Life out here and the little things

Written while lying in Biddeford Pool, Me. just south of Portland.

This little place is, in Milly's words, bucolic.  I think it is charming, and Bella thinks its great because she got a great run and swim on the low-tide sand bars.   Bella and I just drove the dinghy up on the bar and out we go. Play time.  No pictures, you'll have to work with me on this.The bars are a couple of miles long and just perfect sand.  It is a remote little place and therefore sweet and entirely likable.  Little things that work are important out here.  Cooking peppers on a grill is a little thing, but out here it is special when it works.  

We have always stopped here because it is well protected from the Atlantic and indeed does offer a lot of old village atmosphere.  I doubt there are 500 residents now and less in winter.  It is so special I paid $6 for a baguette that was pedestrian at best.  One cut above wonder bread.  I registered my disappointment the next day with the shop owner who replied that she was surprised as "everyone raves about it".  My feeling is that if you have the audacity to charge $6 for a baguette it should be screaming wow...this bread is out of this world.  You could also question my wisdom in paying the price to begin with.  I do.

An estate on the edge of Biddeford Pool

Tonight we are moored with a few other boats and sitting through some major rain and thunder storms. Milly, in her wisdom, prepared (weeks ago) a classic french cassoulet for us and then froze it in containers for two portions.  So with some snow peas and that charming local bread we had a wonderful dinner during the deluge.  Mil is very good at this.  Our freezer holds many of these treats.  Milly is very good at most things out here.  I am a lucky man.

Little things come into the fore when there is no TV or internet, and just the two of us to entertain each other.  For example today I cleaned the head.  A little thing, but Milly was thrilled.  It is gleaming white and fresh again.    I do this at home also to no applause and often a comment about "its about time", but out here it takes on new import and I am a hero.  I have a special technique, but it is a little secret.

And two days ago I finally cleaned all the port lites.  Now we can actually see out of our stateroom (that's boatese for bedroom).  Before all you could see was old salt caked on the lite.  This is a big deal. Now I will know if the sun is up or not.  I wish I could clean something that tells me what day it is.

I severed my Achilles heel two years ago.  While doing the sand bar thing with Bella, I tried to run.  And for the first time in two years I actually did something resembling running.  Well, more like a jerky jog that looked like a very old man avoiding a cab on 7th Avenue while jaywalking.  So another little thing that is magnified by doing it on a sand bar in Biddeford Pool.

We have just done a lot of study of the Maine Coast up to Campobello and the Canadian border.  It is challenging to choose which harbors to bypass and which to enter.  So many choices....so little time.  Our plan is taking shape and oops....be right back....small gale/squall just blew through....a not so little thing.  Anyway, a few parameters are in place.  We will spend the next couple of weeks gunkholing (I love that word...it means meandering between harbors with no particular destination or serious intent of purpose)  from here to Bar Harbor.  Beyond that, who knows.  Such as weather, crew happiness, and the little things will determine how far downeast we go.

On to Portland to provision...then out to the little harbors with all their charm.