Gray and Rainy Morning on Lake Thompson, Maine

I work about 7:00 and Christine was already up with Ellery, who had been up since 4:00. Vic told her to go back to bed, and we took care of a unhappy Els, until she got her bottle and food in her. Evie got up around 8:00 and Ellery smiled at her and said Evie. Today, we go to Hobart and Linda's for brunch, and depending on the weather, we may just drive around and look at the Oxford area with the Trouts. Our dinner was great last night, of course, and Christine and Ben took care of everything, making the courses as they were needed, clearing the table, pouring the wine, filling the wine glasses. It was like being in a restaurant, and yet, they seemed to enjoy it as much as we did, despite their having to do all the work. It was fun to catch up with Hobart and Linda, and Jake and Sally are always fun to talk with. We must have sat for at least three hours, enjoying one course after another, starting with deviled eggs with lobster, salad, duck breast,rack of lamb, and a lemon curd cake with razzberries, all delicious and nicely plated. After everyone left, we sat up and talked about our trip to
Turkey, giving them some idea of how great it was. People seem interested but only for awhile, and I tend to drone one, I think, thinking they are interested, which they are, for awhile. I have to figure out how much is 'a while.' It's lightening up a little, and hopefully we will be able to walk to Hobart and Linda's. Ben also hopes to go hunting, for a few hours, but I am not sure he will go out in this kind of weather, though it's not that cold, and just getting away to the woods sounds appealing, as long as it's not too cold.

We just back from a brunch at Hobart and Linda's cabin/camp. It's a lovely spot, set up 140 feed from the lake, up on a plauteau, so it's most pine woods and oaks down to the lake. There living space up stairs is fairly tight, a living room, dining room, and kitchen, two bedrooms in the back, and a basement that opens out to the grounds, finished, with a game room, and two bedrooms an bath in back. They have a great deck around the house, an amazing garage in the back, and four acres of woods and 200 feet of lake frontage. He has a beautiful view, across the lake, even when it's misty and gray. I got the entire history of the house an area, during our brunch of blue berry pancakes, sticky buns, bacon, and a ham and cheese omelet. They were great hosts, fun to talk to as usual. We looked at our pictures of Turkey for about 15 minutes, and everyone seemed to enjoy them. We walked outside, to see the grounds, and left about 12:15 as Ellery had to be back for a nap. Trout and I took the dogs for a walk, walking up to a summercamp about 15 minutes away, also on the lake. It was empty obviously, but quite nice, with a newly built dining hall/meeting room, surrounded by cabins, and other out houses. Lots of lake frontage for boating, Hobart's property used to belong to the camp before they sold off a few lots 25 years ago. It's been a lazy afternoon, as we are all a bit tired, Vickie and the baby taking a nap, while Trout and I walked. Ellery woke quite out of sorts, and poor Christine has to get her ready for the drive back to Portland, as Ben is out hunting for the day, and will just go home to Portland.