Another Picnic

 

Stuey and I went on 2 picnics with Stewart. On the second picnic Anne joined us and we went to Sloop Island. I had never been to this island before. The tide was high and the whole beach was practically under water. We nosed up to the steep beach and then pulled the boat back off shore with the anchor line.

We had our lunch and then I went around exploring.  Even on vacation I can't help but look for archaeological sites, and, just like on the first picnic, I found another eroding shell midden. This one had more bones in it and I wondered what people were doing on that island in the distant past - Hunting seals and birds? The bones did mostly look like bird bones - and so that would be my guess. Maybe they went out there in the spring to collect eggs and harvest the nesting birds?

Near the end of the picnic we saw thunderheads and approaching rain in the far distance. We left a bit early to try and beat the storm. And it looked like we were going to make before it caught us about 500 meters shy of the entrance to Pulpit Harbor. It was an insane squall and the wind was whipping water like smoke along the surface of the sea. Stewart had to turn the boat into the wind and we tried to shelter behind the steering tower.  We all got soaked with salt spray and rain.

In Pulpit Harbor we saw a collapsed shack that got blown over by the wind and even a flipped over row boat on a mooring. It was quite the little squall.

Patrick

another eroding shell midden

 

Barred Island Picnic

 

On our first full day in Maine we went on a picnic to the Barred Islands. Stuey and I were a little sleep deprived but our friend Stewart was in town and has the boat that is capable of such picnics. Without Stewart  our picnics tend to be closer to home and much less exotic.

Over the last few years a Barred Island picnic with Stewart has become a Maine vacation tradition. And, every year,  we tend to go to the same little island. Stewart even remarked that he rarely goes to that particular island unless he is with us.

Same little beach - same glorious view. We also have a tradition of taking a picture of Stuey and Stewy together. This tradition goes back to when Stuey was a baby on Stewy's knee (click here for photo of Stuey on Stewy knee). 

This year when we walked around the island I could not help but look for archaeological sites. And I found one - a small eroding shell midden. Last year I found a utilized flake on the nearby beach but not the site. This year I found the site where the artifact had come from.

Patrick

I found an eroding shell midden!

Maine Vacation

 

It's July and time for our yearly Maine vacation. Stuey and I arrived on Saturday and so our Maine vacation begins! Kodiak seems a long way away.

The first couple of days have been a little sleep deprived, but we did go on a picnic to the Barred Islands. We have also gone kayaking, and have been eating well. But mostly we've been reading books on the deck and relaxing.

Our friend Stewart is in town so it has been good to catch up, and take the annual Stewart and Stuart photo. Stewart is Stuart's namesake. Except Stewart told us to spell it Stuart because he told us that that's the way everybody spells it anyway.

Anyway, more to come on our Maine vacation. It begins!

Patrick

Waiting to catch the ferry in Rockland

A lobster roll - our first meal in Maine

Evening arrival on the ferry

Barred Islands Picnic with Stewart

The annual Stuey and Stewy picture

Barred Island Picnic

 

Yesterday the kids and I went on a picnic with Stewart. This is a yearly summer tradition. We took Stewart's boat to the Barred Islands, and this is not the first time we've picnic'ed there (click here for past posts featuring the Barred Islands). Stewart's family is based out of Pulpit Harbor on the North side of the island.  And this side of the island is closer to all the cool little islands. Hence picnics with Stewart tend to be more exotic than the ones we do on the south side of the island.

The Barred Islands are spectacular. Big clouds on the horizon, white shell on the beaches, blooming pink roses with bright green leaves.  It's a deserted island straight out of a pirate story. We ate lunch, did some exploring and went for a swim.

Near the end of the picnic we took the annual Stuart and Stewart picture. Stuart is named after Stewart so every year we try and take a photo of the two of them together.  (Click here for a few blog posts that feature Stuart and Stewart from years past). Every year Stuart has gotten taller and taller, and I think he is now taller than Stewart!

Patrick

Annual Stuart and Stewart photo

Stewart and Stuart

 

Stewart and Stuart 2024

Every time we go out East for vacation we meet up with my old friend Stewart.  Stuart is actually named after old friend Stewart - but back in the day Stewart suggested we use the alternate spelling for simplicity.  He told us that that is how everybody spells it anyway. 

On every visit it has become a tradition to take a photo of Stewart and Stuart next to each other.  Just now I looked through old blog posts and it is very cool to watch Stuart and Stewart getting progressively older.  Once upon a time Stewart towered over Stuart while these days Stuart may even be a little taller.  I posted some pictures from the old blog posts below, but there is also a couple of links below to blog posts that feature 'Stewart'

Click here (pre 2017) and here (post 2017) for old blogposts featuring Stewart and Stuart.

Anyway, on this trip out East our visit with Stewart mostly coincided with foggy weather.  Stewart took us on a boat ride out to Great Spruce Island (where I found an old archaeological midden), we went for a bike ride out Crabtree Point in the fog, ate lobsters on the deck, and spent a lot of time on the deck just hanging out.

Patrick

Stewart and Stuart 2017

Stuart and Stewart 2012

Lobsters on the deck

 

Last night Stuey and I had lobsters on the deck with Stuey's namesake Stewart. Earlier in the day Stuey and I had paddled by the floating docks where the lobstermen store the lobsters and the bait for their traps.  We've noticed that in the evening they sell lobsters directly from the 'lobster pens'.  And so yesterday evening we made a trip out there to buy lobster.

I was surprised at how cheep lobster seems these days.  It was 7 dollars a pound for hard shell lobsters - or about 9 dollars a lobster.  So we bought 6 and the guy added some mussels in for free.  He picked them off of the dock mooring ropes.

We cooked them up and had them for dinner on the lower deck.  I love lobsters on the deck because eating lobsters tend to be kinda messy.  We just threw the shells over the railing and onto the beach.  So easy to clean up - the perfect place to eat lobsters!

Patrick

I gather if you just let the lobster grip you, and don't try and get away, it does not hurt

Still nice to have bands on the claws to keep them from nipping

Launching a kayak from the deck

We later ate lobster just to the left of where Stuey is sitting

Morning kayak trip - we launched from the deck and returned to the deck

View from the deck

Eat coast purse seiner