July 13-25                                     Southwest Harbor, Maine

Work has begun!  Our guests have departed and Miller has returned from his home in Rhode Island.  He and David have a mutual respect for one another’s knowledge and skills and enjoy conversing about boat matters.  Extensive exterior painting is planned for the window frames and door areas.  Painting a boat like ours requires experience and knowledge that is uncommon.  We are delighted to have found someone who possesses both.  In addition, he entertains us with his singing and dancing to Caribbean music he listen to while he works.  An excellent cook, he often brings us Caribbean style ribs, pork and vegetables and insists on steaming our lobsters in sea water in a large pot he keeps on the dock near the marina office.  We will miss him!

Days seem to effortlessly meld together, as they do in most vacations, and are over before we know it.  On July 18, David returned to Texas for business but I elected to remain on the boat.  It was a great decision as the heat was intense in Fort Worth.  

I returned to Southwest Harbor from the airport in time to walk into town and see the Flamingo Festival parade, an annual event which honors the beloved pink flamingo inventor who lived in this area for many years.  One expects to see these tacky images in Florida but they are everywhere in this Maine community for this wonderful event.  A special part of the festival is the annual paperback book sale at the library.  I found five great books I “could not live without.”

Miller and I continued to work.  He supervised my varnishing of the helm area and I managed to finish the job without “runs,” which David HATES.  I also stained again the teak blinds to restore their beautiful luster and shine.  Despite Miller’s company and the friendly attention of the marina staff, I was lonely and glad to see David when he returned on July 23.

The next day, we had the great pleasure of welcoming friends from home, Judy and Jeff Schemeltekoff and their friend, Kimberly.  We had an ultra-casual lunch at Beal’s Lobster Pier, a quintessential lobster pound whose ambiance is rustic and straightforward.  We enjoyed their great lobster rolls and steamers.  Before returning to the boat, we bought a blueberry pie.  We served it with ice cream inside our cozy salon while it rained outdoors.  Jeff and Judy are wonderful conversationalists and we greatly enjoyed their company.  Kimberly was a special delight with her funny, funny photo image of her absent husband (delayed by business) on a cardboard fan stick which accompanied her everywhere.  We laughed and laughed at all the photos where he had been inserted as a part of their travel events.

Wonderful sunny cool weather on Saturday once again reminded us of why we chose to stay here this summer.  Long, lingering sunsets provide a special light that gives a magical quality to this area.  I often wish I were an artist and could capture it on canvas.  Fortunately, many others had the talent to do so.

July 5-12                                        Southwest Harbor, Maine

Sunday was a very cool day which preceded a week of beautiful, sunny weather.  Living on a boat is a great experience for us.  Our boat is large enough to provide all the comforts we desire but small enough that we can manage it ourselves without need of a crew.  With three staterooms and three heads, we can provide guests with space and privacy.  We have a very comfortable king-size bed and separate heads (except when we have guests), the galley is ample with a microwave, oven, and full-size refrigerator.  Our salon has a large wrap-around sofa that provides the BEST place to watch TV.  Two people can comfortably recline (and frequently fall asleep).  The aft deck is great for dining and observing the surrounding scene. We have plenty of space to be very comfortable.  Although our boat is not of modern design (it is thirty years old), we are very pleased we chose it.

We are also pleased we chose to leave the boat during the winter and spring months at Southwest Harbor, Maine.  We have some issues with the storage company but getting to come to Maine without a long trip from Baltimore has been a wonderful experience.  As we have been at Southwest Harbor several times, we feel very welcome at the marina and comfortable in the area.  Our prolonged stay this year has given us additional knowledge of the area and enhanced our appreciation of the special people who live here.

Although Bar Harbor is the main attraction of the area, we prefer Southwest Harbor.  It is less touristy, very picturesque, and offers some excellent shops and restaurants, all distinguished by casual STYLE.  There is nothing tacky!  The local bakery is famous for its fabulous pies and pizza.  A small pie shop is usually sold out by 2:00 PM and the popover shop is crowded every morning.  Southwest Harbor is a charming community with a welcoming spirit and we feel very privileged to be a part of it this summer.

