Wake Up and Smell the Coffee

My two favorite bloggers have reminded me this week of the importance of simple joys and big dreams.

Simple joys for me include frequent e-mail exchanges with those I love and care about deeply, a long-long-distance phone call (hurrah for unlimited long distance!) from our daughter and her husband in British Columbia, a text message on my telephone
sometimes even with a picture of our grandsons, caller I.D. (yippee, it's Lee!), the sweet anticipation of a trip to Corning, snuggling with Dean, sharing books and field trips galore with Graham, visits from family and friends, and when distance separates, a web-cam visit with any/all of the above loved ones.

And then there are the very, very simple joys and they're often some of the sweetest -- getting up early when the house is quiet, a full pot of steaming coffee, a good book, classical music playing sweet and low, finding a piece of smooth glass at Seawall, spotting a heron in the still water, rughooking around a table with my best friends, beautiful yarn, the promise of beautiful patterns waiting to be knit up, hand-dyed wool waiting to be hooked into a rug, kayaking on quiet water, the view from a mountaintop in Acadia, singing in a choir that makes a glorious sound altogether, making a new friend, camping near a babbling brook in the woods, fog rolling in across the harbor, a new roll of stamps, and mail in our P.O. box.

Yup, simple.


The big dreams --- that's a taller order for me. Should I be dreaming at age 55? Sure. I dream of travel --New Zealand, the Canadian Rockies (of course, we'll be heading to Vancouver, BC!), the Canadian maritimes, Newfoundland and Labrador, and many places in Europe. I dream of learning to spin wool again. And maybe playing the hammered dulcimer or my harp again.


I dream of growing old with the man I love, Al.








I dream of reconciliation -- oh, wait!
That's a dream come true already!


And it occurs to me that we all have very different dreams. My dreams aren't the same as yours, and you certainly have dreams that I don't ponder either.

But that's O.K. Want a cup of hot coffee?

Ike, Ike, Bo, Bike...

I've never lived anywhere where I felt compelled to exercise out-of-doors. Until now.

On Monday afternoon, after putting in a nearly-full-day of work (I started my workday really early), Al and I hung our bikes on the back of the car and off we went into the park. We hadn't ridden our bikes in at least a couple of weeks; we were long overdue. And, thanks to Hurricane Ike, it felt like (it should have in) early August --- quite warm, clear, and abundant sunshine. And breezes. Lots and lots of breezes. Apparently other northerly parts of our state were experiencing Ike's rain and other inclement yuck, but we were very lucky! You see, we haven't had all THAT much sun and blue sky this summer --- so Monday was just a plum. A lucky break. A bonus day to celebrate my recent weight loss efforts (still losing, still losing) on my trusty bike on the beautiful, recently-repaired carriage roads of Acadia National Park.

Hurricane Hanna hadn't been nearly as kind to us. She dumped 7-1/2 inches of rain in ONE night! We had road washouts all over the island, and Acadia NP took it in the chin with about $300,000 of damage, mostly on the carriage roads. The crews have been out for more than a week, rebuilding closed roads, and doing the final dressing to make Rockefeller's roads beautiful and inviting for the fall tours.

We parked our car at the Eagle Lake parking lot, a favorite starting place for cyclists. You see, you can start from this one spot and ride in either direction onto miles and miles of the park. We opted to take a northerly route; we hadn't ridden by Witches' Hole or Paradise Point yet this year.

Our first stop was here. Just magnificent. And the lily pads were like little silver-golden mirrors. I fully expected to see a little frog peering into one of the miniature magical mirrors, perhaps checking that all of its wart were in place.


As we continued on up the hilly carriage road, I looked up catch a glimpse of not one, but TWO pileated woodpeckers flying from one side of the road to the other. Have you ever seen one? They're HUGE and they look like this -- yup, just like Woody Woodpecker. I remember seeing one years ago with my sister, Lee, when she visited us in NH. These birds are huge...about 18 inches...and LOUD when they drill holes in trees with their long beak. You can often hear them deep in the woods but they can be hard to spot. Another bonus.

We rode on a bit farther and saw this. Now, tell me. Wouldn't you pedal up a hill for a few minutes, challenging yourself NOT to stop until you reach the summit, to see this? I never get tired of seeing the bright blue sky against the bright blue ocean framed by tall pines. Ah. Can't help but take a big, deep breath.





