When we went to bed last night the weather forecast was not good.  As predicted a storm came in just about 10 pm and the rain began in earnest.  So did the wind.  I remember when I owned a sailboat that days with wind like this were extra special.  Now it’s a whole other story.

We awoke this morning with much the same weather as we went to bed with last night.  The temperature was at 47 degrees.  The wind was out of the west at 20 mph gusting to 35 mph.  The rain was constant.  The fog was so thick at times it was hard to see the mile or so across the bay.  It was neat sitting in the solarium watching the waves just roll down the bay, long sweeping swells with white caps on top.  Even when nature is putting on a show of force, I still found beauty in it.

Yesterday, we met our next door neighbors, Steve and Donna, who are now on their

7th RV, a 2012 Winnebago Tour.  They are workcamp volunteers at Campobello  Island in Canada.  Since there are no RV parks on the island with hookups, they are given a site here for the duration of their contract.  They have been at this for a long time.  Two more of God’s beautiful people that we have had the privilege of getting to know.

Remember the old saying possession is 9/10 of the law.  Seems this past winter a historic

building in Lubec was washed away in a fierce storm and ended up across the channel on Campobello Island.  The town wants the building back, what’s left of it that is, but Canada claims it is their’s since it is now on their soil.  To date a resolution has not been reached.  I wonder how this one is going to play out!

Throughout the day it was just too nasty to go out.  The wind at times was so strong you,

sort of, had to lean into it to stay on your feet.  That being the case we decided to just stay put, hunker down, and ride it out.  As of now, late afternoon, the wind and rain have let up but the temperature is still down there.  It seems where ever we go, we somehow bring the cold weather with us.  I do hope this doesn’t continue for the rest of the year.

Our day is now winding down.  Barbara has been busy getting our itinerary ready for tomorrow.  We plan on going over the international bridge to Campobello Island where

our first stop will, of course, be customs and the visitors center.  At the visitor’s center, we

sign up to have tea with Eleanor and then we will spend the day visiting the attractions and lighthouses that are there.  We did receive one surprise already regarding our visit, all along we mistakenly believed that they were also on Eastern Time.   Surprise, surprise they are on Atlantic Time meaning they are an hour ahead of us.  Sure glad we found out now.

That’s it.  It was a quiet day inside keeping warm and dry.  As the rain and wind pounded against Graybeard, I am forever thankful that it was built in a day and time when they just weren’t shoving vehicles down the assembly line and out the door.  It is obvious that when Graybeard was built, the workers at Winnebago still took the time to do things right, that they took pride in their work.  No leaks, nothing falling off, everything tight as a drum.  Thank you good Lord for leading us to this rig.  Time now to say goodnight but as always a thought for each of us to ponder:

As always,  if you are coming to the end of your day with concerns and worries, let me suggest that you turn them over to God.  After all, He is going to be up all night so why not let him handle them for you.

Time now for our evening prayers and eventually some shut-eye.  Till tomorrow.

These are the voyages of  Graybeard and it’s occupants, four paws and two humans.  Our continuing mission: to explore as many new states as possible, to seek out new acquaintances and make new friends, to boldly go where we have not been before

Last night it was shake, rattle and roll until the wind began to die down.  Then along would come another good gust and it would start all over again.  No harm, no foul, no damage done but it sure got your attention.  This morning it was calm for a time but by mid-morning the wind began to pick up again.  As of now, it is real calm but the forecast is for a jim dandy of a storm heading in.  Might be an interesting night.

Today it was time to go exploring and sight-seeing.  But first, once again we needed to get some documents notarized.  Off to the town hall in Lubec were they were more than willing to help us out.

Guess what was next door?  A fire museum.  Was it open?  Nope.  But they were willing

to open it up for me.  Sweet.  A really small museum but here is what I found inside.  First up is a Torrent.  The Torrent was built in 1865 for Marlboro, MA.  Lubec purchased the Torrent in 1892 for $125.  All parts are original and in working order.

Next, we have an old horse drawn ladder truck.  Anyone have any idea where the driver sat?  The top ladders were pushed back and there is a seat for the driver in the front.

