thefouramigosblog

It was a wonderful weekend at Camp McWade with all the kids and grandkids. Alyse arrived Thursday night with Landon and Wyatt and a few hours later Bethany and Jay arrived with Molly and Ashlynn.

Friday was a hot day and we all enjoyed time swimming in Sheepscot Pond. The kids made cocoa out of dirt which seemed to keep them busy.

Then Landon jumped off the end of the dock and he was very proud of himself as was I.

Ashlynn jumped from the side without a life jacket. She made quite a splash.

Pop pop floated on a pizza with his grandsons. This was very special for him since he doesn’t get to spend as much time with the grandkids as he would like.

Later on everyone hooked up to keep themselves cool. This is so unusual for Maine but temperatures were in the 90s.

The grandkids spent some time making slime. This seems to be a big thing for the young today. And this stuff was special. It glowed in the dark. We spent a lot of time crawling under beds or going into closets to see it glow.

Bruce took Landon out for a kayak ride. I’m not sure how well that went since it’s really a one man kayak and Landon is getting big.

We had so many smiling faces this weekend.

For dinner we headed to Young’s Lobster Pound. The children had sandwiches but Molly tried one of my little lobster legs.

This was my eighth lobster. It has been wonderful.

We all chowed down and enjoyed the lobster. I knew this would be my last until next year.

After dinner we headed over to the Celtic Festival in Belfast. Molly lead the others in rolling down the hills.

Some other kids came over and joined in the fun.

It was a great day and when we got back to Camp McWade, Colin had arrived.

On Saturday the weather was brutally hot. We all were down by the lake before 10am.

A family of loons swam by the dock – I think a mother and father and baby – they came in very close which is quite unusual. I love the sound of loons. It’s a haunting melody. But when I hear it, it always reminds me of Maine.

Bruce’s niece, Kristi, her husband Nate and their four children arrived late morning. Ryan and Amy came around noon. Everyone was swimming and Colin brought a big couch to pull behind a boat called, Big Mabel. Everyone had fun with that.

It was a perfect day to spend on the lake. The weather was so hot but the lake was so refreshing. The adult cousins were able to hang out together as the children played around them.

The older children watched out for the younger ones.

I was able to gather everyone for a 2019 Dunbar Family Reunion photo. It worked out well.

It was a great time and fun for all!

Sunday was more lake fun because it was still pretty hot. We started the day by the water.

We tie dyed t shirts in the afternoon. Everyone had a bit of fun and creativity doing this.

We had ice cream at Johns for dinner and then pizza from Tobey’s afterwards. All was good. Molly had banana.

Alyse said she couldn’t resist having strawberry rhubarb since Johns is the only place to get it.

And the children had chocolate.

We went for a boat ride afterwards. It was a lovely evening and there was a cooler breeze.

Bruce sat in the front of the boat and all his grandchildren gathered around him. All of this was very special for him.

I love the reflections on the lake especially at this time of day. There’s a vibrant feel to it an the colors reflecting on the water are very vivid.

When we woke the next morning Molly had made decorations and had the other ones help decorate to celebrate PopPops birthday which will be in August. They surprised him with a sign and noise makers.

I also set up the camera for a picture with our tie dyed shirts.

And then one of Bruce with the grandkids.

Bruce and I left early Monday morning. Landon drove to Connecticut with us. We stopped at McDonald’s for chicken nuggets and then Dunkin Donuts. I’m going to have to get back on track with eating right when I get home.

I had a free night at Foxwoods. Also free dinner at Juniors. We shared a cheesecake. Bruce and I had a lot of fun and won a bit.

The rest of the trip is long and we will be home Wednesday night. It has been a wonderful vacation with great memories. We loved our moments together and with family. We also loved the fact that we missed some of the terrible heat in South Carolina. But I’m glad to be going home even though it’s only for a short stay!

As we drove around through the mid-coast of Maine, we came across some beautiful homes, some rundown farms and some abandoned buildings.

This is one of those lovely homes well tended. Flowers grow so well in the north due to the great soil and rain.

