Friday, August 22, 2008

Morning by Morning

by Rob

Where does it go? It's such a cliche, I know, but it's now the final morning on the final day, and I can hardly understand how two weeks have passed so quickly. It's all been great, a good break from hussle-'n'-bussle, enjoyable and relaxing, but the addition of the great weather during the last few days has made it seems incredibly pleasant; dare I say, "perfect?" Add to this, that Mom and Dad are here now, and it's even better.

As usual, my blogging dropped off. Not a surprise really (just wait 'til we get home), but I want to be sure to jot a few things down. Just this morning, I looked back on some of the entries from last August and it was helpful to see some of the details that I have forgotten. I have no idea how long these notes can be saved in cyberland, but it's my hope that these entries will be useful and enjoyable for the kids to read years from now.

Daddy did this for you two, okay?

On Sunday, Nate and I took our bikes out and traveled over to the Owls Head Lighthouse. I was more interested in the activity than the location, since the weather was beautiful and it seemed like a waste to sit around here for the whole day. I like visiting there each year, and since it's an easy bike ride, it was a good plan. Turns out it was an especially well timed plan too, because the light house was open and we got to go inside. I have no idea what the schedule is for that, but in all of the years that we have been coming here, it's the first time that we've been able to go inside of it. The man who was monitoring things was wearing a shirt that had the name of some lighthouse preservation society on it. The building itself is not really tall, but because of it's placement high on the rocks it's easy to see in every direction.

Abbie has been dog sitting this week. Paul and Donna have gone to visit their son in Bar Harbor this week. Last week, as they watched Abbie interacting with Toby, Paul got the idea that a "win/win" scenario was forming. He needed a dog sitter and he figured out that Abbie would love having the job. So Abbie has been getting out of bed before 8:00 each morning and heading over to their house. She takes care of the obvious things, food and water, but also takes Toby for a walk. She also checks on the chickens, and if there's an egg (there has been one each morning), she brings it back to our cottage.

We also have been taking Toby with us when we've headed to the beach. Yesterday we went back to the trail head for Ragged Mountain and took another hike. This time we crossed the road and headed up East Peak, which may not be the actual name of the hill, but that's how it's labeled on the map. It was a much shorter hike, and the view at the top is more obstructed than Ragged Mountain. Nonetheless, the sky was so clear that the view was more than worth the trip. It was also interesting to be able to look back at Ragged Mountain and see where we had hiked last week. Oh another difference, far less berries on this trail. That's wasn't a problem, because we wouldn't have picked any more anyway. They were good while they lasted, but after blueberry pancakes, two batches of blueberry muffins, and a (really good) blueberry pie, I think that we're about blueberried out for awhile.

Nate's been working on homework this week. He had planned to work on things while we were here, and he didn't really do much of his work last week, so he's been putting in a daily session this week. I'm sure that he's not happy about doing it, but I doubt that it's ruined his week. When we get home, the rest of us will have to join him in the "work-mode." I have painting to finish and we have a slew of appointments and things during the week. It all starts with a doctor appointment for Abbie on Monday morning. Grrr...

We continue to be able to connect with people that we have met other years. On Monday, we ran into Harrison and his family. Nate and Harrison played together on the beach at Birch Point years ago, so we got acquainted with his parents, Jamie and Margie. They live in Connecticut and Jamie works as an antique and art appraiser. He helps folks get some really high-end stuff to auctions at places like Sotheby's. We seem to run into them every August at this point, and although Nate and Harrison seem less compatible right now, I think that they get a kick out of reconnecting each year. We were at Crescent Beach when we met up with them this time. The boys headed down to the water to fool around; I stood near the parking area and talked to Jamie. He's an interesting man, very intelligent and forthright with his ideas. I'm sure that we'd never end up hanging out with each other, but I find it interesting to talk with him. I usually end up with a sense that he and I are from different worlds.

