A Ferry Ride, A Good Lunch, and A Nice Walk!

Exploring new places has always been something Jake and I have and continue to enjoy. Through our explorations, we have discovered many quaint places that we have come to love.

The joys of being brothers! Waiting for the ferry can be such fun especially when you can torment each other while you wait!

I must admit my vanity here. This is a farily decent picture of me, but Jake looks like a hoodlum with his glasses and hat. However, he likes his ears warm. Imagine that! He did take them off for other pictures, but this is the best one, so we are stuck with the hoodlum look. I love him anyway. Yes, I did tell him this!

The ferry ride to Peaks Island is a favorite. Peaks Island is a small island located about 3 miles east of Portland. Peaks Island has become a favorite destination. The ferry ride to the island is quite relaxing. On a hot summer's day, the ride can be refreshing as a cool breeze blows off the ocean. In the spring it can be a bit chilly, and in winter downright cold. We love going during the spring before the tourist season arrives. Our first visit to the island we fell in love with a quaint restaurant called "The Cockeyed Gull." Now, a couple times a year we hope on the ferry for a ride to the island to enjoy a good meal and a pleasant walk. The north loop of the island is about 4 miles. On a warm spring day, such as the one we had this day, the walk proved to be relaxing and enjoyable.(Well, most of the time. Unless your eight-year old would rather be playing video games and whines and plods along as though you are completely torturing him, hoping that he is torturing you, so you will go home. We did win this one though.)

We were fascinated watching the tug boats push this huge oil tanker to the docks.

Cold!

I figured it was time to blog (or rather whine) about the cold since I blogged (whinned) about the snow. I have never been nor do I think I ever will be a great fan of the cold. Our first year in Maine, it didn't snow until about the middle of January. We were even on the beach in January taking pictures and walking around with jackets, but not the last two years.

Winter seems to be unending. According to our local meteorlogists, January was the third coldest on record. YUCK!!!!! It will be interesting to see if any records are broken. I can't believe that some haven't fallen, and the winter doesn't seem to be ending to soon either. We plowed the driveway again today! Thank Heaven the temperatures aren't where they were, but the snow isn't melting too quickly either.

We actually had pipes freeze this year. I guess 30 below zero is a tad bit cold. We were quite fortunate though that the pipe didn't burst and no real damage was done. I do know that I am praying for warm weather and sunshine.

I am beginning to wonder if there is/was this thing called grass!

Hopelessly Powerless!!!!

Living in the 21st century, I have rarely given thought to being without power for more than a day. I was thoroughly dismayed when we lost power in December for about 36 hours. Never in my wildest dreams did I think we would be without power for 90 hours. I know that I am not a pioneer, nor would I profess to being rough and tough(I am proudly a girl!), but I thought I would deal with this better. Our family actually did okay for the first two days, but then as two turned into three the grouches and grumpies began to emerge. We did everything we could to avoid going home. It was sad to hear my own children say, "Mom, it's kind of sad when you don't want to go home," but I understood what they were saying.

I know it doesn't seem like much, but when the power goes out at our house, there is no water or heat. We live in the country, and we are on well water. Our only consolation was a wood burning stove. However, we were gone during the day, and the house never warmed above 50. Anyone who knows me, knows I am a pansy when it comes to the cold. Needless to say, on the second night we went in search of a generator, but there were none to be had in the state of Maine! I am not joking. We were able to borrow a generator from a co-worker of Jakes, but it would only work a few electrical things. Never enough power for the water pump or heater. I hope these pictures give you some idea about this storm.

I have to say that it was truly a beautiful sight to see everything literally covered in white. The denseness of the trees caused all the problems because so many could not bear the weight of the snow and snapped. If you look closely at the bottom picture, at the base of the pine trees is what appears to be a tree branch, but it is actually a tree about 8 inches in diameter that has broken. Thousands of trees caused all the problems for the power company. I do have sympathy, but my patience is not to great.

Maybe we will move to Arizona!

Olympic Memories

Visiting Atlanta brought back fond memories of the Olympic Games hosted by Salt Lake City in 2002. The lasting legacy of hosting the games is still enjoyed by visitors to Atlanta as well as Salt Lake City. I am amazed at the number of people who associate Salt Lake City with the Olympic games when you tell someone where you lived. It was so much fun to be a part of the Olympics. The transformation of Salt Lake City for those two weeks was fascinating to watch and the legacy left behind will be enjoyed for generations to come.

Although we were only able to see Centennial Olympic Park, I could appreciate the beauty of this park and the ability of the world to unite for a few short weeks when the Olympics happen. We were fortunate to witness this great event this summer in Beijing. My only wish is that somehow, someway the leaders of the world could find a more peaceful way to solve their differences than war. Unfortunately, in life whether in school, work, or play "Bullies" will only listen to one form of communication. It's too bad it can't be a pillow fight!!!!!

"Water, play, wet" were Kaleb's first thoughts I am sure, but my first thought upon seeing this fountain was "Gateway." Even though it is February, it was a warm 64 degrees this day, so getting a little wet was fun. Kaleb promised me he wouldn't get wet. Of course, the first shot from the fountain went up his backside soaking him.

You can look 360 degrees in any direction and the city stands proudly around this grand park. The fountains are the shape of 5 intertwined olympic rings.

This canopy inside the park has the flags of all those nations represented during the Olympics.

Not only did the park have a cool fountain to run through, but it also hosted several playgrounds. Yes, we did try them all out, and Kaleb liked this one the most. He could do the most running up and down the hills.

Raising the Flag - A milestone.

As a part of the "human family," I am always fascinated by and enjoy participating in the diverse ways we go about celebrating milestones in our societies. Experiencing small successes during a long journey makes that journey less stressful and more enjoyable. We, humans(?), need continual "pats on the back" for our hard work. Who doesn't like a treat for a job done well?

Jake has been involved with a large project in the Netherlands. He knew that it was mandatory for him to be in Amsterdam on February 4, but he was unsure why it was so important. Had he been aware of Dutch customs he would have had no confusion.

Celebrating a building's construction reaching its highest point is a Dutch tradition similar to the American groundbreaking cermony. He was, as I am sure the Dutch are with us and our traditions, amused at the pomp and circumstance involved on this day. The day began in a tent with hor d'oeuvres, champagne, and a few speeches from the mayor and other dignitaries(?). Jake was grateful all he had to do was eat. I am not sure what he would have said in Dutch. He sat there smiling and nodding. We have laughed because for all he knew they could have been talking about him, and there he sat nodding and laughing when everyone else did. When the speeches were finished, he and a few others stepped up to the platform and raised the flag commemorating this important milestone in the project.

A wide angle view of the building and its surroundings. Nebraska or Iowa? No, Hoofddorp!

The flag will soon wave on the top of the outcropping at the top of the building.

The four hard hats walking toward the orange machine are the ones who will raise the flag. Yes, Jake is the tallest one.

Since it was raining and extremely muddy, the flag-raiser stand on a wooden platform to raise the flag.

The flag is raised! The work continues! Jake gets to go back and forth!

When I married Jake 27 years ago, I had no idea I was marrying a dignitary. hehehehehe! Well, he has always been number one in my eyes. Now, if only I get to with him on one of his trips.