While We Were Away...

The house painting fairy visited! I sort of gave up that it was ever going to be finished and left town. Turns out that is the trick! Just so you can appreciate the look I included a before and after for you. I was able to get out today and plant the flowers in the boxes finally. The porch is not done. I am hoping to get to that later in the week when it suppose to be drier.


Before...

After...

Also while we were away Alexa's tomato plant grew two small green tomatoes! She is very excited. Alexa has a long love of tomatoes (or 'matoes as she calls them). Her Grammie Eva gave her this planter and she couldn't wait to plant in it.

Alexa also learned to pump her swing! Probably only really exciting to mommy who has spent countless hours over the last few years pushing swings.

Here is a before and after of that too.

Before...

After...

Cabbie Flies High

Well folks we did it. A prayer to the car gods got my car in and out in about an hour- thank you oh great and powerful Subaru people. I will say I had other plans for the $300 they charged, but considering I am running on very low sleep due to stress of fretting over my car. I am glad the- oxygen sensor- as it turned out was a quick fix. I was amazed at how quick they were I really expected a long wait given that I had no appointment. They were extremely efficient. So much so that after dropping the key with the desk. I took Alexa in to the bathroom and when I returned they had already driven my car into the garage. This concerned me a bit since the dog was still in the car. I was going to get him out when Alexa needed the bathroom and I was waylayed. The girls and I wandered our way around the building to find the garage only to see our beloved Cabbie dutifully sitting in the car being scratched on the head through the window by strangers. I explained that I was going to get him out of the car when we needed to head to the bathroom first. The mechanic was totally fine with it he said, "Well, I figured it was OK because he didn't bite me or anything, but he wasn't crazy about the lift." Poor Cabbie was hoisted up in the air on the lift! I told him the last thing Cabbie would do is bite someone. Lick, yes, bite, no.

Cabbie's adventures aside the girls and I are home and settling back into our own beds. I will venture back to Maine in about a month to infringe on my family's personal space once again.

Shall we pause for some photo highlights?

Uncle Lewis's boat!

Chloe and Grammie feed the geese, Elmer and Louise.

4th of July Parade where we got to spend time with cousin Annabel- that 4th of July wild child.

Climbing on the rocks around the beach- look at the sibling love and affection! You don't caputure that often people!

A Prayer to the Universe

I am off the island tomorrow to head for home. Yesterday when I was off I noticed that my check engine light was on. Since it was a Saturday and the 4th of July, I had no way to get it checked. I am planning a stop at the Subaru dealer in Ellsworth tomorrow morning. I have no appointment, but I am hoping the car gods will let them check my car. I am also hoping that whatever the problem is can be fixed without too much problem. I have already made back up plans to stay at my sister's house if needed. I am hoping that a public request of car leniency will help things along. Here is hoping-good thoughts everyone!

On a running note I bid the island farewell for a while with a sunset run. I can not tell you how idyllic it was perfect clear skies, a few clouds, and cool temperatures. I covered about 3 1/2 and even had a deer bound across the road in front of me. Close enough that I could hear the hooves pound on the ground through the woods. Awesome.

Everyone Loves a Parade

Being that today is the Fourth of July, the girls and I took the 8:20 ferry off the Island so we could attend the Bar Harbor Fourth of July Parade. I was informed by my sister Cherie about the parade, and it seemed like a fun activity. So, the girls and I met Cherie, Micheal, and Annabel in Bar Harbor. They are fortunate enough to have some friends who own a restaurant along the parade route and had staked out a view spot. They didn't seem to mind that we wormed our way in to their location.

The parade is put on by the Shiners. It is a really well done parade complete, of course, with a lot of small Shriner cars racing about. As a parent I was also thrilled that a lot of the "floats" were tossing candy/ trinkets to the kids and my kids got some! The last parade I took them too was the Mardi Gras parade in Burlington. The competition for the beads is so intense Chloe dissolved into tears. I think all of us involved in that outing were in need of some type of therapy to get over it. So needless to say it is nice when there is enough to go around.

After the parade and lunch we ventured over to the baseball field and checked out the seafood festival. The girls enjoyed the bouncy house. The best fundraiser by far was the car painting. Someone had driven their Chevrolet Cavalier onto a big tarp. The kids each purchased a cup of paint for .50 (complete with use of brush and smock) and went over to paint the car. It was great! The paint was poster paint with dish detergent mixed in and whenever the car got too covered they would bring a soapy rag over and clean a section off. The kids would start all over again. It was a great idea and they were all so into it. It was kind of hypnotic to watch.

I especially enjoyed listening to the announcer describe the "play by play" of the lobster races. They would race four lobsters at a time. Different businesses brought a lobster to race and people placed bets on them. It was hysterical, and it was all done to raise money for the Bar Harbor YWCA. It all had a very homey small town America feel to it.

