These houses, churches, and other scenes were all on back roads. The Big Blueberry was on Rte 1, in blueberry country (which, pretty much, is all of Maine). The scenery changes at every curving turn in the road and neither of us tire of looking at it. Whether it's a bay, a river, a stream, a forest, a meadow from which we expect to see deer or moose any minute, it never gets old.

Today it was a bit cold, but that's a good thing. It just got finished raining tonight and the fog rolled in a couple of hours ago. Looks like it might rain almost every day, off and on, this week, but that's okay. We have plenty of things to do since the rain doesn't stop us from doing anything.

Last night, again, we were awakened by the noisy raccoon (screeching). This morning when we awoke, we saw that the raccoon had scratched out a hunk of the huge picnic table next to the deck. What he was after, I'll never know. The picnic table was pretty wet from all the rain and moisture, so I never heard it going crazy last night.Bob woke me up to show it to me, but by the time I got out of bed and over to the window it was gone.

Today, by the side of the road, Bob saw a turkey vulture and did a Bat turn so I could see it. It was feasting on a road kill--a raccoon, so it let us get pretty close--not close enough for Bob to get a good picture, but close enough for me to study its sad eyes through the binoculars.

When we came home, I had work to do for MH--I'm hoping to finish most of it this week so I can relax a little and exercise more. Today's WOD was 5 rounds of 10 burpees, 10 handstands against the wall, 10 situps and 10 medicine ball walls (or whatever it's called). Something tells me that I have to start doing more repetitions as it seems easier (though I sweat and breathe hard). I don't want to cheat myself.

Last night Sean tried a family SKYPE. Love that kid and all our kids' love of family. Wish we were all closer. I'd love for them to share this cottage with us and enjoy these adventures. Maybe someday!

Friday was a blow-off day. We had to go into town and do laundry. I don't like going to laundramats. It's stressful. First, will there be enough machines in a row for all our clothes (if not, I'm afraid I'll lose track of which machines are ours). Then, when our clothes are finished in the washers, will there be enough dryers for our clothes to dry? If not, what happens if the dryers stop and the owners of the clothes in the dryer don't come in? What is the laundromat etiquette? Do I take those clothes out? What if they're not dry? Do I put in more quarters for drying time? Do I wait and risk being so overcome with RAGE that when the people finally do come in I embarrass myself with some rude comment? UGH! Can I change the channel from "The Price is Right" to one of my soap operas even though there's a little old lady looking at it? If the music coming from the portable CD player is awful, can I change the station, can I lower the volume? Too many decisions, too expensive *$2.75 for each washer and 25 cents per 5 minutes of dry time."
Well, you know that saying about not worrying because what you're worrying about probably won't happen? Yup, you guessed it. There was only one dryer, but when the other dryers stopped, the owners of the clothes in those dryers were right there (they were out in their car) waiting to pull out their clothes or deposit more money. When our clothes were done (4 washers-ful), the dryers were ready. We did not change the channel on the tv because we were too early for General Hospital and we did turn down the volume of the radio--no one complained.

In Maine, there's even a deposit for plastic water bottles. These people know how to take care of their environment. Bob deposited all plastic water bottles, beer bottles, sake bottles, wine bottles (each was worth 5 cents) and asked the man if he can donate the money to a local cause. The man chose ARC (yeah, he probably pocketed the money--but my Bobby baby is a kind soul).

For lunch, we stopped at one of the new restaurants, a little coffee shop, and Bob had (yup!) a cheeseburger and I had a lobster roll (my first since visiting Maine this season). It was very good--we both had iced tea because much to our chagrin, no alcohol was served there. Guess we won't be returning, except maybe for breakfast. We mailed the quilt to Amy and picked up our mail (it required a signature and when it was delivered to the cottage, no one was home).

Dinner was soup for me and chili for Bob. It was cold and damp and raining--in other words, for these two Phoenicians, it was nirvana. Dinner was scrumptious.

That night was a rough one. There was a fight between either skunks or raccoons in our side yard. We couldn't see them, but they were loud and unrelenting. Bob shined a flashlight out the window and they scooted, though later we kept hearing the screaming. Then we had an amazing thunderstorm and a lot of rain. In Phoenix, this would have been pleasurable; here, however, everything is so dark--no street lights (we are on a country road in the woods and on the bay), so it was creepy (and I hadn't taken my Paxil that day so everything was magnified.)

