How I spent my Summer Vacation!!
HOW I SPENT MY SUMMER VACATION
Saturday
November 14, 2009
Well......it's just another long story! But of course I'm going to try to tell it a little more concise........
I flew out of Grenada on May 31st....leaving Jim and Bees Knees (and Scootie, the cockatiel) behind. I needed to go back to work....so off I went to Mount Desert Island to work in Bar Harbor, Maine. This was my third summer season working in Bar Harbor and I simply love it....as you may be able to tell by the end of this blog! The first season Jim and I sailed there on Bees Knees in 2007....last hurricane season Jim and Bees Knees stayed in Venezuela....and this year he stayed in Grenada. My work this season was scheduled around the hospital's needs and two family weddings! So....I started in June and finished up the end of October....... able to attend my niece's wedding, Katie Frederick to Brian Whitta, on October 10th....then go back to work for a few more weeks and pack up and fly to Columbus for my nephew's wedding, Rob Frederick to Marla Hassink on November 7th.
I worked at MDI Hospital in the Emergency Department for the Summer/Fall.
The hospital is a small hospital, about 24 beds, serving the community which blossoms in the summertime with tourists for Acadia National Park, cruise ships, honeymooners, the summer people "from away", and finally the "leaf peepers". MDI Hospital is a critical access hospital that is one of the more efficiently run emergency departments and rating #1 on numerous patient satisfaction surveys! So.....it's a great group of people to work with and for and I plan to return as long as they let me!!!!The great thing about working as a nurse.....there's alot of down time. I was scheduled only three 12 hour shifts per week (but would gladly fill in anywhere....other than nights....when needed)....but that leaves alot of time for hiking, biking, wandering around town and the shops and hanging with friends. Luckily this year I spent alot of time with my good friend, Gwen Hebert (common spelling, but wrong pronunciation!!!! LOL!!!!),
and we really tried to do it all in a few short months.The Acadia National Park (ANP) is one of the 5 smallest National Parks in the USA, but it is just gorgeous!
I tried to do all the trails, hiking, this summer......trying not to repeat the previous summers hikes.....and I still haven't done them all! I really don't have a favorite, but I assume you'd have to do each trail each season to experience the trail fully since things change and scenery changes. 
Jim sent me a new camera for my birthday in July and I must have taken a zillion pictures. The camera is a Sony Cybershot...but Canon just happened to have a free workshop in ANP this summer that I attended....trying to learn a little more about aperture and timing/framing, etc. So...hope you enjoy the pictures.One of the first days I was in Bar Harbor there was a "Blessing of the Fleet"
at the waterfront.....all the local lobster boats motor by for the blessing and off they go for the summer season. This years' lobster was cheap, plentiful and delicious! In July, my friend, Pat Madden (who is from all over the country 
but we initially met in Jupiter, FL) aka The Beach Lady.....happened to be in the NE area of the country and came by to spend some time in Bar Harbor with me. We enjoyed a great hike up Beachcroft Path to Champlain Mt. with Gwen. Had a blast. 
On the 4th of July.....my birthday....they had a big parade in town and I volunteered to be part of MDI Hospital contingent......marching along, but mostly taking pictures!!!
On July 9th, my friend, Lisa Smith (California girl)
, went on the Nature Tour.....a boat that takes you along the shore and by the lighthouse to observe the shoreline and sea life. Of course when we spotted the seals my battery ran out! I ordered an extra battery online the next day!! In August I went out, as a passenger/tourist, on the Margaret Todd....an old gaff-rigged sailing vessel that sails out of Bar Harbor to Seal Rock and returns. Not real exciting, but it was a chance to get out on the water! 
I did alot of hiking.....Norumbega Mt. to Lower Hadlock
, the Giant Slide
and Grandgent Trails, Otter Cliffs
, Asticou Gardens
, the Gorge
, Hunter's Creek
, The Shore Path
, up Dorr to Cadillac Mt
, Beech Mt.
, Kurt Diedrich's Climb 
, West face of Cadillac
, Bubble Rock 
, Stratheden Trail 
to Kebo Mt., Bernard
and Pemetic Mts. 
Our friends, Ed and Beep from MIDWATCH (a Hallberg Rassey that is presently for sale!!!!) sailed up to Maine and we hiked
one day and biked the carriage trails the next. 
I met them at the Ferry Dock to Swan's Island and we anchored out......my first time on the water since leaving Bees Knees!!!!! 
Had a great visit with them....and they sailed away, heading South to Rhode Island and eventually Beaufort, NC.In the middle of August Gwen and I ventured off the island to head to Moosehead Lake.
It was just a blast!! We drove up to Greenville, had a great lunch and off to the Birches where we rented kayaks. We "borrowed" some crystal wine glasses from the bar at the motel, took a bottle of white wine, and off we paddled on Moosehead Lake.....stopping in the middle to enjoy the beautiful scenery, good stories and laughs 
, and a bit of wine!! We went swimming in the freezing cold water....then paddled back to the motel. That evening we enjoyed a great meal and crawled to our rooms to get up early the following day to go white water rafting!!!! The adventure in all of this was the 4 hour drive down the potholed unmarked paper mill roads......laughing and talking....jumping out of the car to take pictures of 2 moose that were standing in the road or in a stream
....and arriving in time to hop on the bus for the ride to the West Branch of the Penobscot River. This was my first white water adventure and I laughed and screamed most of the way! 
I didn't realize we'd have to work so hard and also that the force of the rapids could easily throw me out of the boat!!!! But we made it thru without leaving the boat or any injuries!! Great fun. We drove home to Bar Harbor that night to get back to work!Soon after that adventure, Gwen invited me to the "Pedrick Camp" aka Wine Camp.
