Self and sister-in-law Winnie

We enjoyed a breakfast and cuppa coffee with David and Karen before heading out for other destinations. I did take a few minutes to set up David's new wifi router and then Linda and I said our goodbyes. The last two days with David and Karen were wonderful. They live in an area of East Boothbay surrounded with beautiful scenery, friends, entertainment and activities. It was a couple of wonderful days -- but it was time to move on.  We took a leisurely drive to Brunswick and back to my niece's "neck of the woods". Her mother, Winnie, lives next store and it was our turn to take Winnie to lunch. After showing us around,

Winnie chose a wonderful restaurant on Orr's Island, about 20 minutes from her home. The island is a tiny fishing village with a population of about 1000 people. The restaurant itself is a beautiful building on a little peninsula at the end of a narrow two-lane road that runs through "town". The food was wonderful. Maine, of course, is a seafood state and fishing supports much of the local and state economy.

Deb

Later in the afternoon, we rejoined my niece, Deb, for dinner and conversation in her delightful "Maine cottage". Deb showed us her wood-shop and vegetable gardens. She's an accomplished horticulturist, wood worker, makes stain glass art-pieces, kayaks around Maine's water-ways and -- oh yes -- is a programmer fir the financial end of the computer industry.

After dinner, we all took a ride to Freeport Maine, the home of the L.L. Bean flagship store.. The store is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. L.L. Bean was founded in 1912 and now specializes in hunting, fishing, camping, shooting -- all manner of products for the home and outdoorsman. Just wandering the store gives you a sense that they sell everything!! I half expected to see L.L. Bean automobiles!!

Tomorrow will be an interesting day. We've decided to get to Rutland Vermont via "back roads" and stay off highways and freeways as much as possible. It's about a 225 mile drive, so we plan a slow leisurely transit to Rutland that may take two days. We're going to Vermont for a couple of reasons, but primarily to attend Stellafane, the oldest get-together of telescope makers in the country. Stellafane was founded by Russell W. Porter in the 1920's. Porter, among other things, was the architect of the 100" and 200" telescopes on Mt. Wilson and Mt. Palomar respectively. He's considered the "father of amateur telescope making" (a lot more to follow as we visit the site called Breezy Hill in Springfield Vermont).