Camp, Summer 2013

At the end of July, we left town for our annual trip to Maine.  It was great timing since we were all going a bit crazy after a hard summer and we all wanted a change of pace and scenery.  Of course, we spent much of our time there rounding up paperwork (thank goodness for the internet or we never would have gotten it all done!) but it was a great trip nonetheless.  We had parades, fireworks, a vacation within a vacation, and a chance to see an old friend.

 

This year Alastair learned to paddle the short kayak on his own.  He really lasted a lot longer than either Kim or I thought he would.

In Rangeley, there was a logging festival which included a parade, a craft fair, and a logging competition.  It was such fun!

The kids loved the parade, especially when the participants started throwing candy.  We can get behind pretty much any event that involves candy around here.

There were new and old logging trucks, including this vintage logging vehicle.

There were antique fire trucks alongside ones and even Harley riders, a New England staple.  Here is one of four seaplanes that flew over Main Street during the parade.

The firetrucks were a little loud.

At the logging festival, we got to watch men and even a few women compete in various events.  The axe throwing was a real highlight, as was one event where the participants hacked a log apart in a race.  While it was between their feet.

Then it was time for a vacation within a vacation.  We headed south to Portsmouth to meet up with our buddy Chris, aka Skippy.

Although the weather was supposed to be sunny and mild, it rained the whole way down from camp and was pretty chilly.  That's Maine for you!  The kids were not deterred and we stopped at a beach near Old Orchard to let the kids burn off a little steam.

They loved it and promptly got soaking wet.

After a nice dinner with Skippy, we headed for our hotel.  This trip was the first experience Emery had with sleeping in a big girl bed, starting with a toddler bed at camp.  She did really well although Kim and I were about to do them both in because sharing a bed was so exciting they kept playing and wouldn't go to sleep.  Being trapped in a rental car with two fired up kids for five hours can make grownups tired.

The next day dawned bright and beautiful.

It was time to really enjoy the beach, although no one was quite hardy enough to get in the water.  The Atlantic makes the Cupsuptic lake water feel like a hot tub.  I do remember a trip from my own childhood where Billy and I swam until our lips turned blue, which from an adult's perspective might have taken all of about five minutes.

It was warm enough to be comfortable in bathing suits, but breezy enough to not get hot.  Emery loved digging in the sand.  She spent a lot of time on our lake beach doing the same thing, telling us all she was making blueberry pie.

Alastair enjoyed chasing seagulls and looking for treasure on the water's edge. 

Back at camp, we did camp things like fish, hike, and play on the beach. 

I got the most out of my fishing license.

I also tortured the family with our annual dock photo.

One turned out pretty good.  Currently hanging in our new hallway.

And then it was time to go home.  To chaos.  To packing and unpacking, painting, and building, and work.  Oh my.

Some quick shots on the rock, a Lewis family tradition.

Grammie and Emery.

Alastair and Papa.

Next year is going to be a bigger adventure as we'll have to rent a minivan to fit all the carseats and the airplane ride will surely be exciting.  At least we won't be on the phone with our realtor and banks the whole time...  Totally worth it though!