2003 Maine Coast Vacation

Spent a good solid week camping out in the Maine woods on the "Quietside of Mount Desert Island" at the end of July. Balsam-scented sea breezes, lighthouse foghorns up close and far off in the distance, couple of lobster dinners, blueberry-flavored Downeast coffee, fresh Maine blueberries, Earl Grey tea alongside evening campfires, hurricane lamp-lit tent walls, cerulean blue sky stretched out above sparkling deep blue sea — and answering the call of the sea by sailing around Southwest Harbor and out into Somes Sound in my 2003 "Hummer." Wow! Vacations really don't get any better than this!

Able to do some biking, exploring, lobstering (!), sight-seeing, prepping "Hummer" (a few finishing coats of paint and adding nautical hardware), resting, reading, writing, talking 'n interacting with a whole lot of folks. Thank You, Lord Jesus, for the grace and favor You gave me with everybody: with Sue McIsaac (campground owner whose hospitality was so gracious), with Charlie Clark (the man who built my boat with some custom oars, taught me a lot about boat-building, sailing and the sea and then helped me launch it), with Linda (a Southwest Harbor shop owner) and her husband John Stanley (a lobsterman who thought it not robbery to take an eager student out into Somes Sound to pull up 20 lobster pots, showing Hep how it's done), with David Mills (lobsterman / tour guide at the Oceanarium and Lobster Hatchery), with Dave the lobster boat builder ("There ain't nothin' here to see," said he. "Nothin' except that beautiful brand new 32' foot fiberglass lobster boat you have they-ah in the shop," said me), with Gene Thurston, the Harbor Master of Southwest Harbor (he allowed me to moor "Hummer" overnight after her maiden voyage. Also, there's Sarah (thanks for the steak portion!), Steven (thanks for your friendship and sharing your boat-building and sailing knowledge), Eric (thanks for your help with my boat — was told that you're also a lobsterman), Emily (thanks for your patience as I gathered my stuff to leave) and a number of others. Pictures may be found here.