the last few weeks

I'm spending tonight recovering from all the company we've had the last several weeks.  I thought I would sum up our time together in a few pictures.
There was a lot, a lot, a lot of eating...

like packing on 10 pounds type of eating...

catching some rays...

a little drinking...

some mischievousness...

some holding on for dear life...

trying to keep these guys safe from Duke's visitor...

and celebrating our independence...

Hopefully tomorrow I'll post about our lobstering trip - what a BLAST!

duke's hideaway

Take a simple little cubby on a boat...

add a sad looking Duke...

some thrift store fabric/shower curtain (complete with canoes, moose and fish), Target sale finds, tiny Singer that fits perfect in the Camp and crafty goodness from a great friend...and VOILA!!!

Duke loves his new hideaway - it was a perfect place to hide from the fireworks!

beauty in the funk

First of all - I forgot to mention on the last post - PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE HELP PREVENT FOREST FIRES!!!  We had a scary encounter where someone didn't put out their fire across the lake and then left.  It turned into a large fire - but luckily it was far enough away from us - but Sean and Duke are now volunteer firemen.

****************************************

Beauty can be found in the most interesting of places.  We have an old decaying tree out front that we've been wanting to turn into a totem pole.

No matter how hard we try and how many people we call we can't get anyone to come out and even look at it.  This summer was our last summer to try.  But after we tried to hang a new bird feeder on it and couldn't because it simply pulled right out of the tree, we have officially given up on the totem pole dream.

This summer, after the lake freezes over, the dead tree is coming down.  I'm so glad I got to see the growth this year.  I only wonder where the flying squirrels will live now...

According to the ex-science teacher visiting right now this is "shelf fungus".  I love how you just never know what you'll find/see at Camp!

more spring cleaning

Living in the woods requires a lot of spring cleaning!  So much so that we just recently finished it up.  It's a process, you see - that begins with picking up all the branches that are all over the yard and tossing them in the fire pit.

Then you have a party and light up the fire pit and make s'mores.  Due to so many s'mores and pallets and picnic tables burning in there it was time to clean it out.  There was quite a bit of soot and nails removed in the process.  Look how nice and clean it looks now!

and just to give you perspective at just how big it is (if the burning of a picnic table didn't)...

The first batch of guests arrive tomorrow and can look forward to several bonfire nights.  I'm fully stocked up on chocolate bars, marshmallows and graham crackers in anticipation!!!

i bring you peace

After a long day at work, cooking my honey a tasty meal and cleaning up Sean headed off to watch the news - bleh - so I decided to make a cup of hot tea and head outside.

There I sat in the peace and quiet with only the sound of the breeze whistling through the trees, the frogs croaking, the wind chime clanging, the chipmunks chirping, a humming bird buzzing by and the loons splashing in the water...

wrapped up in a blanket, cool breeze on my face, sipping my tea and thinking about absolutely nothing...and loving every single minute of it...

I was in another world.....until the news ended and Sean came out, hopped in the loud bass boat and made Duke bark and bark.

If Sean hadn't come out I would have sat there for the rest of the night.  I hope our upcoming guests will take time to enjoy this most amazing part of being at Camp - the peacefulness and quietness.  Three days until the first batch arrives!

the countdown has begun

We're about to have a full house - a REALLY full house!  Eight adults and two dogs in our tiny little camp.  Not sure how we'll survive but I'm sure we will.  We're all friends - really good friends.

In the spirit of the countdown that has begun I thought I'd take this opportunity to give them a preview of what they will see when they get here (we have some Maine virgins coming).

What I really wish I could do was give you a sneak of the amazing smells you'll encounter.  I seem to have a heightened sense of smell when we're in Maine - or maybe it's just that there's just more to smell.  Either way, every morning I wake up to the most a-mazing smell - some mixture of these.

When we take our daily walk up to the mailbox I walk with my nose in the air just taking in that smell in long, deep breaths.  Sean just looks at me like I'm crazy.

The neighbors garden is nearly in full bloom.

What's your favorite smell of Spring?

a san francisco treat

There's a great little city that I recently got to visit for work on the opposite side of the country.

From Maine, it takes nearly an entire day to get there, but once you're there, there's so much great stuff to do.  You can wait in the hour long line to take the $5, one way, ride on the trolley.  I so wanted to ride it like the safety sign guy going around the corners!  Wheeeeeee!!!

You HAVE to stop at the Ghiradelli store and get your free - yes FREE - piece of chocolate.  We all wondered how many times we could go through before they caught on.

You can watch a little baseball that lasts until after midnight - PACIFIC - but don't worry, you can always cut out a little early - which you'll need to if your body is used to the eastern time zone!  Be sure to get the garlic fries while you're there though.

You can enjoy a glass of wine with your favorite work peeps.

You can walk up a million stairs to see a lit up tower thingy.  If it's after work, make sure you take one of said favorite work peeps with you to carry your computer bag (thanks Kael!).  Since you'll probably be sucking wind during the hike, take a break and peek at all the great houses tucked back in those stairs.

You can also take a ride in the Mr Toad's Tours old-time car - highly recommend!

However, when it's time to make the long trek back to the east coast do not take the red-eye home unless you get upgraded or want to be out of it for a few days.

What's your favorite thing to do in San Francisco?