The Pedricks are good friends of Gwen's who have a camp....aka huge nice home on a Lake .....just West of Bar Harbor. So......their son, Brent, was there and we stopped on the way up to get Gulf Shrimp and alot of other great food, and of course, wine, and spent two days just having fun kayaking 
, eating, swimming, walking and once again.....drinking wine. Does there seem to be a theme here?????In September, friends of my parents and subsequently my good friends, Anne and Ned Pahl,
invited Gwen and I out to their camp for a lobster feast. We arrived at their beautiful home
....and immediately got in the inflatable dinghy for a wet ride into the waves and wind to get lobster!!!! Poor Gwen was sitting in the front and really shielded Ned and I from the worst of the water.....but we all looked like drowned rats by the time we arrived in South Surry to get some delicious lobsters......which Ned bought.....
thank you Ned!!!! We returned to their camp and had a great meal of lobster, corn on the cob, coleslaw and alot of other food, including......WINE!! Just another great time with good friends.The first wedding I went to, my niece, Katie's, I rented a car, drove to Boston to pick up my other niece, Jamie, and we drove on to Findlay OH. Jamie will probably never want to ever spend that much time with me again.....but I had fun.....alot of stories were shared....mostly me talking and her testing me for Alzheimer's!! Katie and Brian's wedding was wonderful.
They had the reception at John and Deb's (my brother and wife) on their tennis court and it was perfect.
It was a beautiful, clear Fall day with decorations of pine cones 
, pumpkins and flowers. 
Just really nice. It was the first time I met Brian and he's a gem.......you can see it in Katie's face!! 
I did alot of biking also. I don't own a car, so the only way for me to get around is on my bike or the public "free" bus transportation, thanks to LL Bean. There were a few trails I had to bike to...then hike....then bike home. It's a great way to exercise and enjoy the island. I joined the YMCA and worked on the elliptical machine most mornings....to take the place of running (which I still miss but my knee won't take the pounding anymore) I volunteered for the YMCA to help with a few running road races....the 1/2 Marathon and also helped at the First Aid tent at the MDI Marathon (one I'd highly recommend for anyone wanting just a beautiful scenic route and well organized run!!!)
Jim and I talked twice a day in addition to frequent emailing....but just was never enough. He enjoyed Grenada
....helped out at Carnival
by joining a band and making costumes , did a few boat projects and got to enjoy the people. We were to meet in Columbus at my nephew's wedding......but the Wednesday before that..... he showed up at the hospital!!!!!! He had come to the States the middle of October to spend time with his daughter, Lauren, and her boyfriend, Greg, in Marathon....the he and Lauren drove to New Mexico to visit with Jim's sister, Barb. So....I was working in the Emergency Department on Wednesday evening....picked up an extra 4 hour shift....and Carole from registration came up to me with a Santa Fe Pale Ale beer and said....."There's a guy that just showed up out front and asked me to give this to you....you'd know what it means!!!!" I went crazy.......I finally went out front to registration to see who "this guy" was.....and there was Jim standing there!!!! I cried and cried and cried......they finally let me leave work!! What a great surprise!! I had to work the next two days....but then had the rest of the time off. So from Halloween thru November 5th, we were able to spend quality time together. We went on a few hikes, had some good meals and just had fun. 
We flew to Columbus, OH, on the 5th. My nephew, Rob Frederick, and Marla Hassink
got married on November 7th at a cathedral in Columbus. 
Jim and I met up with my family for lunch and drinks. We were invited to the rehearsal dinner, which was an honor, at Buca di Beppo...great food and fun. On the day of the wedding, Jim and I followed Marla and some of the bridesmaids as they walked from the hotel to the cathedral in downtown Columbus.
The wedding was beautiful and the reception was at the State House ....all 
within walking distance. Really really nice wedding! The time spent with family during these weddings was soooo nice...... really had a great time with my brothers 
and sister 
and all the nieces 
and nephews and their friends/spouses. Great time!!So......Jim and I flew to PBI, spent very short time with friends at dinner at Duffy's in North Palm Beach.....Hootie and Dan
, Mary and Alan
, Martin and Tracy. Time just really seems tooooo short everytime I pass thru SoFla.....never get to see everyone and never get to spend time with anyone. After dinner we zoomed down to Singer Island to get together with Darlene and Kim.....my very dear friends who are CLODs.....cruisers living on dirt......and they really want to go cruising......but have a few loose ends to tie up!! I will continue to watch for them on COOL CHANGE at every anchorage we visit!! Jim and I dropped off a few things at our storage area, rearranged our luggage....spent the night at Mary and Alan's beautiful home in The Bluffs....got to play with their English Springer Spaniel, Katie, who looks more and more like my Springer, Maggie....who died at age 14 a few years after Jim and I met. But we got our dog fix and they were so gracious to let us hang there for the night. Then off we went....driving down A1A, taking our time, to go to Miami. Our flight to Grenada left the next day, but we had to stop at our storage area in North Palm Beach and the flight to Grenada left at 1700 the following day.So......here we are.....floating, once again, on Bees Knees!!!!
Scootie, our cockatiel, came home from his sitter the day after we arrived and we are right back into the routine of going for walks around the boat in the morning......getting scratchies at night.....and that's just the bird!!!! LOL!!!!The first day back I unpacked and cleaned. The second day we walked to the bank to get EC dollars then took the public bus to the grocery store. Today is the third day and we went to the market downtown to get fruit and veges and blackfin tuna. It is sooooo nice to be back here in Grenada. Now....I just have to get a tan!!!!
Bye for now.......
Great pics - great meet up. Nice to stop reading about your bottom never looking cleaner.
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WOW!! you were really busy...what is your winter cruising plan...great pix ann
you must publish like jim!!
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Wow... you were hopping all over this summer! Thanks for coming to our wedding and bringing the WHOOPIE!!! pies.
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