Back In Routine (Yoga, McClure's, Dining at the Seezurh House)

Fishing, Early Morning, Off Of Long Point

Beth's Painting In Our Living Room

Both Evie and I were up at 7:15, the sky already gray, the lake calm, the temperature 39º.  We spent the last hour drinking coffee, in our own worlds, listening to NPR.  And I read all the stories in the Cleveland Plain Dealer about the the second coming of Lebron James and the Cavs loss last night to the Knicks.  What hype, what manufactured enthusiasm, and what a let down for the fans.  Such is sports...the team that we think should win doesn't always.

Yesterday I got back into my pre fall groove, going to yoga, deciding to go three or four times a week until we go to KC for Thanksgiving.  It was good to get back, as I had forgotten how relaxing and mind engaging yoga can be.  It puts all your thoughts, worries, anxieties aside, as you get lost in your asanas and your breathing.  It was nice to know I was missed because a number wondered where Tall Tom had been.  I didn't get back to 11:30, but the smell of freshly baked bread greeted me.

For lunch, Evie made me a Western omelet, using up the rest of the meat loaf.  We got two meals and a lunch out of it.  The rest of the afternoon was spent reorganizing our living room, working on different ways to arrange our furniture so we have two comfortable sitting areas, one looking towards the lake, one towards the fireplace.  We think we have reached a decent compromise though we don't love the arrangement.  We may need a couple of new chairs but when we go looking, we never can find what we like.  I think Evie's satisfied for now, so we will live we our new look and see how we like it.  These are the kinds of problems/solutions that fill our day during retirement.  Evie also worked on all her pots of geraniums,  trimming them, and we then brought them into the house for the winter.   We have done this for the past three or four years as they do pretty well.  For now, we have six or seven on our window seat, six more upstairs in a bedroom.  Evie just walked by and said how she now 'loves our living room.'  Cool...no moving of furniture for awhile.

5:00 PM Sky

Around 4:00, after a great nap, I wanted to do something, so I went outside and raked more leaves, some around the other side of the garage, some under the  trees, filling another can with leaves.  It felt  good to be outside and enjoy the late afternoon before coming in, showering, and waiting for the Ron and Linda to come over for a  beer, then dinner at the Seezurh House.  We were excited to have them over because they had asked if our daughter Beth might paint a picture of the lake for them sometime.  This was about six months ago.  Well, Beth finished a painting she thought they might like a couple of weeks ago, so we brought it back to the lake with us, put it on the mantel and waited for them to notice it when they came for a beer.  At first, they didn't see it but when they did, they both loved it.  Linda, effusive as always, could not say enough about it.  How nice.  They took the painting home and hope they like it on the mantel of their stone fireplace.

Better Together 

We then went to the Seezurh House for dinner, fairly crowded for a Thursday night which was great. They have a new menu, trying to compete I suppose with the new restaurants around the lake, with an emphasis, in my opinion, on presentation, not necessarily food.  Ron and I ordered a stew; instead of a nice hot steaming bowl of stew, as I assumed, we had a string of meat and veggies strung out on a smear of pureed butternut squash... trying to like a bistro...not.  It was pretty good but not what I expected and I could have eaten twice as much.  So, Evie and I are down on the new chi chi menu (they no longer have Evie's favorite, a chicken sandwich platter either),  The Mc Clure's, however, were both happy with their meals, the changes.  I guess Evie and I are the kind of people who do not much like change, see the glass as half empty.  Anyways, it was fun to see the Ron and Linda again after a three week hiatus.  They are doing well, and Ron is loving the fall because he enjoys being outdoors and raking leaves, for weeks at a time.  A good man.

We were home by 9:00 and watched the hype before the Cavs game, then watched only the first quarter before I preferred to go upstairs and read.  I didn't find out the Cavs lost until this morning.  Poor Cleveland.

A Whiff Of Winter

7:16

7:39

A winter sky at the moment, 7:30, almost haunting, Halloween scary, with its shades of gray and light, and it's chilly, 41º,  preparing us for the snow forecast for late Saturday, early Sunday.  Yes, fall is fading.  It's Thursday but all my breakfast buddies are out of town or busy, so it looks like yogurt, blueberries, and Evie's granola mix, my usual breakfast.

