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.