Full Circle

(Correction on last blog post.  I called the Towhee..."Spotted" but it is actually "Eastern".)

It has been a great time visiting each of our three children and seeing, and hugging, all the grand children.  Some visits have been shorter than others but we have enjoyed the chance to talk and share with each one. In addition we spent twelve days on Campobello Island in New Brunswick, Canada, and a few days with good friends Joan and Lucille.  Her are a few photos and reflections from the visits of the past month.

When we return to New England the first stop is with Carrie and Jay in New Hampshire.  This is home base since we use the address here as our legal address but as you know we maintain our heart connection with Maine as our license plate says "Maine-5". Five is the number for grace. This can precipitate many quick head turns, and quizzical looks.

 

We are greeted by the girls art work,..

The reunion with Meme...

And the chickens...

Amid some projects, and the good meals, the some-mores and campfires, we also share horseback riding with the girls.  Here are several shots of them with their horses at different times.

And the happy couple.,,

On June 1, we returned to Maine after seven months, and our visit with Katrina, Mike, Torrey and her friend Cammi.  Torrey's school was out for the summer so we had many chances for hikes and walks with her.  We had lots of good talks about the college process, since she is starting her search for just the right college for her.  She will be a senior this coming fall at John Bapst High School in Bangor so she can feel the clock ticking for some big choices.

Along the path on one of our hikes, I was able to get a shot of one of the warblers that I love so much.

The trip this year has included taking pictures of as many birds as possible in 2016, so this was a nice addition even though the picture is not the best. This will always be a reminder of our walks with Torrey.

Chestnut-sided Warbler

Mike has just acquired a new truck for long distance hauling, so we are hoping that Katrina will be able to get off her hectic schedule at the hair salon soon. It was good to see them all and to share in the daily activities of life with them.

Our next stop was a trip to one of our favorite spots, Herring Cove Provincial Parc in New Brunswick, Canada.  We call it one of our renewing quiet places and we can walk the beach, chase the birds for photos, read, and enjoy a movie or two when the sun goes down. 

The beach...

Special bird shots... Magnolia Warbler

Black-throated Green Warbler

Junco

Redstart

   

Common Yellowthroat

Palm Warbler

        Great Horned Owl  ...     

                                                    

And Baby 

                                                 

We walked the Eagle Hill Bog Boardwalk...

And saw many wonderful plants and insects...too many to add to this post unfortunately, but here is one that is special to this place in addition to the Labrador Tea, Old Mans Beard, Pitcher plants, Sundew, Bunchberry and Sheep and Bog Laurel.

Cloudberry

The Lupines filled the roadsides and displayed all their glorious colours.

 

A photo shot from The island over to Lubec Maine from one of our hikes to Friars Head.

******

Latona and I also took the time to read Hilary Clintons memoir, Living History, while on Campobello. I would recommend it to "friend or foe" of this candidate. Although I have been a long time admirer, I had a limited amount of knowledge of the depth of her spirituality and the breath of her experiences in global politics. I found it well-written and informative, honest and personal.

After our camping trip, it was on our way again, this time hoping we would catch a very busy Phillip.  He was getting his new boat ready to go in the water and we got to see a picture of it on Facebook.  He named it Resurrection. 

           

Simon was there when we arrived and he was perfect host. It was sweet to see him be so caring.  Soon Phill and Lacey arrived so we had a nice reunion.  They boiled up some lobsters and we were invited to share in a feast of one our favorite foods caught by our favorite lobsterman!  Azure came before we left so it was indeed a chance to see the whole family.

From Phillips we planned to stop for a visit and a chance to catch up with our dear friends Joan and Lucille.  We had much to share and celebrate together.  One thing is Joan being a horse owner.  Joan and Argos.

                              

Lucille has also reached personal milestones so it was just pure fun to catch up with them and join in on some projects with them.  I even got to clean out some stalls and smell like a horse again!

When we left we saw five hen turkeys and about fifty little ones crossing the road...

Well, here we are now...full circle and back with Carrie, Jay and the girls for summer visit number two.

We have decided that during our time in New England we will visit each of our children and then include a camping trip and a visit with friends before we start back on our next set of visits with them.

This will be our basic plan until we head south in November.

Someone suggested that the only reason we are visiting our children is that we "need a place to park the van". Just to be clear, we are very happy to have opportunities to visit with them, to catch up on their lives since the winter, and hopefully to help them out with projects, if possible.  We miss them while we are gone, but indeed we do always have places to go and places to stay!  There is always Walmart! We are with them because we want to be with them. The hard part is only the limitation of time.

One other note that I would add from Hilary's book.  I learned about the phrase "the discipline of gratitude".  This is a worthwhile Google, but I will include here a statement from the seven principles for cultivating gratitude... " our deepest sense of gratitude comes through grace, with the awareness that we have not earned, nor do we deserve all that we have been given."

My comment...Amen!