August 16-22                                  Southwest Harbor, Maine

With the exception of one day, in our final week of summer in Maine we experienced exceptionally beautiful weather.  It was delightful to feel the cool breezes waft through the salon and watch the water in the harbor glisten in the sunshine.  The osprey babies were finally visible as they teetered on the nest carefully watching their parents come and go.  Ospreys mate for life, separate in the fall with males going off alone and females doing the same.  They reunite each spring on the same nest and begin anew the process of breeding.  Apparently, the babies abandon the parents and establish their own families.  It’s fascinating to think of them reuniting after lengthy separations.

Jill came with to the boat to show us her wonderful needlepoint project.  It is a large wall hanging based on the intricate and colorful tile designs of Gaudi in Barcelona.  It will be a masterpiece and she guesses it will take several years to complete.  She promised to keep me posted on her progress.

We were ready for some company on the boat and invited Jill and Jerry to join us for dinner.  We served barbequed ribs (made from a recipe of Joe Usher’s) which were tender and delicious.  I made macaroni and a four-cheeses sauce dish that turned out well.  It was fun to have them with us again.

 

Jill grew up in Portland and her mother, an actress, often accepted roles outside of the state.  In 1974, she was a bit player, with several speaking parts, in the classic summer thriller, Jaws.  Jill, as her mother’s heir, is the recipient of residuals from the showing of the movie.  We were impressed! 

Mary and Ed Dysart, owners of the marina, are fans of the movie and planned a special showing on Sunday evening inviting many of the boaters to their lovely residence.  Situated high above the marina, their summer home is a renovated former cannery which was later converted to a dinner-theater.  From a broad deck overlooking the harbor, it opens to a spacious main room with a kitchen area at the rear.  Former dressing rooms are now lovely small bedrooms.  The theater bathrooms remain with stalls and showers.  With a predominant nautical theme, it is absolutely charming and can accommodate many guests.

For the movie showing, sofas had been elevated as if in a theater and a popcorn machine provided additional atmosphere as did a large selection of giant-size candy bars and bags.  Most of us had seen Jaws more than once but still reacted in horror when the iconic music played or the beast suddenly came into view.  Jill pointed out her mother (lovely slim brunette who looked and sounded much like her daughter today) in various scenes.  It was a fun evening.

Before leaving for the boat, we were presented with a small cake with the numerals 63 on top to mark the occasion of our sixty-third wedding anniversary.  It was a thoughtful and generous gesture of special friends and a total surprise!  

Now the packing and cleaning have begun as we prepare to leave the boat and return home.  We have loved spending the summer in Maine and fervently hope we will be able to return here next year to enjoy again marina life and reunite with good friends.

August 8-15             Southwest Harbor, Maine

Kennedy was scheduled to depart on Tuesday, August 8 at 3:05 PM.  Joe, Stephanie and Winn would arrive at 5:20 PM.  Morning on the boat was hectic as Kennedy awakened early and baked a blueberry pie (still in her pj’s) to welcome the guests before finishing packing, etc.  I was stripping beds, vacuuming and cleaning heads for the new guests.  A construction delay on the road necessitated a change in luncheon plans.  We ordered ahead to Shinbashi and ate our spring rolls on the go in order to reach the airport in time for security, etc. 

Joe, Stephanie and Winn arrived on time and the fun began again. We made a stop at Blueberry Hill Ice Cream in Ellsworth for the most delicious treat ever.  Winn’s favorite was Moose Tracks and I loved the toasted coconut.  Throughout the summer, we have seen lines forming outside their windows and now we understand why.  The ice cream was exceptionally rich and flavorful.

 Joe was in a boot following complicated ankle surgery in June and walking was limited.  He was the designated Winn-sitter and did a great job throughout their visit.  As an adored grandson and great-grandson, Winn never lacks for attention and praise. Joe and Stephanie are exceptionally patient and understanding with Winn and keep him entertained with multiple games and diversions.  He quickly learned to negotiate the stairs on the boat and wore his life jacket as required.   Stephanie loves the local library and took Winn there on several afternoons to read books, view videos and play with Legos.  Both were avid fans of the ice cream shop.

On Wednesday, we took the boat into Somes Sound for a delightful cruise past palatial “summer cottages” and moored sailboats.  We returned to the marina for a Maine lobster dinner with freshly baked blueberry pie.  On subsequent days, we visited Bass Harbor, the great shops and restaurants of Southwest Harbor and Jordan Pond Restaurant on Cadillac Mountain. 

