Down at Pebble Beach

Pebble Beach is a curious spot. Like most beaches in Maine there is no sand. Unlike most beaches the rocks are all quite small (hence the name) and there are very few barnacles above the low tide line. It is flanked on both sides by granite outcrops that are irresistible for climbing.



This year, Eli made a point of swimming in the ocean every day, no matter the weather. Sunny and "warm", or rainy and 50 degrees, he still swam or jumped off the dock. He and his sister Nora started this tradition a few years ago.

Of course we have an established set of other activities we try to accomplish each summer. Things like walking, hiking, rowing to Spectacle Island, picking blueberries on Blueberry Hill, shopping in Blue Hill and Elsworth, plus standard vacation stuff like relaxing, reading, and enjoying good food and drink.

Up With the Sun

On our first morning in camp, the boys woke up with the sun. Eli took them for a walkabout, exploring while Sara slept in. They climbed on the rocks and picked blueberries from bushes that grow near some of the other cabins. The boys were amazed to see berries just growing out in the open, and so excited to pick and eat them.

Hiram Blake Camp 2006

Finally we arrive!

Our cabin (Crow's Nest, nee Caw Caw) at Hiram Blake is right next to the playground. We made a conscious choice to select it when Avery was a baby because we wanted the kids to be able to run outside and play with minimal supervision. As they age we'll probably move to one of the other cabins with a nicer view.

This is the old rickety swing set at HBC. Every year Eli hopes to arrive and find it has been replaced. But no matter how it looks, Avery and Zachary have a blast climbing all over it.

The photo of Avery in the orange was taken a year ago; the one of Zachary in the overalls is from this year. As you can see, at two and a half they were both daredevils cut from the same mold.

On Our Way to Maine

If it's the end of July, it must be time to head out on our annual Maine trip. We started just after noon on a Friday, and had terrible traffic all the way up through New York and Connecticut.

The kids did well in the car, and even fell asleep before their normal bed time. Boy, was that a mistake! Around 10pm when we started to look for a hotel, they woke up. Between their nap and the excitement of staying a hotel, they were wide awake until 3... A... M....

To make matters worse, there was some sort of event going on in Portland Maine, and everything was booked solid. We ended up in Freeport in a rather wretched Budget Inn; the nicest thing I can say about it is that at least we weren't sleeping in the car. Oh yeah, speaking of the car: Eli had to spend an hour chilling in the car with Zachary screaming his head off before he finally zonked out.