As our conversation was winding down, another acquaintance from year's past spotted us and came over to say hello. Erin is a police officer from Albany. He and his wife, Stephanie, have been coming here for several years now. They missed last summer, because the cottage that they had been renting was torn down and a new cottage was being built. I remember that two years ago they were aware that the old cottage was about to go. They also were pretty sure that the new building would not be available for rent. As it turns out, the family that owns the place had planned to be away this week, and although they are not actively trying to rent the new house, they offered it to Erin and Stephanie for the week. Their boys, Ryan and Jack, are younger than our kids, so they don't really play together. It was great to see them again, and yesterday we spent some time talking with them while we were hanging out on the beach. We have never spent any time with them at home, but I can imagine that we could. It's kind of funny that we know them, but have only ever seen them here; Stephanie's office is only about 1.5 miles from our house.

Dad has been picking up realty fliers throughout the week. He made a comment yesterday that he thinks that there are more places for sale this year than other years. I hadn't consider that, but I'm inclined to agree. I actually called a realtor yesterday about one of the listings; it's a couple of acres of land just down the road from where we rent. The listing said that it had 50+/- of waterfront, but it turns out that it's "rights" not actual waterfront. Instead of being on the water, it's sort of in the water; most of it is swampy and could not be used for building anything. There is a spot for a house, but there wouldn't be any view of the water... except maybe the pond. All this could be ours for just $125,000.00. So imagine what a decent parcel costs.

Why is it that what you dream about can be such a pleasant thing, but the experience of dreaming about it ends up feeling so unsatisfying?

Last night was one of the warmest and clearest that I can remember. Abbie and I decided to brave the bugs and sit out on the porch. I lit up our "Off Lantern," and we sat together on the steps of the porch. I played the guitar a little bit while she read by flashlight. After awhile I began to notice the stars, and before long, we were walking around in the yard together, holding hands, whispering to each other, and gazing up at the sky. It was so clear that we could see the bands of the Milky Way. Amazing. Abbie commented that she would like to see the Big Dipper, and when we turned around to walk back to the porch, there it was all at once, beautifully clear above the cottages. She was so excited.

Another detail that captured our attention remains a bit of a mystery. To the southwest, above the tree line we could see three stars... or were they all stars? They kept their relationship to each other, so I'm sure that none was a satellite or a plane, but the center light, just slightly above the line between the outer ones was twinkling. Actually "twinkling" doesn't really fit because this thing was so active that it was almost flashing. And to our eyes it seemed to be changing color constantly. We looked at it through binoculars and the display of color was even more impressive. But what was it? It was no bigger than the other stars in the sky, and although we watched for the better part of 30 minutes, it didn't move. I'm not sure how to begin to find out what it was, but I intend to try. Maybe, if this evening is as clear, we'll get to see it again.

I woke up this morning at about 5:45, which is a bit earlier than normal. I could tell that the sky was still clear, so I decided that it was worth getting up, on the chance that I'd see the sun rising. I was right; it was worth it. Based on the cold and foggy mornings of last week, I would have guessed that this type of a morning was out of season, but we're enjoying another warm, clear and sunny morning on the porch with our coffee.

Abbie has been teaching us the art of self-portrait photography. These are a couple of photos that Kim and I took this morning. We took dozens, and at one point we were laughing so much that I was afraid we would wake up other people. Okay, we're not really very sophisticated, but we have fun.

Today, there are a few things that are planned; we'll head to the beach this morning while the tide is out, Toby will need to be cared for this morning and this evening, and we will go out to dinner tonight at Cafe Miranda. The restaurant is a bit of an "adventurous" choice, but we believe that the payoff will be worth the risk; the food is unusual but very, very good. We hope that Mom and Dad will agree.

But as far as the day's events go, there is also the unspoken agenda... and yes, I'm going to say it now: packing and cleaning. Between all of that, and trying to read a few more pages in our books, or play a few more rounds of Bananagrams, the day is looking pretty full.

No complaints.