This is a typical farmhouse. The roof has been replaced with a metal roof and some work has been done on it. But the harsh weather is harsh on a house.

Being here in summer, it’s hard to imagine life in Maine in the dead of Winter. The days are short with sundown roughly around 4pm. The air has a chill that if you have never been brave enough to venture this far north, it’s hard to imagine. The cold cuts through the layers of clothing leaving the skin reddened and dry. But for the Maine native, they love this life and can’t imagine anywhere but here.

A few homes in Camden which probably once were single residences have been turned into Inns.

Even the little post office is in a quaint building. This is in Owls Head near a Lighthouse in a very small community.

These old barns were built with stone foundations. The siding was worn but the foundation was still solid.

We took a walk across the Two Cent Bridge in Winslow, Maine. It was at a lovely harbor park. The bridge was built in 1903 but in 1990 it was severely damaged and was closed for several years. In 2012 the bridge was restored and cables, walkways and grates replaced for pedestrian use.

We also took a short hike on the Kennebec River. It was a nice hike through some grasslands.

We had a nice lunch at Governors. Bruce had a haddock sandwich and I had chicken salad.

I write about our adventures and I always include the food. Eating on vacation is something to give thought to, to spend time eating local flavors. Bruce lives haddock sandwiches in Maine. If you are not into lobster, haddock is another Maine dish.

This blog is supposed to be about houses and buildings too. So more on some lovely houses.

And of course the most dilapidated house we saw.

But it probably was a beauty at one time. I love the old houses with front porches.

But this seems more the typical Maine style.

Some factories appeared closed. I’m pretty sure the Maine economy runs on tourism and lobsters since the paper mills have long since closed.

It’s wonderful looking at all the lovely homes in the New England styles.

This house definitely needs a new roof.

And this house I believe is new but designed in the old style.

Today we found a great little restaurant in Rockland where I had lobster number eight.

Bruce had the biggest Whoopie pie ever tonight which he bought yesterday at Big Gs in Winslow.

He said it was delicious. Oh boy, I think we are going to miss all this lobster and Whoopie pies. And I can’t forget John’s ice cream. This week I had a pint of praline caramel. And yes, it was as good as it sounds. They make their own ice cream. Creamy, creamy, creamy. John’s is on Route 3 near Lake St George.

Sometimes you have to change plans when the weather doesn’t cooperate. Bruce and I had planned to go to a Scottish Military Tattoo at Fort Knox by Bucksport. The chairs, bug spray and our rain jackets were all in the car and we hadn’t pulled out of the driveway yet when we received notice that it was cancelled due to storms. Money will be refunded but unfortunately we won’t be here if they reschedule in August. So what to do. Off to Freeport and the LL Bean store. This way if it rains we are inside.

I’m not much of a shopper but I did peruse the sale racks looking for jungle attire for our next adventure. I didn’t see a thing I needed and nothing I really wanted. However, we did buy some more bug spray to fight off those pesky insects.

The weather did turn just as we were getting ready to leave the store. Gosh darn. We had to wait it out with scones and turnovers.

Bruce found a great buy on a T-shirt at the Under Armor Outlet. How can you resist a moisture wicking T for eight bucks.

We decided to head back and look for a lobster place on the way back to camp. We found this crazy place which was actually pretty cool.

The giant lobster on the roof was just a precursor to all the interesting things inside.

They even had a huge lobster in the lobby.

And there were novelties everywhere including dolls around the ceiling.

Tiffany lamps lit the tables and it was quite cute. The one at our table was real glass.

The view was nice even though it was gray outside and getting late I. The day.

But the best part was the lobster. They said they served 1-1/4 lb. lobsters but this was the biggest one to date.

Number five but who is counting. It was delicious. I’m wondering if I will ever tire of lobster.

I will give The Taste of Maine an A rating – great fun and interesting surroundings and the best lobster so far.

We do a bit of driving and stopping so I can take some photographs. We stopped in Winslow, Maine just for a moment to check out Fort Halifax Park.

Winslow is an old mill town located on the Kennebec and Sebasticook Rivers.

As we crossed the bridge in Waterville we saw little waterfalls and gulls flying. It was a lovely site. They have a walking trail there that we may go back and hike.

