How We Spent Our Summer


Hard to believe our summer in Maine is over. A lot of great times with family and friends, along with phenomenal weather and tasty food & drink. Above is my 4th of July fashion statement, sporting an Arabian Keffiya. The pattern on the headdress typically denotes tribal or regional affiliations.  Mine, with the American flag motif, designates my tribe. 

Kicked off the summer with our great friends Rick and Michelle. A little boating in Portland harbor followed by some refreshments at The Porthole


Below is our local whiskey bar “Neat” with its extensive selection of brown liquor and bartender Emily

The lower patio early in the season after some extensive planting

View from “The Lobster Wharf” with the standard meal

Our neighbors up the river. Seal Rock sometimes boasts well over 100 of them

Fathers’ Day weekend

The Eastwind is a local schooner built in Maine and used for tourist excursions



 Brunch at Harborside 1901, one of our favorite restaurants.  Lobster Bloody Mary’s are a must!

Our niece Mack and her dog Poppy out for a boat ride


Below is a replica of the Virginia, the first English ocean-going ship built in the Americas.  It was built at the failed Popham colony, several miles away from Boothbay near the mouth of the Kennebec River.  It was used to return the colonists back to England when the colony was abandoned in 1608.  Had the colony been successful, it would have pre-dated Jamestown as the first permanent English settlement in America. 

More ships from “Windjammer Days 2024” in Boothbay Harbor, ME



Fyfe & Drum corp reenactors



Suprised to encounter this huge wild turkey wandering around at the end of our street

Julie holding her prized summer project (courtesy of Sally Ann Knight) - custom made bracelets with a wide variety of sayings for Chris & Caitlyn’s wedding. 

Our neighbor showing off some patriotic spirit on the 4th of July

Mid-Summer visit to Naragansett, RI to see friends


Maine steamed clams (“steamers”), a staple of my summer diet
   
Foggy sunrise from our porch, one of many

Giant oysters (belongs) fresh from the Damariscotta River near our home. 80% of all farmed oysters in Maine come from this river

A very content summer resident, enjoying a beverage on his boat at sunset

Pre-wedding festivities with our nephew Chris and niece Claire

The wedding of Chris & Caitlyn at our home in East Boothbay, ME.  July 27, 2024




The flowers that I planted provided a nice backdrop. Lucky that I returned from Dubai early to plant them






No wedding would be complete without our nephew Mike dancing “the worm”

Julie’s bracelets were a big hit at the wedding. Some people amassed quite a collection . . . 




Post-wedding syran wrap ball

Taking your dog out Maine style


Sunset over the harbor

Bald Eagle sitting in the tree in front our house. They sit there every day and grab fish. Their polarized vision allows them to see into the water from their perch

Mother seal and her pup

Baby osprey


Lunch at one of our favorite boating destinations - Coveside Restaurant & Marina with our great friends J & Joanne



Dinner with Julie’s cousins

Long weekend in Newport, RI for the wedding of our friends Mark and Lisa. Below is The Newport Tower, the remains of a 17th century windmill which was rumored to be of earlier Viking origin. Carbon 14 dating has since disproven the latter. 




“The Wave” a longtime fixture of downtown Newport created by artist Katharine Worden in 1983



“The Breakers” - summer cottage of Cornelius Vanderbilt II whose family built much of the American railroad system in the 19th century. The house consists of 70 rooms with 138,300 square feet. The building alone occupies a footprint of over one acre. Finished in 1895, it was the largest and most luxurious of the Newport mansions.  At the time, Cornelius Vanderbilt was the richest man in America.

The International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, RI


Our friends Eric and Kathie at the wedding reception at Blithewold Manor in Bristol, RI. Built in 1895 by Pennsylvania coal magnate Augustus Van Winkle.


The newlyweds with the oldyweds 

Nephew Chris putting my guitar to good use

Boothbay Harbor. Nothing special. I just liked the shot

Fire pitting at the house

Our cousins joining us for some lobster


The last massive lobster of the summer - 3.5lbs
$20 bill for perspective



Our friends Glenn & Nicki at Lobster Wharf

Pier One.  Our HQ in the Harbor

Another fave hangout




Comments

  1. Great capsule of your summer!

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  2. Looking forward to next spring when we can start all over again!

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  3. Hopefully get to spend more time with you both next summer! Safe travels! ♥️

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    1. Pete n Kimberly! Oops, forgot to login!

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  4. I liked so so much all the pictures and hope Dubai is not Toooo hot greetings from your family in BELGIUM

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    1. Thanks! You’re logged in as “anonymous” so I’m guessing this is one of 3 or 4 people. Ha Ha!

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    2. From Belgium!!!

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