Adventures in Rock Climbing

One of my favorite pastimes when I am at the beach is to work my way along the shore climbing over the rocks as I go. Maine is known, of course, for its rocky coast line and Cranberry Island is no different. I spent my childhood climbing along these shores. Today the girls and I wandered our way along the beach climbing and investigating as we went. Chloe loves it because we come across tide pools and it is fun to see what the ocean leaves behind on its way out. I was thrilled to get to do something I love and they were having fun too.

I was amazed at how well they did. I actually had to tell them we needed to turn around because I knew they would wear themselves down and not have energy from the way back. Since it was just the three of us I have no way of giving two people piggy back rides all the way home.

We collected some wonderful shells. I took some great pictures that I will put up when we return. Each grouping of rocks we climbed over Alexa would pause, look out over the ocean, and say, "Look at that beautiful view." I was grateful that my flip flops held out since I was not planning on rock climbing when we headed out. All I could picture was me trying to walk back over the barnacles bare foot. Ouch.

Both nights they have been so exhausted by all their outdoor activity; they seem to fall right into bed after dinner and a bath. Tonight I took the dog out after tucking them in- too foggy for a run not sure people can see me. I took Cabbie and went down to the beach. He was so excited to get to the water I let him off leash to see what he would do. I was amazed to see him running along the water's edge and diving at the waves! That water is cold people it numbed my feet in 40 seconds. I could not believe that my wimpy rescue dog from Texas raced up and down that shore diving in it. He was a riot. I had to run along the beach just to keep him in view. he should sleep well tonight too!

Adventures in Island Life

One of our first stops whenever we come to the island is the library. This trip is no different. It was made more urgent by the fact that I forgot to pack any books at all for story time. I usually toss in a couple of paperbacks to get us through the first night, but oops totally missed it this time. So last night we were left to whatever we could locate on Grammie's shelves thus I read sections of the the Atlas of Dog Breeds. They were not thrilled. So off we went pulling the red wagon behind us to visit Ruth the town librarian. We upped her circulation numbers by checking out a pile of books to occupy us during our stay.

Chloe spent over half the day feeding grass to Grammie's pet geese. Grammie got two geese back in May and Chloe has been looking forward to seeing them for months. She is now convinced that she needs some pet geese. Grammie even let her go in the pen this afternoon and the geese were eating right out of her hand! Yes, I did get pictures but I can't download them onto this antique computer. I will add them to out website when I return home for those interested.

Other happenings? Well, we went down to the beach this afternoon and saved some baby shrimp. They aren't really in any danger- until we "save" them that is. Last year we noticed that if you pick up the rocks at low tide you can find baby shrimp seeking refuge under the other rocks. Since my children always arrive here fresh from hours of Dora and Diego saving animals is on their young minds. So they scoop them into shovels, dump them in buckets of water and rush them down to dump them in the ocean. I am not sure this really benefits them at all. In fact I think they now could be in more danger, but hopefully they just scoot down to hide in some new rocks.


Uncle Lewis and Aunt Anita came on for the afternoon and stayed for dinner. We had a nice visit with them. I am glad that the girls get to see so many pieces to their family when we come.

I went for a run after putting the girls to bed. It is a brief moment when I can take advantage of someone else in the house so I can get out to run solo. The only problem is I am staying on an island with a grand total of about 2 miles of paved road. I ran about 3 1/2 tonight after putting the girls to bed before it got too dark (no street lights). I am hoping to cover some distance each night. Possibly getting in as many a six one of these nights (dare to dream). It does get a bit repetitive though.

Our Arrival

This is my second attempt to post an entry. I am using my mother's computer and the first post ended in an error. I have no idea where in cyberland it went, but I am trying again.

We arrived on Cranberry Island. The trip took around eight hours. I stumbled upon a great deal of construction traffic. It has left me pondering some questions such as: do orange traffic vests only come in extra large , or does it just appear that way? Has the Manchu come in to fashion as of late? What does extended time periods of holding a stop/slow sign do to a person? Just a few things that came to mind as I sat staring at people who controlled the speed on my journey with a mere flick of their wrist.

However, arrive we did. Much to the excitement of the girls my Uncle Lewis offered to pick us up in his boat instead of a trip from Manset to Cranberry Island on the ferry. This is a big hit with the girls. Chloe looks forward every year to riding on Uncle Lewis's boat. I think he really enjoys it too as his own Grandchildren are a lot older now. He will keep asking them the whole time if he should go faster leaving them hanging on and giggling. The wind whips across them and they cling on just to stand up, but they love it. Alexa said, "This boat ride is amazingly fun!"

This will likely be the last summer of boat rides with Uncle Lewis. He and my Aunt Anita have been spending the last few summers up here (they live year round in Florida). She has recently been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease and they feel that she will not be up for the trip next summer. We so enjoy getting spend time with them. It will be very sad for us.