Saturday we woke up late to more rain. I began to work and realized that something had changed in my Elevate. To make a long story short, I thought I had already used by 5 GB, but after two and a half hours on the phone with ATT, I discovered that I hadn't even used one GB. So, I began to work (which is what I am doing now). I worked the rest of the night and Bob made veggie lasagna for dinner. I finally finished the book The Hypnotist, another Scandinavian book--very good, but not like Stieg Larrson's books.

This morning, I completed my WOD (5 rounds for time: 10 situps, 10 kettle bell swings, 10 squats)--12.6 minutes. Suddenly we heard the warning call of the red squirrels. Bob looked outside and lo and behold! a striped skunk: Mephistus mephistus (devil devil). Bob first thought the skunk den was under the deck but now he thinks it is in a wood pile (that I was going to visit for some wood to make a little outdoor table with) on the property.

There are renters in the next cabin (quite a distance a way but not far enough away for Bob), but we're pretty sure that they're only there for a week. They are gone all day anyway. This is probably the only drawback of this cottage.

A shower and now back to work.

There is progress! Bob has finally taken the kayak off the roof of the van. Today was going to be another warm day (relative to usual temps in northern Maine). We awoke at a reasonable hour and after having a couple of cups of coffee, we grabbed the Maine Gazetteer and set out for Winter Harbor, one of our favorite little town on the Schoodick Peninsula.

Low tide from our cottage

In Winter Harbor, we visit an art/crafts gallery every time we come. Again, I ended up buying a "few things" that I will take to our home in Phoenix, that I'll MAKE fit in with my decor. If only we had a trailer--there were a few pieces of furniture I would've loved to have taken home, but, alas and alack, they would not fit. I had a long talk with Roger, the owner of the shop (both art and antique shops) and part of the duo that are greenthumbs excellente--you should see their front yard. Creative, beautiful. Took pictures the last time we were there, will have to find them.

Roger recommended a local restaurant, a coop (not for profit) begun by the town. From the looks of things (and the taste of things), it looks very promising. The building has been occupied by a number of failed businesses, but I'd bet on this one working (as long as they keep the fantastic chef and baker). I had a chicken salad sandwich and lobster bisque. The chicken salad had grapes, homemade mayo and it was on the most delicious homemade rye bread (almost graham crackery in flavor, not consistency) and iced tea. Guess what Bob had--yup--a cheeseburger with bacon. Sigh.....

After lunch we embarked on an adventure doing the Schoodick Loop. There we saw a loon

 the Loon

 the eiders

 Furlong B & B? It's for sale! Wonder what it costs to heat it in the winter.

 One of the scenic views on the Schoodick Peninsula loop.

Another beautiful scene--they're everywhere here!

We spent some time bird-watching (as you can see). We also saw a Lesser Yellow Throat (a type of thrush). We did some rock-climbing. I fell, but thanks to CrossFit, I'm fine. Of course, there was an audience so this old lady was mortified. I got up to climb again!

 Bouldering here, but mostly worked on aid climbing.That's seagull urine, not a rope. I was told I need to do more hang dogging. That means resting on the rope.

.Ready for my lobstah suppah! Another harbor along the Schoodick Peninsula

We found out about a local bar, the "Nautica" about 45 minutes away that has jazz on thursday night and a blues pianist on Monday nights--no cover. We were too beat to try it today (Thurs) and Bob is not a great fan of jazz (however, I tried to convince him that there was more to experience at a place like this than the music). When we passed by, the lot was full.

So, home we went. Tomorrow is another day.

this is the side of the cottage that faces the bay, so we have a few out all of those windows plus the one ones on the deck side and the master bedroom windows.
Gotta go tweeze now.

Today was the laziest day yet. We woke up too early, went back to bed, then woke up around 10 AM. I did some work for MH, tried to tie my hanging bar tighter to the trees so I can do some exercises without killing myself by falling down the cliff.

At 90 degrees today, I really didn't feel like any WOD, but I did 15-12-9-7-5
Kettle ball swings
burpees

3 minutes of step ups
After a walk and a good warmup.