There was also a horse drawn reel cart

Finally, the original fire alarm for the town of Lubec. 

That was all that was there.  Like I said, small, but I found it interesting and I remembered to thank the town clerk for opening it up for me.

Once we were through here we were off to the post office which just happened to be next door to the recommended pizza store in town called Morano’s Authentic offering Real Italian Flavor.

Oh yes, the pizza here was delicious. Nice thin crust, great toppings.  Here we one of

God’s beautiful people – the first of many we would meet today.  Her name is Ginny.  She is – ready for this – a network engineer by trade but a pizza maker at heart.  She comes from NJ, opened this store last year, did a booming business so has decided to stay and make a go of it.  We wish her the best of luck, but with pizza like we had today we have no doubt she will have a thriving business this year and for as long as she decides to do it.

Still in Lubec, we knew that there was another sculpture somewhere.  It’s amazing where we have found them hidden in the past.  This one was no different.  In what appeared to be the most run down section of town there it was.  This one is called Beyond the Horizon  and the artist behind it is Valerian Jikia from the Republic of Georgia.  He

describes his work in this way:  my task was to compound the water, sun and rainbow, and create a sculpture with positive energy in the special dramaturgy.  Okay, I guess.

Time to leave Lubec for the day, but wait, what is that?  This was just too interesting

to pass up.  A short walk later I discovered that it was the Lost Fishermen’s Memorial.

Don’t know how many towns or years it covers but tragically there are many, many names engraved on the stones.  Obviously, fishing and/or lobstering is a dangerous occupation.

Now it was really time to leave the town of Lubec.  We had no real objective in mind this time but just like that we saw a sign for a lighthouse and an arrow pointing to the left so left turn it was. Several miles later we arrived at the West Quoddy  HeadLighthouse.  It was commissioned by President Thomas Jefferson and first built in 1808.  The present tower dates back to 1858 and was staffed by resident light keepers until 1988 when the U.S Coast Guard automated the light.  Currently, the Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands manages the lighthouse.

 

This lighthouse is at the eastern most point in the United States.

Just to prove that I was really there, I had Barbara take my picture as proof.

Inside the visitor center I found the history of this lighthouse.

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This placard asking the question how many stripes.

Then there was this placard depicting the life of an average light keepers family.

Here we also met two more of God’s beautiful people.  Meet Brian and Fran

Both at one time fished for lobster in a recreational role.  They had a license for 9 traps on Buzzards Bay and, of course, kept all that they caught.  How neat is this, your own fresh supply of lobster.  Fran shared how at first, they had to hand pull all their traps up from a depth of about 50 or 60 feet.  Only later was their boat equipped with a winch.  She also talked about having to replace the bait in each lobster cage with stinky mackle heads.  She wrinkled her nose and gave a disgusted look just talking about it.  Brian talked about how, at times, it was a rough go especially when the weather turned foul.  Now I can honestly say, I’ve met a real authentic lobster person (can’t say lobsterman can I now!).  What a treat meeting them and having the time to share with them.  It’s amazing the people God brings into our lives.

Time now to get back on the road.  That’s when we met another of God’s beautiful

people, a young man named Sam.  Sam is on the motorcycle adventure of a lifetime.  He left Texas some time ago, made his way up the eastern seaboard to Maine and is now on his way to Canada.  I told him that I gave him a thumbs up for following his heart and his dream.  He thanked me for the encouragement since he stated that many in the past tried to talk him out of doing this trip.  Sam, the time is now to follow your heart.

Leaving Quoddy Head Lighthouse, we discovered yet another lighthouse which is called the sparkplug.  Sparkplug lighthouses are cast iron structures built at offshore locations. The keeper’s quarters is a round building, usually three stories in height. The round lantern room sits atop the keeper’s quarters, and the whole structure rests on a solid foundation, usually a concrete or stone caisson.  Because of their shape, these lighthouses have come to be called “sparkplugs.” Before the day of gasoline engines, they were sometimes called “coffee pots.” In many places they were called “bug lights,” because at a distance they appeared short and broad, rather like a beetle on the surface of the water.