So, just as we're hopping back on our bikes, Al spots this little guy. Cute, huh? He was having some kind of encounter with an acorn -- we couldn't tell if he was trying to push it out of the way or just work his way around it. It's amazing how brave I can be when there's a big ol' bike between me and one of these slithering passers-by. Actually, I set my bike up on its kickstand and tiptoed closer to get this picture. So brave.



Just then. . . I quietly spotted this.

Whoa! Psss, Al! HEY, AL!

Look! It's a . . . a . . . RED LEAF!!

Yup. It's comin' --- Fall. In case you didn't know, Al loves the summer -- it's his favorite season by far. The hotter and more oppressive the better in Al's world. Now me? I'm a FALL girl! I'm ALL about the cool mornings, the crisp, clean air, and have never been able to decide which color leaves are my favorite -- I love them ALL!



We pedaled on, coasted, and before long, we had the chance to compare two incredible architectural feats -- First this one . . . yup, made by those little guys with the big flat tails and long front teeth.




But then, just another mile or so down the road, we saw one of these. Wow. Mr. Rockefeller sure had some vision.

I can't help but gaze upon these beautiful granite bridges and dreamily wonder about those
who wandered on these carriage roads decades ago. Maybe a young woman with a wide-brimmed straw hat and a parasol?

Or maybe a handsome young man pedaling on his bike.

Maybe like this fellow.

Gee, he looks familiar . . .

Hey! Snap out of it!

It's time to push on into Bar Harbor to visit our favorite spot --- that blueberry basil sorbet is calling my name! RACE YA!

A Season for the Birds

I've become an avid birdwatcher over the last few years. I don't remember how or exactly when I first became hooked on the webcams sponsored by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, but the website is some of the most compelling viewing I've ever experienced. Another favorite site is Project Puffin and the Seabird Restoration project. The "Puffin Watch" -- a remote webcam on Seal Island National Wildlife Refuge during the summer months -- provides exquisite views of the doll-baby birds.

This year on the webcams, I've witnessed egg-laying, incubation (by both mamas and papas), hatching, brooding, incredibly rapid growth of hatchlings, and finally, the fledging of the young'uns. We've watched gorgeous barn owls in TX and CA, wood ducks in several states, Northern cardinals in NY, and seabirds on the coast of Alaska. Hands down, it beats any Academy Award movie or Emmy-winning television show I've ever seen! Did you know that ducklings fledge within 24 hours of hatching? Talk about a "leap of faith!" It's a privilege to witness nature at work.

Last January, Al built me two nesting boxes for my garden and put a webcam in one of them. He hooked it up with a long cable to our television. We were able to witness, firsthand (well, nearly!), the Chickadee family. The drama of Mama C incubating those eggs and watching them hatch (complete with sound!) was incredible. Seven little hatchlings sprouted pinfeathers within a few days. And did YOU know that a Mama bird keeps the nest impeccable by removing a fecal sac from the hatchlings one at a time from the nest all day? I was a bit horrified the first time I saw it, but came to understand quickly (thanks, Anne!) that it's nature's "disposable diaper" system and it works great! It keeps the hatchlings safer from predators when the nest is kept shiny clean. The little ones fledged while we were away -- while heartwarming, it was a little sad to return home to an empty nest.

We keep our seed feeders out all year. When we moved to Maine, we set up several tube feeders as well as two hummingbird feeders. It's such fun to get up early in the morning and see as many as four or five different kinds of birds vying for a primo spot on the feeder; we regularly see mourning doves, blue jays, chickadees, juncos, goldfinches, house finches, and titmice. The jays and mourning doves have huge appetites and are pretty successful at pushing away the smaller birds, but at day's end, everyone seems to have his his/her fill.

Mt. Desert Island is a great spot to see birds of all kinds. When we kayak in nearby ponds, lakes, and estuaries, our feathered friends (including osprey, eagles, loon, herons, cormorants, and egrets) often greet us (or surprise us!). There are several wildlife sanctuaries in the area that we'll visit this fall and winter. Our shiny snowshoes will take us into the quiet woods. Can't wait . . .

