As I look back on the 4th of July weekend from my mother's house in St. Louis, there are so many memories from that holiday time on Chebeague Island with family and friends. How special it is to once again, ever so many years later, to have Merle living just down the road. We met when we were the ages of her oldest grandchildren! Where does the time go?

It was great having the Alcorns staying in the Lower House, getting to know Juliet, and spending time at the Not-So-Round-Anymore House with the Sachs family of TWELVE was a real treat as well.

Then there was the Island Road Race where I had the chance to see other Island friends and the many members of the Hatfield-Millinger clan who were gathered to watch some of their family run. I feel truly blessed by all the love that surrounds me when I spend time on The Sacred Rock".

4th of July 2010

I

I had a nice long stay on the island over July 4th this year. Here is a day-by-day accounting of the trip.

Wednesday, June 30

• Arrived at the Portland Jetport on red-eye from San Francisco. 
• Peg met me and we did few errands. First, we stopped at West Marine for boat needs:
• Red paint for Lyra bottom stripe
• Gray primer for Lyra cockpit
• Light brown topcoat paint for Lyra cockpit
• 2 turnbuckle protectors
• 6 shroud covers (wrong size should have been 5/32", not 1/8")
• New bilge pump
• Fiberglass repair kit for Lyra soft spot
• Fiberglass cleaner for hull / deck
• Tiller extension
• Then we hit Whole Foods for sustenance stock-up. Peg generously paid for groceries.
• Got to island on 2:00pm boat. Ride with David and Molly O'Donnell, went back to pick up Peg in Escort. Escort right front tire was low.
• Went out to boat. Dinghy outhaul was messed up: anchor had dragged, and I had to reset. Went on lone sail around Bangs.
• Din: Baked haddock, rice, broccoli with Peg

Thursday, July 1

• Began Lyra Mainsail outhaul repair
• Installed shroud covers (wrong size need replacing
• Din; Amazing cedar BBQ'd wild salmon at M&M's w/ full contingent + Peg. 
• After din drank whole bottle of Absolut Boston (Elderberry + Black Tea) with all. Fun was had.

Friday, July 2

• Alcorns (Alfie, Sally, Sarah & Juliette), Sam, Brandon & Sharon arrive.
• Alfie reading & cocktail party w/ usual supects:
• Will & Maggie, Charles & Barbara, Lee &Ann, Manny &Chris, Sachs (full contingent),
• Din: Alcorn-provided ham, beans

Saturday, July 3

• Sail with Alcorns, Sam, Brandon and Sharon around Cliff. Back inside Hope.

•  Din: Lobster's from Mark--shedders!

Sunday, July 4

• 4th of July!
• Cheb road race @ 10am. The 4.6 mile race was HOT. Ben Sachs and I ran together and came in 6th and 7th, averaging 7:04 pace. Personal bests. Brandon and Sam also ran, Sharon and Peg cheered us on. Went for a much needed swim after. 
• Watched parade.
• Worked on upper-house chimney trim, Sam painted gutter.
• Went on nice short sail with Sharon around Sand, then Crow.
• Din: yummy steak, mushroom, broccoli, pasta,

Monday, July 5

• Super hot!
• Blueberry Strawberry Pancakes
• Departures: Brandon & Sharon left noon (Casco Bay Lines), Peg left 2:15, Sam left  9:45
• Painting eaves w/ Sam
• Worked on upper-house trim around chimney
• Trimmed trees obscuring upper-house view
• Beauty sail with sam, around stave, ministerial, bates
• Din: leftovers with Sam: beans + pasta

Tuesday, July 6

• First day alone
• Hot!
• Morning run

Wednesday, July 7

• Morning run
• Tree trimming

Thursday, July 8

• Breakfast at the Marks' with Barbara and Charles: waffles (on their new iron), bacon
• Evening run
• Dinner at Alper's with Nora, Sascha, Larry: fresh Cheb clam linguini

Friday, July 9

• Installed new tell tales on jib, fixed broken tell tail on mainsail.
• 2pm Sail with Alper's (nora, sasch, larry, viv, jack)

• Then another later sail with Johnny, Kate and Fredrick
• Bob (earnest) brought hot, freshly baked bread by
• Sascha and Larry brought book and raspberry cake
• Din: Steak, potatoes, broc
• Drinks at Sachs' after

Saturday, July 10

• 
  
  Run with Ben
• 
  
  
  
  
  
  Short sail, put boat to bed when thundershowers threatened
• 
  
  
  
  
  
  Planted Lillies at Daddy's grave in cemetery

• Dump run, clean up houses for few week emptiness.
• Johnny Sachs drove me to 4:15pm Casco Bay Lines. Took cab to Portland Jetport for 7:38pm departure. 
• Flyed through Washinton Dulles, then on the SFO for a 12:48am arrival where Sal met me.

What I didn't get to that I wanted to:

• Painting Lyra cockpit
• Cleaning Lyra's deck
• More view trimming (completing at upper, doing lower)
• Cleaning up garage

It was another magical stay.