We were pleased Linda and Phil came for a visit and met our guests.  Linda showed Winn her South Africa photos of animals and he declared, “I know a lot about animals.”  He does, too, from his year at the Zoo School in Fort Worth.  Phil, one of David’s Baylor friends, was the first in Waco to come to see Stephanie after we brought her home as a newborn.  Sixty-one years later, they re-unite in Southwest Harbor, Maine!

On a gorgeous Monday evening, Miller came to pilot the dinghy for Stephanie and me on a sunset cruise (David, Joe and Winn declined to join us).  We went again to Somes Sound and then across to Northeast Harbor for a great view of the many beautiful homes and boats.  The sun went below the mountains as we returned to the boat for a traditional Maine dinner of steamed lobsters and freshly baked blueberry pie.  With Pillsbury pie crusts and my new and very simple recipe, I have mastered this great dessert.  Of course, the real secret is fresh wild Maine blueberries, smaller and sweeter than the others.  Five cups of these luscious berries make a dense pie that is exceptionally delicious.

Their week-long visit ended much too soon and we made another trip to the Bangor airport.  On the way, we stopped at Shinbashi for an Asian lunch.  David can never get enough of their pineapple fried rice!  The boat was very quiet with the absence of our family but we had many wonderful memories of their visit to Maine.

July 31-August 7                Southwest Harbor, Maine

We were delighted to be invited by Phil and Linda to have dinner on Aimless and learn about their recent journey with friends to the northern coastal area of Maine and the Manan Islands.  They experienced the significant tides (more than twenty feet) in that area and the isolated culture of the fishing island of Grand Manan.  An anchor chain malfunction meant hard work in manually pulling almost 300 feet of line.  Otherwise, the trip was delightful.  We had a delicious dinner of pork roast, polenta, and fresh wild blueberries with ice cream for dessert.  With Phil and Linda, conversation generally focuses on politics, history and books.  We can talk for hours!

On Tuesday evening, we attended a special charity event benefiting the Harbor House of Southwest Harbor.  This wonderful facility provides many services for children, seniors, and the indigent.  On the spacious grounds of Hinkley Boat Services, Inc., large white tents had been erected and approximately 1,000 people assembled for drinks, socializing, and the silent auction.  It was a summer fashion show with multiple Lily Pulitzer brightly colored sheath dresses, all sorts of nautical designs, and some “I’m here to get attention” attire.   The evening was cool and we had a great view of the sun dipping below the mountains.

 Dinner consisted of lobster, corn, potatoes, slaw, mussels, bread and a yummy blueberry cake for dessert.  It was a feast.  At our table, we met John and Mary Treanor from Houston.  Avid sailors for many years, they had once owned a 50’ Hinkley sailboat which they sailed across the Atlantic and through the Mediterranean. They had no crew except for occasional visiting friends.  We were awed by their daring!  They now own a home in Southwest Harbor where they spend summers.

This was the week for social occasions!  On Wednesday evening, we went with Jerry and Jill  to dine at their favorite restaurant in the Bar Harbor, Havana.  Located in a non-descript older house on Main Street, it is deceivingly simple on the outside but transforms into a lovely up-scale place as one enters the front door.  Fully booked, but tables were well-spaced and the ambiance was subdued.  Jerry and Jill are great conversationalists with considerable wit and we were delighted to spend time with them.

The new chef at Havana has reportedly lessened the Cuban influences in his cuisine but they were discernible in many dishes.  Paella is a house specialty made with great Maine seafood, multiple vegetables and saffron rice.  I enjoyed crusted sea scallops on a salad of baby tomatoes and croutons of toasted Cuban cornbread (sweeter than most). Outstanding!  We shared a dessert of a single fried banana, rolled in shredded pastry and fried golden brown.  It was garnished with hazelnut sauce, wild blueberries (it’s Maine, remember?) and whipped cream dollops.  All of us agreed our food was fabulous, the service was great, ambiance was exceptional, and pricing was reasonable for such a wonderful experience.

Kennedy, our 20-year-old granddaughter arrived on Thursday.  She will be a junior at Baylor University and is always a total delight.  We enjoy her company and having her all to ourselves for four days was special.  The weather cooperated with sunny skies and cool temperatures. We made shopping forays to Southwest Harbor, Northeast Harbor, and Bar Harbor, made a short cruise on Sunday afternoon and ate at lovely little restaurants during her visit.

