no seen in decades! Thanks to Sally for coming, it is always great to see you! Thanks to Kelley and Katie for making the effort to bring the grandkids to the Lake. Grandma and I appreciate it and love being with you guys, watching the kids grow and seeing what great mothers the two of you are! Love you all!!
Thursday
TOF Ride
David, Gary and I were back on the road as a threesome for the first time in two months due to travel schedules. David planned a 33 mile ride down Red House way to ease me back into the saddle; it was four weeks to the day since I rode 30+ miles due to vacation. The day was a normal hot humid central VA summer day, with nary a breath of air and heat radiating from the pavement on every hill! Twenty five miles into the ride, David taunted us at an intersection by pointing out the car less than a half mile down the road. I queried, "But we are not turning that way, correct?" "No indeed," he said as we turned right leaving the car fading in the shimmering heat waves rising off the pavement. Oh well, carpe diem! Eight miles and a few hills later we rounded the corner bringing the car into our vision once again, but this time we could stop and feel the air conditioning. Great ride to get back in shape for summer riding....you see we love the heat!
Friday
Sailing Boston!
July 30
We arrived in Hingham by 10:45 a.m. after fighting the Boston traffic which delayed us by an hour. Stopped by the Hingham Shipyard Marina to get our slip assignment and directions to the Back River Public Ramp. The marina is very nice with good security, floating concrete docks, clean restrooms and a friendly staff. The ramp was a great facility and we had SunShower in the water and her slip for the week by Noon.
July 31
Fine day for sailing today. We began by heading out the Hull Gut with the intention of going out to the Boston Light House. But beating directly into 15 mph winds and 2-3 foot waves made for a very long trip so we decided to go the other direction. We circled George's Island on which Fort Warren (circa 1850) looms when Gretchen discovered she had not put our sandwiches in our lunch bag. So we decided to land at the dock of GI since they have a concession there with food! Well, that brought immediate protests from the National Park staff since private boats are not allowed to dock on the island. But Gretchen sweet talked the ranger and he allowed us to stay long enough to get take out since I have hypoglycemia. Good job Gretchen! The harbor islands provide miles of protected sailing and we enjoyed the afternoon sailing between Long and Rainsford Island, around Peddocks Island and back to Hingham. It was just a fine day on the water.
August 1
Today is our 42nd anniversary! Gretchen and I both wonder how that is possible? :) The wind forecast was for 5-10 mph so we headed once again for the Boston Harbor Light. Ten mph winds and one foot waves made for a delightful sail to the lighthouse today followed by a five and a half mile broad reach into Boston Harbor.
Dark clouds were gathering on the western horizon as we left the harbor and headed back to Hingham via the Long Island Bridge. Once under the bridge, the approaching storm prompted us to crank the motor to speed up our trip to the slip! When the Boston skyline disappeared we donned our foul weather gear and when the bridge was blotted out by a white rain curtain, we thought we would get drenched....but the storm passed a half mile to the north! We arrived at the slip with nary a raindrop falling on us. Another fine sailing day today!
August 2
No wind was blowing when we arrived at the marina this morning. With light wind and storms beginning at 1:00 p.m. in the forecast, we decided to prepare SunShower for travel and get her out of the water since we leave for home tomorrow. As it turns out, we could have sailed as there was a breeze with no storms this afternoon. Oh well, we had two great sailing days here and really got to see a lot of Boston Harbor. Wish we had planned a few more days to sail here.
Harbor sounds in a sailboat.
We arrived in Hingham by 10:45 a.m. after fighting the Boston traffic which delayed us by an hour. Stopped by the Hingham Shipyard Marina to get our slip assignment and directions to the Back River Public Ramp. The marina is very nice with good security, floating concrete docks, clean restrooms and a friendly staff. The ramp was a great facility and we had SunShower in the water and her slip for the week by Noon.
This afternoon we got a little sail in as we oriented ourselves to the harbor. It was a smooth transition from Maine and we were off the water and on our way to Josephine's B&B by 5:00 p.m. The B&B is a great place about 5 miles from the marina in Hull. We went to the Brew Works for dinner tonight which is literally on the waterfront by our slip. We sampled several of their beers made on the premises before selecting the Hingham Pale Ale to go with our burgers.
BTW, I found my five year old inflatable life vest works today. In preparing to leave the dock, I snagged the pull handle on a line and found myself holding an inflated life jacket! Subsequently, I learned how to deflate, fold and recharge it with a new CO2 cartridge.
