Time To Go Home!

Well, it's about that time. We are down to the last week at the lake and it is time to pull ourselves together, pack up and head home! But, before all that, there are still things to do! This week we have been doing all those last minute things we should have gotten done over the past 2 months - not that we put things off!
The scooters needed their annual maintenance - check. The truck needs its maintenance - pending!
The blueberries need picking - check, check, and check. It is that time of year - I have the blueberry bug. We went out yesterday and picked 10 pints! All cleaned and frozen. This morning we went out to the far island and picked another few pints. We had to leave as Ken is on his way to the Augusta area. We got all our stuff together and got into the boat just to realize that Mulligan was missing. We called and called. I was convinced a boat I had heard earlier had picked her up and taken her away. We got in the boat and started it - no dog. We slowly went around the island calling - no dog. Ken let me out at the other end and I walked through the island looking for the mighty hunter - no dog. Suddenly Ken yelled out that he could see her. I called and headed toward the voice - no dog. I saw movement and realized I was looking at a black dog - she had been rolling in a mud bath and decided to ignore us. For her punishment I dipped her in the lake and shook the mud out of her before letting her in the boat! But I must say - her hair and skin look fabulous from the mud!
The Winnie is almost packed - of course I said that a month ago! But all my stuff is in there and that's the important thing! Actually things are going well and we should be able to pull this departure off without incident - right!
The other day we decided to take the sailboat out for a spin as the wind was "perfect". Well, it was a great show for the shoreline. We couldn't get going well enough to turn into the larger part of the lake and ended up crashing into the shore down by the Sleepers. We got out and walked the boat down to Boyces' to get a better gust. Upon getting in and trying to take off, we encountered the same situation and crashed into our shore - after laughing so hard we almost fell out of the boat, the neighbor offered to tow us beyond the island - perfect. We had a great last sail and have been nursing our bruises ever since!
One last thing - 31 years ago on this day, I went into the hospital to experience a small miracle - I gave birth to an incredibly beautiful baby girl. At just under 7 pounds with dark eyes and a little dark hair, she changed my life. We named her Gillian... Happy Birthday MD3!

Home to Maine We Go!

Well what a week and weekend it has been. Owen, Gillian and I survived the week in New York City. I took Owen to the Museum of Natural History, Central Park, Hershey, Pret in Manger (strange British company that sells the most wonderful food), Bryant Park, NBC, CBS, Radio City Music Hall, Madison Square Garden, and more, more, more.
Gillian and Owen flew out of NYC on Saturday morning. Friday evening (while Gillian and I were in Chinatown) Bob came in by train from Portland. On Saturday we moved to a different hotel and went to see Mama Mia on Broadway - I cannot even describe how spectacular the play was. That evening we went to see Cirque Fantasy - again, a spectacular performance. What an exhausting day.
Sunday we got up and headed to Yankee Stadium. There are only 30 games left in the Stadium and then it well be torn down after 85 years. The new Stadium is right next door! Anyway, no tickets were available but since we are old and stubborn, we kept asking and ended up inside sitting in Monument Park in the front row - WoW! The Yankees won against the A's and it was a grand day!
That evening we hit Broadway one last time and saw Chicago! Again, WoW! What a terrific weekend, probably never to be repeated. Oh yes, most importantly, Bob got up early Saturday morning and hit the NBC Today Show getting to see and speak with his favorite anchor - Amy (cannot spell her last name). He said something about throwing himself in front of her as she walked by! He has about a dozen pictures of her on the camera! It was a real highlight for him!
Today we got up early, arrived at Penn Station and spent the day on trains coming back to Maine - a great time had by all. Tomorrow we pick up Mulligan and head back to camp. Later.

New York City or Bust!

Well, here I am in New York City with Gillian and Owen! As I have said before, it is a great place to visit, but I don't think I want to live here! We are in a very nice hotel right at Times Square/Theatre District. The lights run 24 hours a day - they now have huge TV screens up all over the place. I am the official baby minder for Owen while Gillian works. We actually started the week out by leaving Maine, spending a day on a road trip through LL Bean and then Kittery. We got into the car and headed for New Jersey where Gillian started out her work week. Owen and I puttzed around the area each of the two days and then we came to NYC by car arranged by KPMG (Gillian's work).
Today Owen and I got outselves together and walked all over the place - we didn't really leave the general area. We hit Macy's, the M & M store, L&T, and several small stores. We ended up walking through the garment district - I saw bead store after bead store. I can only assume the clothes designers run to the bead stores when they decide to bead up their creations - just a guess...
We had lunch at a PAX restaurant - a wholesome food place serving mainly salads. Owen and I both enjoyed it. Then it was back to the hotel for some well deserved naps.
I fully understand why we are intended to have children at a relatively young age - I am having to regain my parenting skills for very young children. Not an easy thing to do I must admit. I am, however, having a wonderful time with Owen. I consider it a fabulous opportunity and we're having a terrific time.
I suppose I really should back up and say what a great time Owen and family had in Maine. Brian had to leave early and Gillian stayed with Owen. He's developed a real love for the water. We went out on the boat and played at the beach and he laughed until he couldn't any more! It was a wonderful time and this is also. I'm sure I can make up for my sleep sometime next week.
Ken/Bob is coming in by train on Friday and we are going to spend a couple of days here checking out the sights and a couple of plays. Later.

Great Fourth of July Weekend!

What a week it has been. Last Monday Gillian, Brian and Owen arrived. We spent a few days kayaking, boating and having fun in general. We also hit Mardens - that's a must when arriving in Maine!

Owen is a busy little boy and keeps everyone on their toes. He met some new friends here, Lily and Lance, and played nicely. Mulligan and Owen got on wonderfully. For the most part, Mulligan stayed out of the way and Owen charged around the camp. On Thursday, after eating out together, they all left and went back to Rockland for a few days. The next morning Ken left for Winthrop in hopes of seeing Kim and the children and all the clan in the area. That means I had the camp to myself - just me and Mulligan. We could have been very, very lazy but instead, I painted around the new windows, cleaned the camp, and hemmed some clothes for Edith.

On Saturday Joshua and Nicole came up from Quincy, MA - I had not seen Josh for a couple of years. I think he is still a growing boy! Nicole looks lovely and is very excited about her new job. It was just terrific seeing both of them and it was so thoughtful of them to drive up so far.

Ken drove back home with Emily and we all had a great Saturday evening and Sunday. We got up and had a big breakfast and all piled into the pontoon boat. After cruising around the lake a little, we hit Robinson's Beach and all ended up swimming in the lake. It was so refreshing!

On the way home, Gillian and Owen were returning to camp and on the way they picked up lunch for all of us. It had been equally as long since Gillian had seen her brother and Joshua and Nicole had not seen Owen - pictures all around. I will try to get some posted.

I consider this a memorable 4th of July weekend and I leave now to go to bed happy and very tired.