Last week, Dee and Clif were on vacation, and except for keeping up with all my lovely blogging friends, so was I. We played games—Gloomhaven is our current obsession—watched movies, and spent plenty of time on our patio on the edge of the woods.
But because we were on vacation, we splurged with a couple of day trips.
First we went to the ocean, to East Boothbay, to have a picnic lunch on the rocks. This is becoming a summer tradition for us. The views are gorgeous, and because East Boothbay is off the beaten trail, there are no crowds of tourists the way there are in Boothbay Harbor.
For the past few summers, great white sharks have been spotted off the coast of Maine. This is something new. The sharks are apparently drawn by the warming ocean water and the abundance of seals, their prey.
Dee and Clif scoffed at me as I scanned the water for a dorsal fin. But there was nothing. Just the gulls and the rippling water. However, the next day, there was a great white sighting at Popham Beach, not that far away from East Boothbay. In our younger years, we have swum at Popham Beach many times. The beach had to be closed until the danger was past.
“See?” I said to Dee and Clif.
They made no reply.
Here’s a little mood music from the great John Williams.
While I felt perfectly safe on the rocks in East Boothbay, I would not go swimming in the ocean now that the great whites have moved north. The sharks have become part of our ecosystem, and we have to learn to live with these big predators. For me, that involves staying out of the ocean and instead swimming in pools, lakes, and streams. Shark attacks are rare, so this might be an abundance of caution. Still…
Our next outing was a little more placid and a lot closer. We went to Hallowell, a nearby town, for lunch and drinks at Burano’s Wood-fired Pizzeria. They have a deck overlooking the Kennebec River, and it was a perfect place to have our lunch. (Because of Covid, we are still not eating inside in restaurants.)
The food was delicious.
We had pizza, of course,
as well as spicy fries,
and drinks.
This was a huge treat for me as we seldom go out to eat or order takeaway.
Now, it’s back to work, and that feels fine, too.
It’s good to rest and have special treats, but it’s also good to return to the regular routine.
And, in a week or so, I should have some exciting news about the cover for Of Time and Magic, Book Four in my Great Library Series.
Notes From the Hinterland 
The theme music from “Jaws” brought the film to the forefront of my memory! It is wonderful that you all had an opportunity to get right out to enjoy yourselves!
The music is unforgettable, isn’t it? We had a wonderful time on our two outings.
Glad you treated yourselves to two such enjoyable outings. They both sound great,
Thanks, Susan! Two wonderful outings.
Ah, I can just imagine the breeze off the water! I miss the ocean (sigh). Yes, the great whites have kind of ruined the idea of swimming at the beach these past couple years. These times they are a-changin.’
The rippling breeze was delightful. As for sharks in Maine…the times certainly are a-changin’.
Laurie, I have a friend who lives in Stockton Springs but not all that familiar with the towns you’ve mentioned. Love the pic. Claudia
Thanks, Claudia! Stockton Springs is farther up the coast. Not really that close to where we were in East Boothbay.
Speaking of pizza: Pickle pizza is becoming a thing. I read about it yesterday. Me, I like traditional pizza. Skip the pickles!
Same!
I could sit an watch that gaff-rigged sailboat for a good long time. We don’t see many of those around here, and that style of rigging is one of my favorites. Of course I’d eat some of that pizza, too, and those fries look wonderful. I’m glad you had a chance to kick back and enjoy the scenery and the meals.
Being a landlubber, I didn’t know the name of that sailboat, but I thought it was very beautiful.
Two lovely days out!
They sure were.
What a lovely time and I want the food! Our first trip to Maine included staying at a Bread and Breakfast at East Boothbay and it was lovely. We still talk about it. We fell in love with Boothbay Harbour and visited a few times. Since then, we found Camden and love to stay there. We travelled up and down the coast. We are still in love with Maine but haven’t been since COVID. Enjoyed this post
Thanks, Linda! The Maine coast is lovely. Covid does put a crimp in plans, doesn’t it?
I think that I would take your view about not swimming in the sea. Sitting beside the sea is pretty good in itself.
You bet! One of my favorite things to do. Sitting beside the sea is plenty good enough for me.
Two lovely outings Laurie, The pizzas look delicious! Interesting to hear about the sharks. My brother swims in a very safe enclosed area of Bondi Beach in Sydney, but I do worry about him swimming there.
Looking forward to hearing about the cover of Time and Magic 😁
As recently as ten years ago, we didn’t have to worry about great whites. The world’s a’changing.
Summer looks to be in full swing! I am looking forward to Time and Magic.
Many thanks, Lavinia!
Such relaxing spots. The pizza looks yummy.
Two beautiful outings Laurie and we are seeing sharks in so many new areas with the warming seas and oceans. Wishing you a blessed time back in your wonderful home and looking forward to news about the cover for Of Time and Magic 💚
Thanks, Xenia! Lots of changes come with the warming climate.
A lovely day – especially with the treat of pizza and chips
Yes, yes!
You sound to have had a lovely vacation! Last week a friend and I went to a popular local beach village. Had we turned right to the main beach it would have been busy but I had Roo with me so we went left where dogs are allowed even in summer, scambled round a headland and had a huge expanse of sand to ourselves which was perfect. You have also reminded me that it is ages since I made pizza!
We had a wonderful time. Sounds like just the right beach you found, not only for dogs but for humans. Hope you make some pizza soon.
