Apricot sunsets...

When I dream of summer and warmer weather

I don't crave the 100 degree weather and 95 percent humidity.

I dream of an idyllic summer.

Of warm sun and cool breezes,

Of backyard barbeques, happy smiles,

 watching the tide roll in and out again...

And reflections of apricot sunsets.

Rainbows and leprachauns

Just a few happy memories from our Summer vacation

for a Wordless Wednesday.

Sand Beach

Summer is winding down and school is about to begin,

but we are still holding onto our favorite summer vacation memories.

In Maine most of the beaches are slabs of rock, large boulders or smaller pebbles

but sand is a hard commodity to come by.

The small beach gave the kids plenty of space to run around

and to draw pictures in the sand.

But the water..... 

oooooooh, that was cold!!

Really, really cold!

Like sticking your foot in a bucket of ice water.

But it was addicting and just as soon as we ran out

(yes I even went in up to my knees)

we ran back in.

Julia was the bravest and did a bit of doggie paddling around in the cold, cold water.

BTW... yesterday I introduced you to Thunder,

Now, meet Lightning!

:)

Who said I wanted to be on Survivor?

If you were stranded on a deserted island what three things would you bring?

Questions like that are always hard for me to answer.

(of course being stranded kind of implies that you hadn't intended to be there, so it's not like you packed for the occasion, but we'll ignore that fact for the moment.)

I mean... I could be all practical and bring a multi-tool, some non-perishable food and maybe one of these.

But bedding, some books and chocolate would be nice too.

What if you were only going to be stranded for say... thirteen hours?

Enough time for the tide to come in and go back out again.

I guess I'd want some sunscreen, water, and a snack or two.

Oh... and bug spray.

Fortunately, all this planning and imaginary packing wasn't necessary.

  I got lucky and wasn't actually stranded on this deserted island in Maine,

but it was a close call!

We had heard that this island was a good source of sea glass,

so we got out of bed bright and early
and trekked across the barnacle covered rocks that were uncovered only because the tide was out.

We knew that we had a limited amount of time to explore the island.

We knew the tide would come in, but we didn't realize just how soon!

The girls and I were just over that rocky ridge on the other side of the island,

blissfully unaware of the incoming tide.

(You see, both of my parents and my aunt were also there, so I took on the role of trusting child rather than vigilant parent and I just assumed that someone else was watching the tide.)

Anyhow....  there we were combing the beach in search of sea glass when I heard my mother call,

"We have to go.  We're in trouble!"

The girls and I popped right up and scrambled over the ridge.

I stopped for a moment to find the pathway that we had come across on 

only to realize that the path was now covered with water!

Right away we were all pretty aware that we were going to have to wade across.

No one really questioned it.  We knew that our chance was now or never.

(or 13 hours from now.) 

I had the presence of mind to take the little point and shoot out of my back pocket and stick it in my bra.

 (Yeah... sometimes you just have to go there.)
(and thank God I didn't have the big camera!!)

I grabbed Julia's hand and said, "Let's go!"

 

The current was swift as the tide rolled in

and there was a point when the water was nearly up to my waist.

(which means it was quite a bit higher on Julia!)

 My aunt fell into step on the other side of Julia 

and my dad took on the two older girls.

My mother (who didn't know it at the time, but had a sprained ankle) managed on her own.

Honestly,  I know this sounds all dramatic and horrible, 

but I couldn't stop smiling the whole way across to the other side.

It was an adventure!

One that my aunt kept telling Julia that she would never forget!

I sang "Oh, dear! What can the matter be?" as we crossed the water.

(I don't know... it was the song that popped into my head.)

(shrug)

Once we were safely on the other side, I took the camera out of it's hiding place and snapped a few shots.

We all recovered quickly and didn't even wait until we were totally out of the water before we started combing the beach for more sea glass and other treasures.

Like these pretty little rocks.

(Have I mentioned that I really like rocks?)

And... since our shoes were already soaked,

no one thought twice about wading through tide pools to get to their treasure.

If we had waited any little bit longer to cross back over we would have been swimming 

or trying to hitch a ride on the nearest lobster boat,

or maybe just sitting in what little bit of shade there was fighting off the mosquitoes and eating the few wild raspberries that were left on the bushes while wishing that we had thought to bring water.

Thankfully, that didn't have to happen!

For another perspective on this "adventure" check out my mom's blog here.

Oh, hey... had I mentioned how freakin' cold that water is?!