Fine day for sailing today. We began by heading out the Hull Gut with the intention of going out to the Boston Light House. But beating directly into 15 mph winds and 2-3 foot waves made for a very long trip so we decided to go the other direction. We circled George's Island on which Fort Warren (circa 1850) looms when Gretchen discovered she had not put our sandwiches in our lunch bag. So we decided to land at the dock of GI since they have a concession there with food! Well, that brought immediate protests from the National Park staff since private boats are not allowed to dock on the island. But Gretchen sweet talked the ranger and he allowed us to stay long enough to get take out since I have hypoglycemia. Good job Gretchen! The harbor islands provide miles of protected sailing and we enjoyed the afternoon sailing between Long and Rainsford Island, around Peddocks Island and back to Hingham. It was just a fine day on the water.
August 2
No wind was blowing when we arrived at the marina this morning. With light wind and storms beginning at 1:00 p.m. in the forecast, we decided to prepare SunShower for travel and get her out of the water since we leave for home tomorrow. As it turns out, we could have sailed as there was a breeze with no storms this afternoon. Oh well, we had two great sailing days here and really got to see a lot of Boston Harbor. Wish we had planned a few more days to sail here.
This evening we celebrated our anniversary with a fine dinner at Saparito's Florence Club Cafe in Hull. It is a gourmet restaurant in a run down old beach house which you would not choose to eat at without some local knowledge; in this case a glowing recommendation from Ann Marie, our B&B hostess. Gretchen's grilled salmon with a mushroom, fennel risotto topped with arugula was outstanding. I will definately make the risotto at home!
Saturday
Maine
July 13
Left for a sailing vacation in Maine Friday morning and stayed at two KOA campgrounds enroute where we were the first boat camper to stop for a night. Quite the novelty I must say! Arrived safely on Mt. Desert Island today and checked into our cabin, which is absolutely beautiful. It will be a great base camp for the next two weeks!
So, we saw in USA today that one of the ten best places for a seafood snack in the country was on Mt. Desert Island; Thurston's Lobster Pound in Bernard. Had a great lunch there, lobster salad for me and a crab cake for Gretchen and then explored the "quiet" side of Mt. Desert Island. We then went to the Jordan Pond House in Arcadia NP for afternoon tea and took a stroll on the Shore Walk in Bar Harbor which was established in 1880. It was a good walking day for Gretchen as she almost got her 10,000 steps.
July 18
Very nice clear day with 5-10 mph winds. We sailed out into the Atlantic around Great Cranberry Island but the wind died. It would have been a long sail around Baker and Little Cranberry Islands with the wind conditions so we decided to take the tricky cut between the two Cranberries. As luck would have it, the lobster boat "Hope" came in behind us before we really got into the cut and guided us through....a super gesture that made our sail a lot easier. There is nothing like local knowledge no matter where you are sailing! It was a nice afternoon of sailing and we came back to the slip by 4:00 p.m.
July 19
We went to the farmer's market this morning in Northeast Harbor. It was small but they had a variety of vegetables, cheeses, meats, and bake goods. We got some good looking organic salad, swiss chard and white turnips plus strawberries. The turnips and greens we cooked for dinner and they were delicate and delicious.
Visited Thuya Lodge and Gardens (name derived from the abundant northern white cedar (Thuja occidentalis) this morning as well. It is a beautiful spot overlooking the harbor from the east that was donated to the town by Joseph Curtis who built the Lodge in 1916 and summered in Northeast Harbor until 1928. The Lodge is a beautiful rustic place and the gardens are well worth a visit.
It was an interesting day on the water today. About an hour into our sail ( 10-15 mph winds), we ran into a bit of a problem. I can now say I have snagged a crab trap on the Chesapeake and a lobster trap in Maine! The lobster buoy got caught on the centerboard line and we could not get it out. A passing motor boat (Lara) gave us a line for a tow and just told me to cut the line to the cage! It worked to perfection, the cage was doomed to the bottom of the sea but we were free. A quick check of the centerboard was made and SunShower was deemed no worse for the wear. The centerboard line hanging from the boat is the only design item I do not like about the SunCat but it only presents a problem once in awhile! Many thanks to Lara and her captain for making sure we were safe. We only hope there wasn't a lobster trapped in that cage, now doomed to remain there for eternity! After gathering our wits, we raised the sail again and had a great afternoon of sailing! An item to note....there were scores of kids sailing Optis and 420s in the Maine Junior Olympic Sailing Regatta which began today in Northeast Harbor. It was a sight to warm the heart of any old salt who has spent decades sailing and hopes new generations will adopt and love the sport as well.
