Rowing & Rock Jumping

We love rowing around Lake Megunticook. Yesterday Patrick took the kids to this small rock "island" (above) and today we went to a spot where Nora and Stuey jumped off rocks. They have no fear with jumping off the rocks. It is a reminder how if kids aren't taught to be scared, then they're not scared. Today was a great example of that. Nora and Stuey loved bounding off the big boulders into the lake. 

 For lunch we joined Polly and her boys at a place down on the water. Stuey models Leona's sunglasses below!

 And we enjoyed dinner with the extended family here at the Lake House. The best part was as the adults prepared dinner, all the cousins romped around in the lake playing basketball, swimming and playing with little water guns.

 Emmy, Polly and Patrick...

 Dinner on the deck!

 Relaxing in the hammock after

 and sunset light....

 Good Night, Maine!

Zoya

Water Fun in Maine

Yesterday we drove from Boston to Maine and stopped off at Splashtown Water Park, Maine. Patrick fully advised against it, and afterwards I understood why.

The place was eerie. Stuck in the 80's...it had a borderline haunted feel and 80's music was piped through the sound system the entire time (I rather enjoyed that part). THe lifeguards were all from Russia and spoke broken english. I discovered this on several occasions when trying to converse with them about the fact that my child doesn't swim and was going to be coming down a chute into a deep pool. I decided that CPR is a pretty universal language and doesn't necessarily need a fluent english speaker!

By the end of our hour there, the kids were chattering in the 60+ degree weather and didn't mind when Leona and I suggested we had to the car. Thank god. I envisioned a power struggle to get them to leave!

When we got to Camden, Polly and John had us over for a wonderful dinner. It was so fun to see all the cousins play together...especially Stuey with all his boy cousins!

And Patrick and Polly cooked together...pesto pasta, ribs and broccoli!

After dinner we went to Polly and John's lake house to stay. We arrived right at sunset and the kids went to bed shortly after. We can hear the loons calling in the distance in the evenings. Very beautiful sound.

The quaint master bedroom.

Today Patrick took the kids on a long rowboat ride around the lake! The kids loved it!

Stuey did some serious playing with his older cousins. Stuey is in the yellow vest on the right.

 Having fun with family in Maine~

Zoya

Gathering Eggs and Feeding Pigs

 Today we visited Patrick's Aunt and Uncles Farm right down the road. They have cows, pigs, chickens, sheep and horses.  The farm is over a hundred years old and Patrick has lots of great memories visiting it as a kid.

 Nora and Stuey had a ball plucking eggs out of the chickens nests.  The long plywood door to the back of the nest folded open which revealed a line of little cubbies where the chickens laid their eggs. Some of the cubbies still had chickens in them laying their eggs; Patrick wasn't shy about sticking his hand under the chickens to retrieve 3 or 4 warm eggs.

Afterwards, the kids weighed the eggs to see which grade they are (Extra large, etc...).

 I decided if I decide to take a sabbatical from life, this is where you'll find me. Tending to the animals on Charlescotte Farm! It is such a beautiful place.

 And here in the evenings, Patrick and Emmy cook wonderful meals together. Tonight Patrick prepared the artichokes while Emmy made a fabulous Hollaindaise sauce!

Tomorrow we drive up to North to begin the Maine portion of our vacation with family and friends!

Zoya

Old Harbor Scenics

Now that I am amidst the hustle and bustle AND HEAT of the East Coast it seems hard to believe that just a few days ago I was in placid and cool Old Harbor.  While there I stayed at a fishing lodge while doing an archaeological survey.  It was funny because every night we ate and talked with tourists who were there on vacation to go fishing.  They came from the lower 48 and I knew that in just a few days I would be off to the lower 48 for vacation.  We switched places!

Anyway, Old Harbor is a very scenic place with the mountains looming all around and reflecting on every available surface.  The weather was spectacular and very warm - for Kodiak.  Patrick

Vacation Moments

 Our trip to Massachusetts has been filled with fun times at the small sandy beach and lake that is within walking distance of Emmy and Georges house. Granny Emmy, above with kids  and Grandpa George, below.

 George gave Stuey a piggy back ride in the water! Temperatures have been in the 80's, which makes lake time a necessity to cool off later in the afternoon! Jumping off the dock is a favorite pastime of Nora and Stuey.

  Patrick takes the kids on kayak trips around the lake.

 And a few pictures from our trip East. An airport picture from Anchorage. Stuey had some low moments on the plane from Anchorage to Seattle. Fortunately he slept for the trip from Seattle into Boston.

 Go girl flying power! Nora was thrilled to get a sneak peak into the cockpit!

 Today on the train...whizzing into Boston on the Boston Transit "T". Stuey was in HEAVEN. It was a moment he has been waiting for. For months.

Zoya

Saltonstall Roots in Salem Massachusetts

 Today we took a road trip to Salem Massachusetts to find the grave of Nora Saltonstall. A large number of Patrick's ancestors are buried in Harmony Grove, including his great uncles and great aunts. Nora Saltonstall lived in the early 1900's, and was an ambulance driver in world war I. She died in California of typhoid fever when she was in her early 30's. Today we found her grave in Harmony Grove Cemetery in Salem Massachusetts.

Finding her grave was a bit of an adventure. The cemetery did not have a map of where various families were buried, so we looked on line for where the grave of Leverett Saltonstall was a relative of hers.  Using google in the cemetery,  we found a picture of a LARGE celtic cross, which was over Leverett Saltonstalls grave.  It took an hour of walking through the large cemetery, looking for this distinct, large celtic cross.
And Patrick finally found it.  We were ESTATIC!

Next to the cross was a myriad of Saltonstall graves. And they were so beautifully maintained with geraniums planted in front of them, and American Flags next to several of them.

 Nora noticed right away that Nora Saltonstall's grave read "Eleanor" Saltonstall, instead of Nora Saltonstall. We explained to her how Nora was a shorter version of her formal name, Eleanor.

 Here Patrick sits next to his great grandparents graves, Richard Middlecott Saltonstall and Eleanor Saltonstall.

The cemetery was beautiful and it was something else looking for the graves amongst acres of plots. Patrick and I were both a bit teary eyed upon arrival of finally finding the plots of his ancestors.

After finding the graves, we ventured to the town of Salem for lunch at a great organic eatery. Leona posed in front of the sign for "Kombucha on tap". Seeing Kombucha on tap was fun, as Leona knows how to make home-made Kombucha! 

We then went to the Peabody museum and walked through the town of Salem. I had my first Tarot Card reading, which was a fabulous experience. Really enjoyed the lady who read my cards.  She told me all about what to expect with work, finances, kids, marriage, etc. 

 When we returned to back to Sherborn, Mass, Patrick and Leona went to Whole foods to buy some food for dinner. They have a great meat rating system to indicate how well the various animals were treated before their demise. We had good discussions about where Elk hunting would fit into their system...  We decided it is probably a 5+ or even off the charts...

At Whole Foods there was also a car charging station....SO Wellesley, Mass!!  Its for charging up your electric car.  

We pulled into the parking in our Expedition rental car. For a minute I was worried we would find a "large car" surcharge on our food bill, or worse yet, be boycotted from the establishment all together for driving such an environmentally unfriendly beast. 

Zoya