On Tuesday, we attended a performance at the Acadia Repertory Theater in Somesville (about five miles from SW Harbor).  It was a tour de force for two actors who played the roles of patrons in an English pub. The performances were great.  The play was dark and much more dramatic than we expected.  It was quite strong emotionally and left us with a feeling of intruding on the intimacy of others' relationships.  We love live theater and will plan to attend future plays.

During the summer months, the very active Southwest Harbor Library Association presents a number of events for bibliophiles.  Most feature Maine artists.  I attended such an event featuring Cathie Pelietier, an author of adult and young adult fiction.  Her newest book is A Year After Henry.  She was exceptionally interesting in discussing her work and the book publishing business environment today.

Following Blake’s admonition, I made it my mission to clean and organize the compartments on the bridge, sadly neglected for five years.  It was quite a job but I was successful in removing and discarding multiple items from the previous owners (snorkeling equipment, fins, masks, etc.).  David completed a long-planned goal of putting shelves into the engine rooms.  These are utilized to hold his version of a “marine Home Depot” with multiple tools, screws, bolts, fittings, etc.  He did a great job and we can now find items we need without searching through drawers and bins throughout the boat.

We are enjoying our new dinghy and the propane motor is performing well.  Sunset cruises in the harbor have become frequent excursions.  The water is smooth as glass and the shifting light reminds one of why multiple artists have come to Maine to paint their landscapes.  I know the winters here can be gruesome but the summers are fantastic!

June 29-July 4                              Southwest Harbor, Maine

We were pleased Winn adapted so quickly to the boat.  He readily mastered the stairs going below and was soon happily exploring from bow to stern.  He never tried to venture alone out of open doors onto the deck.  On a rainy, cold day when we were kept inside, he was easily placated by toys and TV.  We enjoyed watching his antics and listening to his inquiries.  He especially loved walking the three blocks into town and getting ice cream cones and playing in the park.

A new experience for all of us was a visit to the Classic Car Museum in Seal Cove.  Formed from the private collection of Robert Cushing Paine, a wealthy Bostonian who loved this area, the small museum of mostly Victorian era automobiles is one of the finest we have seen.  Magnificent touring cars, sporty convertibles, wooden trucks and buses, and splendid prototypes of vehicles that had limited production were on display.  Staffed by volunteers, the modest entrance fee supports youth projects on MDI.

Friday was a gorgeous day and we were fortunate to have reservations for a two-hour tour of “Mr. Rockefeller’s Roads,” For more than twenty-six years, John D. Rockefeller, Jr. employed 300 men from the area to build carriage roads and bridges on his considerable property.  As part of this time was during the Depression when employment was scarce, he endeared himself to MDI residents.  Since those early times, the family has steadily donated land to Acadia National Park (a recent gift on the occasion of David Rockefeller’s 100^th birthday was 1,000 acres of some of their most pristine and scenic property.)  The carriage roads are open to horses, bikers, hikers, and, of course, carriages.  We rode behind a lovely team of horses as we explored the interior of the park without distraction from automobiles.  Winn quickly tired of the experience but remained patient. 

Blake takes great delight in his son, watches him carefully, and never shows any frustration with his very active two-year old.  Winn is a loving child and always open for new experiences.  We had a wonderful week with them.  

Blake was very helpful in setting up David’s new phone and completing some small projects.  Most of all, they were both great company.  Their departure on the Fourth of July seemed much too soon.  We were pleased they arrived in Fort Worth in time to see the fireworks from Stephanie and Joe’s place overlooking downtown and the Trinity River.

We watched three firework displays (mostly simultaneously) from the bridge of our boat.  This required some seat shifting and neck craning but it was worth it!  For more than thirty minutes, a spectacular display of brilliant colors exploded above us.