July 20
In need of our weekly pancake fix, we googled "best Bar Harbor blueberry pancakes" and the consensus was Jeannie's Breakfast....so we went to sample her fare. All we can say is that folks who think her pancakes are great must be making their own at home with Bisquick! A stroll around Bar Harbor got Gretchen in the 7000 step range for the day and we headed back to the cabin for lunch followed by an afternoon of sailing.
Great day of sailing today, 10-15 mph winds, beautiful sunshine and a circumnavigation of Sutton Island made for a fine trip. We went back to the cabin and cooked dinner and then headed to the Arcadia Repertory Theatre to see a play called Almost Maine. It was a most enjoyable comedy with a series of short vignettes about life in a mythical Maine town far from civilization. We laughed!
July 21
After breakfast, we walked up the adjacent road to take a walk on one of the famous Arcadia NP carriage roads which lies up the mountain from our cabin. We had a most enjoyable walk; think cool, shade and low humidity. Gretchen arrived back at the cabin with over 11,000 steps! After lunch, we headed to the harbor for a sail not expecting much with winds forecasted in the 5 mph range. But, the winds were in the 10+ range and we had a delightful sail to Southeast Harbor and around Greening Island this afternoon. One thing about being on the coast is there is wind every day. We have sailed more this week than we could sail all summer on SML. All sailboats have their pluses and minuses, but a trailerable boat like SunShower can go to places where sailing is great all times of the year.
July 22
The marine forecast was nice with winds building to 20 mph in the afternoon. So we went sailing early. The winds were 10-15 mph out of the SW. We headed up Somes Sound. It is a beautiful spot where you enter the Sound through "The Narrows" shown below.
Sailing on a run, we were tempted to go all the way up the Sound but the thought of beating all the way back discouraged that idea. We sailed out to Great Cranberry Island before the winds really began to build. Then we headed back to port with memories of a fine sail and a good part of the afternoon left for other activities.
The College of the Atlantic is on the shore of Frenchman's Bay just west of Bar Harbor. We decided to walk through their campus. It is a very small private liberal arts college ( 400 students) with an emphasis on the arts, ecology, and international studies. We noted that the buildings all seemed fairly new during our stroll. The reason was the College was founded in 1969! Gretchen logged 8,600 steps so life is good.
July 23
The weather today was questionable with high winds and storms possible this afternoon. But when we got up this morning it seemed like a great sailing day at least until 2:00 p.m., so we headed out. And it turned out to be a wonderful day on the water. Sunny, warm with 15 mph steady winds was all the weather we encountered. We sailed around Sutton Island and the East Bunker Ledge with its pyramid shaped marker and back to the harbor. The entire time we were traveling at 4,5, and 6 mph on all tacks in a steady wind. Sailing does not get any better than today.
Later this afternoon the winds increased but we were off the water. After a stop at the Morning Glory Bakery for bread, we walked the carriage road around Eagle Lake....6 miles and a 17,000 step day for Gretchen!
July 24
The marine forecast improved over night and we thought sailing was a possibility....but on the way to the harbor, it began to rain and the harbor was fogged in. So we continued on Route 3 and explored the areas on the southern tip of Mt. Desert Island before picking up the Arcadia NP loop road at the Abbe Museum. We stopped at the Thunder Hole and ate lunch on the rocks overlooking the coast. The weather was clearing but there was no wind. So we gave up the idea of sailing and walked a carriage road loop near Jordan Pond. Gretchen logged over 13,000 steps today. Then we headed to Bar Harbor to pick up the pie we ordered yesterday; yes indeed it is a rhubarb pie! It looked so good, it forced us to make a pot of coffee back at the cabin and have afternoon dessert! It not only looks good, it is wonderful.
Tonight we had dinner at Eden, a vegan restaurant we discovered on our last trip to Bar Harbor. It is still a great place...our selections included vegetable cakes, a porcini mushroom and tomato tartlet and almond & panko crusted seitan cutlets with smashed potatoes and sautéed greens. The seasoning of the dishes really show the range of taste possible with vegan foods. We surmised that if all towns had a restaurant like Eden, there would be a lot more vegetarians walking around the planet.