A City Of Canadian Geese

Yesterday was a bit different, as we threw in a movie late afternoon, a change of pace as it were. Most of the day, however, was typical.  We were both up early, enjoying a morning of leisure.  It was nice out though it had rained some during the night, but I decided to walk the Woodlawn/Victoria loop, an easy 30 minute walk through our changing woods, leaves now covering the path, trees bareboned for the most part, woods open and clear, as the brush fades away.  When I came in, I put together my artisan no knead bread recipe, flour, oats, flax, and quinoa, left it to rise and will bake it this morning. Evie was working upstairs, on our bedroom, moving the summer clothes out, the winter in.  I decided to do more work in the yard, raking and mulching the leaves from behind my garage, a pain because they bunch up against the garage wall if not raked, allowing water to enter garage floor. I managed to take two more cans of leaves away, worked up a sweat again, which gives you some idea of the weather.

Kayak Afternoon

Shells In The Fall

Around noon, the lake was calm, slate like, so I had to kayak, paddling up to the campground, then over to Long Point where, of course, the wind picked up and I had a small battle to get back to Sandy Bottom, then home. A solitary boat anchored off  of Victoria, the same boat for the past couple of autumns.  I have gotten to know the fisherman, who always tells me to say 'hi to the Mrs.'  When I walked in the house, the smells of lunch filled the house, onions and potatoes frying.  With a couple of eggs, I had a hearty lunch.

The Loneliness Of A Solitary Fisherman

Our afternoon went by quickly, some reading, a nap, then showers before driving to the Lakewood Cinema to watch Gone Girl, with six other people, all white haired retirees like us.  I had read the book when it came out so I knew the story but  we were both riveted by the film, the complicated story even if I had already read the book.  Ben Affleck, the husband accused of murdering his wife, was believable, his wife, a wacko for sure but convincing as well.  It's a good movie, worth going to see, with a few graphic sexual scenes that might bother some older viewers, those used to the likes of Pillow Talk, with Rock Hudson and Doris Day in the 1960's.

We were home by 6:30, relaxed with a beer as Evie talked with our good friend Vi Buck, catching up.  We had leftover meat loaf sandwiches for dinner, perfect, as we prepared for the World Series by watching Jon Stewart.  We stayed up to the very end of the game, disappointed of course by the Royals loss but admiring of the great pitching by Madison Bumgarner.  The tension in a final game like this, where one pitch, one swing, a great play or one error can make the difference is palpable.  I thought, like the announcers, that the great play by second baseman, Joe Panik, was the play of the game. We were in  bed at 11:30, wondering if we would be able to get to sleep after the anxiety and tension of the game.

Waiting For Daylight, Tidying Up The Yard

7:45

Back to normal, up at 6:00 and Evie sleeps in.  I forgot how dark it is at 6:00, even now at 6:50, but not for long as Daylight Savings Time kicks in this weekend.  All I can see are lights twinkling across Bemus Bay, as I sit here in our house with the only light my computer screen.  I stepped outside and it's still relatively warm though the cool weather is on the way.  Yesterday, however, was warm and humid, the high near 70, unusual for this time of the year.  It's not going to last as we have the possibility of snow on Saturday, the first of the year.

Garnet Japanese Maple

Yesterday was another busy day outdoors, partly because of the fine weather but also the forecast of rain over the next few days, so we wanted to get our yard work done before the inclement weather.  I spent a good part of the morning with Evie raking leaves (no power blowers for us). They tend to pile in bushes, along the edges of the lawns, lots on our parking areas because of the willow tree.  So we both worked up sweats, raking and piling them into garbage cans before taking them up to the the organic leaf/wood area.  I think I made three trips during the day, with cans stuffed with leaves and twigs from the past two weeks.

I made up some tuna for lunch, on a bagel, no soup as the fridge is empty, so we decided we needed me to go to Wegman's because we both wanted meatloaf for dinner.  On the way, I stopped at the library to return two books, both overdue because I forgot to return them before our trip East.  I also stopped at Ryder's Cup for a coffee, said hi to Donna Nelson at the Bookstore.  I then deposited a check from the State of New York, a trifle for our high property taxes. Then onward to Home Depot, for a squirrel proof sunflower seed container and, for Evie, a snow broom for our car.  Our friend Mac, in Vermont, had one and Evie loved it, making it easy to clear snow off your car.   Now we have everything.  O, yea, I also stopped at Wegman's, picking up some of the staples we always need, potatoes, onions, milk, eggs, salad and Diet Ginger Ale.