Today we met our old friends, Tammy and David, in Bucksport at Carriers Mainly Lobster for Lobster number 6.

The lobster was tasty but although they said it was a 1-1/2 lb. lobster, I’d said was a 1-1/4. I’m becoming an expert on size. Not really but I can tell when it’s not quite as big as the last one I had and it was about the size I had at Young’s which were 1-1/4.

Tammy and David had the lobster rolls and they did look awesome. It looked like an entire lobster in the roll.

It was great catching up. We hung out years ago when our kids were all little. Now our kids are the same age we were when we first met.

Carriers was cute and it was a nice place to sit outside. And for most of the time we were free of mosquitos.

On our ride back we came across this great little fixer upper.

But I actually like this better.

Bucksport was named after John Buck who supposedly burned a witch and her leg rolled out of the fire. Now his tomb shows a mysterious stain of a leg and foot. Supposedly his heirs have cleaned it and replaced it and the stain keeps coming back.

Just an interesting piece of folklore. And worth a little stop.

We stopped in Belfast for an ice cream at Dave’s. It’s an old fashioned ice cream parlor with counter service and all. Bruce had his usual blueberry ice cream and said it was the best he’s had.

I can’t believe we have been here for over three weeks. It’s been an amazing time and we’ve really enjoyed getting acquainted with Maine’s midcoast and some of its people.

#johnbuck #carriersmainlylobster. #thetasteofmaine. #belfastmaine. #davesicecream

Let me tell you a little about the weather in Maine.  You never know what you are going to get from one day to the next.   I have been really cold, bundled up with sweats and double layered shirts and sweaters one day and stripping down to shorts and a tank the next.  The problem is the weather reports aren’t always correct so I’ve learned, I think, to bring a change of clothes wherever we venture out to.

For example, Thursday we ventured out to Acadia National Park to do a bit of hiking.

On our way over we stopped at the Penobscot Narrows Bridge near Bucksport.   It’s quite an amazing bridge that is over 2,000 feet long connecting Verona Island to Prospect.  It opened in 2006 and has an observation tower.

This is the Penobscot River going into the bay.

I knew we’d start our venture at the top of Cadillac Mountain.  It was overcast, in fact it was fogged in.  We observed that on the drive up.

Bruce was wearing a heavy sweater but it was at least 75 degrees without any wind.  I had to take my jacket off because it was too hot.  I have never been that warm at the top of Cadillac, especially when the sun wasn’t out.

Usually we are in Maine in late July when things are dry.   At this time of the year, there were mini waterfalls by the roadside everywhere.

We couldn’t see the harbor from the top of the mountain the fog was so thick.  We could see the fog moving about over the area sometimes obscuring people not 100 yards in front of us.

Bruce’s dad’s favorite place in all the world was Acadia.  When he died in 2014, we brought some of his ashes up to Cadillac Mountain so he could remain in his beloved Acadia.   I think of this big rock as a monument to this great man.

The park was extremely crowded today so we decided to go over to Southwest Harbor hoping to avoid some of the crowds and I also wanted to go to Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse.  On our way we stopped at this very picturesque area.

The Somesville Library was built in 1905 and is located on this lovely pond.

When we reached the Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse parking lot we couldn’t believe our eyes.  We had to wait on line to get a parking spot.  In all the years I’ve visited this Lighthouse, most often in July, I’d never seen these crowds.

I wanted to climb down the rocks to get a different shot of the Lighthouse.  Not only is it a little sketchy for this old lady to maneuver like that, but it was made worse due to avoiding all the people.  However, we did manage to get a selfie.

 

And then I climbed down a little further to get my final shot before our assent up and out of this area.

A little seagull was sitting on a sea wall just waiting for me to take its picture.

We stopped at Thompson Island on our way off the island and slogged in the mud flats with my sloggers.

 

We met Bruce’s brother Michael and his girlfriend Kathy for dinner at Jordan’s.  I forgot to take pictures but I had a clam roll and cole slaw and Bruce had a haddock sandwich.  Then we all had ice cream and Bruce and I had nearly a two hour drive back to Camp McWade.

