7/9/08 An Evening at The Theatre

I'm sad to report that the great photos I had of this event got lost in a software upgrade. :-( But the memories are still there!

Luke is a UMF student who was in our Block classes in fall 2007. I saw him one day before the spring semester was over and when I asked what he was doing this summer he told me he was going to be Gilligan in The Lakewood Theater's production of Gilligan Island, The Musical. He told me I should come and I agreed it would be fun but I don't think he really believed I would make it. And we certainly surprised him when all 3 of us (Beth, Grace, and I) that teach the Block classes showed up!

The Lakewood Theater is America's oldest summer theater. What fun! We had dinner reservations for The Lakewood Restaurant which is just across the driveway from the theater. It was classic, too! The service was great. The food seemed to be one extreme or the other. My shrimp was particularly good and the cheesecake was yummy. We don't recommend the black bean cake entree.

The play was hysterical. I don't know how they were able to cast talented people who were sooo much like the TV characters that we all remember and loved. Even if we hadn't personally known the actor playing Gilligan, we would've enjoyed the show. But knowing Luke made the show about ten times funnier. I don't think I'll be able to call him Luke when I see him again--he will always be Gilligan from now on.

Here's my autographed program. It says, "To my Texas Theresa, Luke Ellis."

7/7/08 Old Crow Indian Band in Concert

Every Monday night throughout the summer at 7:30pm in the gazebo of the town park, the Old Crow Indian Band gives a concert. Yes, this is the same group that marched in the 4th of July parade. How fun is that?? I've actually heard them from my verandah, but this was my first time to purposefully attend the concert in the park.

I was helping a friend pack for his move when his cousins called from tonight's concert. We needed a break anyway and so we headed to the gazebo. It was everything you'd hope it would be. The music was good. There were long pauses between songs and no published program or list of songs. I think it might be more of an open rehearsal than a concert. But who cares?! Kids run around in the grass and climb over the monuments in the park, grown ups chat amongst themselves and wave at friends coming and going, folks sit in camp chairs and listen to the music, . . . it's all just good clean fun accompanied by live music.

7/6/08 Life on the verandah

Since it isn't attached to a doorway, I don't think it's a porch. I guess it could be a patio, but since it's covered and has columns and since it has such a lovely view, I do think verandah is the right name for this location, don't you? I do love it. And with all the sunshine lately (have you been looking at the sky in all the photos of the field lately?), I get to spend more time out here. (If you note the slits in the deck above, you'll know I haven't been sitting out there too much in the all the rain we had on a daily basis prior to July 4.) You're welcome to come join me on the verandah!

7/6/08 more progress in the field

7/6/08 Two Movies??

This afternoon I went to the afternoon matinée of Hancock. I actually knew nothing about the movie except that Will Smith was in it. If you know me, that's wild! I never go to a movie without prior assurance that it's going to have a happy ending and I don't do horror or violence. So to go without knowing was a big risk. Fortunately, I was not disappointed. In fact, I was delightfully surprised! Now even more surprising to myself and those who know me is that I went to a movie last Friday as well. That makes two movies in 9 days. Prior to this I don't think I went to two movies in 9 months. Prior to moving to Maine, it was probably two movies in 9 years!

What did I see last Friday? Wall-e! And on opening night no less! It was great fun and a great movie. AND I got one of the free digital watches that was supposed to be for kids but they had a bucketload and I asked and they gave me one. It took a while to figure out how to set it (I got good advice from an 8-year old friend at church on Sunday) but it works great. Rodney got one, too. He wears his all the time. I needed a desk clock, so I created a makeshift stand for it and it sits on my desk where I can see it easily. It reminds me both what time it is and what fun I am having in Maine.

7/4/08 4th of July Party #2

It's so fun to have two parties to go to on 4th of July! This is
Ashley's annual party but since she just got home from 3 weeks in
Africa and wasn't sure what condition her apartment would be in, it
was held at Sheena's house. What more could you ask for than some
fireworks . . .

. . . good food and fun people . . .

. . . in a beautiful setting.