Then it was time for Bob's nap so I did some more work and went out to the netted (mosquitoes were out in force today because there was very little wind) hammock where I devoured a Maine Bird Watching book and a book about hikes in Acadia National Park.

We did see (thanks to Bob's bird feeders) a ruby-throated hummingbird (landed on the line for my hammock), goldfinches, chickadee, and a dark-eyed junco. Bob, the wood overturner extraordinaire, also found a family of red-backed and lead-backed salamanders, and a female with her nest. They guard the eggs until they hatch--the babies are like little tadpoles in their eggs. They are amphibians. We also watched with delight as a red squirrel devised a way to feast at the bird feeder which was hung out far on a tiny branch that barely held the weight of the feeder. Once he found a way, he went through the feeder finding only the sunflower seeds and ate upside down after a springing jump from the trunk opposite the feeder, on the same tree. We also saw an Eastern Chipmunk with full cheeks (almost as fat as mine) feasting on the remains of the squirrels dinner.

The clammers were out again, of course. It is so sad to have to work SO hard. I get depressed every time I see them out there. It's a back-breaking way to make a living.

Lunch was eggs with hash. For dessert, Greek yogurt (fruit not mixed in from the bottom).

I worked on my bar that is hanging from two trees. The last time I used it, the bar slid about two feet and I almost landed on my ass, so until we get it fixed right, without killing the tree or me, I'll try to improve my strength in that area. I'm still trying to think of a way to do some weight lifting, but Bob is too cumbersome and a little over what I could lift at this time in my development as a super-studette (yeah, right!).

Tomorrow, we plan to leave early and explore the Moosehorn National Wildlife Refuge, about 72 miles north of here. I hope Bob gets to see oodles of new species and maybe a moose too. Someday, soon, though, we'll have to waste an evening or afternoon at the laundramat.

if anyone has any ideas for dumbbell substitutes (no jokes here, please), let me know. I tried a tree trunk, but it was quite unwieldy. LOL! That's all, folks!

An Out-of-Cottage Experience

Today we actually left the cottage. It was pretty chilly and a little downcast, but we went to lunch at 44 North, an old haunt. I was kind of shocked--no lobster rolls. There are a few new restaurants in town, so we'll have to try the others, too. We tried the WiFi hotspot outside of the library. Though spotty, it works if I get desperate, or McGraw-Hill does.

I had a clam roll and it was so overflowing with clams that I had to eat them outside of the roll (which is okay, my paleo friends). Yes, they were deepfried. There were a lot of angry drivers on the road, even in these tiny two-street towns, people are in a hurry and are a bit on the road rage side. I don't remember that in other years.

Though there are new stores in Milbridge, there are closed antique places everywhere. People here make us feel like we are in the 1% and that is very depressing. I was having an off day, set off by an angry driver in a red truck, people who look like they could use a decent job, overcast weather (I guess). it also depresses me to see these clammers out there in the cold, bent over for hours twice a day (low tide). I want to go out to help them. I know how to clam. Look for the holes in the mud, dig down below the hole (shells are sharp), and pull it out. A license is required, however, and a clammer (except commercial clammers I think) about a peck a day (12 pounds). When the clams are brought home, they are put into sea water with corn meal. The clams eat the cornmeal and spit out the grindy sand.

Also, the forecast is for an 88-degree day tomorrow, 80 the next two days, and then it drops down to 75, 74, showers, 70, showers, 68. Today, I was so cold when we returned that I actually laid down on the couch with a quilt wrapped around me. We didn't want to close the windows, but we ended up doing that because it got pretty cold. The sound of the wind through the trees was luxurious enough to tape and play on a hot summer's night in Phoenix.

We drove through a little town called Cherryfield (the Blueberry capital of Maine). There were blueberry bushes all over the place. We went into a general store/antique store/crafts store/flea market. The owner had a long white like the ZZ Top people and he was part hick, part philosopher, part town savior. He was trying to save the old train station, offering his huge lawn as a place for them to move the station to while they were refurbishing it. We (Bob and he) had a very interesting conversation about bringing back the passenger railroad to smaller towns across America. However, since the tracks have been torn out in many small towns, it would be an expensive proposition. Someone (many someones) wasn't thinking. The wild flowers were all along the side of the road and the lupines were especially brilliant.