Sparkplugs were prefabricated, brought to the site by barge, and put in place by floating cranes. They were a low-cost solution to the problem of providing offshore lighthouses in the sounds and bays of the northeastern and mid-Atlantic states, where all but three of the surviving examples are located.  This one is in the Southern approach to Lubec Channel, about 300 feet from the border with New Brunswick, Canada.  It is an active aid to navigation but privately owned.

Time now to head for home – sort of.  We kind of got side-tracked again by a chocolate shop that the locals just rave about.  It is called Monica’s Chocolates.

It is just across from the entrance to the RV park.  The owner is from Peru and her chocolate is beyond delicious.  She took us and several others on a tour of where the chocolate is made on the lower level of the shop.  Yes, it is all hand made on location.  She also stated that she always tries to employ local people, one has been with her for 9 years, another started last year, and this year there was also a young girl just home from college.

OK, with the entrance to home just across the street from the chocolate shop just like that we were finally home.  Time now to catch up on some chores, namely the wishy-washy.  We had put it off for a bit too long and were sort of running out of clothes to wear.

Day is now done and once again another beautiful sunset right out the solarium window.  Oh my, this view never, ever grows old.  Thank you, God, for creating such a beautiful world for us to enjoy day by day, minute by minute.  We are, we both agree, so very, very blessed in so many ways.  Wonderful discoveries, travels of a lifetime, and so many beautiful people continue to cross our path.  Never, ever forget to take time to follow your heart, to follow your dreams.  Let’s be honest someday tomorrow may never come.  So live each day to the fullest.  And now a closing though for us to ponder:

As always,  if you are coming to the end of your day with concerns and worries, let me suggest that you turn them over to God.  After all, He is going to be up all night so why not let him handle them for you.

Time now for our evening prayers and eventually some shut-eye.  Till tomorrow.

These are the voyages of  Graybeard and it’s occupants, four paws and two humans.  Our continuing mission: to explore as many new states as possible, to seek out new acquaintances and make new friends, to boldly go where we have not been before

 

 

 

Travel Day!  Since the trip was to be a short one – only 2 hours –  we were in no real rush this morning.  We just sort of took our time getting up and getting moving.  We had packed a good deal of stuff the night before, the car was already on the tow bar, so there were just a few things left to do.  Once packed up we headed over to the dump station and emptied the tanks – no sewer where we were going.

By 10 am, we were on the road heading north.  Question, which route to take?  We had been warned to avoid Route 1 because of construction and instead take Route 191 along the coast.  Off we went and sure enough in due time we find the first construction zone.  Hey, it was just one lane for a few miles, so no big thing.  This isn’t that bad I thought so I’ll just stay on Route 1 the whole way.  Can you say big mistake.  Suddenly, in front of us was a sign Road Ends in 1 Mile.  That’s right, it ends, or better yet, the paved portion of it ended and we were on a dirt road that passed for Route 1.  No fun at all, let me tell you.  It was rough, rutted, and you could not go over 10 mph or you would lose all your teeth not to mention what might fall off of Graybeard.  Should have taken Route 191 along the coast.  Believe me, I will when I leave here.

So, we crawled our way north until the turn off for Route 189 which would take us to the RV park.  Ah, a paved road again.  So nice.  Then, there it was the sign we had been looking for Sunset Point RV Park.  Yippee!

Here is the office where you register.  Barbara went into register and sort of never came out – almost.  When she finally returned 45 minutes later she told me the camp manager took the time to go into great detail regarding everything to see in the area.  Nice.

This RV park claims to be the eastern most campground in the US.  That was one of the reasons we came here, just to say we had been as far east as one could go.  Another reason is we wanted to visit Campobello Island in Canada and, of course, have tea with Eleanor. 

Take a look at this aerial view of the park.  It is really just one big grass field

with parking slots for RV’s.  I really like it.  The sites are almost perfectly level and the view, if you get the right spot, is spectacular.  Yes, we got the right spot.  As we always say, Home is where we park it so here is home for the next week.

Here is the view we were talking about.  Johnson Bay right out the solarium window!

