Maine

Julie and I spent all or part of ten days in Maine. We left home on July 22 and drove to Lee, Massachusetts. In Lee we stayed at a tired Quality Inn, but associated with the Inn was a great Indian Restaurant: The Bombay Bar and Grill. Super martinis and wonderful Indian food.

We had an interesting time driving to Lee. We had borrowed Julie's girlfriend's GPS system. It kept taking us away from I-90, the New York ThruWay, and onto NY route 20a, a two lane road winding through quaint towns and the beautiful New York countryside - a countryside dominated by New York's largest wind farm. Giant wind turbines with blades that reach 400 feet into the air are like eerie-looking aliens. They are almost scary as they appear to be able to begin moving across the landscape whenever they get the urge. From an article I read, it's my understanding that they are controversial. The farmers get paid to allow them on their farms, but lots of people say they shouldn't be allowed. One farmer made an interesting comment when he talked about the high tension lines that were installed during the electrification of America. People objected to those, too, but now take them for granted, Maybe the same thing will happen to the windmills.

It turns out that the GPS was programed to avoid toll roads and she (Julie named her Lola) worked perfectly once she was reprogramed. I think I'll get one for Julie as a birthday present.

We arrived on Westport Island on Thursday, the 23rd, and stayed at Meg's house as there were renters in Julie's house. The houses are on Kehail Point and face the Sheepscot River. They are about nine-tenths of a mile from the ocean. You look south from the house, down the widening river, until you see the lighthouse at Hendrick's Head on the Atlantic. The view is ever-changing and always magnificent … even in the fog.

The Sheepscot rises and falls with the tide with high tide being 8-12 feet higher than low tide. Upper Mark Island, an uninhabited rock covered with small trees and bushes is about two-tenths of a mile from shore. At low tide, the Harbor Seals bask on the rocks. At high tide you can watch them as they hunt for food. There are also all manner of birds from Eagles to the small birds that flit through the bushes between the houses and the water.

And then, there are the lobster fishermen. Their boats seem to be the ultimate male toy with their chugging engines, their radios and radar, and their lobstering equipment. They fish right in front of the houses and, on occasion, we've had them deliver lobsters to the dock in front of Meg's house. You can't get much fresher than that.

We moved into Julie's house on Saturday. Jenny, Bob, and Sophie, and Richard and Addie also arrived on Saturday. They rent a house on the Long Cove side of Kehail Point, just a short walk from Meg and Julie. Sunday was a rainy day and Rick played Monopoly with Sophie and Addie. Dinner at their camp.

On Monday morning, we went to the little beach at the end of Long Cove to hunt for treasures from the sea. Tom and Kara arrived on Monday. Rick picked them up at the Portland airport and brought them to Westport. We made another trip to the Long Cove beach in the afternoon. In the evening their was a surprise birthday party for Carl at Ellen's place. The kids had a good time with Ellen's tire swing.

On Tuesday we went to Reid State Park on the end of Georgetown Island. The kids, Julie, Jen, Bob, and Tom swam in the surf. Rick and I watched. We had a lobster dinner at their cottage that evening.

On Wednesday, we took one of Cap'n Fish's boat rides. The kids had a good time running from the bow to the stern, up the stairs to the upper deck, and back again.

Rick and Addie left on Thursday. Julie and I went to Damariscotta. Bob, Jenny, and Sophie went back to Booth Bay Harbor to bowl. We had dinner at Meg's on Thursday night.

On Friday, Julie and I took Tom and Kara to the Portland airport. Then we went into Portland to the Portland Museum of Art to see the Art Colonies of Maine show. Two of Julie's grandfather's paintings we're in the show and the show book cover was Pip's "Road to Ogunquit." On Friday afternoon we packed up to leave.

Saturday we drove to Rochester, New York. On Sunday we drove the rest of the way home. I wish we could have stayed in Maine a lot longer.