When we were getting ready to return to the cottage, I thought I saw an eagle. Bob pulled over and said, "I think it's an osprey." Well it turned out that we were both right because, suddenly, there was a fight flight between an eagle and, you guessed it, an osprey. By the time Bob got his camera out and his zoom lens on the camera, the birds were too far away. Damnit! (Bob's word, not mine).

Later, Bob went to the only supermarket in town. Very small and a Hannaford at that (my mother's favorite grocery store in Albany, New York). Bob said that the checkout girl was a laid off elementary teacher. When he told me that, I got even more depressed. So, we are having soup or chili for dinner. I'm topping that off with a cup of pomegranate tea before we go to bed.

And the fog rolls in
Tomorrow, it's supposed to be hot. Since there has been a strong breeze every day, I'm hoping that it is not that HOT. If it is, however, I'm sure we'll be off on some adventure as these cottages are not very well insulated (against the cold or the hot). They have not been weatherized and are mostly seasonal. Perhaps it will be a boating day--again, that depends on the wind.
Talk to you tomorrow.

The last two days have been an exercise in relaxation (and settling in). I was surprised at how much "stuff" we brought with us, but I'm sure we will use mostly everything. Yesterday was Sunday, so we knew we'd stick around the cottage. We watched the tide come in and go out. I pulled out the binoculars and watched a bunch of clammers pull up clams and stow them away in their homemade sled baskets. They are clothed in shorts and tshirts with rubber gloves and rain/sea boots. It is backbreaking work, literally and they are there whenever it is low tide. One always wears a blue shirt and the other wears a red shirt, so we've named them Blue and Red. They are usually bent over and they do not use the old clam rakes. Instead they dig their rubber gloved hands into the muck and use their fingers like a sieve. Then they throw the clams into a makeshift chicken wired box on top of a sled. The sled is used to pull their haul ashore across the mud flats. They spend about 5-7 hours out there at a time and we know when the tide is coming in by their absence from the same place they clam every day. Their first shift is at 5 AM and their next shift starts around 2. We are pretty sure, now, that this is their livelihood. Why else would they spend so much time doing this tedious work? I'm sure it's not for a family reunion clam chowder. One of these days, since there are boots in the shed, I'm going to mozey on out there and strike up a short conversation and maybe give it a try for some clams for myself--I know pasta isn't on my diet, but linguine alle vongole sounds great right now.

The temperature has been in the 60's during the day with a beautiful breeze coming off the water, which has kept the mosquitos and black flies at bay. So Bob and I have made the most of the bugless days by spending a lot of the day outside. As soon as the sun sets (an unremarkable sunset says Bob because there is no pollution in the air), it gets pretty chilly and we close all of the windows and might turn on a light. It really doesn't get that dark until around 8:30 or 9PM.

Yesterday, Sunday, we finished moving everything out from the van. We're settled in pretty much now. Bob grilled a couple of steaks and I made a big mixed green salad. I added the one avocado we had gotten at the market in Ellsworth. We had Santa Christina, my favorite Sangiovese wine with dinner. I finished one book and started another. It's a Swedish translation and it is simply written (because of the translation, I'm sure), though the plot is intriguing in the manner of Stieg Larsson. It is called The Hypnotist and so far I am pleased by the unusual format (no spoilers here) and the slowly unraveling, interesting plot. I know I should be working, but there's time for that tomorrow.

We went to bed early (9:30 PM), I to read, Bob to sleep.

This morning, though I awoke at 8:30 AM. The birds were LOUD! The breeze made beautiful music as it blew through the trees, but we had (M) climbing school. Bob had made coffee and had hung up all of his clothes, so he too was settled in (I hung my clothes yesterday). After a couple of cups of coffee, I did my Cross Fit WOD on the deck (my new Cross Fit gym). The branch I had used yesterday for my Hanging L-sits was looking a bit creaky, and we are unable to hang the fitness bar from the doorway because there is no clearance between the top of the door frame and the ceiling. I have found two trees close to each other, near the two hammocks Bob hung yesterday, so that will be hung tomorrow. My WOD was 5 rounds 10 squatting wall balls, 10 situps, 10 pushups in 14.4 minutes. The breeze kept me cool, so I didn't start sweating until I came indoors. Then I showered, got dressed, and went outside to join Bob who was relaxing on a lounge chair facing the water. He had put out all of his bird seed and was waiting to see if anyone would show up while he was out there. We saw a hummingbird, so we'll add a hummingbird feeder to our list of things to pick up in town on our next trip. While Bob lounged next to me, facing the water. I asked him what he was thinking and he answered, "Nothing." I don't think I have ever been quiet and not been thinking about something. One of the things that is different about us--I cannot really ever relax. It seems I need to be doing something and if I'm just sitting, I'm thinking about many things. Today, it was should I get one of my magazines and read? I should be working--should I bring out my computer? maybe I should paint? or find wood to make a little table to put between us out here on the lawn. I should eat after that workout.