July 25
What a day of sailing today! We put a reef in before leaving the dock and sailed 4-5 hours with 15 mph winds and a few gusts of 20+. Never thought about shaking out the reef and sailed on all points of sail doing 4-6 mph. We circumnavigated Sutton Island clockwise and counterclockwise and I would guess we traveled a total of 20-22 miles. It was a super day on the water.
Tonight we are off to the 40th Annual Arcadia NP Outdoor Concert, an event of the Bar Harbor Music Festival featuring the Festival String Orchestra. The concert was held in the Blackwoods Campground amphitheater and included Mozart, Bach, Dvorak and a world premiere composition called "O Virtuous Light" by Edmund Cionek. It was a grand night of music under the stars and the oboe soloist for the Bach concerto, Gerard Reuter, was simply unbelievable!
July 26
A day with no wind....not a ripple on the water and all flags were drooping! Is this the reason people like motor boats? So we hiked the carriage roads and took a stroll around the Asticou Azalea Garden this morning. The Gardens have a Japanese influence and are a beautiful, peaceful place even when the azaleas are long gone. They were designed for the Rockefeller's by Charles Savage, the same landscape architect that did Thuya Gardens.
This afternoon we went to Southwest Harbor and walked the town. Gretchen found another reason to like sailing; we don't spend money when we are out in the boat. Today I got a handful of hardware I need for SunShower's new sail. Literally a handful (see photo below) that totaled $65.00 (don't ask what the price of the sail). Also, we found a wine and cheese shop in Southwest Harbor that is delightful. Note...I read somewhere that sheep's milk cheese does not have lactose or the other enzymes that make lactose intolerant folks' intestinal tracts intolerable. So, we got some sheep's milk cheese and we're conducting an experiment. The cheese was a grand addition to our pesto pasta last night; 24 hour results...good!
Tonight we ate at the Burning Tree Restaurant specializing in gourmet seafood....and they lived up to their claim in both preparation and presentation. I had Bouillabaise and Gretchen had Prosciutto-wrapped Jumbo Sea Scallops. Great choice Gretchen who by the way logged 12,600 steps today.
July 27
Today was the last day we had a slip at Northeast Harbor. We had hoped to get a sail in but the wind never materialized. But we cannot complain; we had a great sailing adventure during the last two weeks! The area bounded by Northeast Harbor, the Cranberry Isles, Southwest Harbor and Somes Sound is a great place for day sailing. We recommend it to all trailer sailors. Northeast Harbor is a fine place,to put in and keep your boat; although the marina does not have showers if you plan to stay on the boat. We readied SunShower for traveling, ate lunch, took a stroll around town, motored around the Harbor one last time and pulled the boat out of the water at mid-tide. After dinner tonight, we went to the top of Cadillac Mountain for sunset; how could we be in Arcadia and not do that?
July 28
It was a delightful "Morgan Morning" and we managed to get to Bar Harbor for low tide at 12:43 p.m. so we could walk across the land bridge to Bar Island. At low tide there is a swath of sea bottom exposed about 300-400 yards wide out to the island. It is pretty cool and really highlights the effect of a ten foot tide. There is a trail to the top of the island with good views of Bar Harbor.
After a bit of shopping in Bar Harbor, we walked the carriage trails around Witch Hole Pond; a banner day for Gretchen with over 21,500 steps logged! She is surely glad she brought her Fitbit on the trip.
Tomorrow morning we bid farewell to Maine. We had a super experience trailing SunShower north for the first time...we could not have picked a better place than Northeast Harbor to sail out of, and the cabin we rented just a few miles away was a superb home away from home. BTW, sheep's milk cheese seems tolerable to this lactose intolerant person!
Left for a sailing vacation in Maine Friday morning and stayed at two KOA campgrounds enroute where we were the first boat camper to stop for a night. Quite the novelty I must say! Arrived safely on Mt. Desert Island today and checked into our cabin, which is absolutely beautiful. It will be a great base camp for the next two weeks!
True, this is now our idea of camping in the summer!
July 16
Today was the day scheduled to launch SunShower in Northeast Harbor at high tide about 10:00 a.m. She made the long trip from Virginia with no adverse effects. When we got the slip assignment, we told Shawn, the Harbor Master, launching would be a new experience for us since we had never put in at a ramp with no side dock. He quickly volunteered to take his boat over to the ramp to take SunShower to the public dock close to the ramp. What a great help that was; it made the job a whole lot easier! We had SunShower in her slip and rigged for sailing by 11:00 a.m. and headed to the cabin to drop off the trailer. After lunch, it was back to the harbor to get our first sail underway. A new experience for us was....the FOG! As we motored out the harbor channel, it was so foggy, we did not know if we could sail. But, the fog comes and goes and we had a wonderful first sail (wind 10-15 mph) in the area between Northeast and Southwest Harbors. We even saw sunshine at times as well as quite a few sailboats; most of them in a regatta. In the area we sailed today, there were hundreds of lobster traps with their large colorful buoys! They present quite a mosaic to navigate.