When I returned home, I was tired for some reason despite my having slept in.  I tried to take a nap but noticed it was clouding up outside and I wanted to cut both lawns again, as more leaves had fallen and there were so many leaves from yesterday that they needed to be mulched again.  So, I fired up the mower and once again cut both lawns, just before the rain stared about 4:15.  I hope this takes care of the yards for another week, when we will have to cut and mulch probably one more time.

Late Tuesday Afternoon Clouds

We enjoyed a bottle of one of our new wines, a fruity white, nicely chilled and listened to our new favorite station on Sirius Radio called POTUS.  Earlier, Evie had put the meatloaf together, no fancy new recipe, just the old tried and true on the Lipton Onion Soup mix.  Just before eating, I called our son Tom who lives in Kansas City to see if he was going to the World Series game.  He had two tickets and was going to take his son Nick, what a great experience.

Dinner was great, broccoli,  baked potatoes, salad and moist but firm meat loaf, with ketchup of course, as we watched Stewart and Colbert, waiting for the World Series to start.  It was an exciting game if you were a KC fan as they totally dominated, winning 10-0, their first shut out of the series, making tonight's game, also in KC, for all the marbles.  The winner wins the World Series title.  Go KC.  We didn't get to bed till 11:30 because of the game, but it was fun to watch the game, especially the excitement in the stadium.

Back Home After A Great 1800 Mile Jaunt

7:15

7:20

7:30

Believe it, I slept in until 7:45, amazing.  When I got up, I came  down stairs quietly, not realizing that Evie had already made the coffee and been up for an hour.  I must have been tired because I remember waking up around 6:00 but falling back to a delicious sleep for another two hours.  I am sorry to have missed the sunrise but Evie was able to get it.

Southern Tier

Late Fall In The Catskills

What do I say different about yesterday other than we were off early morning, giving all the Albarrans hugs before we left for home around 6:30.  It was a lovely day for a drive, sunny all the way to the lake, skies blue, the hills, a combination of rust brown, chartreuse and yellow leaves, contrasting with the winter gray of the bare boned trees.  What a beautiful part of the country New York State is, from the Catskills west to Chautauqua Lake.  We arrived home around 2:30, to our beautiful lake, a lawn covered with leaves, our two maples, leafless for the most part, bare branches reaching up to the sky.  What a difference from two weeks ago when we still were unable to see the sky from our porch because of the leaves.  Suddenly, our living room is filled with light all during the day.

Leaf Central

We slowly unpacked, in no hurry to finish because we will be at the lake for at least three weeks before spending Thanksgiving in Kansas City with our son Tom and his family.  I tried to relax, read or take a nap but I was wired, so I went out in the warm, fall afternoon, raked some leaves then decided the lawns, ours and Leonards would best benefit from a quick mulching.  I gave myself an hour and cut both lawns chopping thick layers of leaves into bits and pieces, much easier than raking and ultimately good for the lawn as long as the leaves are mulched.

Late Afternoon: Leaves Mulched and Long Point and Bemus Lit Up

After the lawn, I was covered with dust from the leaves and lawn, so I took a shower.  Nothing like a shower after working up a sweat in the yard.  Evie got out one of our favorite cheeses, a brie with blue called Castello and we opened a bottle of one of our new wines (we now have four cases) and enjoyed dusk for the first time at the lake in two weeks.  Evie outdid herself with dinner, wieners and beans, both tasting great.  Nothing like a good Sahleen dog, Stadium mustard, and baked beans. Not as good as Ina's made by my buddy, Trout at Thompson Lake, but decent from a can.  We watched the last two Homeland's, but were again disappointed.  The show has gotten good reviews but we find it tedious, talky, with not much happening.  Who wants to watch Claire Danes seducing a young Arab student.  We were in our OWN bed by 10:30, reading THE HUSBAND'S SECRETS, a book by an Australian writer that has gotten some good pub.

Browns, Rusts of Long Point at Dusk

Today looks like a day to get caught up on everything: yard, house, Wegmans so I better get busy.

Bye Bye Miss American Pie

Some Of The Albarran Family 

It's just after 6:00, I have my coffee, the house is beginning to stir, and we are heading home after two weeks on the road, in Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine and Connecticut, staying with friends, B & B's, and family, a great fortnight on the road.