Time to feed the birds! Hope you'll consider joining (it's free!) the Cornell webcam system and visiting the Puffins. We can all learn so much from the birds.

Five days was just too short!

One of the best parts of our adult lives is the opportunity to grow in relationship with our siblings--as adults. I'm blessed with three terrific sisters and a wonderful brother. Richard, and his wife, Carol, recently came from Maryland to spend five days with us in Maine as part of their two week Maine vacation. They hope to retire here in the not-too-distant future (or sooner, we hope!). We thoroughly enjoyed our time together but it was MUCH too short.


We planned our week's activities through a series of e-mails and phone calls earlier in the summer. I'm a firm believer in "the anticipation" being every bit as an important part as the vacation experience itself. Richard and I talked about going fishing together; I encouraged Carol to bring some watercolor supplies (she's a very talented artist!). Al and I had made reservations several months ago for a special kayak outing --- we hoped Richard and Carol would be willing to join us! AND THEY WERE!


The kayak journey on Northeast Creek, the largest estuary on Mt. Desert Island, was offered by the Maine Coast Heritage Trust. We knew it would be a somewhat ambitious paddle for all of us --nearly 3 hours in all--but the promise of the tranquility was just too enticing. The Creek was just amazing --- much of it lined with wild cranberries (we'll be going back soon to harvest some) and otter slides.

The weather began a bit sunnier than predicted. We paddled back into the estuary about two miles --- but the dark clouds moved in, and on our way back out, the skies opened up! None of us could remember ever being so wet while clothed, but it sure made for some great laughs and some fast, fast paddling.



Another day, we (barely!) made it to the Blue Hill Outlook on Cadillac Mountain for sunset. And, just like clockwork, all the tourists started applauding just as the sun finished setting. It was a great time to catch some special pictures so that we wouldn't forget our week together. (Sorry the photo is kinda dark.)


Later in the week, our outing to Schoodic Point was idyllic --- the chance to spend a warm, sunny day in the splendor of this most SPECIAL part of Acadia National Park is always a special treat!

We took a drive to the top of the highest hill on the point, and then hiked up to catch some fabulous views of Petit Manan, the rocky island home of thousands of seabirds.

Yes, we had some fun remembering favorite childhood times---- Richard reminded me of how he'd make that old wooden bridge bend on the way to Nanny and Pop-pop's. As hard as he tried, this "bridge" on the hiking trail just wouldn't budge -- too strong!



Once out on the point itself, Carol painted . . . (see her there in the red cap?) . . .


while Richard napped on a warm rock.








Amazing how comfy one can look on a rock, eh??

Al and I sat quietly together to work on a couple of crossword puzzles (while we weren't sneaking pictures of Carol and Richard).




Then we drove to Corea, saw a few more osprey nests, beautiful seaside homes, and too many lobster buoys to count. We returned to Winter Harbor for a delicious lobster dinner.

After dinner we wandered into an art gallery and met a delightful artist. Carol was thrilled to know that there will be many opportunities to pursue her art here in Maine.

We were treated to another amazing sunset on the way home and caught just the tail-end of it with our cameras. Isn't it magical?


Those are just the highlights of our five quick days together. We're so glad that you came to see us, Carol and Richard. We can't wait for you to live nearby --- we'll have the kayaks ready!

Field-Tripping with Graham!

(Note: Thanks for your patience! I know I'm behind with posts --- another will be up within the next day or two about our fabulous recent visit from my brother, Richard, and sister-in-law, Carol.)

Al and I spent last week visiting our son, Mike, our daughter-in-law, Laurelyn, and our two grandsons, Graham (nearly 3), and Dean (nearly 6 months old).

For the second year in a row, we volunteered to help out during Band Camp week by trying to entertain Graham all week. And what a fabulous week we had!

I had to work four half-days so it cut into our "field trip" time a bit, but Grandpa more than made up for it with plenty of time for reading books, tricycle riding (Graham learned how to do a 3-point turn!), reading books, picking lots of wildflowers for Mama, reading books, playing with trains, reading books, playing in the sandbox, and ....oh, yeah, READING BOOKS!

