I had a handful of good friends during my college years. One of them was Jeannine. She was one of the very few friends who came to witness our elopement. We have kept in touch sporadically over the years, and six years ago she came to visit for a couple of days with her husband and teenage son. A few weeks ago, she messaged and said she wanted to get away. She asked if our guest room was available. She's been here for a bit, entertaining herself while I worked every day. Today I had the day off and took her to see some tourist things. She lives in South Carolina, so Maine is a whole different world.
We went to the top of Mount Battie in Camden, with its amazing views.
Jeannine climbed the WWI memorial tower.
The weather was perfect.
We stopped for a lobster roll and dined overlooking Rockport Harbor. Then I took her to Rockland to see the beautiful breakwater and lighthouse.
There were still a few Rosa Rugosa in bloom, but they are waning, and this made me realize, more than any page on the calendar, that summer is winding down. One nice thing about having company from "away" is that it forces us to do summer things to keep them entertained. It's so easy to stay busy at home and think, "We'll do something fun soon..." Last weekend we went out on a harbor cruise. Our daughter and husband joined us with the grands (3 and a half and 19 months). The three-year-old loved being on the boat and pointed out other boats she wanted to ride on. She was attracted to the schooners. We hope to take her out again before the season is over.
Chris and I love time on the water together. On this trip we saw lighthouses, seals and porpoise. It was a wonderful day.
It's fun when people visit and we have a chance to see things around our place through their eyes. Jeannine took pictures of our gardens, and it was a treat to see the way she saw them.
Last year I had a wild mix of colors in my garden. My sister Deb recommended I stick with pink, white, and purple, so I have. She was right. I've had many compliments on the garden this season. I planted bunches of cosmos, zinnia, and other pink, purple, and white annuals. They'd look even happier if our drought ended. Maybe tomorrow.
Jeannine leaves on Monday, and sister Deb arrives in two weeks, followed by our sweet friends and neighbors from our Memphis years in September. Then the visiting season will be over, and we will regain our regular duo rhythm. We enjoy sharing our lifestyle with friends who come to stay, but we also appreciate the days we spend alone. The long days of fall and winter are coming. We will have our solitary days. For now, we enjoy visitors.