Marisa Cruises

A Man And Someone Else's Dog (pix by Marisa Albarran)

After a great breakfast, chocolate croissants, from Costco of course, eggs, and bacon,  Marisa and I took Cody for a walk in the crisp fall air.  It was just too nice of a day to stay inside and Cody loves to take a walk.  Marisa has a new bike, loves riding it, and likes to do tricks, as you can see.  While we were out, Beth was busy knitting or crocheting head bands, for us to take back to the lake. Mitchell was studying and Rami was cleaning up four terabytes of memory on his computer and external hard drives.  He has lots and lots of photos.

Around 12:30, Rami and Marisa went biking, with Cody this time.  He came back exhausted, curled up on the floor and has hardly move the rest of the afternoon.  We munched on leftovers for lunch, before Rami drove Marisa early to her soccer game.

Taking A Reluctant Cody For A Walk

At 2:00, we went of to watch Marisa play soccer, about tent minutes away fortunately.  It was surprisingly cool, with gusts of wind and though Marisa's team lost, it was fun to watch  her play.  The  field was surrounded by trees still filled with leaves, most still green, unlike the at Chautauqua Lake, where I am sure all the leaves are off the trees.

Marisa, #2, Going for the Ball

Number 2 On The Field, Number 1 In Our Hearts

We took a few pictures late afternoon, just before putting the pork roast on the grill.  And watched the Pittsburgh Steelers play, as they are Rami's favorite team.  It was a fun game to watch, lots of scoring as the pork slow cooked on the grill, as we watched the temperature rise on Rami's iPhone app which connects with the meat thermometer.  What a world...we don't even have to get up off the couch any more to check the grill till the meat's ready.  Beth made a rice pilav to go along with the pork and Evie put together a salad.  We didn't eat till about 7:00, and it was pitch black outside as it gets dark so much earlier here on the East Coast.

We finished off the remnants of three bottles of wine, as we enjoyed out dinner.  We told the kids stories about the old days of putzs at Reserve, where the students played tricks on the faculty, like taking the Headmaster's MG and moving it into the hallway of the main school building.  They were funny as long as there was no great harm, but that didn't always happen.  We all helped with the dishes, so we could get back to the Steelers, to crocheting, and playing on our iPads, that is all of us except Mitch who was upstairs studying for a math test.  Marisa went up to bed with Evie around  8:30, seemingly not tired from playing an entire soccer game and two hours of Irish dancing. Ah youth.  We hope to be off by 7:00 tomorrow so we are planning to be in bed by 10:30.

Zeus In A Flannel Shirt

Winding Down On A Lazy Day Saturday In Connecticut

Among The Costco Bears

Sunday Morning At The Albarrans

It's 7:15 and I have been up for an hour with Cody.  I made the coffee, a neat brewer that first grinds then makes the coffee. It looks like a fine day, our last in Darien, a busy one for Marisa who has a soccer game at 2:00 followed by a two hour Irish dance class at 4:00.  She will be a tired girl by dinner time.

We really did not do much yesterday but that was the plan, hang out, enjoy being at home and work with Rami on fixing my computer so it works more quickly.  So, Mitch was up off to the Yale Bowl for a football game by the time Evie, Rami, Marisa and I took the traditional excursion to Costco, for free appetizers, a good walk around aisles of stuff, and a hot dog and coke at the end of the trip.  Of course, we went in without a list but came out a hundred plus bucks lighter.  And I didn't want a thing.  Typical day of shopping though at Costco.

Shopper Frenzy

We came home for lunch, and Beth took off for a meeting in town for a couple of hours.  So, while the computers were downloading files, from computers to hard drives, Evie, Marisa and I went to Pier One Imports to look for things for the treasure box, stuff that's usually half price and to find a few more things to decorate the Albarran's house for Halloween when they have a street party, where everyone on their street is invited.  We had been to a couple, when we happened to be here for Halloween, and it's fun and most of the neighbors seem to make it.  They usually have drinks and pizza, easy but perfect for after trick or treating.

We were all home by 4:00, though Marisa and I took Cody out for a walk, on a beautiful day here in Darien and I couldn't help thinking why it couldn't have been like this when we were in Acadia Park in Maine.  I have to admit it felt good to just do nothing but hang out, a few short excursions and that was it.

