Day 12 - Let my people go!

Dear Diary... (qua, qua, qua - what a laugh riot!)


Today was another fun-filled day. We started by driving to the north end of Great Long Lake and renting canoes. We had two children and two adults in one canoe and one child and two adults in the second canoe. Then we set off in what can be described as "an excursion to torture one's upper body as we did the day before on bicycles destroying one's lower body." We spent 2.5 hours paddling around the portion of the lake shown in the map link above. As the child in our boat said, "This is really peaceful." Very pretty scenery. The rental agent indicated an area where a suspected eagle's nest was on the shore. Not so much. I think they just say that to get people to go there for something to do. Of course, as a duck I wasn't really even looking forward to seeing an eagle up close.


Afterwards, we drove into Southwest Harbor to have lunch around 2:30pm at a small restaurant. We ate outside. Everyone agreed that the food was good and the restaurant was excellent. I believe that we intend to breakfast there in the morning - knucklehead has had breakfast there before and he says the wild Maine blueberry pancakes with blueberry syrup are most excellent. I'll be the judge of that!


When walking back to the car a little later, we happened upon a Bocce Ball court! Knucklehead continues his LOSING STREAK! He and the youngest teamed against the father and the middle child. Actually, I think his team was leading when they decided that "next point wins" and the opposition scored two points! At one point, the opposing child was distracting him and he rolled his ball completely over the side wall of the bocce lane! Ha ha ha! Distraction indeed! The lane was gravelly versus grass, or the smooth packed sand he plays on in Baltimore. Apparently the surface doesn't affect his ability to lose. Talk about consistent play.


Next we drove to the south end of Eagle Lake where some of us went swimming. This was supposed to be some of the warmest water at the park - it was nice. And talk about a view! As you look at the water from the beach, a huge, stone wall rises on your left in a mountain. Beautiful (I'll have to see if I can borrow a photo of it from the kids - knucklehead didn't want to take his camera onto the sand - but this would be the image from atop the mountain, not our view). It was really quite striking.


And then, the unthinkable happened! Some of my peeps (you know, ducks!) showed up on the beach and the various kids swimming started chasing them! Oh, the humanity!!! My peeps would swim into the marshy area and the tourist brats would chase them. Then into open water. Then onto the beach. It was horrible.... Let my people go!


And then my peeps started walking among the perps on the beach snatching food scraps they found on the blankets. No... stop that! It's degrading! And they would wind their way from one blanket to another, and poke their face into the sand grabbing anything left behind. And then be chased away. Oh, woe is me - they are beggars! My peeps were actually the perps! Let us leave this discussion.


After a stop at the grocery store to replenish our supply of jerky (not really!) we headed home. From there, knucklehead called his childhood best friend who lives on Mount Desert Island, about 5 minutes from where we are staying. Knucklehead and his wife drove over and spent a few hours talking to him. His friend's wife and daughters were up in the big city (Bangor) shopping. I guess knucklehead enjoyed himself. He's hoping his friend and wife and family will be able to join us for dinner one of the next two evenings.


Thus ends Tuesday, July 20. We have two more full days here before leaving on Friday. I'll tell you what - the weather, the scenery and available activities make this just a wonderful trip! Any rain we've had has been in the evenings, not interfering with our activities. The temperature has been, uhm, temperate? Daytime highs around mid to high 80's and bearable humidity. Really, really nice. A great place to raise ducks, I should say. Perhaps I shall return again.