Some mornings are just lazy mornings and Friday was just that!

We spent the afternoon with some new found friends and then had a very restful evening.

On Saturday we went in search of lighthouses.  There are so many in the state of Maine.  I was reading in one of our Maine guides about Squirrel Point Light and they suggested to begin there.  So that’s what we did.  I put it in my GPS and after a two hour car ride we ended up across the river from it.

It was a nice view, but according to what I read, we were supposed to be able to walk the grounds.  So we drove on in search of the actual lighthouse grounds.  And found this old Congregational Church.  It was built in 1802.

We drove for quite awhile not finding the lighthouse so we stopped for breakfast in this cute little restaurant, Mae’s Cafe and Bakery.  We both ordered blueberry pancakes and bacon.

 

Our tummies satisfied, we began our quest again to find the elusive Squirrel Point Lighthouse and others.  We were able to see a lighthouse out a bit in the ocean.

This was after trespassing on private property, but for those who know me, those signs don’t usually hold me back if I need to take a shot.  We also found Popham Beach State Park from the opposite side of the channel.  We did drive around trying to find it on the right side but never found it.   There are also two historical forts, Fort Baldwin from the American Revolution and Fort Popham from the Civil War.  We may take another trip down here to explore the forts further.

After much ado, we finally found Squirrel Lighthouse – sort of.  It was a mile walk from the parking lot, through mosquito and tick infested woods.  And also the white tailed moth which in caterpillar stage apparently is eating the leaves off of oak trees and causing skin rashes in the local population.

 

Finally the lighthouse.

The once lighthouse keepers house and of course our selfie.

 

On our hike back I could see the Congregational Church across the river.

Next stop was a cute little lighthouse called Doubling Point Lighthouse.  It was up the river from Squirrel and well marked.

In order to get to this Lighthouse you have to walk across private property.  I am not sure if the people who live here are the Lighthouse keepers.

And of course I can’t forget the selfie! Or the blackberry bushes! Or the view!

We were on a roll now so we headed to Pemaquid Point Lighthouse.  This is the Lighthouse that is on the back of the Maine quarter.

We were fortunate enough to get here just in time to be able to climb to the top of the Lighthouse.  It was a spiral staircase with the last few feet a regular ladder.

There was a nice view from the top.

The light or lamp was interesting as well.

The rock formations around the Lighthouse were different then we have seen around other lighthouses.  The bedrock is hundreds of millions of years old and is studied by geologists.

It was a beautiful area to walk around and photograph.

And as always I love the lupine!

It was getting late and time to head back.  A lobster sure sounded good.  We found a little place called Captains Fresh Idea Restaurant.

The reviews on TripAdvisor were good so we figured we’d give it a try.  They do have 1 lb. lobsters but the bare naked lobster roll is 2-1 lb lobsters served on a buttered roll.  There is no mayo on it.  Just butter on the side.  So I figured I’d give it a try.  It was great.  Their cucumber salad was delicious as well.

Becky and Gary have owned the restaurant for 31 years.  Becky was friendly, the place was clean and food was good.  One bad thing – we were too full for dessert.

We arrived back at Camp McWade just in time to see some pretty twilight sky over the pond.

What a wondrous life!

 

#CaptainsFreshIdeaRestaurant  #PemaquidPointLighthouse

#SquirrelPointLight #MaesCafe&Bakery #DoublingPointLighthouse

#BassHarborHeadLighthouse  #AcadiaNationalPark

 

Spending time in the mid coast of Maine has given us the opportunity to explore new places in Maine. On Wednesday, we ventured out after a relaxing, slow paced morning, onto country roads with brilliant rhododendrons blooming everywhere. Our first stop was to be a hike in the Lincolnville area.

When I looked up the trail on my All Trails app, it said a moderate hike of 1.5 miles. No problem. I didn’t take into consideration the word mountain and the trail was all up hill. Not necessarily steep but definitely up!

All around were blackberry bushes, flowers in bloom. Next month there should be mouthwatering blackberries if the birds and wildlife don’t get there first.

