Our trip to Maine began bright and early on Tuesday morning. We actually had the truck loaded and were on the interstate headed to the airport 10 minutes ahead of schedule. This turned out to be a very good thing since the construction made the trip take twice as long as usual. We got there in just enough time to park, get on the shuttle, check in, get through security (where we got barked at by a TSA agent who was convinced our little family was launching a personal attack on her by packing Do-A-Dot markers), and buy some apple juice before we boarded. Tru did well on the 2-hour flight. After we landed in Boston, I let Tru out of his car seat to run around before getting in the car while Jason collected our bags. The baggage claim area was almost completely empty, so he was just walking around when he was broadsided by a line of baggage carts it took 3 grown men to move. It knocked him down and started to drag him before the guys could get them all stopped. It was pretty scary. He didn't seem to be injured, though. So off to the rental car place we went! We weren't in our rented minivan 5 minutes before we got honked at, surprise surprise. We hit I-95 and headed to Portland, ME to spend the night while we waited out the weather headed for Moosehead Lake. After a very relaxing dinner on the hotel's garden patio, we attempted our very first night of sharing a bed with Truett. NO ONE slept well. It was pretty bad. :)
Wednesday
Day 2 promised to be a gorgeous day. We got back on the road and drove the rest of the way to Greenville, where we met Aunt Ricke and Uncle Glen at the Indian Hills shopping center. After purchasing a few staples, we headed to the marina for Tru's first boat ride. The wind was up quite a bit, so the lake was pretty rough...but Tru LOVED it. He refused to be held and wanted to run around, despite the bucking boat. Uncle Glen is quite the captain, though, and maneuvered us as smoothly as possible to Hyde Island all while giving a brief history of the lake and its islands.
While we were on the lake, we could see from a distance Ricke's and Glen's beautiful front yard with the American and Texas flags waving proudly in the wind. The island is breathtakingly beautiful. We spent the afternoon getting settled and relaxing on the porch. We also went down to the beach in the front yard late that afternoon, and Tru walked right into the lake fully clothed (with his life jacket on). He and Jason had a good ol' time before he got so cold he was shivering. It still took some convincing to get him out of the water (by which I mean Jason had to carry him kicking and screaming up to the house). That evening, Aunt Ricke served us the Queen's Jubilee chicken and a lovely pasta salad for dinner, the first of many gourmet meals to come. We fell asleep in our beautifully decorated room with our windows open, listening to the wind rustling in the trees.
Fast friends.
Tru loved the porch swing.
A quick temp check with the toes...
...and in we go.
What a beautiful front yard!
Thursday
Truett woke up early and was ready to explore. I found all the boys out in the yard retrieving the canoes from the barn. Tru had already sought out and climbed every rock in the yard, located his favorite stick, and was supervising the tall people with the manual labor. I knew he was going to have the time of his life while there!
Checking it all out.
Part of our island tour included a short half mile walk through the woods to some other structures, with which Tru did well until we neared the water on any occasion. Uninterested in the tales of the Fairies who live under the mushrooms, he only wanted to run screaming into the lake. Here is what ensued:
In the beginning, all was peaceful.
Tru explored the other house.
Tru saw a bunny (small, brown, over by the trees).
Tru said, "HERE, Bunny!"
"Wait, Bunny! Where are you going??"
A boy's gotta have refreshments while strolling through the woods.
And here is where it starts to get ugly. Not the landscape, mind you (it was beautiful!)...but the TWO YEAR OLD.
He sees the water and HAS to go in it. Daddy blocks him.
"I WILL GET PASSED YOU, DADDY!"
Attempt 1: thwarted. Regroup.
Attempt 2.
Thwarted again. Is anyone noting the resemblance to the Blazing Saddles scene with the toll booth?
...aaaaaaaaaaand the tantrum begins. "I will lay down RIGHT HERE!"
"And here!"
"And HERE!!!"
"Wait! Don't leave me!" (That really is a sad face. :( )
Exhausted from the walking and the tantrum, Truie has to take a taxi back to the house.
When we got back to the house, we put Truie in his swimsuit so he could FINALLY get in the water.
Freeeeeeeedom! Let's go "fwimming!"
"Aunt RICKE will take me. :)" (That is Chinese for, "Nuts to YOU, Momma and Daddy!")
A quick bath before another fabulous meal of quiche and more relaxing on the porch. Ahhhh....island life.
Dinner on the porch.
Swinging with his buddy.
Uncle Glen tries one of Truett's meat sticks. Truett looks on, aghast.
Friday
On Friday, Aunt Ricke and Uncle Glen treated us to a taste of French Canadian life. We drove up to Saint-Georges and enjoyed a very elegant meal that concluded with an ice-cream-filled cream puff topped with chocolate sauce. There is a fancy French name for that. :) Tru did a good job at the restaurant until the chocolate came out, at which point Jason and I had to switch off distracting him elsewhere. He gets a little crazy in the presence of chocolate. We learned during the meal that the milk there tastes infinitely better than regular ol' American milk, and Tru had to have it like it was crack cocaine. After a little shopping in the amazing French store next to the restaurant, we launched out in search of more milk for the ride home. A couple of stops later we had what we needed and set off back to Maine. Tru did well until about an hour out when he started screaming like a banshee. In case no one else knows this, two-year-old boys are not fans of being strapped in a car seat for extended periods of time. Nerves raw, we finally made it back to the house.