Moon Over Hendrickson Point
August 16, 2008
by Rob

"I found my thrill..."
by Rob

Okay, so I doubt that anyone locally would refer to Ragged Mountain as "Blueberry Hill," but it works for me. Today, Friday, Nate, Abbie and I were able to hit one of the trails at Ragged Mountain. Paul, our friend the pastor, suggested the hike yesterday, and this morning he and Toby (their dog) came to pick us up at about 9:30.

It was less than a 30 minute drive to the trail head, just off of Route 17, north of Rockland. The trail that we used is rated as "difficult," but it didn't give us too much trouble. Except for one stretch of steep trail, it was really pretty easy. It seems to me that on this trail, even in the steeper sections, we had much easier time getting our footing than on many of the sections of trails that we've done at home in the Adirondacks.

The trip to the top was probably a couple of hours long. The weather is very comfortable and there very few bugs to speak of right now, so the whole thing was very, very pleasant. Once on top, Paul took an opportunity to point out towns, islands, mountains and bodies of water that could be seen in the distance. Many of the places that he referred to are spots that I have heard of, but I'd be hard pressed to remember many of them. Nonetheless, the view was beautiful and it was great to have the chance to see this place from a different perspective. Having a guide from the area is a huge bonus. We so enjoy Paul's company, but are also grateful for his willingness to share what he knows about this place with us.

Paul knew that there would be blueberries at the top and he had mentioned that we would pick some. I didn't know what to expect, but didn't pack for the trip with the thought that we'd see enough berries to be bringing any home. Fortunately for us, Paul was better prepared. We might have picked berries for 30 or 45 minutes before we headed back down the mountain. Paul insisted that he only be given half of the bag that he and Abbie had been using. That has left us with plenty of berries for the week. At this point, we'll need to decide whether to make a pie... or muffins... or pancakes... or all of these. Who knows? Regardless, we have many of them to enjoy.

Along the trail, Paul took time to point out some of the plants and things that he felt were special. In addition to seeing countless mushrooms in an amazing array of colors and sizes, we also saw these "Indian Pipes," which Paul felt were especially rare because of their pink hue, and these mature trillium plants which are mature and "ripe with fruit."

If Abbie Had Her Way
photos by Rob

As of Wednesday
by Rob and Kim

Our first two days here were cold and dark. On Monday morning it poured. Laying in bed listening to the rain on the roof is just as wonderful as laying there listening to the sound of the sea washing up on the rocks. None of this was a problem. We were very content to just hang out and read, watch the Olympics, and play games. On Tuesday morning, I even took advantage of the weather by lighting a fire and cooking our pancakes (corn pancakes) on the wood stove. It was fun. They were great. I'm such a great cook.

On Monday evening, we got an invitation to eat dinner at Paul and Donna's house. Paul is the pastor of Owls Head Baptist Church. At the time that they called to invite us, Paul also suggested that Nate and I join him for a kayaking trip around the islands in front of our cottage.

Although it had poured for hours on Tuesday morning, the weather began to clear and warm during the early afternoon. By 3:00, when we were ready to head out, the rain had stopped and the clouds were giving way to some sunshine.

We let in at the Owls Head landing and after some instructions and coaching from Paul, we headed down the coast towards Hendrickson Point and our cottage. When we arrived, the ladies were waiting for us on the rocks, where they took some pictures of us.

Abbie and I had a blast taking photos of the guys, of each other (she's currently into a Rocker pose phase as you can tell), the rocks, the sea, our feet..... I just love that girl! After the photo session, we headed straight across the channel to Sheep Island. This is the spot where we went with one of the neighbors last year. Peter took us there to hike the island and have a cook out. On this trip, we did not land on the island, but rather paddled around it. During our trip, we saw many different birds, including osprey and two bald eagles. We were able to find the eagles' nest on the other side, the ocean side, of the island. The ocean swells on that side were bigger than the channel side, and although Paul cautioned us about the increased potential for capsizing in such condtions, Nate and I managed well. I was particularly impressed with how calm and focused Nate remained through the whole affair. I was not worried about the possibility of capsizing, but I did worry that if Nate became fearful it might become difficult to manage our way out of the situtation and get back to the landing.

