May 30-June 6                             Southwest Harbor, Maine

We had been in frequent conversation with Mark at Hinckley Boat Storage in Southwest Harbor to make sure The Bottom Line would be fully commissioned and docked for our arrival on     May 27.   A mishap occurred when the boat was being lifted from its storage dockage and minor damage required repairs.  Our arrival was delayed and plane tickets had to be changed.  On Saturday, May 30, we finally departed for Maine.  After three delays enroute, we arrived in Bangor, checked out the rental car, and headed for Southwest Harbor.

Our late arrival meant few restaurants were open and we were starving.  We stopped at Sips and were greeted warmly.  After an excellent dinner, we headed to the marina.  Micah greeted us and helped us take the heavy luggage to the boat.  We were ecstatic to be aboard our beautiful boat! 

The next day our joy was tempered when we discovered we had no heat in the master stateroom.  The unit, original to the boat and almost thirty years old, had died.  A new one was ordered but would not arrive for several weeks.  Fortunately, a small portable heater was sufficient to keep the space warm for our expected guests, John, Jackie, and Lincoln, who would occupy the master stateroom when they arrived on June 11.

Sunday and Monday were cloudy and rainy.  We worked to get the boat clean and ready for our expected guests from Texas, our granddaughter Kennedy and her friend Taft.  We left early on Monday to go to Walmart for grocery shopping and then to the airport to meet the kids.  Sips was our choice for dinner.  It was “open mike” night and an array of local musicians, mostly over seventy, were performing.  They were seasoned professionals and the music was delightful.  The next night, we treated the kids to a lobster and blueberry pie dinner on the boat.  They were appropriately impressed!

Taft and Kennedy are very much in love and they enjoyed having time together.  They were wonderful guests and seemed happy and content even though we had several days of cold, damp weather. They were appreciative of the charm of Mount Desert Island with its mountains, Victorian architecture, and coastal views. Lilac bushes were in bloom and presented a spectacular display of white, pink, and fuchsia flowers.   Avid puzzle people, Kennedy and Taft quickly worked two puzzles but mainly they played Jeopardy on their phones, read books  brought with them, and looked lovingly into each other’s eyes.  One day was spent hiking several trails in the park, another touring Bar Harbor, and then a morning touring Northeast Harbor.  After four days, they left for Texas and were looking forward to resuming their summer plans.  It was delightful to visit with our busy granddaughter, a source of great pride for the entire family, and a soon-to-be freshman at Baylor University.