We're having a heat wave

We've been informed by our local weathered meteorologist that we are having the first "heat wave" since in the 1999 in the Portland, Maine area. That would be at least three straight days of 90 degrees or higher. Forecast calls for a couple more days of that then... HEAD FOR THE HILLS, Hurricane Earl is headed this way! Suppose to swing by Maine along the coast, remains to be seen how close it will come. Nothing like a drive-by hurricane to start the Labor Day weekend. Of course we have a campground trip planned and - it's near the coast. Guess we should be prepared to batten down the hatches. At the likely least we'll get some rain Friday into Saturday then Earl will be up along the Canadian Maritime Provinces and Sunday here should be good. Carol and I are hoping that Sunday turns out nice as part of the reason for camping in the region is to visit Fort Knox and the Penobscot Narrows Observatory which is part of the Penobscot Narrows Bridge. The Observatory overlooks the Penobscot Narrows River Valley and should present a wonderful view. Now's where's that packing list, need to add rain gear and sunscreen.

Programming change

We interrupt our irregularly scheduled “just a little is enough” blog with a special report – “Vacation at the Lake 2010." Yes, as much as I'd like to get a full report of the previous vacation posted I must now focus on the near present. I usually try to post daily but for some reason it never worked out that way. As it was my main activity, reading, seemed to fall short of my expectations. The book I chose for the week is terrific. Alastair Reynolds' "Redemption Ark." Everything I could hope for in a SciFi book. I still have about a fourth of it left to read. One bonus of the week was having cell phone reception, previously there wasn't much of that. Hardly used the camp phone other than for internet access.

I'll begin with “the delay” for starting this last week's vacation.

A couple of months ago I received notice that there would be a family reunion held on the day I'd be leaving for the lake. Since it was on the way I didn't a alter my plans much, an hour or so at the reunion then the continue my journey northward. Enter “vehicle malfunction”. When with my mother we were departing a pre-reunion brunch at a second cousins house the truck wouldn't start. Someone had jumper cables but getting a boost didn't get me started. Calling for a tow truck the driver determined that the starter was shot, 200,000 plus miles on the truck, go figure. My sister Kathy and Jay came by to pick up Mom. But good fortune given the circumstances the guy that the tow driver worked for was working in his repair shop could fix it that afternoon, a Sunday no less. Not to mention the garage itself was only a short distance from the facility that the reunion was being held.

The glorious view of my vacation chariot being loaded on a flatbed.

So I ended up staying at the reunion several hours rather that maybe an hour as I planned. The reunion was a lot of fun, some good eats and catching up with cousins, uncles and aunts at a happening that didn't involve a funeral or a wedding was a bonus.

It was about 4:30pm when Patches and I were able to continue our journey to the lake.

Finally made it to Route 1 in Houlton and what do I see, a sunset that from the lake may have made as spectacular a photo as the 2006 “fire in the sky” image and here I was two hours from the camp. Cellphone picture, I had my eyes on the road when I snapped this photo.

Monday was rather cloudy with a bit of rain. Ian drove up to spend his three off days at the lake.

Tuesday morning eastern shore.

We headed to the golf course in Fort Kent, our first time there. Real nice course, seemed short, wicked nice greens and a great view. Unless something else comes up I hope to return next summer.


Once we finished golfing it was back to the camp to spend the rest of the day lake side.

Patches chillin' looking out over the lake.

Ian doing a little cycle troubleshooting.

Margaret joined us for supper and made an apple pie for dessert.

After she left it was time for Patches stick chasing into
the lake and some sunset shots.

A couple teaching their daughter to water ski.

Tuesday's best sunset shot.

Ian stayed until Wednesday noon then headed home as he needed to be back to work Thursday morning. Meanwhile after she got out of work Carol boarded a bus in Portland and I picked her up late in the evening at the bus stop in Presque Isle to spent the rest of the week with Patches and I at the lake.

Wednesday's sunset.

Where did the lake go?? My first thought when
stepping out early Thursday morning.

A little later just a sunny day.

Not an impressive sunset but as it turned out it
was a terrific evening to sit outside.

Margaret and Carol's Aunt Carolyn came for supper, I grilled some chicken and after eating Carol showed our Teton-Yellowstone photos to our guests. Meantime I was outside throwing Patches' stick out in the lake for him to chase while I started and tended a campfire where Carol joined me for the remainder of the evening.

As the week began I discovered that the old gas grill was rusted out and entirely unusable. While Carol was out running some errands with her mother she picked up this nice grill to replace the old one.

I can burn a steak on anything. Actually
the steaks turned out pretty good.

Last sunset of the week,
headed home Saturday morning.

Photo reflections, Teton-Yellowstone trip - Part 2

OK, so this isn't going as quickly as I hoped. Now I'm on a week of vacation at the camp on Madawaska Lake (sunset pictures daily). So, besides my heavy reading schedule I'll be trying to catchup posting pictures from the National Parks visit... on dial-up.

Saturday, July 10th - this was a Grand Teton National Park day, a day spent checking out as much of the park as we had the energy and time for.

Here's your host blogger and wife Carol as we prepare to leave the condo as Bev takes the picture from the middle row seats.

In the way-back region of the Ford Explorer is our entertainment division, Jonny and Ian.

From the parking lot here is the view of the Craig Thomas Discovery and Visitor Center.

Really nice inside with a large variety of information displays, helpful staff, auditorium events and a gift shop.

A little reenactment of the display behind them Bev and Jonny pull it off with aplomb.

Greg, Bev and Jonny with the Grand Teton backdrop.

Same treatment for us.

Some wildflowers among the sage.

Nice landscape shot by Ian.

Brother and sister on a vacation trip together.

Not a bad view from a parking lot.

Jenny Lake Gift Shop.

Cousins, the outdoors isn't big enough for the two of them.

This photo by Ian are the sunlit rocks in the shallow shore water of Lake Jenny.

Nothing I like better than seeing snow in July... as long as I don't see it in my yard!

Shuttle boat launch that takes passengers across the lake to Inspiration Point, Hidden Falls and several trail heads. There are also trails around the lake that would take you there as well.

The marina at Colter Bay on Jackson Lake. What a great place to put a boat in.

This right to left sequence is a coyote that we spotted in the woods while driving back through the park. We drove slowly along watching for it through the woods and he gradually worked it's way closer to the road. We realized it was soon going to cross the road so I paused long enough for pictures as he did.

In the middle of this photo is the runoff of melting snow which looked at with binoculars reveals it as a waterfall. These views are at a stop at String Lake.

Bev, admiring the view, which is pretty hard to avoid most anywhere in Grand Teton National Park.


As Greg looks on Ian as demonstrates his technique of using his binoculars as an addition zoom on his camera. It doesn't work too badly at all.