Pretty daisies lined the trail as well.

We found interesting rock. Bruce and I were wondering if there was a lot of iron in it due to the reddish color.

It was hard at times hiking over it and I was glad I wore my hiking boots. The weather was cool but by halfway up we were both pretty hot. There were lots of mosquitoes and we found ticks on us later. But finally we did get to see a pretty view.

Now a moment for a selfie before our descent.

We meandered down the trail and checked each other for ticks before we got into the car. Unfortunately one made its way under Bruce’s pant leg and we found it that night. Hopefully, he will be ok.

We passed a lovely little area where canoes and kayaks were stacked. The weather was warm and sunny and I would have loved to go out on the water.

But nobody was there so they were not for rent and these days I’m not prone to taking and using things that aren’t mine. So onward to Camden where we had coffee in Zoots. For my vegan friends they would have loved this place because it was all vegan.

Down by the harbor their were many beautiful sailing ships.

One female crew was hoisted up in a bosun’s chair to work on the mast.

The weather was beautiful but we could see the fog coming in towards the harbor.

We found a restaurant overlooking the harbor to have some tasty lobster bisque.

A little outside of town was a place to see the Curtis Lighthouse. Although we had directions it was quite difficult to find. A gentleman walking by assisted us. We parked the car and walked the path. As we got to the overlook the fog was coming in.

It was very eerie how the fog rolls in off the ocean. A few minutes more and we would not have been able to see it.

Just a little way up the road some young girls were playing on a raft out in the water. Boy that had to be cold.

Some beautiful old houses and Inns were around Camden.

We had coffee with friends in the late afternoon and then called it a day.

Today was a typical Maine day. Gray, cold and damp. We made plans to have lunch with Bruce’s brother Michael in Brewer. He had lovely peonies growing in front of his house.

We made it back to Camp McWade and had a hot bowl of tomato soup for supper.

I do hope this weather clears up before mushrooms start growing between my toes!

You may be thinking lobster – she’s in Maine, they are everywhere!  And you are right.  However, this lobster aficionado is a purist when it comes to lobster.  No lobster rolls mixing the delightful morsefuls of meat with slabs of greasy mayo that deflects the flavor of the crustaceans.  I eat mine whole and alive until just boiled before it lands on my plate.  In fact, I use very little of the melted butter because I prefer the full flavor of the lobster.

So we began our journey headed towards Boothbay Harbor.  Bruce, who is a native of Maine, had never been.  We started off with hiking boots on ready for a two mile hike to some waterfalls sans bug spray.  We made it 100 yards before the buzzing began and we were attacked by the little buggers.  Running for the car, we had to be quick to make sure we didn’t bring along some hitchhikers.

As we drove along we happened upon an Amish community.  I quickly googled Amish and found that there are three such communities in Maine.

According to the article, they live cohesively with the local farmers and have started some small businesses of their own.

We came across a field of old farm equipment.

And very old houses!

On our way through the Town of Wiscasset, we stopped at the old jailhouse.

Wild roses are in bloom!

A drydocked lobster boat!

 

Everywhere we looked there was something beautiful!  This was wildcat creek.

We finally arrived in Boothbay Harbor and found Mine Oyster Restaurant.

We had a nice little table from the upper deck with a view of the harbor.

The inside of the restaurant was so typical Maine, especially the great amount of chopped wood.

The oysters were delicious. Our waiter, Ben, told us which ones to order.  There were four or five varieties on the menu.

Our first lobsters were filled to the shell, sweet, and delicious, with little water.  Neither of us had trouble getting our hands fishy.

They even served on Bavarian China.

For an after lobster treat we went to the local ice cream place.  I had a kiddie pistachio nut cone and Bruce had a cup of Maine blueberry ice cream.

We even had a nice view while we ate our ice cream.

It was a fabulous day and time to head back to the cabin.  On the way we found this old church or what we think was an old church.

It was across the street from an old graveyard.

We made it back after a fun filled day to a little bit of sunshine.

 

#boothbayharbor #minesoysterrestaurant #amish #lobster

 

 

It seems as though the older I get the quicker time goes by.  I remember my mother saying that; now I know what that’s like.  Especially when I am enjoying myself.  The month has gone by so quickly and we did very little in traveling out of Antigua.