So, into the house I went for three magazines, water, and a yogurt. I noticed the care and in-the -moment attention I gave to the magazines. I usually just flip through the pages, look at the pictures, mark pages that I want to go back to in order to read them in depth, and then never look at them again as they pile up in my bedroom or the living room. Today, I'm reading everything, including picture captions and the editor's open letter to the readers, and the letters to the editor about past editions. I am really into these magazines (Martha Stewart's April Living magazine, and April and May's Food Network Magazines). There are so many recipes I want to try, although not many of them are paleo compliant. Oh well--maybe when Antoinette and Heath come.

 Relaxing in back of cottage, by the sea.

Someone's working up an appetite (not me--just a visual)--this is dinner!

On Wednesday, it's supposed to be hot. I really don't know how hot it will get here by the water, but we'll probably throw in the kayaks on that day. I'm looking forward to exploring the islands across the bay if I can get that far. I've tried everything I could to research the sea life in the Back Bay, but I've not been successful. I find it hard to believe that there are no fish, but I've not seen fisherman. I read that most of the sealife is found in the top 1/32nd of an inch of the sand/mud--little seach creatures, clams, crabs, and on top of the water--kelp (which we've seen much of). Bob is wondering if we'll be able to launch the rubber boat with it's little motor, from our beach since there is so much kelp and muck. However, we will have to measure depths in various places during high tide and if not, we can launch it somewhere else. The kayaks, of course, can be launched here. Soft-shell crabs have come in and I think I'll purchase the first of many lobsters this summer tomorrow when we explore town.

Life is good here at the beach and we are happy. Bob's taking a nap (after climbing school) while I catch everyone up on our comings and goings in Maine. Until tomorrow, toodles.

Sorry I haven't written, but I was so tired when we finally arrived at the hotel the last two nights. After leaving Massachusetts, we traveled on Route 1 all the way up the coast of Maine and made a number of stops. One thing I can say about coastal Maine towns is they all have a chiropractor, beauty salons, day spas, nail salons, gift shops, and, of course, many antique shops. Although the coast was chock-a-block of restaurants and food stands barking lobster rolls, I still haven't had my first lobster roll (coming soon complete with a picture).

We stayed mostly in Hampton Inns or Comfort Inns on the way. Most were under 100 dollars including tax. However, when we arrived in Rockland, the Comfort Inn was full and we had to stay in an overpriced Hampton Inn (200 dollars with tax for one night--UGH!). I didn't sleep very well because the bed had a stupid plastic cover on the mattress. The other quilted mattress cover kept slipping underneath me, and the plastic made me sweat (even though the air-conditioner was set at 61 degrees). I did complain to the desk clerk only after she asked me how our stay was. Of course then we found numerous cute (not chains) hotels AAA approved on the way from our over-priced Hampton Inn to the no-vacancy Comfort Inn and beyond that. The only thing good about the Hampton Inn in Rockland was that it was next to an Applebees so dinner was easy--no driving involved.

We stopped in Freeport (of course) and visited a number of outlet stores. We also visited the great LL Bean. What a place (still overpriced). We're still looking at kayaks that are affordable (just tried Craigslist and saw two inflatable Coleman's for 200 dollars). Later we stopped at an antique shop and I bought my first Ironstone pitcher. I have always wanted a collection of Ironstone that I could display in my white kitchen.

This is a Starbucks in Freeport, Maine.

On the way up, we stopped in Bath and did some shopping (mostly window shopping) and had lunch at JR Maxwell and Co. It was a cute restaurant with a nautical theme. I had a reuben and Bob had a cheeseburger (what else?). We both enjoyed a beer (Bob had Shipyard Summer Ale).

