7-17-06 (Monday): I’ve been lax keeping up with my blog, and now I have so much info that writing it is almost overwhelming! So, please excuse me if this particular blog seems a little disjointed. I’ll date each of the 3 days I’m writing about and just bang it out.

Wednesday, 7/13. We decided to drive the rest of the way around Penobscot Bay. It wasn’t as interesting a trip as I’d thought it would be. The area is much less developed and there were no touristy areas. It appeared much less affluent than this area—more mobile homes and in general less well kept up. Also, the road wasn’t as close to the coast as it is here, so there were fewer scenic views.

That being said, we did have a good time. Our first stop was Fort Knox (not the one in Kentucky where all the gold is kept). This one is located where the Penobscot River flows into Penobscot Bay, near Bucksport. It was built between 1820 and 1840 to protect Bangor. We had a tour by one of the volunteers of the Friends of Fort Knox. He did a magnificent job. Wiley especially enjoyed it (forts aren’t my thing). The fort never fired its weapons in anger and was never attacked. The guns were only fired twice, once for an Independence Day celebration and once for a citizens birthday (both times the guns were fired with powder only, but a bunch of windows in town were shattered). During the Civil War, it was used as a training base for Civil War soldiers and it was also used during the Spanish American War to house 200 troops for a month. I was fascinated by the construction, which was done by stone masons from England. The steps in this spiral staircase were each carved from a single piece of limestone (including the round part) and then stacked so that they were perfectly even and level. Quite a feat!

Next we stopped in the little town of Penobscot. We stopped in the general store there and I bought a raffle ticket for a two-person kayak. The proceeds of the raffle were to benefit the fire department.

Then we stopped on Caterpillar Hill, which was a high meadow loaded with wildflowers that sloped gently down to the Bay. (Enlarge the picture to see the beautiful sky!). There were signs with the history of the Penobscot Bay area, which dates back to the Revolutionary War era. The sea has always been (and remains) the mainstay of the economy.

Next we went to Deer Isle. Wiley fished from the breakwater and I walked around the little town. There was one huge mansion, which now housed an antique store and was in need of renovation. The remaining houses and the old school were tiny, but still occupied. Deer Isle was settled by Europeans in 1755. The first settlers were farmers, but gradually they became fishermen and seafarers. Shipbuilding was the dominant industry in the first half of the 19^th century. The island also had sawmills, gristmills, cooper shops (barrels), and a carding and fulling mill. Lots of seamen signed on to operate the yachts of the wealthy visitors during the gilded age. The first granite quarry appeared in the late 19^th century. Granite from the local quarries was used to construct major buildings in Boston, New York, Washington, D.C. and Annapolis. Granite is still quarried today on Crotch Island (look on a map and you’ll see how appropriate this name is!).

Our final stop was Stonington, which had a pretty little harbor with lots of working lobster boats and lobster shacks. The traps on the left in the picture were piled on a floating raft anchored out in the water!

Thursday, 7/14: Today was Mark’s 39^th birthday. I called him before he left for work. It was good to hear his voice. He and Heather and the boys are having a good (if very busy) summer. Hudson and Austin are on the swim team again this year and enjoying it very much.

We’d done so much driving yesterday that we decided to stay closer to home today. We went to Moose Point State Park, just a few miles north of here. The tide was very low and we enjoyed some beach combing. We also took a scenic drive to Ragged Mountain. The wild flowers are still spectacular--black eyed susans, queen anne's lace, liatrus (purple) and numerous others. I think these are bachelor buttons, but I'm not sure.

There’s a commercial ski slope there called the Snow Bowl. It’s said to be the only ski slope on the East Coast with a view of the ocean. There’s also a lake there with a swimming beach. We brought home some wildflowers--Monkey enjoyed them a lot!

Friday, 7/15: Stuck close to home today and did laundry and housework. Visited with our neighbors and did a little shopping, too.

Saturday, 7/16: Had a rough day at work today. It’s Blues Festival weekend, a major event in Rockland. The campground has been completely booked for weeks. I accidentally cancelled the wrong site, and when the camper later came in, I didn’t have a site big enough for his rig. Everything worked out okay, but it was majorly stressful there for a while. I had trouble sleeping for fretting about it.

Sunday, 7/17: In an effort to de-stress a little after my sleepless night, we took a hike on Mt. Battie. The Maiden Cliff trail is short (about 1-1/2 round trip), but very steep and rocky. It ends at a high cliff overlooking Lake Megunticook where there’s a large cross commemorating a 12-year-old girl who fell to her death in the 1890’s.

They were on a May Day outing and she was chasing her hat that was blown away in the breeze. The wild blueberries were starting to get ripe, and we saw wildflowers and this toad, who must have been sluggish from the cold, because he didn’t even try to get away.

It was cold and foggy on the ground, but quite warm and clear as we climbed higher.

And that brings us up to date! We’re planning a tent camping trip for next Wednesday through Friday. We’re going up to what’s called “Sunrise Country” to see the more northern coast of Maine. We’ll keep our cell phone close, because our new granddaughter is coming very soon! Love to you all—we miss you!