July 5                            Rockland, Maine

Our voyage from Portland to Rockland was long—eight hours.  We were glad Amanda was not subjected to such a long cruise but we missed Blake’s assistance at the helm.  The sun was bright and the water was calm when we began the trip.  Weather predictions were indicative of no problems.  Several miles out of Portland Harbor, we began to weave through the lobster pots that were omnipresent.  Finally, we determined it was futile and maintained our course despite them.

Our cruise was marked with several changes in weather as we went from sunny, haze, fog, showers, and back to sunshine.  Wind was minimal and the water remained calm.  Trident Marina in Rockland is a new facility and we had easy dockage.  Blake and Amanda were there to greet us and help us secure the boat.  They had spent the day touring small towns enroute and shopping for items on the list we had given them. 

Having the advantage of a car meant I could visit the Farnsworth Art Museum in the limited time available before it closed.   The FAM is located in downtown Rockland in several beautifully renovated historical buildings.  Noted for its outstanding collection of artists who lived and/or worked in Maine, The FAM includes works by the Wyeth family, N.C., Andrew, and Jamie, as well as Alec Katz, Frederic Church, and to my delight, Will Barnett (we own several of his signed lithographs). The Wyeths’ paintings are showcased in a beautiful white wooden church topped with a magnificent steeple which towers over everything else in the downtown area.  The interior of the church has been converted into lovely galleries but the significant architectural features of the building, its tall narrow windows and impressive double staircase, have been maintained.

The summer exhibition at the FAM was paintings by Frank W. Benson, an early American Impressionist.  His works are highly reminiscent of Claude Monet in subject, style, and palette.  On display were numerous pictures of lovely women, beautiful children, and views of water and expanses of flowers.  Benson’s paintings demonstrated more intensive color and considerably more texture than Monet but both have a pleasing aesthetic quality that appeals to most viewers.  Unfamiliar with Benson’s work, I immediately became captivated by his skill. 

After a brief visit to the grocery store, we returned to the boat for a light dinner on board.  We attempted to teach Blake and Amanda how to play dominos but our efforts were not very successful.  Unfortunately, though we had spent years playing 42 with our good friends, Jack and Jan Redding, we had not played for more than twenty years and we had forgotten the rules.  We promised the kids we would try again when we return to Fort Worth.