Honestly, I bet we read more than a hundred books to Graham this week! It's more and more fun now that he asks a bazillion questions about everything on every page -- and he usually remembers what you tell him so that next time through the same book, he's got even more to tell you.

So. Our field trips. Monday - blueberry picking and a small farm. The blueberries were wonderful and you can just guess who was on "quality control" patrol. :) The farm was in Chemung and boasted an assortment of turkeys, ducks, pygmy goats, emus, llamas, and Graham's favorite -- miniature ponies.


On Tuesday, we made a delicious picnic lunch and spent several hours at Pinnacle State Park, just ten minutes up the road. Graham was particularly proud of putting our chosen picnic blanket in the car, and once at the park, spreading it out in just the right spot. We practiced our swinging skills and Graham couldn't get enough pushes -- "Swing me higher! Swing me faster!" After we ate and had a few more swings and a few runs down the slide, off we headed for home.

Wednesday was a special visit to a beautiful farm owned by a family that Mike and Laurelyn know from school --- Margie and Bill welcomed us warmly and Graham got to feed green beans to the pigs and grain to the goats, pet the barn kittens, collect an egg from the chicken's nest, peek at baby bluebirds in a nesting box, and pick his own corn for our dinner that night! Wow -- all of that and we were invited inside and treated to some cool lemonade. It was especially wonderful to hear what a huge difference Laurelyn and Mike have made in the lives of this couple's teenaged kids -- you just never get tired of hearing those kinds of things!

After we dropped Grandpa back at the house so he could start making dinner, I took Graham back (at his insistence!) to the Pinnacle State Park. He was eager to go back on the swings -- and something clicked! He is now able to pump his legs in just the right rhythm to keep his swing going for quite a while. What a proud little guy!

With a rainy day forecast on Thursday, we decided to forgo a visit to the Binghamton Zoo (there will always be other times to go) and visit the Sciencenter in Ithaca. On our way out of Addison, we stopped briefly at the elementary school playground --- more swings, a slide with big bumps, and a delightful "talking pipe" where you can whisper "I love you, Grandpa!" and Grandpa can hear you at the other end some 20 feet away.

The Sciencenter was quite busy but it's a fabulous place and there's plenty for everyone to see and do. Graham's favorites this visit were the newly-completed rope jungle gym, the water table, and kid-watching --- yup, he's a sucker for watching others kids to study what they're doing. After the Sciencenter, we went to the Moosewood Restaurant for dinner - Yummy!

Friday night was a long-anticipated ride on the "Ice Cream Express," a 22-mile train ride on the Tioga Central Railroad in Wellsboro, Pennsylvania --- all run by volunteers! What fun! The conductor took our tickets, we enjoyed ice cream in the dining car, rode on the open-air car (Graham's favorite!), and completed our ride in the parlor car on cushy red seats.On Saturday afternoon, having missed out on some time with Graham this week while I had to work, I made up for it with a "three-in-one" afternoon --- we visited a neighbor to buy some maple syrup and got a tour of the sugar shack (this fellow taps 1400 trees on his property); then we visited a small alpaca farm where Graham helped me to choose some fleece to take back to Maine to spin -- we were able to see the two newest crias (born this spring) and pat Sargeant York! Finally, we visited a wonderful Amish farmstand where we loaded up on peaches and apples. Yum!

And does this little guy EAT! He must be going through a tremendous growth spurt because all week, even soon after a meal was finished (and I'm talking mere minutes later!), he'd call out, "I 'till hungry! I 'till hungry!" We kept a ready supply of fruit and granola bars handy but we're pretty sure he'll be moving up to another size before long -- he's so much taller than when we last saw him in June.

Of course Saturday gave us plenty of opportunity to visit with baby Dean! He's developing so quickly, is constantly on the move, and is still the MOST smiley baby EVER!

Can't wait until Dean can go field-tripping with us, too!

Hiking 101

For those of you who haven't had a chance to hike in Acadia National Park yet, here's a primer to help you to get started. Perhaps watching all of those well-toned and super-human Olympic competitors has inspired you to get more active.
Let's go . . .