July 17
Not a sailing day...fog...lot's of fog!
Very nice clear day with 5-10 mph winds. We sailed out into the Atlantic around Great Cranberry Island but the wind died. It would have been a long sail around Baker and Little Cranberry Islands with the wind conditions so we decided to take the tricky cut between the two Cranberries. As luck would have it, the lobster boat "Hope" came in behind us before we really got into the cut and guided us through....a super gesture that made our sail a lot easier. There is nothing like local knowledge no matter where you are sailing! It was a nice afternoon of sailing and we came back to the slip by 4:00 p.m.
July 19
We went to the farmer's market this morning in Northeast Harbor. It was small but they had a variety of vegetables, cheeses, meats, and bake goods. We got some good looking organic salad, swiss chard and white turnips plus strawberries. The turnips and greens we cooked for dinner and they were delicate and delicious.
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| Northeast Harbor from Thuya Gardens |
July 20
In need of our weekly pancake fix, we googled "best Bar Harbor blueberry pancakes" and the consensus was Jeannie's Breakfast....so we went to sample her fare. All we can say is that folks who think her pancakes are great must be making their own at home with Bisquick! A stroll around Bar Harbor got Gretchen in the 7000 step range for the day and we headed back to the cabin for lunch followed by an afternoon of sailing.
July 21
After breakfast, we walked up the adjacent road to take a walk on one of the famous Arcadia NP carriage roads which lies up the mountain from our cabin. We had a most enjoyable walk; think cool, shade and low humidity. Gretchen arrived back at the cabin with over 11,000 steps! After lunch, we headed to the harbor for a sail not expecting much with winds forecasted in the 5 mph range. But, the winds were in the 10+ range and we had a delightful sail to Southeast Harbor and around Greening Island this afternoon. One thing about being on the coast is there is wind every day. We have sailed more this week than we could sail all summer on SML. All sailboats have their pluses and minuses, but a trailerable boat like SunShower can go to places where sailing is great all times of the year.
The marine forecast was nice with winds building to 20 mph in the afternoon. So we went sailing early. The winds were 10-15 mph out of the SW. We headed up Somes Sound. It is a beautiful spot where you enter the Sound through "The Narrows" shown below.
The College of the Atlantic is on the shore of Frenchman's Bay just west of Bar Harbor. We decided to walk through their campus. It is a very small private liberal arts college ( 400 students) with an emphasis on the arts, ecology, and international studies. We noted that the buildings all seemed fairly new during our stroll. The reason was the College was founded in 1969! Gretchen logged 8,600 steps so life is good.
July 23
The weather today was questionable with high winds and storms possible this afternoon. But when we got up this morning it seemed like a great sailing day at least until 2:00 p.m., so we headed out. And it turned out to be a wonderful day on the water. Sunny, warm with 15 mph steady winds was all the weather we encountered. We sailed around Sutton Island and the East Bunker Ledge with its pyramid shaped marker and back to the harbor. The entire time we were traveling at 4,5, and 6 mph on all tacks in a steady wind. Sailing does not get any better than today.
July 24
The marine forecast improved over night and we thought sailing was a possibility....but on the way to the harbor, it began to rain and the harbor was fogged in. So we continued on Route 3 and explored the areas on the southern tip of Mt. Desert Island before picking up the Arcadia NP loop road at the Abbe Museum. We stopped at the Thunder Hole and ate lunch on the rocks overlooking the coast. The weather was clearing but there was no wind. So we gave up the idea of sailing and walked a carriage road loop near Jordan Pond. Gretchen logged over 13,000 steps today. Then we headed to Bar Harbor to pick up the pie we ordered yesterday; yes indeed it is a rhubarb pie! It looked so good, it forced us to make a pot of coffee back at the cabin and have afternoon dessert! It not only looks good, it is wonderful.
