Greetings to August

Hard to believe but August 1st is tomorrow so the "silly season" is about ready to move into high gear. The island survived (barely) some 400 runners this past weekend plus an extended tour of different island houses plus an extended tour of various artist's studios plus a pancake breakfast at the 5th Maine. I need a nap just listing all the activities and I know I missed some!

Between now and when the kids start to leave for home to get ready for back to school shopping and the actual start of the new school year, the Island moves into warp speed mode so that everyone's check list of things to be accomplished can be completed. It's like a last gasp attempt at perfection. Never has and never will happen but each year people try and drive themselves (and me) crazy. The entire Island just seems to speed up until utter exhaustion sets in and then, almost overnight---they're gone and we get our Island back. There is a definite reason my favorite holiday is Labor Day.

This morning I somehow found myself on the early 7:15 boat; must have been something to do with golf. The light was perfect, the low hanging summer fog was drifting about and everyone seemed to have a cup of coffee in hand. It was perfect. There's nothing like riding this boat swapping tales with friends and managing to catch a few pictures of the early morning beauty of Peaks Island. Enjoy; I sure did.

Just Another Summer's Day

Summer's heat and humidity has descended upon us this week. The days are pretty hot and humid but it seems each day at 1pm, a fresh breeze rises from the southeast to save the day. I had to go uptown this afternoon to do some banking and fortunately the camera was with me. I managed to catch a couple of young girls taking their turn diving off the pier; trust me, screams from the cold water shortly followed!

I returned on the 7:15 boat and the light was pretty interesting. I arrived early for the boat so I wandered out onto the State Pier in Portland to see how the fishing was going and the blues are definitely starting to run. This boat is an interesting one since the rushed and harried commuters are long gone and people are just wandering back from a dinner out. The atmosphere is very relaxed with a lot of book reading and low key chatting going on while waiting for the boat. Enjoy the leisurely pace as we all returned to Peaks.

A July Summer Afternoon

I had to go uptown last night to spend some time with old friends. I was a little early for the boat so lots and lots and lots of kids and their bikes were parked on the end of the dock. Nothing like a dive off the end of the dock into the rather chilly waters of Casco Bay to pass the time of a summer day. I was hoping to catch some pictures of the sunset coming home but unfortunately I was on the 8:15 boat so the shortening of the days didn't leave me enough light to work with. Maybe next time. Enjoy our life in the breakdown lane.

Coming Home on the 7:15 pm Boat

On Friday, Jill and I went uptown on the 3:45 boat. It was absolutely full of young people, many in costumes, headed for events around Portland celebrating the release of the last Harry Potter book. That boat simply levitated toward Portland with the energy level being so high. Both our sons mock me since I've seen none of the movies nor read any of the Harry Potter books; a true Luddite I am. With my love of books though, it was wonderful seeing so many young individuals totally engrossed in and eagerly awaiting the release of a book so they could read; read on kids and afterwards I hope you find other compelling storys to unravel as well.

We had a wonderful dinner with some old friends and returned to the Island on the 7:15 boat. The light at that time of the day is absolutely wonderful to take pictures with. It's sharp, clean and simply highlights the beauty we're so fortunate to live in. I just kept repointing the camera as we approached Peaks so enjoy the results and your weekends. Keep it up Sox!!!

E-Mail Surprise

With so many junk e-mails coming at us every day, it's a wondrous event when something special pops up when you open an e-mail. These pictures showed up yesterday fresh from Hawaii. Ronnie Tiffany Kinder, my brother's daughter, sent me these two wonderful pictures.

The first is of my brother Russ and I sitting atop Mt. Adams in the White Mountains in the summer of 1974. In August, 1973 he and the entire family flew in from Okinawa, courtesy of the Marine Corps, for a wonderful two year stay at the University of Maine where he picked up his Masters Degree in History--well, military history, but what the hell. Still counts!! Of course, the first thing purchased were three snorkel jackets that absolutely buried the faces of Kellie, Rusty and Ronnie. Of course, there is a slight difference in windchill temps between Okinawa and Bangor, Maine!! Many, many camping adventures enveloped the entire family over the next two summers--wow, wonder if I can locate some of those old gems to stir the memories.

The second is of my dad, me and Sean at the ripe old age of 18 months. It was taken Labor Day Weekend, 1972 at Matunuck, Rhode Island. My father built a wondrous camp at Roy Caprenter's Beach in 1948 and many summers were spent there living by the ocean. Of course, if it rained, we young boys had to crawl into our bunks so there was room enough for our parents to move around--the word "tiny" covers it well enough.

No wonder Russ lives by the ocean in Hawaii and I live by the ocean on Peaks Island, Maine. Those ocean roots do run deep---straight from Matunuck to our far flung ocean sites. Many thanks Ronnie for the rush of memories. OK, I'm off in pursuit of some camping pictures!!

A Peaks Summer Day

Well, the Island survived the annual 4th of July onslaught of Flatlanders, visitors, guests, relatives and all their accompanying pets, kids, bikes, kayaks et al. The lines of cars leaving the island on Sunday and Monday were consistently long but somehow, a strong dose of ice cream cones kept everyone in a pretty decent mood.

We're now into the slow descent to the ides of August when the last gasp of energy flows forth before everyone heads back into the coming school year. Right now are the best days of summer- long, warm, humid and downright lazy. The pace slows, the walks tend to meander more and the book pages turn just a little slower. The deck/porch chairs are more occupied in mid day and even the dogs just hang out a little more. These are the lazy days of Summer and it's about time. We all need a break from our hectic lives and this is it.

I enjoyed watching three young boys fishing off a dock late this morning. Enough of the i-pods, computer messaging and cell phone connections; it's time to fish from a dock with your dog close by. Some things never seem to change. I'm just lucky enough to live in a place where that still can be seen and experienced. Enjoy your own summer day!!

A Happy 4th to All

Well, here we are on the eve of another 4th of July. Two gatherings to attend tomorrow and too much eatin' will be goin' on for sure. Somehow we'll all survive, have some laughs, see old friends and gather to watch some fireworks in the evening; hopefully, the weather will allow good times for all.

On Saturday evening, we ventured onto the boat to join our son and daughter-in-law for dinner at a nice local spot buried in South Portland. No tourists, good food and good talk; a fun time. On the boat home I managed a few pictures which I've shared. It is enjoyable watching folks approach Peaks for the 1st time; some very interesting discussions usually take place and the misinformation is always worth a smile.

Enjoy the 4th and share a smile with someone special to you.