The towns we passed through were so charming and the water vistas were breathtaking.

The day before yesterday, we were getting a bit anxious to get to the cottage. We went to an antique place where I finally found my coveted turquoise fiestaware pitcher (the oldest version). During a stop at an outfitter's, we bought  a number of books--a Dover press seashore guide, Maine islands books, a Maine atlas and gazetteer (I wanted to buy a badminton set, but Bob said he wouldn't play--party pooper).

The rest of the trip was full of "Oh we have to stop here on the way back!" because we were ready to get to the cottage. We stopped at a Walmart and bought groceries. Interesting how we were very careful to buy healthy foods. There is also a new beverage center, so we did buy some beer and wine.

Our drive from Ellsworth (the closest thing to civilization) was a familiar one. On the way, we checked to see if there was anything new. There were a few restaurants that weren't here in 2009--that was, believe it or not, exciting. Milbridge, the nearest town, didn't seem to be any different. The cafe was still for sale and 44 was still there. The drive to the cottage was full of anxiety, anticipation, many emotions. Booking a place from a picture is a bit scarey. However, when we arrived, Bob was almost brought to tears by the stunning bay vista and the larger cottage than we anticipated. The first thing we saw were two ospreys diving straight into the water and emerging with fish in their talons. It was awesome. After an inspection of the very cute, much larger cottage than last trip (2009), we began unpacking and organizing things in the cottage. This took a few hours, but then we both sat in the living room admiring the awesome view. There are six windows across the cottage that faces out to the ocean (bay) and one in the corner next to the 6 windows--all showing the beautiful, unobstructed view of the Back Bay. The cottage is surrounded by trees and 3 miles off the main Hwy 1. In the near distance are three islands--tree-covered, but with beaches. Our access to the water is 7 steps down and there are enough trees on the property near the water for our hammocks. The mosquitos are pretty thick, but we are prepared with our super-duper repellant FANS. These are clipped to our shirts and they do a good job of keeping the skeeters away.

Our wonderful hosts left us a bottle of Chilean wines (my favorite), Dubliner Cheese (another favorite), crackers, and a beautiful bouquet of wildflowers. How sweet!

We had a late dinner of Maine red-skinned hot dogs (I know, not too healthy) and hamburgers. Bob cooked, I cleaned up and we went to bed early (around 9).

Today we were up early since the cottage was filled with sunlight and the loud chatter of birds. Bob said there was a guy out clamming at 5AM (I'll have to try that), and he heard gunshots at 2:00 AM (not so happy about that). We had coffee and I gave Bob his father's day gift (two Guinness shirts I had bought for him in Portsmouth NH that he didn't know about--I bought them while he was feeding the parking meter--yet we stlll got a ten-dollar parking ticket!).
So Happy Father's Day to all you fathers out there.

BTW, I have no idea if anyone is actually reading this blog, so I'd appreciate a comment every once in a while. Thanks!

New York to Connecticut to Massachusets to New Hampshire to Maine in TWO DAYS

We left Long Island (and our beautiful Brynnie) at 9 AM. Bob refused to follow the bitch (not me, our GPS lady), who at every turn insisted on sending us on the Long Island Expressway (aka the Long island distressway, the longest parking lot in the US, and the expressway that took the life of Harry Chapin). Bob got us through and across the bridges and over the waterways, without us hitting too much traffic (or New Jersey). Instead, we drove through the beautiful state of Connecticut. I was not aware of the beauty nor the waterways (rivers and ocean) in the great state of Connecticut. We passed through some beautiful little towns and during our excursions on secondary roads, we passed by some very beautiful (and expensive--million-dollar) New England homes.
On our way, remember that Bob was driving, Bob saw an Osprey nest (with babies) on top of a telephone pole.This was one of the many pullovers Bob wanted to make that we couldn't because some car or truck or a bunch of cars and trucks were up our butts!
So, our destination was Mystic Seaport, a village of replica buildings from a whaling village, on Long Island Sound. It was quite picturesque, even though it was a bit gloomy (see picture above) and drizzling. The first thing we did was drop a lot of money in the maritime gift shop (books, house goods, and a pair of pirate pajamas for our beautiful Ana). Then we went into Mystic Seaport, where they were also, coincidentally, restoring the Charles W. Morgan, a whaling ship built in the 1800's. I say coincidentally, because the Charles W. Morgan was the very ship that Bob is building a wooden replica of and we happened to bring it with us to Maine.