Earlier that day we went into Rockland to do one of the kid's favorite rainy day activities... go to Planet Toys... one of the best toy/game/book stores around. We were there well over an hour. Abbie is currently lying on the sofa reading the book she got. I'm planning on using my pink flower magnifying glass later at the beach! After a stop for some pizza, we were on to the next stops... Goodwill (they have a really good one here) and then to the market for some food stuffs. At that point Paul gave us a call to confirm the kyaking, something we had decided would be dependent on the weather conditions of course, so we needed to hurry back to the cottage. Abbie and I will be going back to the Goodwill store maybe later today (even though in the 15 min. we were in there, while Rob ran into the market, we were able to buy Abbie a $1.99 pair of perfect fitting capri jeans, a fabulously soft, gray fleece banket for $2.99, and of course a couple of books :] ).

When Paul dropped Nathan and me off at the cottage it was nearly six o'clock, a full hour later than we were expected to arrive at Paul and Donna's for dinner. Paul had called Donna during our paddle, so I knew that she was already aware that we were running late. Kim was not as well informed, and was a little concerned that we were so late. Nonetheless, we arrived at the Munroe's a short time later. After Nate soaked in their hot tube for awhile we sat down to a GREAT meal of chicken, salad, garden fresh green beans, corn on the cob, homemade multi-grain bread, and for dessert, homemade blueberry and pecan pie (with ice cream). We all had a great time!! I just love spending time with them. We talked and laughed for hours. They even have a dog, Toby, which Abbie loved on all night. She's going to be taking care of him next week while Paul and Donna are away. Hopefully we can fit in another visit before Sunday. We headed back here at nearly 11:00, at which time, Kim, Abbie and I took in some more of the Olympics (women's gymnastics), and then one by one we headed to bed.

This morning was the first morning of clear sunny skies. I'm grateful for the good weather, but it doesn't seem like today is any great contrast from the others here, so far. Again, every day is a good day in Maine.

It is a BEAUTIFUL day here today, and I think it's time to get ready to head down to the beach. There is more fun to be had, more treasures to be found and more memories to be made.

So Much to Say

by Rob

We're at "our" cottage on Hendrickson Point in Owls Head again. I say "ours" because we come here for the same two weeks every August. It feels like, at least for these 14 days, like we own this place. It's a great arrangement really; for far less than the mortgage and taxes would be on ocean front property anywhere, we are guaranteed our two weeks here, just as long as we pay our rental fees on time. The owners adopted this "same time next year" policy about five years ago, and it has worked out incredibly well for us.

This cottage is about 100 years old. It sits on the smallest of "roads," at what I consider to be the best spot on Hendrickson Point. I think that it's such a great spot since it is possible to see the ocean from so many places within and around the cottage. One of my favorite elements is the porch. Kim and I love to go out there in the morning and drink our coffee, read, and listen. I can not think of any other location that holds quite the same special place in our lives as this porch. Extreme language, I know, but I mean it sincerely.

I have not been blogging much since we returned from our first trip of the summer. I want to write about, at least for record-keeping-sake, some of the things that have been taking place since we got home from our big trip.

Bedroom Makeovers: Kids' Edition

This is the summer that we promised our kids that we'd redecorate their rooms. In light of how much traveling we have done, it probably wasn't the wisest thing to promise, but nonetheless we did, and so over the last couple of weeks we have been emptying and painting their rooms. As it turns out, our timing wasn't terrible for this process, since each of them went away to camp for one of the weeks.

Abbie was at Camp Fowler first, and so we emptied her room just before she left. We made the choice of not throwing anything out or giving anything away when we packed up her room; this is a choice we may regret later. Our logic was that the process would take more time than we had available at that point, and we were hoping that once she starts to move back into the room, she'll decide that she doesn't want all of that stuff anyway. We all knew that she had a lot of stuff in her room, but when she filled 36 boxes we were a little surprised. My personal hope is that she'll only put about a third of it back into the room. Look for an update on that later.

