Our camera seemed not to come out as much this year on our trip than it did last year. I am not sure why. I am a big believer that people spend too much time taking snaps instead of enjoying the moment, but to be honest, I say that, but then I rely on all the great pics that John takes to illustrate our vacations on this blog. Anyhoo, I am glad there were fewer this year so I there were fewer to comb through and post–a remarkably tedious process.

So here is a sample of the photos from the rest of our trip.

A foggy day on Monhegan Island

My niece on Monhegan

Tuckered out on Monhegan from all the attention on the ferry

Monhegan

Monhegan

The cener of attention on the Ferry (except for the guy reading!)

Lucy and John

I love this picture of Lucy. She looks like a shark on the prowl.

The second week we moved from Port Clyde to Deer Isle. This is the view from our deck.

Lucy spent a lot of time at this door looking at squirrels and…

…bunnies

The best ice cream in Maine (and that is a high bar)

Relaxing in the car

Seriously delicious Mexican food with a Maine twist

I think Lucy is part mountain goat

We wore her out. [UPDATE: Contrary to how it looks, Lucy’s ears arent’ actually drooping, they were caught in mid-bounce as she ran along the rocks. No matter how tired she is they never droop like that.]

I’ll end with this spectacular sunset from Port Clyde

  
Our whole trip to Maine was wonderful, but there was one day early on when we were staying in Port Clyde when everything was absolutely perfect. The weather was glorious, the kind of weather where you keep repeating, even to yourself, how wonderful the weather is. The sun was warm, the breezes were cool and fresh. And for all the bookhunting I did on the trip, this was a day where our only excursion was a lovely evening walk with Lucy. We read, lazed, napped. It just doesn’t get better.

Sigh.

I resisted the temptation to put these photos in categories and instead post them here in strict chronological order.

Lucy in the boathouse.

I didn’t get very far in Wish Her Safe at Home before I gave in to what turned out to be one of the top 10 naps of all time.

This wonderful hedge screens our cottage garden from the little used road. And the garden was full of greens that we picked each night for dinner.

[The last Maine vacation post…I promise]
    
We have stayed on Monhegan Island a few times in past, but this time we had to be content with being daytrippers. The year round population on Monhegan is about 65. In the summer it is an artist colony that used to host the likes of Rockwell Kent and Marsden Hartley.

The  ferry to Monhegan leaves out of Port Clyde.

Lucy did not like the gangplank. Thakfully her life preserver had a handle.

Traffic jam.

This is the busiest road on Monhegan.

Even the “Less Drowsy” formula of Dramamine makes me sleepy.

The weather could not have been more beautiful.

Lucy literally fell asleep with her head resting in this woman’s hand. Thankfully the woman had been cooing over Lucy all day and couldn’t have been happier.

 
John has a good eye for detail.

    
I normally don’t like fancy copies of books but when I saw these illustrated editions I couldn’t resist.

    
Although we could have gotten mussels right off the rocks near our cottage, we didn’t want to risk having GI issues so we bought these Canadian mussels from the Island Market. A little onion, garlic, wine, and parsley and you have the best broth known to humans. That is why you need lots of crusty bread to soak it up.

Picked up these lovelies at a bookstore on the mainland. Unfortunately I don’t remember the name. They are all mint and only $3 each.

According to the Bookselling in America and the World (which I also bought in Maine) this Walpole was the number two bestseller in the U.S. in 1928.

The cover on this one drew me in.

And if I end up liking the other one by Sharp, I will be glad to have purchased this one as well.



This pile of Shute also came from the mainland bookseller I don’t remember.





This one was published in the U.S. to serve as an example no doubt.





Yes, that’s a pig.



   
I mentioned how Sarah the painter/lurker gave me two books when I met her on Islesboro. Well one of them was a singed May Sarton. What an amazing gift.

Four more Sartons I found on vacation.

   
The cozy cottage we rented in Maine is on Islesboro which is a 13 miles long island 30 minutes by ferry from Lincolnville. John Travolta has a house here (right across Sabbathday Harbor from our cottage) but he didn’t seem to be in residence while we were there.

You wouldn’t believe all the goodies behind this unassuming facade.

The lighthouse at the ferry landing.

The ferry coming in from Lincolnville.

This beautiful Episcopal church gives you some idea of the grand nature of the early development of the island.