There is something about the allure of the sea and growing up on the coast of Maine that there are certain pleasures not to be taken for granted. The smell of the salt air and the sounds of bell buoys and foghorns on a foggy night are good memories of living along the coast. Having lived on Peaks Island for a short time, my ties are strong to the sea. Painting mussel shells with designs and combing the beach are among my favorite things to do along an ocean beach.
             The sea creatures seen in the tidal pools and the sight of seals as they feast along the jagged rocks were truly a pleasure to witness on a recent excursion to Monhegan Island. A gem in Muscongus Bay, Monhegan Island is nearly ten miles out to sea. We saw a lone fisherman out there in the middle of the bay, and I realized that it must be a lonely job for hardworking fishermen. I am sure that the catch can be plentiful but their livelihood is tied to the sea. With regulations and the current low cost of lobster [current prices are about 3.99 lb]; it must be very hard to make a good living at times. I am reminded of my last trip to Damariscotta, when I purchased native artist Dahlov Ipcar’s children’s book, The Lobsterman, filled with delightful night scenes of the lobsterman at work. Matinicus Island has been in the headlines regarding fishing territory disputes. I wish their island community the best to come together as a community again.
             Prior to the boat ride to Monhegan Island, I went on a trip to downtown Damariscotta, on our yearly visit to Reny’s. I met Mr. Robert Reny years ago in his store here and was impressed with his strong work ethic and dedication. He passed away this year and I am sure many people here will miss him as we saw a large banner “Thank you R.H. Reny” upon our arrival to the area this week. We spent a lot of time and money downtown. As always, I highly recommend Reny’s for the fashions, bargains, jewelry, souvenirs, stemware, and all things that could be considered necessities. Everyone on the street was either talking about going to Reny’s or carrying Reny’s bags like we did. Afterward I found a nice boutique named Darling and Delisle filled with beautiful jewelry, whimsical and classic designed hats, scarves and lovely hair pieces made with rhinestones and materials similar to Bakelite and tortoiseshell. While there I purchased a mermaid pendant with three natural pearls on the strand. Later on, I purchased some hairpieces for my sisters because they are my best friends.
             During the week, we had a karaoke night with a sing-a-long with our Canadian Cousins, “We Are Family”- a night of insanity and reminiscing and before the night was over, we were saying, eh?” Another old neighbor from Redbank Village came up the same week and we had a grand get-together.  My brother came by with his family a few times and music was the central force. We had wonderful times playing music and singing by the campfire.
             My husband planned an evening lobster feast, chicken, steak, corn, margaritas, potato, and salad, along with many extras, to feed some twenty-five people. It was an evening to remember. The week was filled with horseshoes, skateboarding and basketball, canoeing and fishing, for all the teens-as well as plenty of teen action down by the pavilion with lots of socializing.
             Hot tubs, Jacuzzis and ice cream, slushies and snacks from the general store made our evenings worthwhile. Camping at Lake Pemaquid was a blast, so I am told. Family is what it is all about… I love them all and they make the trip worthwhile.
             The weather was perfect, except for the visibility of the annual meteor shower [August 12th]. The visibility was not good. In Weld , Maine back in 1970, on a camping trip, we witnessed at Dummers Beach, the most spectacular meteor shower ever, with hundreds of shooting stars. Never again have we witnessed anything as spectacular. 
             Lake Pemaquid camping is really about all the kids getting together and making memories for them. Our family has been camping since 1967, so this is our forty second year of making memories. My father built his trailer in 1968 specifically for camping. This past year he used the same frame but rebuilt the whole trailer body for the third time. 
             We learned to play dominoes on our last evening together making Dad happy. It also made us happy as we maneuvered the crazy game of Mexican Train Dominoes and laughed hysterically all evening. All in all, it was an excellent staycation, as I think that I prefer to keep my money in Maine whenever possible. I especially choose to shop in lovely Damariscotta and not in Wiscasset because the long traffic delays have made me realize I will never spend a dime there. Our vehicle moved five miles in forty minutes. On the way back we sailed through Wiscasset with no delays and I did not stop to spend any money either. As usual, it is always nice to be back home. Next year will be a grand trip to Vinalhaven or maybe even Matinicus.