The last weeks have been devoted to family...thinking of those who are no longer with us and celebrating the joy, boundless energy and endearing personalities of our youngest generation. And with a little help from the weatherman, almost everything went according to plan.
The forecast was ominous for the 4th. Heavy clouds hung over the bay threatening to cancel the boat parade. The children have been planning our decorations all week and it is their favorite event of the 4th of July celebration. Nevertheless, out came the scissors, twine, duct tape and flags and they all got busy transforming our sensible Whaler into a splendid looking craft!
Our neighbor's lobster trap decor wins the prize!
And my personal favorite...two patriotic teenagers atop the cabin of their grandfather's boat!
The afternoon brightens as kids cartwheel across the lawn, dachshunds snooze and rehearsals commence for an evening talent show.
Our reprieve ended soon after the cookout and the heavens opened...an optimal 4th by Maine standards! Sparklers postponed for a day...
The children can hardly wait so the sparklers are lighted as the shadows grow longer and magic hour light and reflections illuminate a dock and dinghy on the shore.
The following day all are ferried to a small Maine island for a picnic and swim.
A full house, a full heart, blessings...
The fragile drooping hosta blossoms tell me summer is half over as we arrive, midpoint, to our busiest month in Maine. June's tranquility seems a distant memory now, but here are a few images and thoughts from early in the season.
Long before our last sad watchful days with Aunt Grace, before the slamming screen doors and laughter with the arrival of children and the exuberant 4th of July the old fashioned Maine way...I wrote this. It feels like a very long time ago.
Summers in Maine slowly unfold like a small bud reluctant to reveal its beauty. A warm April day can be followed by May's teaser snowfall. Homeowners clean up winter debris, check mowers and open their cottages and camps. Unpredictable weather continues well into June, but for the most part, family and tourists have not yet arrived with their bags, pets, noise and enthusiasm. This is our quiet time and, for me, it translates into ineffable cottage light and shadow captured in random still moments.
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