Summertime...
We’re still here, enjoying a summer in Maine. The town of Belfast puts on a lot of entertainment - we have been enjoying the free street music every Thursday evening and went with friends to see a performance of Midsummer’s Night Dream by the local theatre group (outside in a park). Most street corners have some piece of art or plaything for kids and even the wooden pilings have been carved by a local artist.
Dave has been busy helping restore a friend’s wooden boat. It is a lovely 28’sailing yacht but has been sitting in a shed for the last three years. When we first saw the boat, it was down to a bare shell with the cabin top off, no garboard planks, engine, shaft or cockpit. They have been slowly putting it back together and hope to get it back (unrigged) on the water sometime in September.
I am now fully practised at manhandling baby, backpack and buggy on my own from boat to shore via the dinghy, and have tried not to let it put me off getting out and about. I have had trips ashore with friends (for shopping, lunch ashore and to a blueberry farm), met other mums at the weekly storytelling hour, and been for a communal row on the town gig.
Katie is now 4 months old and has discovered her hands, she has got a powerful grip and tries to grab everything in sight. Her latest trick is to stick her big toe in her mouth, and she loves standing up (with a little help). But her favourite thing seems to be the paddling pool, she lays there quite happily kicking her arms and legs and doesn’t seem to mind splashes on her face, in fact she likes to taste the water!
We have tried to do a little local exploring on our boat at weekends. In the first week of August, we had a great sail to the local Wooden Boat school to watch the Eggemoggin Reach Regatta. Last year we took part in this on our friends’ boat ‘Long White Cloud’, this year we contented ourselves with a short sail behind the start line to watch the fleet set off. They made a glorious sight under full sail but encountered thick fog along the course and several boats grounded on rocks (no serious damage done). By evening, there were 60 or 70 boats at anchor and a big party laid on ashore - a huge BBQ for 700 people and a variety of live music.
So life is good on this side of the pond - and a lot drier than the UK this summer from what we hear...
Dave has been busy helping restore a friend’s wooden boat. It is a lovely 28’sailing yacht but has been sitting in a shed for the last three years. When we first saw the boat, it was down to a bare shell with the cabin top off, no garboard planks, engine, shaft or cockpit. They have been slowly putting it back together and hope to get it back (unrigged) on the water sometime in September.
I am now fully practised at manhandling baby, backpack and buggy on my own from boat to shore via the dinghy, and have tried not to let it put me off getting out and about. I have had trips ashore with friends (for shopping, lunch ashore and to a blueberry farm), met other mums at the weekly storytelling hour, and been for a communal row on the town gig.
Katie is now 4 months old and has discovered her hands, she has got a powerful grip and tries to grab everything in sight. Her latest trick is to stick her big toe in her mouth, and she loves standing up (with a little help). But her favourite thing seems to be the paddling pool, she lays there quite happily kicking her arms and legs and doesn’t seem to mind splashes on her face, in fact she likes to taste the water!
We have tried to do a little local exploring on our boat at weekends. In the first week of August, we had a great sail to the local Wooden Boat school to watch the Eggemoggin Reach Regatta. Last year we took part in this on our friends’ boat ‘Long White Cloud’, this year we contented ourselves with a short sail behind the start line to watch the fleet set off. They made a glorious sight under full sail but encountered thick fog along the course and several boats grounded on rocks (no serious damage done). By evening, there were 60 or 70 boats at anchor and a big party laid on ashore - a huge BBQ for 700 people and a variety of live music.
So life is good on this side of the pond - and a lot drier than the UK this summer from what we hear...
posted by Katie at 1:16 AM
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