Quintessentially Maine.......

Stonington Harbor on Deer Isle

Having heard that the coastal village of Stonington on Deer Isle was the "quintessential, old Maine Lobstering town", we made the drive to see what it might present. It's true.....and the drive there is just as lovely as the harbor town itself. (If you've read any of Linda Greenlaw's "Lobstermen" books i.e. All Fishermen are Liars, etc, this is her locale and Isle a Haut lies just off the shore)

So....here are a few photos that seem to be "quintessentially Maine" in so many ways!

This is most definitely my idea of an "Ocean View House"!!!.......

A magnificent OceanView House, in Stonington!!

We especially love the dories, tied to most docks, awaiting the arrival of their Captains!......

The Lobstermens' Dories in Stonington Harbor

More dories in Stonington

Even the Post Office is quaint!

Porches and window boxes are two things that have always captured my attention....this one was a favorite.........

This is quintessentially Maine!

Of course, the flowers bloom here like nowhere else.....must be the crisp nights and cool days......

Brilliant blossoms everywhere!

Garden walkway...beautiful Fuchsia!

and the Church steeples tower in each little village, peeking over the horizon to welcome you....

The requisite Maine church, in Blue Hill

This view looking West over the Penobscot Bay towards Searsport, captures the essence of coastal Maine from the byways...it is one of my favorites..........

Penobscot bay, viewed from the road to Stonington

Yet another white clapboard home, with bountiful blooms.................

The side garden of a home in Blue Hill

and just one more windowbox, at Boyce's Motel in Stonington..............

Amazing how the Fuchsia grows in Maine!!

......it just makes you feel alive and refreshed to take in the beauty of this New England area. It is, indeed, a special place......and we are priviledged to share it.

Hugs!!

On Blueberry Hill.....

Yes, more Blueberries.....it seems around every hill as you travel in DownEast Maine, is another blueberry hill and the workers are raking them every day..............

another Blueberry Hill.....

and here are the tiny Maine wild blue berries!

Here we have three pounds of the little blueberries from the Berry Patch!

.....so there's been ample opportunities to stop for blueberries.....if only my freezer were just a little larger, we could transport a few more of them!! August is prime blueberry time here in Maine!

Before we left Searsport Shores, Bob made fresh Blueberry pancakes for breakfast with Jeff and Neal and Ron and Doris........

Bob making fresh Blueberry Pancakes! YUM!

Ron and Doris "Cookie", Jeff and Neal ready for Blueberry Pancakes and Maple Syrup!

Those were mighty tasty with the Maine Maple Syrup on them!!! UmmUmmm good!!! Then we said our goodbyes to Ron and Doris as we would be heading on to Bar Harbor later that day. Neal rode in the MH with us so that a plan could be made for their trip to Martha's Vineyard. Jeff followed in the car, then we spent the day in Bar Harbor eating big bowls of Lobster Stew, Chowder and toasted Lobster Rolls, overlooking Frenchmen's Bay. It was another one of those crystal clear, perfect days that we so love, here on the coast of Maine!! (I neglected to take the camera from the MH....so, Jeff will have to supply the photos from this outing!)

From Bar Harbor, we drove into Acadia National Park and up to Cadillac Mountain for the lovely views of the Porcupine Islands, and to view the spot where the sun first shines on the United States each day. I remember my mom speaking of their trips to Maine, and how they would arise around 4 am (now, I didn't know there was ANOTHER 4:00!:) ), to be at the top of Cadillac Mountain and see the sun as it's first rays fell on the USA. There are photos of she and Dad, with their traveling buddies, Jackie and Robert, and others, there with the dawning sunshine. Many years ago she gave her "travel journal" to me, in which she had detailed notes about their travels. More than once, we have followed their travel path almost exactly and stopped to read her amusing anecdotes along the the way. The small black, three-ring notebook with yellowed and frayed pages is considered one of my "treasures"!

There was also one more trip to Young's Lobster Pound, to eat Lobstah's and steamers yet again....

Waiting on the Lobstah's!

....and this photo is for Darrell.....the view of his hometown, the charming town of Belfast, viewed from across the water, at Young's wharf......................
Searsport is such a lovely spot and it has been a truly pleasant week. Jeff and Neal headed down to Cape Cod and Martha's Vineyard, and we miss them...but we'll meet Norah and Howie up in Hermon for the Lobster Rally.......oh boy...more fun and more Lobstah!
Hugs to everyone!