We decided to go to a local Mexican restaurant, not part of a chain, about 15 minutes away in Stamford called Casa Villa.  Nothing fancy inside, just a frenetic staff because there were lots of people waiting to be seated the entire time we were there.  When the maitre'd said  there would be a ten minute wait, he said, "Just stand here until your table is ready."  Obviously, there was no bar so we stood by the doorway as the line went outside.  It was a warm place, lots of people, many families, enjoying the night out with good food.  Marisa loves the place, especially the appetizers. We all had different meals, mine was three tacos, each with a different kind of meat, one roasted with pineapples one a carnita, the other crisp pork cracklings (chichuarrones).  We had tres leches cakes for dessert and waddled out of there, even with a doggy bag.  The ambiance reminded me of our eating places in Turkey, nothing fancy, just good food, a noisy crowd, enjoying themselves.

We were home by 9:00 and Marisa was tired so Evie took her up to bed.  We watched about fifteen minutes of the Ohio State football game, then some other shows until 10:00.  Evie and I went up to bed but Rami had to pick Mitch up at his friends house, so he did not get back until 10:30.  Another good day in Darien,

Hanging Out With The Albarrans For The Weekend

Granny with Amanda and Marisa

With Sweet Marisa

Too Much FUN

It's 7:15, just beginning to get light and I have been up since 6:45, having slept in some.  It's just me and Cody at the moment.  I fed him, let him out and in and he's happy, waiting no doubt for the moment when I say, "Do you want to go for a walk?"  He will jump up, do a dance and run for the back door.

We took it easy yesterday, surprisingly tired from our trip.  Evie still is bothered by a prickly heat rash though a lotion we bought, recommended by the dermatologist, really helps also and the cortisone cream should start taking effect in the next couple of days.  So she stayed in most of the day, getting things organized in our car and some in the house, helping out Beth.  Not a lot to day, just some getting organized for our trip back on Monday.  Beth spent a good part of the day at Stamford Hospital, volunteering to do Reiki for patients on the orthopedic wing.  She had another good day, as the nurses seem to appreciate her help in dealing with the pain of their patients.  She worked with eight patients, taking up to forty five minutes with each one, so she was exhausted when she got home but happy with the outcome.  My only task was to pick up Evie's medicare card which we left at the doctor's office and return to the pharmacy to have a bill adjusted with her medicare card.  No Trader Joe's, Costco, or Stew Leonard's yesterday, just a walk with Cody late morning after a shower.  

Nancy and Amanda

Around 2:00, Beth's good friend Nancy stopped by, dropping off her daughter Amanda for the afternoon as she had a meeting in Greenwich.  Amanda is Marisa's age, had the day off, and was waiting for Marisa to come home at 2:45, then the two of them were off to an art class at 4:30.  They have been friends for three or four years, and both are Irish dancers.  Mitch came home also around 3:00 and brought his girl friend Mimi, a sophomore at Darien High School.  They have been friends since spring and see a lot of each other.  In fact, today, Mimi's parents are taking Mimi and Mitch to New Haven to see a Yale football game.  Mitch hung out with Mimi in his room until Evie brought out the Treasure Chest for Marisa and Mitch, but also Amanda and Mimi.  They had a great time picking out treasures and mood rings were the top choice along with some silly stuff they always pick out, like a tongue tattoo.  Mitch and Mimi left with Mitch's friend Tommy around 5:30 to go out for pizza, just about the time that Nancy came back, Amanda's Mom.  

Mitch and His Friend, Mimi

Mimi and Mitch In New York City

We opened a good bottle of white wine, in a square shaped bottle (packaging is everything), and Nancy, Beth, Rami, Evie, the girls and I sat down in the sun room with cheese and crackers.  It was fun, the girls very funny together, and we caught up on all the news since Nancy had moved.  

No one wanted to cook, so we ordered out from Blue Ginger, the local Chinese/Thai place and had a really good meal, the favorites, stuffed dumplings or pot stickers and long green beans with pork. Everyone enjoyed the meal, most going back for seconds...those girls are good eaters.  Like a good guest, I filled the dish washer and Evie cleaned the kitchen while Beth and Nancy talked and said good by.  We then adjourned to the sun room to watch Project Runway though I walked Cody during the first part of the show.  It's the kind of show all ages enjoy so it was fun to watch it with Marisa. A little after 10:00, the show ended and Evie took Marisa up to bed, the rest of us following.  I am just about finished with the new Jack Reacher, decent but like many of these types, the ending, the 'gotcha' part is far fetched, especially when the odds are 8 against 1, the 1 is Reacher.  Guess who triumphs.  