That evening, we had the pleasure of meeting Nancy and Matt and their teenage son Madison who also live on the island. They have been friends with Ricke and Glen for 16 years and are some of the nicest people one could ever meet. We feasted on a hamburger-hot-dog-brat dinner cooked over the fire at Snake Pit camp.
The trip to Canada: Leg 1.
Tru at the French restaurant.
Saturday
Saturday was another beautiful day of exploring and relaxation. The lake was gorgeous and calm, so Ricke and Glen treated us to a Champagne Cruise for dinner. They prepared a very succulent roasted chicken, roasted asparagus, and baked beans. We loaded the boat and took a quick tour around the areas of the lake we hadn't seen yet before cutting the engine and setting up the table and chairs. Tru was a good boy and played iPad and ate nicely while we enjoyed our lovely meal. This is one of the events I was most anticipating - I loved it. :) After putting Tru in bed, Jason, Uncle Glen, and I enjoyed rum-soaked tiramisu and coffee while being regaled by Glen's stories from his journalism days. There isn't anyone the man hasn't met!
Champagne Cruise.
Tru entertained himself well.
Sunday
On Sunday we had the pleasure of seeing more of the islands on the lake and meeting more of Ricke's and Glen's friends. Tru and Mr. Charlie hit it off quite nicely at Snake Island. They have a wonderful beach there and invited Tru over to swim. Toys were even provided! Tru did NOT want to get out of the water. After about an hour there, we got back in the boat and went to Treasure Island - a tiny little island just big enough for a house - right in the middle of the lake. That was just a quick stop before headed to the marina and into town to grab some groceries and a pizza for dinner. The pizza and salad Aunt Ricke made hit the spot nicely, and we lingered over our last big meal together.
Tru picked flowers and blueberries with Aunt Ricke and Daddy before nap.
Monday
We decided to split the return trip into two days, so we left Greenville on Monday and headed to Portsmouth, NH for the night. It was a sad goodbye for us, but I know Ricke and Glen were ready for a little down time that was "two-year-old-free." Who can blame them. :) They were so wonderful with Truett, but one can only take so much!
Because Jason visits Portsmouth often for work, he had several places he wanted to show us. The downtown area is very quaint and had an abundance of great eateries. Our hotel served us dinner, though, so we tabled exploring for the next day.
"Bye bye, Moose! Bye bye, Squirrell! Bye bye, FUN!"
So long, Hyde Island. Until next time!
Tru napping on the way to Portsmouth.
Tuesday
Our flight wasn't out of Boston until 1735, so we had time to walk around Portsmouth and have a leisurely lunch. Unfortunately, Jason's favorite chocolatier was closed and we weren't able to purchase treats for the trip. Tru was starting to get unruly, so we got in the car and headed to Boston earlier than planned. He slept all the way there, and we thought we might visit the aquarium to kill time when we got there, but we never did find the place. So off the the airport we went. We were there 3 hours before our flight was scheduled to leave, and that is a BAD thing for a toddler. Just when we started to see the light at the end of the tunnel, our plane was delayed 40 minutes. When it was finally time to board, we got the thrashing, screaming Truett on the plane and buckled in his seat. Jason spent the next 2 hours entertaining him very skillfully...and we never pushed back from the gate. Maintenance and weather problems. At 2000 (we were supposed to land in STL at 1945), we deplaned. Our replacement jet didn't arrive until 2115. We re-boarded and got settled for a long flight. Tru played for the first hour, slept for the second hour, and then woke up crying and proceeded to scream at the top of his lungs for the third hour. The flight attendants were very kind and helpful, as well as the gentleman sitting in front of Tru. SOME passengers were not quite so gracious. Yes, we were THOSE people. The plane finally landed at 0015L in STL. Baggage claim, shuttle to the truck, load the truck, and head home. We had to give Tru a bath, so he wasn't in bed until 0200. We followed half an hour later.
Hour 2.
The Stick
On our first full day there, Tru became attached to a particular stick that he played with all week. We, of course, had to bring it home with us. It is now proudly displayed on his bookshelf in his room, a reminder of his great adventure at Moosehead Lake.
Other Notes
I can't believe we didn't get pictures of the "moose," which is actually a caribou hanging in the dining room, and the "squirrel," which is actually a carved wooden bear in the living room. Upon arrival to the house on the first day, Tru locked eyes with both creatures and decided to give them a wide berth. :) He finally warmed up to the "moose" a little and began offering him a cherry every time he passed by. He and the "squirrel" never became friends, though, and Tru would walk the outermost perimeter of the room to avoid it.
It is so apparent Aunt Ricke and Uncle Glen have found a peaceful and fulfilling way of life at the lake. The hard work is rewarding for them, and there is a lot of it. I never saw the place in the early years, but I know they have really poured themselves into cleaning it up, decorating it, and making all aspects of island life run more efficiently. From generators and solar panels to woodworking and Aunt Ricke's gorgeous vegetable and flower gardens, it is truly a work to behold.
A Great Trip
I can't believe it took us 16 years to finally visit Moosehead Lake. I was schedule to go once before, while Jason was deployed to Baghdad, but my plans were canceled when I was hit by the car. So, this trip was a long time in coming...and well worth the wait. The island really is a magical place, and it is so apparent why anyone would fall in love with it. Thank you, Aunt Ricke and Uncle Glen, for hosting us. I hope you will have us back when Tru is a little older and will be able to remember his adventures there...but not so old he doesn't enjoy the world and stories of The Island Fairies at Moosehead Lake. :)
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