Lobsters, Blueberries and brilliant blue skies......

Monday found us leaving the River heading North....destination: the coast of Maine....... to eat Lobsters and Blueberries, meet up with Jeff and Neal (River buddies) and Jeff's folks, and to find some cool and refreshing temps! It has been good to find all of these things in the little village of Searsport!

Young's Lobster Pound....a favorite place to eat lobsters!

Sweet, wild Maine Blueberries at the Blueberry Patch!

A visit to Maine means waking to invigorating morning temps laced with balsam fir and sea breezes, picking blueberries on the hills covered with the berry bushes, eating fresh lobsters at the seaside pounds, and just feeling refreshed with the bright and lovely skies.

Looking out over the many vistas around Penobscot Bay, where flowers bloom abundantly and the loons and gulls drift over the water just makes you want to stay forever.....well, maybe not forever, but at least for a while longer.....as long as there is no SNOW in the forecast!!

Cool blue water and refreshing blue skies over the Penobscot Bay

And then there are Lobster Bakes........and the one at Searsport Shores Campground is amazing!We met Jeff and Neal, and Jeff's Mom and Step-Dad, Doris and Ron at Searsport Shores and have been sharing some wicked - good meals! The Lobster bake on Saturday night left us all stuffed full of Lobsters, Mussels, steamers (clams), steamed corn, potatoes, onions, homemade rolls, and even a huge blueberry-peach cobbler cooked in the biggest DutchOven we've ever seen in the hot coals!!

A traditional Maine seaside Lobster bake at Searsport Shores Campground!

The hot fire with lobsters, clams, mussels and corn in wet seaweed under the oil cloth, with potatoes and onions baking alongside.....blueberry cobbler in the Dutch Oven at the edge of the coals!

There have also been several visits to Young's Lobster pound, to select Lobsters, Mussells, and Steamers from their tanks in the pound, and watch them steam the seafood in their huge vats.......

The huge brick steaming vat at Young's!

UmUm...Good...steamed corn with lobsters and butter!


Yum Yum!!!!

Doris, Ron, Molly and Bob in Searsport

Next week we will head up to Bangor to meet Norah and Howie at the Chapter 3 Lobster Rally....mmmm....more lobster and buddies to share them with!!

Tangier Island......

About 12 miles from the shore of Reedville, VA, lies the little Island called Tangier, in the Chesapeake Bay.

Approaching Tangier Island

A visit to Tangier is like taking a step back in time, such is the feel of the island. There is no place else quite like it and we treasure our visits there. To do so, you must drive to Reedville, Va at the very end of Route 360 and take the Chesapeake Breeze (a large ferry boat) over to the Island.
The ferry boat, Chesapeake Breeze

A restored "Buy Boat" in the harbor at Tangier

Recently, it was decided to visit Tangier, along with Norah and Howie and our friends here on Pearson's Island, Pauline, Neal, Jeff and Cameron . So we reserved our golf carts and headed to Reedville! Transportation there is either by foot, bike or golfcart...no cars except for a few older service pickups etc. The streets are really more like tiny lanes, and two golf carts cannot easily pass each other!

We are blessed to have a dear friend who grew up on Tangier Island.... Corey Crockett. His lovely mom, Yvonne met us at the dock!! Grabbing our golf carts she took everyone on the "Tangier Tour" of the tiny Island which is about 1 mile wide and almost 7 miles long, if you include the marshes...without the marsh, I would guess that it is no more that about 2 miles long of "high ground"! Yvonne has lived all of her life on Tangier, but takes the boat every Thursday to Crisfield, Maryland to work until Monday, when she returns by boat to Tangier. Corey grew up there, but left after high school, as most of the youth do, unless they choose to be a waterman, which these days has become most difficult for anyone on the Chespeake.

Scenes of Tangier

Yvonne, Norah, Howie and Molly waiting for our crabs!

On Tangier, a sweet, sort of Cockney English is still spoken and it is easily recognizible to our ears, but often "strangers" cannot understand it. When Corey goes back to Tangier, he lapses into this lovely speech and we struggle to keep up, as he talks with his buddies and the local watermen.

Of course, the main food on Tangier is seafood, and most especially Blue Crabs, so of course we had to eat.......