I pushed Abbie to get rid of her carpet as part of this makeover. I felt strongly that this was the only time to do it, since once the furniture goes back, I don't plan to take it out again. She wasn't sure about the idea at all, but once I had pulled back a section of the carpet in her closet, she agreed that it might be alright to take it out. I seized the moment at that point and did enough damage to the carpet to be sure that there would be no turning back. The hardwood beneath is in need of refinishing, which is not a surprise, but it's in good shape overall. Now we are in the process of trying to schedule the work. The contractor of choice is the man who did our entire first floor last summer. Unfortunately, he's book for months in advance. If he's able to squeeze us in before November, we will owe him an added share of gratitude.

Abbie selected "Aqua Spray" as her new color. It's a blue that Kim and I think is most like Robin's Egg blue. We all agree that the new color looks great. Abbie is also thinking about the overall color scheme for the room, and she hopes to add accent items in blue, purple and green. The project has a way to go, but the plan is good, so we think that it's going to be a great looking room.

Another aspect of seizing the moment has to do with the windows. Until last summer, all of our windows were original. When we renovated the kitchen, of course, we replaced those three windows and the one in the bathroom. Now, with work underway on the bedrooms, it seemed like the best time to replace the remaining 11 windows upstairs. Although we have signed a contract for that work, we don't have a date scheduled yet.

When Abbie was done with her week of camp, Nate was just about to begin his. We went to Fowler on the Saturday morning that Abbie's week ended, and stayed overnight as a family so that we could register Nate for his week of out camp the following day. Once we had handed him off, we headed back home to start work on his room.

He selected two colors for his walls: "Green Crush" and "Tropical Holiday." Before his departure, he gave me clear instructions about how to alternate these colors between the six surfaces of his room. Without meaning to imply that I don't like his choices, since I think that the room will look very nice (or exciting) once it's complete and put back in order, but I have decided that the best way to describe his color choices is this: imagine a room where the walls alternate between Kermit the Frog Green and Cookie Monster blue.

I haven't had a chance to start painting the trim in his room, because I ran out of time before we came to Maine. On Saturday morning we packed the CRV and headed to camp and then came here. Nate hasn't seen the room yet, and he was a little annoyed that I didn't take a picture so that I could show him how it's progressing. He'll just have to wait for his "reveal day" until we get home.

Summer Camp

Our kids love Camp Fowler. Kim and I do, as well. Kids can start attending camp once they have completed third grade, and our kids have never missed a year. "In camp" programming takes place on several acres on the shore of Sacandaga Lake, just outside Speculator. each week of camp is prepared for a specific age group and on any given week there are about 100 to 120 kids there. The campers and counselors sleep in cabins. During the week there are games, arts, singing, worship, hiking, swimming, and all of that camp stuff. The food is great, which is something that most camps can not say (honestly). We also think that the staff is very good -- many of the staff members have returned year after year, a fact that speaks to the quality of the programming that takes place there.

After 5 years of "in camp," we decided to encourage Nate to try an "out camp." These programs vary from week to week, but are focused on specific activities such as sailing, canoeing, kayaking, or hiking. Based on our schedule, Nate didn't have much choice about which of these he would attempt, but hiking seemed like a good first out camp experience.

As the week approached and we had to buy him some gear and break in his boots, Kim started to get more and more nervous about his week. While he was away, Kim would mention him often and check the weather forecast online. She was worried how he was handling the "challenges" of being outdoors for an entire week, not to mention traveling the 35 or more miles that he was hiking. Abbie, sharp and dark as she is, played on Kim's anxiety during the week. More than once, while we were eating dinner, she would mention bears and mountain lions while looking straight at Kim to watch her reaction. Scary. Humorous, but scary.