One morning Hernan, our favorite cab driver, drove Bruce, Adriana and I to Pastori, the little town famous for making boots.

Adriana bought a really cute pair of boots.

The town of Pastori was interesting to walk through and the main municipal building had a plaque with boots on it as its symbol.

Afterwards, Hernan dropped us off at Casa Jackson so we could do some volunteer work.  I was working with Axel helping him learn to walk.

Little Heidi, who’s mother was staying at the hospital with her baby sister, has been on her own at Casa Jackson.  She finally warmed up to me and she loved taking selfies.

I have really loved the volunteer work at Casa Jackson.  It may have been more for me than the little ones.

Bruce also had a few days when he finally got Montezuma’s Revenge.  He wasn’t a happy camper.  But it passed without the need to go to the medical clinic.

That’s after his first meal in two days- cheese omelette at Casa Comtessa.

We will miss our evenings in the park watching all the activity.  Vendors selling, children playing.  All seeming to have a wonderful time.

Life in Antigua is slow but steady.  A bustle and a hustle yet a peacefulness all the same.  For this Americano, the people are charming, endearing and filled with a vibrancy and life despite the hard lives they live.  They are filled with hope, love and courage.  Many seem to have unlimited and unboundless faith.

In this church I watched a Mayan couple walk on their knees from the entrance to the alter and back, eyes closed, reciting prayer.

The churches are beautiful and in every little village it is the heart.  In Antigua, Antigua Guatemala Cathedral is where all the Santa Semana Celebratory parades end.

We ate lunch the other day at the Cafe Sky.  We had wonderful soup and sandwich.  The grilled cheese is thick with cheese.

The views are beautiful from the restaurant.

We had some beautiful sunsets.

Today I said goodbye to some of my amigas, Juana and Clara.

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My friend Adriana came over for a dip in the hot tub, and dinner at the rainbow.

Oh how I’m going to miss this place.  Until next year…..

It’s hard to explain the magical feeling I experience while spending time living in Antigua.  It feels like home, once I enter the city bouncing on the cobbled streets seeing the bright colors worn by the Mayan people.   This is our third year here and I never tire of walking the streets, sitting in the park, or talking to new friends.  For Valentine’s Day we had coffee with friends and then ate at dinner at Dona Luisas.  Walking into the restaurant, the smell of banana bread wafted through the air.  It is one of the breads they are famous for.

Bruce and I ordered pancakes for dinner.  I know, not a very interesting Valentines dinner but delicious nevertheless.

Much of our time is spent saying, “hola” or “buenos dias”or “buenos tardes”to people we know or don’t know.  We met a couple in the park from New Jersey who have been staying in Antigua during January and February for the past five years.  The park is a great place to make new friends.

On the weekends we have been volunteering at Casa Jackson.  Bruce has made good buddies with two year old Axel.  He is quite a character.

I spend a lot of time with Jacqueline.  She’s only two months old but as sweet as can be.  She smiles when I make funny noises.

I think this is the best kind of volunteer work.  Who doesn’t like to play with children or hold babies?

On Sunday night, Deet, an American woman who moved here 26 years ago, started organizing dinners, where woman meet on a street corner and go to dinner.  On Sunday night, there were quite a lot of us at the Rainbow Cafe.

Most of the women are in Antigua volunteering with an NGO.  Many of the women were from the US but they were also from Australia, Germany and Finland.

We found another cute little restaurant for lunch, sobermesa.  I had a sandwich and Bruce had soup.

We ate dinner one night at Micho’s.  I had tacos and Bruce had quesadillas.

We’ve tried a few new restaurants.  We ate at Roots one day for lunch and I had a delicious rice bowl.

Two days a week we’ve been taking Spanish lessons.  Carmen comes to our apartment and we spend two hours learning new nouns and verbs so we can make sentences.  Then we get 4 hours of homework.  And I’m still not a good student.

Bruce is the teacher’s pet!

And when it gets hot, we go to the pool!

What a life!