7/4/08 4th of July Party #1

After the parade, I walked to my old house with MRM (okay, she's not My RoomMate anymore, but I'll still refer to her as that in this blog). Later RBF (Roommate's BoyFriend will still be RBF as well) and his brother, Rodney, came over and we spent a lazy afternoon at poolside with the dogs just soaking in sunshine and taking in the Red Sox game. Fortunately, they won the game. It was a good one.

Check out MRM's flower garden. It's beautiful . . . lots of variety
in shape, color, texture, et. al. It's attractive to hummingbirds, butterflies, and humans.

I actually soaked up more shade than sunshine. RBF did even more shade than I did. MRM and Rodney probably tied for most sun in a single afternoon, but MRM shifted from in the pool to by the pool to working in the garden. Rodney was mostly in the pool. Check out the iced tea in the drink holder on the side of the float . . . what a life.

Here's MRM adjusting the peas in the veggie garden. We were able to harvest 5 pods. . . the first peas of the season. YUM!

It's a dog's life. Elf almost seemed to enjoy being on the float with his mom. I think it was more being with mom than it was being on the float that he was enjoying.

Rodney was dogsitting for his brother and sister-in-law. That's Zoey who eventually settled in and had quiet times with the other dogs. She REALLY liked Elf. I think she either thought Elf was her puppy or a new toy.

7/4/08 Harvesting in the field

7/4/08 Here come the fire trucks! (and the end of the parade)

All good things must come to an end, and so does the Farmington 4th of July parade. At least they go out with a bang! Not only was the fire truck the last entrant, but all the surrounding communities sent fire trucks, so we ended up with a bunch of 'em!

Here's one from Strong, ME:

Wilton, ME:

Temple, ME:

New Sharon, ME (home of the Little League Yankees #1)

and Farmington's Engine #1

and Tower #3

7/4/08 Franklin County Dairy Club

This was my favorite entrant in the whole parade. I've been to many "community" parades and seen the local celebrities participate in the parade. I've seen the creative things community members can do when they get together for an event like a parade. But I've never seen anyone walking their cow in a parade, much less, their cow dressed up like a pirate! Not all members of the Franklin County Dairy Club stayed with the pirate theme, but check out the eye patches, the pirate hats, and my favorite: the swashbuckling pirate sash . . . usually with cow and human wearing matching sashes. Oh, and lest we be exclusive, this dairy club also has goats in addition to cows. And one of the goats is dressed in overalls!

7/4/08 I know these people!

The New Sharon Yankees is a Little League team coached by my friend Beth (the one waving at me). Her son is on the team (he's the one with the water gun pointed right at me).

These bicyclists are a brother and sister team that go to my church! I actually substituted in one of their Sunday School classes one Sunday.

7/4/08 More Pirates

This float was from a medical group here in town and won first place (from what I read in the paper). It's definitely got the pirate theme going.

More pirate-wanna-be's. I'm not sure if this was another Vacation Bible School group or not.

Who knew a dune buggy could double as a pirate ship?

7/4/08 Variety of Entrants

We have the local DAR chapter celebrating their 100th anniversary, a Girl Scout troop, a vacation Bible school group, a drag race car, a pair of bagpipers (grandfather and grandson), and a tractor. How's that for variety?

7/4/08 Animals on Parade

Hmmmm, they're not pirates and they didn't seem to be affiliated with any float, but here they are, two animals in the parade.

And this is the Animal Shelter's float with that pirate theme. If you look real closely at the back of the float, you can see a man dressed as a pirate seated next to a bulldog dressed as a pirate. The bulldog sooo looked the part!

I'm not sure who these people were or why they were driving their truck in the parade, but their little dog was enjoying the ride in the passenger's seat!

7/4/08 Old Crow Indian Band

Perhaps it's politically incorrect now to call this group Old Crow Indian Band, but it's been around so long now and has such an interesting heritage, that I hope they don't change it. They're actually quite good and during the summers they play on Monday nights at "Meeting House Park" which is the park with the gazebo near my new apartment. I've actually been sitting on my verandah two Mondays in a row and heard them from there. This Monday, I hope to actually remember ahead of time and go to the concert up close!