First, choose your hike wisely. Consider what else you have planned for the day and more importantly, know your limits. Yesterday was a gloriously sunshiny day here --- we had our usual exercise class at the gym in the morning, followed by a half-hour "Strengthen Your Core" class (better known as 'How Badly Can the Trainer Hurt Us?"). We had also been invited to a friend's home for dinner, so we had to plan enough time after our hike to get back home, shower, and dress for dinner. Knowing we wanted to hike in the afternoon, we hurried home from the gym, grabbed lunch, and took care of a couple of things we needed to do before heading out.

While eating lunch, I perused the "A Walk in the Park" hiking guide. It's one of many such guides but the one we use the most (it's out of print now, but might be available through used book distributors). I happen to be the kind of hiker who likes to know what we're in for. I carefully read and re-read Tom St. Germain's nearly-poetic descriptions of several hikes, and gauging how much time we had for our hike yesterday, I suggested to Al that we hike Penobscot Mountain. He agreed enthusiastically! It has what many consider to be the best views in the park.

Bring lots of water. Even when it's somewhat cool and cloudy, it's essential to bring several Nalgene bottles filled with fresh water. It's amazing how much you sweat while you hike. You certainly don't want to take a chance with even approaching dehydration --- NOT good! While hiking, don't wait until you're thirsty. It's better to plan for rest stops and water breaks all along your way.

Sturdy footwear is essential. I know firsthand what can happen when you hike in Tevas (i.e., broken ankle in '98, ranger rescue, surgery, blah, blah, blah). It's all too easy to roll an ankle or skid on fine sand while crossing a boulder with a precipitous pitch. Nonetheless, it's unbelievable what we've seen adults and children hiking in -- everything from flip-flops, bare feet, and my personal favorite, high heels.

Bring a map and know how to read it. We tend to bring both the hiking guide (which has maps for each hike) as well as a fabulous topographic map that Al always carries with him. Many people who hike in Acadia think that since it's such a small park (relatively speaking) that they don't really need to hike with a map. We met a family yesterday who really had no idea where they were; they knew enough to ask for help, but come on, people! Be smart!

Hike with a partner and/or let someone know where you're hiking. Of course, my favorite hiking partner is Al! He's a great encourager especially when I get a bit edgy (pun intended) on a trail.

Enjoy every accomplishment. It can be quite a rush to make it successfully through a challenging hike. I've learned to think about a hike as many "mini-hikes" strung together. Sometimes I count to myself while hiking. How high can I count before I stop for my next break? Or I set small goals by looking at what's ahead. Can I make it to that next cairn before stopping for more water? Of course, we always bring our cameras along to capture breath-taking views. Al's great about offering to take a picture of me doing something I wasn't sure I could. Like this . . .


Pay attention to those trail markers. Colored marks lead you along each trail in Acadia. Many national parks use different colors for different trails that overlap or that begin from the same spot; all of Acadia's trail marks are blue. See? There are also rock cairns on many trails; they are carefully placed piles of rocks that mark the trail and were put there either by those who constructed the trails or by those in the Park Service who maintain them.

Here is one of the cairns found along the trail to the top of Penobscot. These are particularly Zen. (And please don't create new cairns when you hike; moving rocks can cause trail erosion, and misplaced cairns can distract and confuse hikers.) Is this beautiful?





Enjoy the view! No matter how many times we hike the same trails in Acadia, every outing brings thrilling views. There is something magical where the mountains meet the ocean . . .



Allow plenty of energy and time for your descent. Don't wait until you're exhausted to make your return trip down the mountain. It's too easy to stumble when you're tired and careful footing going back down the hill is essential. My knees can become pretty wobbly if I've pushed too hard on the ascent. Consider using two walking sticks (ski-poles work great!) for your descent; they can really take the stress off of your knees.

And finally, pay attention or you'll miss something really wonderful! Hiking affords us the opportunity to slow down and notice the little things -- angelically draped spiderwebs, miniature stands of wildflowers, and unassuming creatures who are eager to move aside to let us pass. We spotted this pretty little cluster of Pinesap on our descent from Penobscot.


And this little guy slithered by near the end of the trail to wish us a good day! Can you see him? He's easy to miss!

Hope you've enjoyed Hiking 101. Find a trail near you, and invite someone to accompany you. Better yet, come visit Acadia National Park. Hope to see you on the trails!