Tonight we had dinner at Eden, a vegan restaurant we discovered on our last trip to Bar Harbor. It is still a great place...our selections included vegetable cakes, a porcini mushroom and tomato tartlet and almond & panko crusted seitan cutlets with smashed potatoes and sautéed greens. The seasoning of the dishes really show the range of taste possible with vegan foods. We surmised that if all towns had a restaurant like Eden, there would be a lot more vegetarians walking around the planet.
July 25
What a day of sailing today! We put a reef in before leaving the dock and sailed 4-5 hours with 15 mph winds and a few gusts of 20+. Never thought about shaking out the reef and sailed on all points of sail doing 4-6 mph. We circumnavigated Sutton Island clockwise and counterclockwise and I would guess we traveled a total of 20-22 miles. It was a super day on the water.
Tonight we are off to the 40th Annual Arcadia NP Outdoor Concert, an event of the Bar Harbor Music Festival featuring the Festival String Orchestra. The concert was held in the Blackwoods Campground amphitheater and included Mozart, Bach, Dvorak and a world premiere composition called "O Virtuous Light" by Edmund Cionek. It was a grand night of music under the stars and the oboe soloist for the Bach concerto, Gerard Reuter, was simply unbelievable!
July 26
A day with no wind....not a ripple on the water and all flags were drooping! Is this the reason people like motor boats? So we hiked the carriage roads and took a stroll around the Asticou Azalea Garden this morning. The Gardens have a Japanese influence and are a beautiful, peaceful place even when the azaleas are long gone. They were designed for the Rockefeller's by Charles Savage, the same landscape architect that did Thuya Gardens.
July 27
Today was the last day we had a slip at Northeast Harbor. We had hoped to get a sail in but the wind never materialized. But we cannot complain; we had a great sailing adventure during the last two weeks! The area bounded by Northeast Harbor, the Cranberry Isles, Southwest Harbor and Somes Sound is a great place for day sailing. We recommend it to all trailer sailors. Northeast Harbor is a fine place,to put in and keep your boat; although the marina does not have showers if you plan to stay on the boat. We readied SunShower for traveling, ate lunch, took a stroll around town, motored around the Harbor one last time and pulled the boat out of the water at mid-tide. After dinner tonight, we went to the top of Cadillac Mountain for sunset; how could we be in Arcadia and not do that?
July 28
Tomorrow morning we bid farewell to Maine. We had a super experience trailing SunShower north for the first time...we could not have picked a better place than Northeast Harbor to sail out of, and the cabin we rented just a few miles away was a superb home away from home. BTW, sheep's milk cheese seems tolerable to this lactose intolerant person!
Sunday
Derecho
The winds blew for about a half hour Friday night (6/30), not particularly strong at our house with no rain. But the power went out around 10:30 p.m. and it is still out as I write this Sunday afternoon. We learned a new weather term this weekend, a derecho; straight line damaging winds of at least 58 mph over a distance of at least 240 miles. We were lucky as a tree fell across a neighbor's driveway a block away and a score of streets were blocked around Lynchburg. In Lynchburg, Bedford and Campbell counties, 67,000 customers are without power with downed trees and large branches everywhere....and the worst damage was north of this region! Power may be out for days yet. Highest gust recorded in Lynchburg...80 mph!
The weekend plan was to go to NC Sunday to help the Alexanders next week when Henry is off of school. Katie called to say she had power and electric so we should come a day earlier. Sitting in our living room with the temperature and humidity rising and 100 degree temperatures in the forecast, we thought that was a great idea. So we packed quickly and emptied the refrigerator and dripping freezer. Days like this reinforce our decision not to own a freezer with vast stocks of frozen food. Our loss was only a kitchen garbage bag full of goodies. We packed some frozen parcels of chicken and sausage plus our Horse and Buggy produce and hit the road.
Henry and I customized this photo using a new iPhone app called LINE camera. It is a cool app to have. We were in Henry's favorite restaurant where the staff knows him by name...Waffle House. Henry ate eggs, a fourth of a pecan waffle, chocolate milk and eight, yes eight pieces of raisin toast!
The weekend plan was to go to NC Sunday to help the Alexanders next week when Henry is off of school. Katie called to say she had power and electric so we should come a day earlier. Sitting in our living room with the temperature and humidity rising and 100 degree temperatures in the forecast, we thought that was a great idea. So we packed quickly and emptied the refrigerator and dripping freezer. Days like this reinforce our decision not to own a freezer with vast stocks of frozen food. Our loss was only a kitchen garbage bag full of goodies. We packed some frozen parcels of chicken and sausage plus our Horse and Buggy produce and hit the road.
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