A Portrait Of A Woman,  By Beth, Our Multi Talented Daughter

Not sure what is in store for today.  Marisa has Irish dancing from 1:30 to 3:30, other than that, the day is open for doing something or nothing.  

A Day For Forgetting

Granny, Daughter, and Granddaughter

Ready for School

Up at 6:30 in Darien, CT and both Beth and Rami are already awake, both sitting at their computers waiting for first Marisa, then Mitch to come downstairs to breakfast.  It's a rainy morning, what else in this part of the world, though it should clear up later and for the weekend.  Marisa came down, dressed in pink, to remember those who have had cancer.  She's perky and fun in the morning, and I drove her rather than walked her to the bus at 7:30 because it was raining.  Cody was upset because I was not taking him for a walk.  Mitch didn't have to leave for school until after 8:00 so Beth made him some eggs for breakfast.

Yesterday was a miserable day for a long drive but we did it.  We left Rockland around 8:00, to wind and rain but by the time we got to Interstate 95, just north of Portland, the rain began in earnest, pelting our windows, making it difficult to see and it continued like this, on and off, until we got well in to Massachusetts, almost to Connecticut, not fun.  And it was so blustery we just passed right by the New Hampshire Liquor Store, so you had to know it was bad outside.

When we got to Darien, Evie's rash had spread, the itching continued to be bothersome, so we stopped at a Walk In Doctor's office, only to be told he did not know what the rash/hives were but his office made an appointment with a dermatologist in Norwalk, 15 minutes away which was great.  So we drove there, an hour early for the appointment but at least we got to see a doctor. As we were sitting waiting to see the dermatologist, we tried to figure out if Evie had done anything different in the last two days and could only think of our hikes and staying in a Bed and Breakfast, or perhaps the lobster she ate. We waited over an hour in his office which was fine since we did not have an appointment,  and after 15 minutes, he came up with a diagnosis of prickly heat, a strange outcome.  It was a a relief to know it was not something contagious like chicken pox or measles.  Both the doctor and nurse were amazingly friendly and helpful.  Why can't all doctor's office be this way?  We then went to the pharmacy in Darien, picked up sixty bucks worth of creams, salves, rubs, and bath salts.  Because we left Evie's Medicare card at the first doctor's office, we had to pay full fare.  Once we get the card back this morning, we can go back to the pharmacy and get a refund.  This, however, is an example of the kind of day it was.

We arrived in Darien at 2:30, at Beth's around 5:45, with great relief.  Beth had instant panaceas ready, a cold bottle of white wind and two cheeses and crackers.  Just the kind of picker upper we needed as well as seeing our grandchildren, Mitch and Marisa.  Beth then had to drop Mitch off at a driving course, then came home and put chicken marinated in yogurt and spices in the oven for a half hour, made rice and a salad as we sat in the kitchen and talked.  She is taking a course in aromatherapy and by next year, will be certified.  So she got out all her oils to show us, let us smell various kinds and their purpose which was interesting.  I even used one, lavender, to spray on my pillow which is supposed to help you sleep and I did not wake up at 4:00 like I have for the past week.  Maybe there's something in it.

Dinner was great, just the four of us because Rami was flying back from Chicago and Mitch was at his lesson.  We finished around 8:00, just as Rami got home, so Beth heated him up his dinner and we sat around the kitchen island and talked until it was time for Marisa to go to bed.  Both Evie and I followed soon after, around 10:00, very tired from our drive and doctor's appointments but happy to be with our grandchildren once again.

Today Beth goes to the hospital for the day, where she volunteers to do Reiki (a kind of healing developed in Japan in the 1920's), for patients who are interested in having it done.  She has had great success in alleviating many of the patients pain and anxiety, which is gratifying.  Rami works from home today and Evie and I will most likely take a drive to Stew Leonard's, a grocery story we love in Norwalk, to pick up dinner.