Of course, to get the fantastic view of Johnson Bay you need to park sort of backwards, hence my reference to this being the backwards RV park.  That means instead of backing into your spot, you drive in front first and run your water and electric under the RV

to the pedestal which is now at your front door.  It works only because there is no sewer hookup.

The other thing that is really different from where we were is that – as you can see in the picture above – there is no separation between you and your neighbor.  Want to borrow some sugar?  Just open your window, give a shout, reach out and you can grab it from the rig next to you!

Then there was the wind, oh boy was it blowing today.  Take a look at the flag that is flying straight out.

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Then, there were the white caps.  Thankfully the wind is coming almost

straight on to Graybeard which is the best orientation for these conditions.

So, we’re home again for the time being.  The sun is slowing sinking in the west and reflecting off the water sparking like so many diamonds.  The tide is coming back in and all that dry land which was just down the hill from us is once again under water.  So beautiful and just out the front solarium window.  How neat is that.  We both thank our God everyday for the many blessings that we are enjoying day by day.

Now before we leave you a thought to ponder:

As always,  if you are coming to the end of your day with concerns and worries, let me suggest that you turn them over to God.  After all, He is going to be up all night so why not let him handle them for you.

Time now for our evening prayers and eventually some shut-eye.  Till tomorrow.

These are the voyages of  Graybeard and it’s occupants, four paws and two humans.  Our continuing mission: to explore as many new states as possible, to seek out new acquaintances and make new friends, to boldly go where we have not been before

Today we awoke to a rather chilly day for us but normal for this time of year here in Maine, that being the mid 40’s.  The sun was up at 4:45 am bright as could be and the sky was a bright blue with not a cloud in sight.  The start of a picture-perfect day.  We don’t have much planned for today other than some shopping and a chiropractic appointment. This is because we’ll be getting ready to move tomorrow.  We’re going further north to Lubec, Maine and hope also to spend some time sight-seeing on Campobello Island in Canada.

Time now to get caught up on our travels from yesterday.  Yesterday started out slow but once we got going, we got going and we covered a lot of territory.  High on our list of places to visit was a local attraction we had heard a lot about called Tidal Falls located at the Tidal Falls Preserve.

Tidal Falls is located on the Taunton River between Sullivan and Hancock.  Here the Taunton River flows through a narrow constricted channel as it rushes out to Frenchman Bay.  If you arrive here about 2 hours before dead low tide you are treated to a spectacular display of nature.  The water rushes and roars and cascades over the rocks in the channel.  Officials caution one and all not to attempt traversing these waters in a canoe or kayak unless you are very experienced.  Take a look at what we saw that day.

 

Here’s a picture of the two of us with the Falls in the background.

We came back later in the day when the water was coming back in at high tide and though the current was still swift the drama of earlier was gone.  Yet, one must never forget just under the surface of this swirling water lurks the rocks that are ever present at low tide.

Here at the Falls is where we met Debbie shown here with Barbara.  Debbie

is a retired hair dresser, a proud grandmother of a 1 year old granddaughter who lives here in Maine, and has two sons who proudly served their country.  She shared with us that when one son finished his service, her other son was just beginning his tour of duty.   She is also part of a new church start and was quick to invite us to her church, an invitation we would have been more than happy to accept except for the fact that we will not be in the area next Sunday.  It was a real treat to spend some time with her and we’re so thankful that God brought us together.

Once we left here, we headed now to Acadia National Park and the Park Loop Road.  The 27-mile Park Loop Road connects Acadia’s lakes, mountains, and seashore – yes

seashore.  We wanted to collect more stamps for Barbara’s National Passport Book and we wanted to make a stop at Acadia’s seashore which is known as Sand Beach.  That indeed became our first stop.

Sand Beach, is nestled in a small inlet between the granite mountains and rocky shores of Mount Desert Island. This gorgeous beach is one of the most popular places on the island.  When we arrived, it was packed with cars not only in the parking lot but all along the road.  Regarding the beach itself, thousands of years of pounding surf created a beach that is largely comprised of shell fragments. I can tell you from personal

experience that the sand is very, very fine.  As for the water, the ocean temperature rarely exceeds 55 degrees in the summer and right now they are saying the temperature is in the mid 40’s.  For the last several days warnings have been issued regarding the dangers of swimming in such cold water.  Of course, I had to find out for myself how cold it really was so down to the water’s edge I went.  Yes, it is cold!