 The Hardbergers joined us one evening on the boat for a dinner of cioppino made with an assortment of great local seafood.  Kennedy found them to be interesting and “very cool.”  Avid about Maine wild blueberries, Kennedy was determined to make b blueberry pie.  With little help, she succeeded beautifully and we feasted on the results.   Evenings were spent watching movies on TV and putting together puzzles as I did needlepoint and David and Pretzel napped.  Not very exciting but she insisted it was perfect way to spend time with us.

July 23-30                            Southwest Harbor, Maine

David’s back problems have continued throughout the summer.  He contacted a physical therapist in SW Harbor and now is scheduled for therapy several times a week.  The clinic, a lovely facility, is located about five minutes from our marina and David immediately liked the therapist.  He seemed to have a good understanding of the problems and was insistent David do exercises on days when not scheduled for therapy.  He is hopeful this will improve his balance and mobility.

Wednesday night was a “date night.”  Time to leave the boat and enjoy time in a special place.  We chose the restaurant at Jordan’s Pond where we had been earlier in the summer but at that time, the renowned view of the mountains and the gorgeous deep-water pond had been obscured by fog. This night was clear and cool.  We were seated outdoors just as the sun was beginning to go behind the mountains, providing a soft luminous glow to the beautiful scene.

The restaurant is very large but we enjoyed an intimate space on the terrace which was surrounded by gorgeous flowers.  The lavender delphiniums were especially outstanding.  Maine’s cool temperatures and moisture are the perfect atmosphere for outdoor plants.  They grow larger and maintain a freshness and “perkiness” that is lacking in my plants in Fort Worth.

In addition to their delicious popovers and strawberry jam, house specialties, we enjoyed entrees of steak and lobster and pumpkin-seed crusted sea scallops with bacon-wilted kale and couscous (orzo would have been better but couscous seems to be an “in” food item.)  We lingered for quite a while enjoying the fading twilight as shadows fell on the pond and the mountains.

Miller came by on Thursday to say goodbye before departing for home in Rhode Island.  He had worked consistently all week to complete the polishing of the hull and repairing and painting a damaged area below the bow pulpit.  The weather was sunny and cool so he was able to do everything as planned before leaving.  Miller loves to sing as he works (a little off-key) in an accent that probably comes from his native Dominica.  He entertains everyone on the dock.  Once again, he brought flowers to me.  The man is a true charmer!  He will be gone for three weeks on a journey with Aga and Junior to Poland to visit his wife’s parents.

We have been salivating over a 70’ Marlow yacht with an enclosed pilothouse and a navy-blue hull which arrived this week.  The internet revealed that it sells for about $2,500,00.  We will continue to dream! On a dock visit to friends, Jill and Jerry, we met Patti, one of the owners of this splendid boat, and her pet Electus parrot.  This amazing bird is 26 years old, tamed to relate well to people, talks and will kiss on request.  Jill, an avid animal person was ecstatic to hold him and shower him with love.  Sebastian, the parrot, in grief for his deceased wife had plucked most of the feathers on his neck area.  He was a delight!

Happily ensconced in our marina slip, we watch boats coming and going, the ospreys nesting on the marker atop the breakwater, and the flooding and ebbing tides.  I am enjoying the mystery novels of Barbara Ross, who uses the Maine coast as the locale for her stories.  She is a very good writer whose books are suspenseful, realistic and informative.  She always includes food descriptions and has a recipe section after the conclusion.  Some recipes have been keepers.  Great summer reading!

July 16-22                Southwest Harbor, Maine    

      

Three days of fog finally ended and we had gorgeous Maine weather for the remainder of the week.  Naturally, we were eager to leave the boat.  We returned to XYZ Restaurant with Phil and Linda and enjoyed again their wonderful cuisine while discussing their plans to journey by boat to Nova Scotia.  Friends would join them later in the week and they planned to be gone for ten days.  We were invited to join them in our boat but decided we “had been there, done that” and were quite content being sloths in Southwest Harbor.

Stonington is a quiet village of quaint shops, small restaurants, and nineteenth and early twentieth century buildings and homes.  The beautiful harbor is dotted with large rocks which are dramatically revealed at low tide (more than 10 feet).  To reach Stonington, we drove again to Blue Hill and continued east.  At one point, we had a fabulous panoramic view of the sea, mountains, islands, and forests that make up the coast of Maine.  It was breathtaking but unfortunately my little camera could not capture it in all its majesty.