Those were lovely day adventures! I always enjoy a good water view without tourists. We are still being Covid cautious as well, but there are fewer and fewer of us. That’s okay though, as long as I can do what I think is best for my family all is good.
Yes, so lovely. As for Covid…I don’t when we need to stop taking precautions. (So true that most people seem to have ditched their masks.) For now, it makes sense to us to wear them and to avoid indoor restaurants. For how long we will do this, I do not know.
I am with you guys. I haven’t been to a restaurant to eat in since COVID began. We never went out to eat that much, anyway, so it’s not a big deal. We do order more food to pick up than we used to. (3 times a month instead of 1 time a month.) It’s our little COVID indulgence.
During this time of Covid, which is stretching on and on, we need all the little indulgences we can find.
Gorgeous — I love how easy it is to get the ocean in Maine. New Hampshire’s coast is tiny and always crowded. We were hoping to win the lottery this week and buy an ocean house. Sadly, fate had other plans 😉
Enjoy your week!
Lots of coastline in Maine, and there are even a few spots that the tourists don’t go to. Better luck next time with the lottery. 😉
That pizza is calling to me! 🙂
It was pretty darned good, as my Yankee husband would say.
It is nice to hear of another person/family choosing to only eat outdoors. It seems so many people are finished with precautions. I joined a book club for an outdoor breakfast gathering. By the time we were finished, it was 88 degrees. (We also have humidity in the 80th percentile) We were in shade and had a breeze, and I was impressed that I was still comfortable. I’m a fan of this outdoor dining thing. Thanks for your lovely pictures. Going to Maine in the summer is a bucket list thing for this Kansan!
We are still taking precautions even though most people aren’t. I’m not sure when we will stop. Now does not seem like the time. Hope you get to Maine sometime. You can come visit me on our patio and have some of Clif’s legendary grilled bread.
Same here. Still masking in public too. Thanks for the lovely invite! Sounds delicious and amazing. If you find yourself in Kansas, we would love to have you over. (I am having difficulty imagining why on earth you would find yourself in Kansas, though!)
You never know!
I know! A book-signing tour! Our local bookstore hosts authors. Consider The Raven Book Store on your route! https://www.ravenbookstore.com/
There you go! Very appropriate as I’m about to share the cover of my new book, “Of Time and Magic.” Also, I have tried to sign up to follow your blog, but WordPress keeps telling me my email address is not valid. Sigh. I’ll try again later.
Dang! I had major surgery in April and have slacked off on writing, so my main Word Press activity is reading you all these days…
Hope you are feeling better and have made a complete recovery. I’ll try again in a few days. Sometimes WordPress gets a little wonky.
I just love your posts.
Thank you so much!
Your vacations are always so fun to hear about. Games, movies ,a few meals out, day trips and lots of love. That pizza looks amazing. And the Maine coast looks lovely. My brother just bought a second property in Maine (first was the cabin he made near Belgrade). This is an old farm in Belfast, which I think is near the coast. It’s new & I haven’t been there yet.
Thanks, Jodie. Belfast is on the coast and is a very lovely, arty community, which I’m sure you will enjoy if you have a chance to visit him.
Oh, it sounds great!
Yup, I’d stay out of a shark-infested ocean as well! 😀
Your views, and your food and drink, look absolutely amazing.
A VERY well-deserved break!
Well, that’s my point of view. Stay away from them. And, yes, the break was most welcome.
What a lovely vacation! I, too, would err on the side of caution as far as sharks go. The ocean waters are their home, not mine! Gee, that pizza and fries look scrumptious!!
I am nervous whenever the family sees seals near them in the ocean because great whites are known to follow, even in Southern New England. But I would love to see the places you visited. They look great.
Yes, seals attract great whites, who are now coming to Maine. Never used to. Time was, we played in the ocean with nary a worry about sharks.
Fabulous views and lunch!!🙂 What a wonderful week and I’m with you about the sharks and staying out of the water! I still remember seeing Jaws at the theater when I was young and it immediately comes to mind every time I see another shark sighting story on the news. Beautiful photos and I’m envious of that wonderful outdoor lunch!!🙂
Thank you so much! Seems as though we are in complete agreement about staying out of the water when sharks decide to travel to Maine.
I’m in catch-up mode as we’ve been away. The rocky beach at East Boothbay is just the kind of place I like to explore. The sea will usually leave behind small pools with creatures in them. But I can see the sharks being a deterrent to swimming. The pizza would suit me too with its light, airy crust.
Yup. No going in the ocean for me. I am perfectly content to stay on the rocks and look for creatures in the small pools.
Laurie, you live in a beautiful part of the country. I hope to visit one day. I’m glad you found time to do special things like eat out, picnic, and take in some sites. We have shark sitings on this coast and surfers will occasionally get into trouble. One theory is that people wearing wet suits look like seals. I’m with you on the better-safe-than-sorry front. Great news on you book cover.
Thanks so much! My philosophy is that the ocean is the sharks’ home, and I am just going to stay out of it.
I like that!
Your holiday sounds delightful. Such pretty places to enjoy picnic (or pizza) lunches and gaze out to the ocean. The photos are serene and beautiful. And I’m always eager to learn about new collaborative games. I am happy your vacation was so lovely!
A very nice holiday filled with simple pleasures.