DAY 19 - CLOSING CEREMONIES

Today during lunch I officially ended my birthday celebration - with the exception of the two days next week when Patti and I will be at the Homestead!!! But now I am officially through celebrating, even though I will still blog my trip home. I'm truly excited about tomorrow because I have no idea what I'm going to do except that I'm going to head for Vermont!!!! But that's tomorrow, and this was today. And what a day it was.

MOUNTAINTOP EXPERIENCE

I awoke to (Gasp!) SUNSHINE streaming through my windows! I could not wait to get up and head for Acadia. If it was gorgeous in the clouds and rain, what would it be like in clear blue skies. I drove to the top of Cadillac Mountain, which was my third trip up. There are no words to describe the views in the clear weather. It was still very cold, having gotten down to 33 last night. But hardly any wind which surprised everyone. I met a couple who were celebrating their 60th wedding anniversary, and we marveled at our similar celebrations. Seeing how active they were made me not too surprised that they were still going strong.

After soaking up the beauty of the top of Cadillac, I did my favorite thing. . . . driving around. I almost circumnavigated the entire island. I went through Northeast Harbor, home to rich people including Martha Stewart, the Rockefellers, and the Astors among others. WOW!!!! And I went through other less pretentious neighborhoods as well. I stopped often and enjoyed the views, NPR classical music on the radio. AHHHHHHHH!!!!!!

MAKING THE TWO HOUR WINDOW!

There was a method in my madness. I needed to get back to Bar Harbor by noon to make the tide window that would allow me to walk across the low-tide-exposed sand bar that is created between Bar Harbor and Bar Island, a small, unoccupied island close by. I was in luck, and headed across. Once on the other side (about a half mile walk) you can then head up a trail that leads to the summit of the island and look back on Bar Harbor. Stunning views, especially today. The other interesting thing about today's trip is that grounded on the sand bar was the large, 4-masted schooner called Margaret Todd, that is available for sightseeing. There was a hive of activity around the boat as a group of men were painting the bottom of the boat. It was while I was over on the island that it dawned on me that they had probably puposefully driven the boat to that spot where it was grounded in the low tide, and that they were painting it with the intention of taking it back to the harbor when the tide came in. So of course I had to ask them as I was returning, and sure enough I was right! I made it my mission to return later in the day to see it free itself and sail away, freshly painted. More on that later.

THE FINAL FEAST

And so it was that after the walking I looked around for my last gluttonous birthday-related meal. I decided to try the swank Bar Harbor Inn right on the harbor. Sure enough, they had outdoor seating overlooking all the boats and scenery. By this time it was light jacket time with full sun. . . perfect for eating outdoors. My last birthday meal of the trip was a goody! I had a wonderful drink made with pureed raspberries and strawberries and champaign!!!! Then I had lobster stew in a bread bowl. Ended up with bananas foster bread pudding. OHHHHHH YUMMMMMMM! And it was during that hour and a half meal that I made the decision to end the celebration and go back to eating right. But what a way to go!!!! The weather, the setting, the food. . . it doesn't get any better than that. I waddled away from the table and took the "shore walk". . .a mile along the edge of the shore. By the time I was done and back to my house, I figure I walked at least as far as I did yesterday.

THE FINAL AFTERNOON IN MAINE

I stayed out in the beautiful weather and walked the streets of Bar Harbor (does this make me a street walker?) one last time. Then I took my car and my book and drove to where the schooner was now beginning to be in water. I sat in the sunshine in the car for an hour and a half reading my book, using my binoculars to watch the crew prepare the boat (shout out to Dave who gave me those binoculars many years ago. . . they are fantastic!) and watched the tide claim the walkway that I had been on earlier in the day, and slowly float the boat. . .which then started up its motors (darn, I wanted to see those 4 giant red sails unfurl!) and float away. Spectacular!!! And I got a call from Casey while I was sitting there. Pretty fantastic!

REFLECTIONS ON TEN YEARS PASSING

As I sat eating my lovely meal and contemplating the last ten years of my life, it made me think of where I was ten years ago. And here's where I was: I was in a pretty bad place with my boys, I was still teaching elementary music, I was not contemplating retirement, I had no thought of ever building a house in the mountains nor moving there, I had no thought about rejoining the Choral Arts society, I had never been to Europe, Atlanta, or Phoenix, I had never seen the Grand Canyon, I had no thoughts that I would ever live in Old Town, I had no thoughts that I would ever teach pregnant middle school girls, I didn't know any of my friends where I live now, I had not reconnected with my friend Ethel, I didn't have a special needs dog named Chester, I had never driven my own tractor to cut the fields of a country home, and on and on and on. Boy if that doesn't make you look forward to the next 10 years, I don't know what does!!!

Stay tuned. . .I have no idea where I'll be tomorrow!!!! RP