On my mind... Maine

Outside my window.. It's 6:30am.  The sunrise has already lost it's pink glow (that was here around an hour ago) and is shining bright.  The sun is up early in Maine and so are the lobstermen.  I can hear the boats just outside, circling their buoys and pulling up traps.  Other than that and a few seagull calls, it's pretty quite around here.

I am thinking...  that it has been a wonderful vacation and I'm sad to see it so close to the end, but at the same time, I think it will be nice to sleep in my own bed. 


I am thankful for... well, of course... vacation!  I'm thankful for the many fun things we've been able to do.  (Hiking, swimming, shopping, relaxing!)  I'm also thankful for all of the time that we've been able to spend together as a family and also with my extended family.  (Parents, sister and her family, aunt.)

I'm wearing... I'm still in my PJ's with a light hoodie over top because the windows were left open last night and it's kind of cold in here.

I am remembering...all week I've been remembering my past vacations here in Maine.  I've been vacationing in Maine on and off since I was 13 or 14 years old.  (We're still trying to remember the exact year.)  That's a freakin' 25 years!!  Which seems impossible.  (Now, I haven't been here every year, but I get here as often as possible.)

I am creating...Nothing whatsoever! 

I am going...to look up a recipe for blueberry muffins.  That doesn't necessarily mean that I'll be making them, but I'm considering it.  I have a ton of blueberries left from our blueberry picking last week.  It would be a shame to waste them!


I am reading...Unaccustomed Earth by Jhumpa Lahiri.  It's a compilation of short stories based around Indian families in America and England.  She also wrote The Namesake which was a movie that I really liked.  Put it in your Netflix queue.
I also read Stern Men by Elizabeth Gilbert,  you know,  the person who wrote Eat, Pray, Love.  I kind of hated Eat Pray Love, but really liked Stern Men.  It didn't hurt that it was based in Maine and was marginally about lobstering.  It was a good Maine read.

Song that is playing over and over in my head... No songs right now, unless you count the hoo-ooh-oh-oh-oh that an owl? is singing outside.


I am hoping...that the weather in Virginia will have cooled down just a tad by the time we get home.  I've been enjoying this weather far too much and don't want to go back to 90+ and humidity.


Pondering these words.... "Human nature will not flourish, any more than a potato, if it be planted and replanted, for too long a series of generations, in the same worn-out soil. My children have had other birthplaces, and, so far as their fortunes may be within my control, shall strike their roots into unaccustomed earth."
Nathaniel Hawthorne

From the kitchen...possibly those blueberry muffins and, later, I'm thinking spaghetti. 


Around the house...It's a tiny little cabin and we're all squished in rather close to each other, but I don't mind.  The cabin is a bit cluttered with all of our stuff, but again... it's vacation and I don't mind.   I try to keep it cleaned up and vacuum occasionally, but that doesn't take long at all.  It's nice. 

One of my favorite things...warm days and cool breezes.  Brave children swimming in the cold, COLD water.  Reading in hammocks.  Silly red squirrels that chatter and yell at you.

 A few plans for the rest of the week...Dan and the kids are going kayaking today.  We're heading to my parents cabin for a good view of the meteor shower tonight.  ( There are too many big pine trees in the way here.)  Hunting for sea glass first thing tomorrow morning.  Attending the Lobster Festival on Saturday.  Heading back home with a pit stop in Boston to walk the Freedom Trail, visit the USS Constitution and do lunch at Quincy Market.

A picture I would like to share...  Maine is all about lobster, ice cream and moose.  If only this were on a rocky beach, this picture would be practically everything Maine!

If every day could be just like these...

Today is the fourth day of our 14 day stay in Maine. 

It's been an amazingly relaxing/busy four days.  

There's some kind of time vortex here that makes all the days seem so long and so full and yet so relaxing as well. 

I feel like I finally got the summer that I had hoped for (no more of those oppressive 100 degree and humid days.)

I've had a few moments to crack open the laptop and lurk around a couple of blogs. 
(I am thinking of you all.)

Here are just a few random photos that I wanted to share
and...
while I'm at it, I'll make this my You Capture post.
This week's theme is Summer and I think I've pretty much got that covered!

Summer means vacation
and, for me, the best vacation is right here in Maine.

and...
Maine means lobster boats

Waves splashing on the rocks

Family feasts

of Lobster

and marshmallows for desert

Maine also means blueberries

and, hopefully, picking more than you eat!