Where has the summer gone?

Just can't believe it's the end of August already!  We've had a fantastic time as always in Maine and have had many friends visit us here this year.  We got to share some of our favorite activities with them which included strolling the waterfront of Stonington and the Farmers Market for handmade crafts and locally grown and caught food, picnics on various islands and of course, sailing!

Our garden at the cottage gave us lots of color, although not quite as early as in previous years. The winter was a long, cold and snowy one and spring got off to a late start.

Our Summer Retreat

It's been a beautiful summer with warm (sometimes hot!) sunny days and cool nights.  This morning it's actually quite crisp - in the 50's!  We will begin our to-do list before we close up the cottage and point Exile south to warmer weather.  We hope to spend some time exploring more of the Chesapeake this fall.

Below is a scrapbook summary of the things we love most about summering in Maine.

So will begin the next chapter of our journey beginning just after Labor Day.  Stay tuned!

Kittery to Stonington, ME

Kittery to Stonington, ME

6.23-6.27

We slipped the mooring in Kittery after a pleasant evening.  The skies were clear and we were able to sail into Portland Harbor.  We opted to take a slip at DeMillos, where we could spend a lay day to get some laundry done, enjoy a great lunch at the marina restaurant (best spinach salad I've had in a long time!) and wait for our friend and lobster fisherman, Kevin Oliver to show up from Little Deer Isle.  We had invited him to come along with us for the last few days of our trip. 

Thacher Island - off of Cape Ann, MA

Cape Ann Light House

Isle of Shoals off the ME/NH border

Entering Kittery harbor

Red Sky at night......

Portland Head Lighthouse

One of three forts that defended Portland Harbor

More duck families...

The Old Port, Portland

Fresh rock crab claws courtesy of Kevin

The next morning we were off the dock at 8:00 after the rain stopped, but the sky remained overcast. We spent the night in Robinhood Cove, a very serene and protected anchorage. We toured the harbor and had steaks aboard.  During the night it poured (which we expected the next day), and we ended up having clearer skies than we thought we'd have during the day.  Overcast and drizzle is way better than pouring rain! At 3:00 we had grabbed a mooring ball in Rockland, showered up and had to turn on the generator to heat the boat for a while.

Paddleboarder in Robinhood Cove

The harbor watchkeeper... no room on that rock for anyone else!

We explored the harbor and discovered a sailing ship from a different era.

The Western entrance to Boothbay Harbor

Cruisers (large and small) on the New England coast

On a mooring in Rockland Harbor for the night

Friday, we awoke to a flat calm sea and two miles out of Rockland, hoisted the sails.  We sailed past North Haven and into Penobscot Bay toward the home shore ledges of Fort Island and the Burnt Cove church steeple.  Burnt Cove is where our mooring and summer cottage are.  Kevin keeps his lobster boat there.  For the three of us to sail home together was quite an exciting moment.

Leaving Rockland

The lighthouse known as the "spark plug" at the eastern end of Fox Island Thoroughfare

We sailed into Burnt Cove, secured the mooring and headed into the cottage, our final destination.

We arrived in time to see the lupine in bloom!

Secure on our mooring as of Friday at noon, we set out to begin opening the cottage for the summer.  Mowing, weeding, cleaning, vacuuming, water hooked up, dock out…..  getting the cars going and then getting together with good friends for an island picnic on Sunday! 

We’re so glad to be back and I fear this summer will fly by faster than we want.  So – we will enjoy each and every moment.