Riding Out A Nor'easter in Camden and Rockland, Maine

  Yesterday's View of Rainy Camden Harbor at Cappy's Restaurant

It's about 6:30 and we are sitting hear watching Morning Joe for the first time in weeks.  I can hear the rain pelting the windows, the howl of the wind.  Nothing like a Nor'easter to make your day.  We are in Rockland, Maine, and our plans for today our to drive around seven hours, to Darien, CT, and spend the weekend with our daughter Beth's family, cutting our visit short a day or two because of the weather.  It's a good thing we did because yesterday afternoon was absolutely miserable outside, with strong winds and pelting rain, so much so that we almost didn't visit the Farmsworth Museum, our destination for the afternoon.  We hope to be on our way by 8:00, arriving in time to see our granddaughter Marisa as she returns home from school, always a joy.

Yesterday, we  both were up at 6:00 and  I went downstairs and got us a cup of coffee.  The Nor'easter had not yet hit in earnest so it was cloudy but only light rain.  I walked down to the harbor to get  a picture.   What a contrast to yesterday mornings colorful sunrise.  Today is the last day that our B & B will be open so they outdid themselves for breakfast, lots of choices and everyone tended to try them.  We had sticky buns, apple cider donuts, spiced pear, plum with a honey sauce, cinnamon raisin french toast, all homemade, and finally an egg, cheese, and sausage strata.  Everything was great so we ate even though we are not  great breakfast eaters.  Unfortunately, Evie woke up with what we think are hives, on her back, chest, neck and hair line.  We assume it must be a reaction to shellfish, her lobster from last night. but we are not sure.  She feels all right, but the rash is itchy so we picked up some hydrocortisone cream at a Rite Aid.

Penobscot Narrows Bridge And  Observatory in Belfast, ME

Bridge Opened in December, 2006

We were on our way to Camden and Rockland by 9:00.  The skies were overcast much of the way but the heavy rains and winds did not commence until we hit Rockland.  We stopped in Camden, picturesque even in the rain.  Not much to do other than shop, which we did for an hour, me tagging along as Evie browsed but rarely bought...fine with me.  We decided to have lunch at Cappy's, a bar and restaurant on Main St. overlooking the harbor (and a couple of gas tanks and buildings.)  But it was nice and I had a haddock sandwich with cole slaw, really good and Evie a chopped salad, also good. When we finished, we had enough of shopping and the rains and wind made it difficult to even get to the car without getting wet.

Wyeth Center in Rockland, ME

We drove for about twenty minutes, checked into the Hampton Inn in Rockland because Evie was still uncomfortable from the rash (no more B & B's for us for awhile) and relaxed in our room for an hour. We then drove into town,  just a mile, to the Farnsworth Museum, the home of Andrew Wyeth's paintings, at least he is always featured along with other exhibits.  It's a modern building, or one that's been modernized, right in the heart of town. There is the museum, with various artists, a wing for Andrew Wyeth and then a church, almost 50 yards beyond the museum which is dedicated to the Wyeth's, all three of them, along with various relatives who also seemed to be painters, a talented family.  We loved Wyeth' paintings because we had seen an exhibit at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City about five years ago so it was fun to see more of his work.  We stayed for an hour and a half, choosing to stay in the Wyeth galleries because we knew we would be tired of viewing after an hour or two. Most if not all the paintings were set in Maine, seascapes and landscapes, as well as many portraits of the Wyeth family and friends.   We  were home around 5:30 because all of the shops downtown were closed when we got out of the museum which was fine with me.

A Favorite by Andrew Wyeth (and the only one we could photograph)

We relaxed in our room for an hour, then went out to eat, at a restaurant almost next door to our hotel, tres convenient.  It's not your typical Maine restaurant which we liked.  It's called Applebee's...wonder if anyone has heard of it.  It's becoming quite popular.  We went over around 6:30 though neither one of us felt like going out on a night like this.  We sat at the bar, met two nice guys, both salesmen, one from Milwaukee, the other from St. Louis, and like us, they laughed at going to an Applebee's when we could be in a great seafood restaurant in Rockland but none of us wanted to venture out in the terrible weather.  I had a burger, Evie taco soup, and a beer, just enough to keep us going.  We stayed for about an hour, enjoying the two guys but were anxious to get back to our rooms because we were both very tired from our drive.  So we settled in our beds, after I ran across the street to a soft ice cream stand, famous in this area, and brought back two hot fudge sundaes, with nuts, whipped cream and cherries.  Evie was a happy girl, as we watched the Royals fall behind 1-0 on an opening home run by a Giant lead off hitter.  Poor KC. They eventually won!

