Weeee! In Maine!

                                                            Waiting for fog to lift.  

                                   
                                                                   Socked In--                                                                           

      We had a leisurely breakfast on the boat, bacon, eggs, home fries and coffee while we waited for the breathing fog to burn off.  They are several different fogs in Maine according to the locals: ground mist, morning fog, black fog, fog so thick you can shovel it, pea soup fog, and what they call a breathing fog. (comes in and goes out;comes back in and goes out, repeatedly!)  A breathing fog is what we had.  Just the fact that they have so many names for fog tells you something about cruising in Maine.  There are at least two things you are going to have to deal with; fog and LOBSTER TRAPS!
     The lobster traps are everywhere! We have seen them sparsely placed in 180 feet of water, and so thick near shore, that you could practically walk on the floats in to shore!  What is particularly frustrating is they are placed right in the navigation channels. In Portsmouth, at the Wentworth Marina, there are several placed in the middle of the entrance to the mooring field.  One boat owner had to tell a waterman to move the trap from behind his boat slip because he didn't have enough room to pull his boat out of the slip...in his home marina!  I understand that the lobstermen get upset if a boat propeller cuts their line, it costs them money to repair the trap and they lose the income, but that is minor to the cost of repairing a prop or the danger of having to dive (in very cold water) under the boat to cut a line off of a tangled prop. 
     As the fog was lifting, I rechecked my engine water intake repair.  Assured that the hose was not leaking, we fired up the engines and slowly navigated our way out through the mine field of lobster pots and headed north.  Destination, only 30 miles away....Biddeford Pool.....MAINE!

                                             WhoooooHooooo....Finally Maine!!!                                    
                                                                              

     Our excitement grew as we  pulled in to secure Doc's Holiday at a mooring at Biddeford Pool.  This is not true down east Maine yet, (true down east Maine is almost anywhere north of Portland, Me) but it's beginning to look like it.   The launch picked us up and we anxiously headed to the bustling metropolis of down-town Biddeford Pool....one combination takeout restaurant and general store...and a post office.  We walked Spencer a couple of miles, and admired the New England Style houses, then stopped at the takeout for our first feed of full bellied deep fried clams and lobster roll. Beth really enjoyed her favourite food, clams, but I was disappointed in the tasteless lobster roll.  I thought to myself, "Man, the women on Campobello Island could teach these people a thing or two about cooking Lobstah!"

                                                                                    
                                                          Biddeford Pool Anchorage

                                                                                   

                                                                                   

     We only travelled a short distance because, like it says on the Maine licence plate,"Maine, the way life should be" so we wanted to slow down.  We knew now we would be home in time for International Festival...this is a celebration between Calais, Me and St. Stephen , New Brunswick and is "homecoming" for those of us who moved away.
      As well, my XM satellite weather system showed an impending front coming in from Montreal, giving the strong possibility of thunder showers.. We watched the system approach. Rain and thick black heavy clouds appeared.  The boat leaned into the rapidly increasing wind then....the fury of nature!  Multiple thick fingers of lightning lit up the sky. The wind whipped the boat from side to side and I saw the wind speed indicator shoot up to 45 mph as the boat strained at it's mooring line.  Within 20 minutes it was over.  We watched as the storm passed off to our east with a spectacular display of black clouds and lightning.  As Spencer stopped shaking and was calming down....the fireworks started.  Yes, it was the 4th of July and from our anchorage we could see the fireworks displays all the way up the coast to Portland.  We had fireworks nearby, and in the distance, 300 degrees around us, but their briliance didn't compare to natures fireworks still going on in the other 60 degrees.  Anyone who couldn't be thrilled by this, is in a premorbid condition and has no adrenalin left in their glands!
     Sitting here with a steaming cup of hot coffee, I watch as the morning sun washes the darkness of night off the the surrounding houses and nearby boats. "Almost home!" I thought to myself. "Can I slow down now? After years of rushing to maintain a smooth flowing operating room schedule to keep surgeons and patients safe and happy, endless before and after hour meetings to keep our business running smoothly, quality assurance committee meetings and medical executive committee meetings to keep the hospitals running smoothly, playing and partying just as hard on the limited time off (because I worked hard...and damn it I deserve it, attitude!)... should I slow down? Could I slow down? If not now, when?