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.