YUM... Fried Soft Shell Crabs!!

On the Chesapeake Breeze

Yvonne, Corey and Aunt Peg are such wonderful folks! Peg is staying with her son in South Carolina, as she has had some health issues, and we sorely missed seeing her on our visit. We had a great day with Yvonne and soaked up the sweet Tangier spirit that is so soul soothing! It is hard to explain, but you just know the world is good, as you smell the salt air, and watch the children on bikes, buy the recipes clipped to the fences by the Island folks, and just in general, enjoy a slow and calming pace on this little jewel in the Chesapeake Bay.

The way of life here is quite different....there are only about 500 people living on the Island today, and most of them support their families from the water, or by being "watermen".... working crabpots, dredging for oysters, fishing and such. Others leave the Island to work in nearby Crisfield, Maryland, taking a boat daily or weekly and returning to the Island accordingly. It is a good life, but not one for the faint of heart....there are many challenges to living on a tiny island in the middle of the Chesapeake Bay! Others work in the tourist trade, catering to the "strangers" who visit the Island, coming over from Reedville or Crisfield by ferry boat each day to sample the best crabcakes in the world and wonderful homemade corn pudding, Spoon bread and pound cake.

If you travel to Eastern Virginia, give us a call and let's go to Tangier....but we'll pack a bag and stay a few days at the Sunset Inn Bed and Breakfast...this is where Grace first served us those wonderful breakfast treats I call "Tangier Muffins". Little sausages wrapped in a biscuit or croissant pastry, dipped in cinnamon and sugar then baked! Yum....I make these so often and always think about those days on Tangier!

On Sunday, Yvonne came over on the boat to stay with Corey for a few days, so they came by for an evening supper with us.....it's always good to see them and spend a little time just chatting and letting the tide rise or fall!

It's been nice to remember the "Tangier" ways and to re-visit this place we love so much!

"Blue jobs" and sick guys....

For the most part, we follow the usual "pink jobs" for me and "Blue jobs" for Bob routine, however, I've tried to learn most of the "Blue jobs" in case I ever needed to do them. Soooooo.....I have been practicing those "Blue jobs" for the last two weeks as Bob has been pretty sick with one of the worst Upper Respiratory "things" we've ever seen. Yes, indeed I've sure had more practice this week! He's been to the MD twice and they finally decided that he needed an antibiotic, but by then he was really sick. He has been sick since the 4th of July! Gee, I'll be glad when he gets back to his normal self! Nurse Jane Fuzzy Wuzzy likes our normal routine so much better than our "sick" one!

Norah and Howie departed right after the 4th and the kids went back to Maryland....we enjoyed our time with them tremendously! I drove up to Maryland and spent several fun days with Tiff while Scott was away with his Scout troop at camp (he's a Boy Scout leader).

I've also been playing farmer on the Island here.....several neighbors have tiny gardens with flowers, tomatoes and peppers etc, and while they are away during the week, the plants get quite dry if it doesn't rain. So, I try to keep both the vegetables and the flowers watered a little during the week. This usually requires the filling of my watering can, then a ride on the golf cart, to visit the plots, several times. It is a routine I enjoy, and I have almost abandoned my FarmTown farm while I'm watching all the things growing around us.

Wednesday was spent with Kristy's kids...we went to Panera Bread for lunch and then did some shopping and spent the afternoon together. It was good to see them. Friday, I drove Eric and Trey up to Maryland so that they could spend the weekend with Scott and Tiff. I had planned to stay the weekend also, but Bob was still very sick and I began to have a mild version of his "stuff" so I opted to come back to the river. Scott and Tiff had planned lots of "boy" activities for them....hope they're having fun!

We also had a small tornado come quite close to the Island last Sunday in the midst of the worst thunderstorm we've seen here......lots of trees damaged or downed and trash cans and patio furniture blown everywhere. It was an amazing storm....one which I hope we do not see ever again! We were pretty lucky here on the Island and received no major damage, but there was much damage across the creek at Moraticco and up the river also. Lightning hit two pines trees on our lot...sure hope we don't loose them!

So the days are busy just being here....and trying to get Bob recuperated from his awful bout with this illness. I think he's on the way to recovery, but it has sure been a rough couple of weeks for him.

Hope every one is well and enjoying their summer days!