 This is the shipyyard. There were many educational exhibits which told about the shipbuilding industry and how wooden ships were built. I was fascinated (no snickering--I really was).

This is a replica of the Charles W. Morgan, built in 1840 in New Bedford, Massachusetts.
And below is our happy Bob, coming up from the below  (lower deck).

 Another view of the coveted homes.

 One of the buildings in Mystic Seaport.

 Across the Long Island Sound--look at those homes. I want one of those.

Mystic Seaport village.

Then we drove through Massachusetts, some secondary roads and some primary roads. It was lovely. We finally landed in northern Massachusetts and bedded down in a Comfort Inn in Marlborough, Massachusetts. We ate dinner at a mall near the hotel, and I, of course, bought a pair of cute crocs (for 20 dollars)

Today, we left at 8:30 AM and headed for the coastal tip of New Hampshire. I never knew there were so many miles of beach in New Hampshire. The state beaches are beautiful and well-maintained. The beach towns have stores for surfers, oenophiles, coffee drinkers, ice cream eaters, hot dog to steak, lobster, and clam lovers. Very quaint and a little bit of the gaudy, but well-maintained.
The beaches are beautiful and we passed one after another on highway 1. Along with that, the stunning houses we passed flabbergasted us and caused even more pullovers for pictures and gawking.

 one of New Hampshire's state beaches

 Anyone who knows seagulls knows how ironic the above picture is (enlarge it so you can see the sign on the trash container below the seagull).

 This shows the state beach with the gorgeous houses across the street.

More beach houses across the street from one of New Hampshire's state beaches.

 a "typical" home

another "typical" home

Those of you who know me, know my affinity for MGs and Austin Healey Sprites. Lo and behold, we round one of the corners on a twisty turny road in New Hampshire and look what I find (and I could've paid for two of these on the spot).

 I thought I had died and gone to heaven.

We drove mostly back roads today because there was just so much to see (Rte. 9 and Rte. 1). We went through New Hampshire and made a stop at Portsmouth (the Main St. pics above) for some coffee and gawking. It is a beautiful New England town with old buildings, brick and wood, and very few chain stores. Here is only some of what we saw (this was before getting a parking ticket for $10 because we were at a 15-minute meter and we didn't know that we couldn't pay for a second 15 minutes).

We were finally in Maine--Kittery to be exact. We took Route 9 and 1 mostly and went through Saco, Wells, Kennebunk, and Kennebunkport--stopping at outlets in Kittery (where there was a buy one get one half off sale--so Bob and I bought a pair of Sketchers). I also went into a Crate and Barrel outlet and wished we had brought a huge trailer with us. The prices were great.
Onward through back streets (because of some detours) past gorgeous homes (MANY for sale--something I think Maine folks do during summers, when the weather is at its best and the dumb tourists come through town--although it could be the high cost of oil heat).

This is York Beach, Maine

This is a house with a little studio right on the stream running through the property

Here was part of what we saw during a hike through the Rachel Carson Refuge, where we saw a turkey, a chipmunk, swimming (not begging) Canadian geese, a swallowtail butterfly and LOTS of poison ivy. I was bitten only 5 times by mosquitos. It was a beautiful refuge named after a conservation pioneer.

See the turkey (again, first spotted by eagle-eye Bob).

A wrong turn in Maine netted us this view (but no chowder).

Tonight, we are in Scarborough, ME. We went to a dinner at a place called Anjon's and I wish I had taken pictures. Who would've thought that we could get as delicious an Italian dinner in Maine as we can get in New York? I had a veal dish with mushrooms, scallions, fontina cheese in a lemony sauce with angel hair pasta; Bob had veal saltimboca with angel hair pasta. We had stuffed bread for an appetizer (we hadn't eaten all day) and for dessert I had creme brule which was wonderful and Bob had spumoni with Claret sauce. Ooh la la! I mean, Mama Mia. Now, I must sleep for we will get up early and spend some time in Portland, Maine. One more night in a motel and we will then be at our summer home on Rays Point Road, on the water outside of Milbridge, Maine.
Sweet dreams from Scarsborough, Maine!

Comfort Inn, Scarborough Maine.