While here we met two more of God’s beautiful people, Ben and Sarah (hope I’m spelling your name correctly).  Both are retired college professors.  Get this, they sailed here from

Florida on their own sailboat like the one in this picture.

They are now temporarily moored in Southwest Harbor.  I mean how exciting is that!  This is not the first time they’ve ranged afar on their boat.  They have made several trips to the Bahamas and elsewhere.  They are mulling over perhaps staying here for the winter.  I wish them well but this is not where I would choose to spend my winter.  It was really wonderful speaking with them and listening to their story.  Another encounter and experience we will remember for a long time.

Leaving Sand Beach we now headed to the gift shop at Thunder Hole to collect yet another stamp for Barbara’s National Passport Book.

 

Finished here we continued on to Otter Point.  This is the wall that runs the length of the point.

And this is what it is like at Otter Point looking out over the water.

Words and pictures simply cannot do true justice to the beauty of this area.  The coastline is absolutely spectacular, all along the Park Loop Road the scenery is so

breathtaking.  Barbara and I both agree that this area is so clean, clear, and pristine.  To date we’ve not witnessed anything like it and we know we will never forget it.

One stamp down, two more to get today.  We would now leave the National Park Loop Road and make our way to Blackwoods Campground.

Again, not our cup of tea since this is off the grid camping, absolutely no hookups.  Yet it is also a popular stop.  This and Seawall were the first two campgrounds in Acadia and they were built by the Civilian Conservation Corp during the Great Depression.

Time to move on.  We motored on into Bar Harbor for the last stamp that we would be able to collect.  This last stamp was at the Park Ranger Station in Bar Harbor.

There are a total of 14 stamps for Acadia National Park.  We were able to collect a total of 10, two others are on islands that are not yet open for the tourist season, and two more are north of Lubic. So I believe we did a decent job to date of collecting what could be had.

One more task while in Bar Harbor and that was to find the last sculpture that we would be able to get during our time here.  It took some sleuthing but we eventually found it tucked away in a little park on a side road.  This Sculpture is called is called Tension and

was created by artist Songul Telek from Turkey  The artist described his work in this way:  My sculpture consists of two different structures. While moving in opposite directions they create a tension and being together they stay in balance.

So our time here is quickly coming to an end.  Tomorrow, Tuesday, June 12^th we move north where we hope to do some sightseeing on Campobello Island in Canada. 

Before closing out for the night I have to give a special word of thanks to Brock Mattson of Mattson Active Chiropractic .  When I first had problems with my back Barbara made numerous calls to chiropractors in the area.  Once they discovered we were vagabonds living full time in an RV, it was one excuse after another as to why they would not be able to see me.  Not Brock.   An appointment was made, two others after that, insurance information was taken, and treatment was begun.  Never, ever any pressure for payment up front just genuine concern for my welfare.  Yes, he has helped tremendously, I’m feeling 90% better and I’ll take that and give thanks to God for this caring healer and a man of deep Christian faith.  Barbara and I will both remember him and his genuine interest in me, first and foremost as a person.

Time now to say goodnight to one and all.  Supper is waiting, a nice pork roast, and we have some packing to do.  Our time in this area has been fantastic and we are leaving with many cherished memories not only of sights seen, history discovered, but also encounters with some truly beautiful people.  In closing, let me leave you with this thought to ponder:

As always,  if you are coming to the end of your day with concerns and worries, let me suggest that you turn them over to God.  After all, He is going to be up all night so why not let him handle them for you.

Time now for our evening prayers and eventually some shut-eye.  Till tomorrow.

These are the voyages of  Graybeard and it’s occupants, four paws and two humans.  Our continuing mission: to explore as many new states as possible, to seek out new acquaintances and make new friends, to boldly go where we have not been before