women's river trip. i do not bring a camera on this trip because the photos would be too incriminating. it involves about 30 women, canoeing down the st. croix, paddling and drinking the day away. we paddle for a while, pull into a beach or camp, have a dance party, put back in and scuff down river. needless to say, one dumped canoe, a giant bruise, some scars and a good old street dance later... one of the most memorable events of the summer.
i was actually at this concert. it is a small clip, but can you imagine? BEST CONCERT I'VE EVER BEEN TO. elton john is on a different level. elton john was almost spiritual for me, being a pianist and all. (i use the term "pianist" rather lightly.) i cut a rug, really. i'm surprised i didn't wear a hole in the floor where i standing. it was excellent. even though these clips aren't from the concert i attended, i just want to show you another song that i got to hear, LIVE.
even though this was shot over 30 years ago, i swear the live performance was actually better. it was absolutely incredible. "isn't she lovely?" DUDE. did you know he plays all of the harmonica tracks on his albums? all of them.
next. i spent some wonderful time with my best friend and her husband in old town at my boy's place. my boyfriend has moved out of my camp on the lake and closer to the college he'll be attending in the fall. it works out because it is a nice halfway point to the bbprincess and her husband. also, we can walk to a bar which is sadly essential to my summer time fun. hey, can't pull this sweet stuff off during the school year, cut me some slack. also, i played at my friend towel's grandparents' 60th wedding anniversary. it was great. i got to catch up with her family and then we spent a few days at the family camp on a beautiful lake. we canoed, kayaked, swam and enjoyed every minute of it.
4th of july in lubec, maine. what a blast!
i am pretty sure if you looked up 4th of july in the dictionary, you would see a picture of me and my pal sarabelle at the bar around 10 or 11 am. similar to this one:
let me just tell you once thing, those margaritas may have been 8 bucks plus tip a pop, but they were delicioso. they brought tequila to a whole new level. it was all organic and just reeeediculously good. the 4th is a three day celebration back home, and i took full advantage and managed to remain on my feet for the entire bash. i tell you what. nothing like a 3rd, 4th and 5th in lubec. i managed to skip the 1st and 2nd, which i think is what may have led to my success. here are a few more pics:
this is me on my way to eastport (where i also cut a rug), with belle and some dude. i think his name is either wendell, dave or sam. poncho works for me.
this is a pic of my cousin, myself and my sister. this doesn't do any of us justice, i don't mind saying that much, but my sister is far more beautiful in person. she's even prettier than me, which damn near kills me to say. but there it is.
next, american wilderness leadership school. it was held in at a local camp here in downeast maine. it was an unexpected learning experience. i got a few college credits as well. it was a week long "school" offered to teachers from all over the country. it taught conservation through hunting, fishing and trapping. i had not thought of hunting as a way of controlling populations of wildlife. i hadn't thought about controlling populations period. when i hunt, i hunt for meat. i didn't know that hunting and what not is a way of controlling the local wildlife pops, which is necessary. anyway. i learned how to tie a fly, cast using a fly rod, how to shoot a shoot a moving target with a 12 gauge (essential for my winter time hunting), learned about trapping, local bogs, we went sailing, ate excellent food, we had a "lounge" in the evening, saw hunting dogs in action, learned to clean the breasts off a bird, learned about invading species, oh the list could go one forever. all about area flora and fauna. oh it was positively one of the very best times i'd ever had downeast. here are some pics:
this is of some petroglyphs found in machiasport. i have lived in downeast maine for the majority of my life, and i never knew these existed. can you even believe it? thousands and thousands of years old. this is of a "birthing woman." she is squatting, and you can see the baby's head coming. obviously, it is thousands of years old, but you can actually see it on the rocks. there were others, deer, elk, moose, dancing women... but this came out best. then, a local passamaquoddy sang some traditional songs and played his drum. the songs were in praise and honor of mother earth, courage and strenght. definitely incredible.
we took a "cruise" on the sylvina beal out of eastport. it was great, although some "people from away" couldn't handle the fog. and i won't lie, it was a little chilly, but i can't help but enjoy the fog occassionally. something about not being able to see three feet in front of you that is scary and reassuring at the same time. whatever. they are from away. i haven't been sailing in years, although i do intend on going on the bbprincess' old man's boat sometime.
we also went to lubec, my favorite place on this earth, and walked the bog trail. it was gorgeous, as usual. also got to show my new friends where my very first boyfriend lived. it was kind of hilarious. what a blast.
i learned how to tie flies! it was so much fun and the men who helped us were so great and so downeast. and casting! i felt like indian jones! it was GREAT. now i must get a fly rod. also, a canoe and kayak (which i've been needing forever), a compound bow and a trappers' license. i think i can wait on the trappers' license but i absolutely need everything else. OH. and me with the sprawled open bird. we saw some hunting dogs in action. they planted some birds and showed us how they trained them. it was amazing to see those dogs fetch up and point, every muscle in their bodies tensed, at a bird they can't even see. NUTS. anyway, we cleaned the birds and ate the meat later. wicked good too, bub.
i love downeast maine.
then i went to china lake last weekend. it is in western maine, and i had never been there before. it was gorgeous. lots of farmland and open fields. i could live there i think, if there was an ocean. what a blast. lots of good times with friends. tappin' it down as always.
and then, next week, Grand Lake Stream Festival and hanging out with the boy's family, of whom i love dearly. kayaking, canoeing and fishing. i'm not quite sure how this summer could get any better. did you know that stevie wonder sang, "sign, seeled and delivered?" have you ever heard "Sir Duke?"
also, i'm going to see the eagles, john fogerty and kt tunstall at the beginning of the month. i've been reading like a fiend. honestly, like 8 or so books. just finished one this morning. i bought the indian jones trilogy on dvd and a michael jackson cd. i am going to attempt to clean the camp today. word.
oh and i do apologize. pute won't do spell check right now, and i'm sure there are many mistakes. oopsies.