Summer in Maine - Life as it was meant to be!

Summer in Maine often provides a little glimpse of heaven--blue skies, sea breezes, fairs and festivals, sailboats, enough fog to set off the haunting sound of the lighthouse's fog horns at night, fresh tomatoes and corn, wild blueberries, clams, lobsters, beach roses, and of course lots and lots and lots of visitors.

We live on the MidCoast - that area that divides the state into two Maines...the south and west with the wide sandy beaches of Kennebunk, Ogoquit, Old Orchard Beach and the gorgeous lakes in the western mountains and DownEast from here to the eastern border into Canada with wide craggy rocky beaches, lots of lobster and cooler days and nights.  Not a scientific description, but we'll settle for being right in the middle of both.

We've had an abundance of visitors so far, and are expecting more.  The highlight of course has to be the annual visit from the granddaughter who started coming here for a few weeks in the summer when she was only 4 1/2/.  Now at nearly eleven, and nearly as tall as her Tutu, our visits have evolved from lots of story reading and trips to see wildlife to shopping expeditions, her teaching Tutu about various new teen-age 'persons of importance', how to use an Ipod Touch, and beating Tutu and Tampa (that's "grampa" in her original baby-talk) at the Wii.  Of course, she now times her visits to be able to go to the most fun event of the summer around here: The annual Lobster Festival in Rockland. She's even old enough to be able to appreciate some of the science exhibits such as the mako shark shown here, in addition to the rides and eats.

Earlier this week we spent a glorious day at Reid State Park  - beautiful beach on the tip of Georgetown Island with fun tidal pools, rocks for climbing, enough breaking surf to be able to "jump the waves" and a gorgeous open ocean view of some of the outer islands.  On our way home, we stopped at my sister's recently acquired little beach cottage to try out her hammock.  It was pronounced more than slightly acceptable.

Later today our son (grandbaby's father) will arrive and we'll really get down to having even more family fun.  It will also be Mr. & Mrs. Tutu's 44th wedding anniversary and being able to celebrate it living in Maine where we spent our honeymoon so many years ago makes it even more special.  Our daughter and son-in-law will be up for a visit sometime later this fall.

Don't worry, I'm still reading.  Today, while g-babe was running around the festival going on vertigo inducing rides of all kinds, Tutu was sitting on a bench in the shade reading from her Nook.  I actually got over 250 pages read before she announced she was ready to go home.

I can actually still remember when I had that much energy.  In the meantime, it's time for Maine blueberry ice-cream or a scoop of Moose Tracks.