Stonington is “the lobster capital of Maine” and the bay is crowded with lobster boats.  Due to the significant tide, larger boats must moor out and use their dinghies to dock.  We had a great lunch at a lovely cafe with outdoor dining.  The lobster rolls were exceptionally good!  A nearby bookstore offered an eclectic selection with many titles by Maine authors.  I always look for books on sailing history that might appeal to Dave, an avid reader, but found none that had not already been added to his collection.  

With the great weather, we saw a marked increase in large boats coming into the marina.  The Huntress, a 180 feet yacht with a crew of ten came for five days.  At night, with all the lights blazing from its four decks, it looked like a giant hotel.  Other sleek, beautifully maintained boats arrived and we decided to get a closer view from our dinghy. 

A lovely evening cruise in the dinghy past the large boats in the marina, past the moored boats in the harbor, past the Coast Guard Station, and into Soames Sound, bordered by dense forests and stately homes, is a great way to spend time.  We took Pretzel with us and she soon adapted to the dinghy and was eagerly surveying the scene.  We did not see any seals (which populate the Sound) but we did see the 90 feet sailboat with a blue hull which belongs to Charles Butts of Corpus Christi and HEB food markets.  He is a long-time summer resident of the area.

Another trip to Ellsworth, ten miles from Southwest Harbor, was necessitated by the loss of my cell phone.  Intensive searching for five days had been unsuccessful and I was reconciled it was gone forever.  A trip to AT&T revealed the phone was insured (we had forgotten this) and could be replaced with a better model for a nominal deduction.  I would receive the phone in two days.  The following morning, I picked up a small cookbook on top of the microwave and there was my cell phone hidden underneath.   I will keep the new one and return the old one to the insurer.

Ellsworth is the location of Shinbashi, our favorite Asian restaurant.  Their spring rolls are wonderfully light and delicious and their pineapple fried rice is exceptionally good.   We seldom look at anything else on their extensive menu.  

Stephanie and Joe will come for a week in August and we are already planning places to go and things to do.  They are always wonderful guests and love coming to the boat and Maine.  The escape from horrendous Texas heat will surely be welcome.

July 12-15                                        Southwest Harbor, Maine

Traffic continued to grow heavier on Main Street and the road leading into the town.  Parking near camping, hiking and beach areas was at a maximum and cars lined the roads.  No vacancy signs were hung at most of the rentals and the shops, restaurants and ice cream shops were enjoying good business. The rhododendrons and lupines were no longer in bloom but we were enjoying wonderful displays of day lilies, peonies and daisies. 

  

Influenced by my love for the local library, I volunteered to work four hours setting up for the annual Used Books Sale.  My job consisted of helping to unload tables, place them on the small front lawn and bring up boxes of books from the basement to have ready for the sale on Saturday and Sunday.  I soon realized I was probably not the best one for the job.  Heavy lifting is more than I care to do at this point in my life.  However, I lasted for several hours and was greatly relieved when they called an early halt to the work.  I did not volunteer to return at 7:00 AM to carry boxes of books outside to place on the tables.  Fortunately, they had enough help for the job without me.

XYZ Restaurant is locally renowned for its cuisine of the Mexican interior.  Their menu features dishes from Xalapa, Yucatan, and Zacatecas (hence the name) and is reservation only.  Their small sign on a road across the harbor from our boat designated a small building hidden in a forest of pine trees and ferns.  The interior was charming with simple furnishings and minimal decorations.  It was upscale for Southwest Harbor and no one was seen in shorts.  Service was exceptional and the food was delicious and different.  My pork dish with a mole sauce was highly spiced and David raved about his avocado cream soup.  We had a great evening enjoying the cuisine and the subdued ambiance.

We left the boat early on Saturday to have breakfast (do I write too much about food?) at Sips Restaurant in Southwest Harbor before the annual Flamingo Parade.  My omelet with mushrooms, gruyere cheese and crabmeat was wonderful.  We enjoyed watching a steady crowd of people in all shades of pink, sporting boas, flamingo headwear and beads.  It was a celebratory group eagerly awaiting the highlight of the day.  The parade began at 9:30 AM and lasted about thirty minutes.  It featured local fire trucks, police cars and floats from local youth, church and business groups.  It was unbelievably tacky but immensely charming and endearing.  Almost all the parade participants threw candy and some of the children made a real haul.

After the parade, I joined the crowd at the library book sale.  The weather was cool but increasingly sunny and the book sale seemed to be going well.  A craft sale and children’s play area across the street attracted a number of people and, despite the temperature, children were excited to play on the water slide.  It was a festive occasion which benefited a number of non-profits in Southwest Harbor.