Harpswell 2007

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We just got back from a wonderful week in Maine, staying in Harpswell for our fifth year (a different house each year, this one was the best, and if we come back to Harpswell, this is where we'll stay). Harpswell, for those not in the know, is made up of a bunch of "fingers" of land reaching into the ocean, making for a huge amount of shoreline and waterfront, including sunset views (which is a little weird on the East Coast if you stop and think about it). We had a great time visiting with family (Gail is from nearby Lewiston-Auburn, so this is a nice chance for them to get to see Ben and vice versa...and my sister Sarah and her wife Cynthia came to stay for a few days)...


On Sunday, everyone came over for a cookout and hangout...this is a group exploring and enjoying the beach below our house...


Manny, named after some baseball player ;) , came for her second year running, and had a fun time...


Here you can see a group of Gibsons (actually, very few of them have Gibson as a last name, but that's how I think of them) hanging out and catching up on the front lawn of our place


Ben and his Aunt Gladys had a fun time playing chase...


Laurie (La-La) and Bim and Gail had time during the picnic, and over the course of the week, to catch up on everything going on in their lives...


After everyone left the picnic, we hustled over to Este's for some serious seafood...


The next day, Monday, we went to Boothbay...it's a fun town to explore...


While Cynthia caught up on some work in an internet cafe, the rest of us went on a whale watch, which was perfect given the wonderful weather...


On the way out there were lots of little islands and pretty boats to look at...


Who would have thought it possible, but it got cold enough to wrap up in blankets after a while out away from land...it must be seriously chilly on less nice days...


If Ben were any cuter, he'd be made of puppies and kittens...


Ben and Anti-Sarah had a nice time hanging out and staying warm...


We saw a bunch of whales and seals and sea-lions (they say the difference is readily apparent when looking at their ears, but I wasn't close enough, and my camera has no zoom)...and this cool boat on our way back in was a bonus...


This is a picture of the dining area of our house, as seen from the kitchen...it was a truly spectacular view from the house and deck, and we spent lots of time just watching the ocean...


The back yard was fenced in, which was great for the kids and for Manny, and was a bit more protected from the wind, which happened a few times during our stay...what great smells from the sea coming into the house as we slept each night...


The only thing that was a bit disappointing about the house was the furniture in the living room...Cynthia pegged it early on as "boneless"...it looks real, but if you sit in the chair or sofa, you tend to roll out of it as it lacks much form or support...Sarah and Ben managed anyway...


There was a super hammock in the fenced in part of the yard, which everyone took advantage of at some point of their stay, for napping or reading, it was perfect...



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We took a trip to Popham beach, as we do every summer, and had a great time...so much so, that we may relocate to Popham for next summer's stay...


Popham Beach is miles long, seldom crowded (it helps that we get there early in the morning), and made up of spectacularly fine sand (a rarity in Maine beaches this far north)...


We picked out our spot, set up base-camp, and settled in for the day...


Ben played in the icy water for 3.5 hours, having fun racing in and out of the waves and splashing Daddy...


He loves the beach, and is excited about the possibility of our staying here next year...


Here you can see (sort of...I can see them, but I took the picture...) Sarah and Cynthia taking a nice walk along the beach out towards an island that is a peninsula during low tide (as it was when we arrived)...


Ben likes his scuba-suit bathing suit, even though he had essentially outgrown this one...


He and La-La went for a walk out past the island/peninsula to explore some of the rocks out that way...


Anti-Sarah (and the rest of the ladies on this trip) got in some nice reading while Ben and I played on the beach and in the water, but he ran up to them every once in a while to give everyone wet and sandy and frosty hugs...


We had beautiful sunsets every night that we were in this house, and spent some time out on the deck every night just enjoying the night and the swooping bats that kept the area bug-free...


It was incredible and, on this occasion, cigar and bourbon worthy for Anti-Sarah and I...


Gail managed a post-coffee nap one morning, even on the "boneless" couch...and she stuck the landing, all told, a difficulty factor of 3.8...


Gran came over and was hustled into playing Clue-Junior with Ben...we didn't have the rules, but Ben was happy to make them up and everyone had fun...


Uncle Bim came by one afternoon and played some soccer with Ben...

We had a great time in Maine, as always, and can't wait to go back again next year...we're rested and ready for school to start...for all of us (Ben will be starting Kindergarten next Thursday!!!)...it's been a great summer, but we're ready for the change...