I guess I wasn't all too sure about how his week would turn out either. I was particularly eager to see him on Saturday when we went to pick him up. Yes, of course, I missed him, but I think that I was more interested in seeing that he was in good spirits and that he had had a successful week. He ran to me when he spotted me, squealing, "Daddy! Daddy!" After he had wrapped himself around me, he launched into an enthusiastic report about his week and all that he had learned, concluding with information about the route that he has planned for us to hike together next summer. It was a great moment. I'm so happy that he had a great week. I'm so grateful that in response to this experience, his first order of business was to plan his next outing specifically with me in mind. I feel very lucky, and will work to see that such an outing takes place next summer.

One of the logistical details of heading directly to Maine from camp was a matter of Nathan's hiking clothes. We had him pack garbage bags for the week specifically with this in mind. We knew that we'd have to transport his dirty (and wet?) things here before we could unpack them and clean them. When we arrived last night, he dutifully took them to the porch and spread them out along the railing. When I got a chance to look at them this morning, I was happy for him all over again. He got them all fantastically dirty.

The Maine Event

I decided that the vacation mindset needed to begin when we left the house to come here -- not when we arrived. In light of this idea, I decided not to travel the fastest route to get here, but rather the most direct. In this case, it meant traveling on back roads through the Adirondacks, Vermont and New Hampshire before finally connecting with our normal path north through the state of Maine.

I'm so glad that I made this choice. It made for a very long day of traveling, but the trip was beautiful. Along the way, we had lunch at "Willows Bistro" in Warrensburg, ice cream cones at "White's Road House" in Vermont, and dinner in at the "Lobster Shack" in Perkins Cove in Maine.

We arrived in the Ogunquit area at about 6:00 PM. I asked Kim if she would mind traveling through town so that I could take a look at things. It's hard to believe that it's been 20 years since my last of three summers there. The playhouse looks pretty much the same, but there are some striking differences now, the specifics of which aren't important. Mostly I was struck by how unkempt the place looked compared to my time there. When I worked there, it was a privately owned property and business, and John Lane, the owner, kept the place looking very sharp. Now it seems as though things have become overgrown, and there are eye sores of storage and vehicles where once there were green, well groomed lawns. Despite these issues, it seems as though the now "not-for-profit" theatre is doing well. The season is much longer than before. I can not imagine this is possible without many, many people buying tickets. I'm glad for that. The kids were interested in seeing the building and hearing a little about my time working there.

We headed to Perkins Cove for dinner. This area hasn't changed much in twenty years. No major alterations have been made to any of the buildings and most of the business are still the same. I was surprised that Nate was so impressed to see Barnacle Billy's. He remembered that I still have a sweatshirt from the time that I worked there, and I think that it was cool for him to make the connection. After dinner, we got back on the road at about 7:15 and made it to Rockland by 9:30. We picked up a few breakfast items at the grocery store and then came here to the cottage.

Today was a great day, but then again, we have all come to expect that a day here will be a great day. We went to church at Owls Head Baptist Church and quickly reconnected with some folks there. The pastor, Paul, and his wife, Donna, were glad to see us and said that they had just recently been talking about us, trying to figure out when to expect us. It felt like coming home.

We went Crescent Beach for a few hours right after lunch. Next it was time to head to the Hannaford in Rockland for our first infusion of groceries. After dinner, we played "Bannagrams," an outrageous time, even by our standards, which at one point included such uproarious laughter that I actually fell out of my chair and Kim spewed an entire mouthful of beer across the table. At that point Abbie could hardly handle the contrast between laughing (because of how funny it was) and crying (because she had beer in one of her eyes). If anyone else nearby could hear us, they probably wondered what the heck was going on in here.

It's good to be in Maine.

It's now 12:18 AM and I need to head to bed if I'm going to make it to the porch at 6:30 tomorrow morning. I know that it must sound ridiculous for me to set such a goal, but it's honestly one of the best times to be in one of the best locations that I know.