Hot Fudge Sundaes from Dormans  To End the Evening

Hiking Sand Beach Ocean Trail and Carriage Roads

Southwest Harbor at 7:30, Wednesday Morning

Tuesday Morning

Tuesday Morning Sunrise

Marina Tuesday Morning at Southwest Harbor

I am up at 6:00 on a very rainy morning, no surprise as much of Maine is locked in a Nor'easter for the rest of the week, alas. I went downstairs, made a couple of cups of coffee for Evie, one for myself on the Keurig, then came upstairs to read and write my blog until breakfast at 8:00.  Because of the weather, we have had to make drastic changes in our plans and the fact that everything is closed around here for the season.  So we are leaving the area, driving a couple of hours down the coast, stopping in Camden to browse and for lunch, then on to Rockland, Maine, to visit the Farnsworth Museum, home of Andrew Wyeth, in Rockland where we will spend the night.  It is supposed to rain all day so no more hikes, just some driving and a visit to the museum for a couple of hours.

Reflections on The Tarn

Sand Beach From Hiking the Ocean Trail

Sand Beach Off In The Distance

Yesterday was luckily a good day until about 3:30, just about the time we arrived home from our walks.  We started the day with a great breakfast, with a couple from York, England.  Breakfast started with an apple dumpling, drowned in a warm syrup.  I am not used to sweets in the morning but I made an exception.  After that, we had Eggs Florentine and marinated grape tomatoes, a nice contrast to the sweetness of the apple dumpling.  We were on the road by 10:00, heading to Bar Harbor, then the Loop Road, ending up eventually at Sand Beach where our hike began. The loop road towards Sand Beach is one way but two lanes, so people can stop whenever they like in the right lane for a view, a great idea.  After a few wrong turns, of course, we arrived at a beautiful sand beach, thus the name.  We then walked along the coast line on the Ocean Trail for a couple of hours, out and back, just about to Otter's Point.  The walk is well marked, mostly gravel, with paths every so often leading down to the amazing rock formations along the coast.  Most hikers would take their time, occasionally taking a path down and climbing around on the rocks, taking pictures, enjoying the final hours of dry weather.  We really enjoyed the hike, would do it again.

 One of Many Beautiful Views

Lobster Boat Displaying Colorful Buoys

Typical Rock Formations Along Ocean Trail

Grey Sea

Ocean Side Cairns

We then drove to Northwest Harbor, a picturesque port, with a couple of shops, one Evie loved but not a restaurant in the whole town was open.  So, after some shopping, we backtracked to Seal Harbor, and did a short walk on one of the carriage paths along Little Long Pond.  It was starting to cloud up but was still a beautiful walk down the paths, trees on both sides, a pond off in the distance. We even ran in to a couple of women on horses, a great place to ride I assume.  We ate lunch out on the side of a hill, overlooking the boat house, which we thought was a cottage except that the innards were filled with the pond water, instead of floors.

Otter's Cove

On Trail Near Carriage Road

Carriage Road

Long Pond

We returned to our B & B and relaxed, Evie working on pictures, me reading Jack Reacher and taking a nap,  I went out for a short walk to see if we could take another  hike but it was miserable outside, thus the beginning of our thoughts on changing our plans for the next two days.  The last thing we want to do is spend the day inside or shopping.  We went downstairs to the B & B's living room to be sociable but everyone was either coming or going so we read, had hot apple cider and cookies before getting ready to go out for dinner at the Dry Dock next door.

We walked a block to the Dry Dock around 6:45, found a seat at the bar in a very crowded restaurant, the only game in town.  We, unfortunately, made no new friends.  The guy next to be was too interested in wooing a younger woman, so we mostly talked with the bartender, a gal who waitressed yesterday.  Evie had another lobster roll, couldn't pass it up.  And I had clam chowder and highly recommended Blue Maine mussels, from Acadia, with a lime, cilantro, wine and chive cream sauce.  It was superb, the sauce great for dipping with crusty bread. Our bartender did tell us an interesting fact, that many of the staff on the peninsula were from Bulgaria, Macedonia, and Serbia among others.  They work the season then go home to school.  In fact, the cook at the Dry Dock was Bulgarian as was one of the waitresses.  We stayed until 8:30 and went back to our B & B and read and surfed on our devices until we were tired and went to bed.

Off to Camden tomorrow, then Rockland and at the Andrew Wyeth Museum, before heading back to civilization, the Albarran home in Darien, CT, on Thursday, a day early because of the rains. C'est la vie.