Maine, part 2
Aug. 2nd, 2005 09:43 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
nlbarberYesterday's activities:
Krissi didn't get here to pick me up until about noon (thus the time to write the long report on day one), and we set out for a bagel shop here in Augusta ("Bagel Mainea") where K. collected 2 dozen bagels for her family's consumption and I bought 2 mini-bagels to supplement the skimpy collection of breakfast offerings at the Comfort Inn. These mini-bagels look like a great idea for people watching their weight--a half of a "normal" bagel is more the amount I can have along with some cream cheese and fruit, and that's about the size of the mini. Must try to plant this idea with some bagel places in Atlanta...
From the bagel place we headed west from August toward the town of Mount Vernon. We met up with Krissi's family (except her father, who opted out of that excursion) at a sandwich shop and bakery called The Olde Post Office Cafe, where we all had sandwiches and sat on the screened porch looking out over Minnehonk Lake. Finished off with a small piece of a shared cream-cheese brownie--both sandwich and brownie were very good, with what looked like locally made bread.
We then headed to Krissi's parents' house on Flying Pond. Her parents own either side of a little stream that runs from the smaller Black Pond into Flying Pond (which merits the name of "lake" more than pond), and is fully wooded and on an unpaved road. While there are private properties all the way around Flying Pond, not that many of them have houses occupied by year-round residents, and some have no structures at all. K's family's house is a nice 2-story structure with a wrap-around porch on the second level. We spent a laid-back rest of the afternoon--K. and I walked to Black Pond (swatting at the bugs that attacked as soon as we got away from the breeze that was blowing near the lake) and I picked blueberries as we went. Exploring around the edge of Flying Pond we were joined by the 7 month old golden retriever puppy, who spent her time eating blueberries too, along with sphagnum moss, assorted sticks, etc. She also made a valiant attempt to fit 2 tennis balls in her mouth at once, but finally had to admit that it just couldn't be done.
K.'s brother's family (visiting from L.A.) suited up and went swimming--I declined in favor of the walking and just chatting with K. and her parents. Eventually we called in an order to Pizza Hut in Farmington, and then K., her mother, and I went to make the pickup--35 minutes each way. Dinner was pleasant, if noisy--K.'s two nephews (9 and 7, I think) provided various topics of conversation with sound effects, and the puppy was learning to be in her crate and had to inform us periodically that we just must have forgotten to let her out so she could join us at the table. No matter, we enjoyed the pizza with salad, topped off by a blueberry pie a la mode (the pie was purchased at the lunch spot in Mount Vernon).
Not long after that I headed back to town with Krissi and mom Doris who were going to grocery shop after dropping me at my hotel. We drove up Blueberry Hill (a lookout point over Long Pond and Great Pond) to enjoy the nice clouds at sunset, and went by the sprawling mansion "Maine Chance" which was once a spa/resort owned by Elizabeth Arden. Despite, or perhaps because of, keeping an eye out and cameras available, no moose were spotted.
Krissi didn't get here to pick me up until about noon (thus the time to write the long report on day one), and we set out for a bagel shop here in Augusta ("Bagel Mainea") where K. collected 2 dozen bagels for her family's consumption and I bought 2 mini-bagels to supplement the skimpy collection of breakfast offerings at the Comfort Inn. These mini-bagels look like a great idea for people watching their weight--a half of a "normal" bagel is more the amount I can have along with some cream cheese and fruit, and that's about the size of the mini. Must try to plant this idea with some bagel places in Atlanta...
From the bagel place we headed west from August toward the town of Mount Vernon. We met up with Krissi's family (except her father, who opted out of that excursion) at a sandwich shop and bakery called The Olde Post Office Cafe, where we all had sandwiches and sat on the screened porch looking out over Minnehonk Lake. Finished off with a small piece of a shared cream-cheese brownie--both sandwich and brownie were very good, with what looked like locally made bread.
We then headed to Krissi's parents' house on Flying Pond. Her parents own either side of a little stream that runs from the smaller Black Pond into Flying Pond (which merits the name of "lake" more than pond), and is fully wooded and on an unpaved road. While there are private properties all the way around Flying Pond, not that many of them have houses occupied by year-round residents, and some have no structures at all. K's family's house is a nice 2-story structure with a wrap-around porch on the second level. We spent a laid-back rest of the afternoon--K. and I walked to Black Pond (swatting at the bugs that attacked as soon as we got away from the breeze that was blowing near the lake) and I picked blueberries as we went. Exploring around the edge of Flying Pond we were joined by the 7 month old golden retriever puppy, who spent her time eating blueberries too, along with sphagnum moss, assorted sticks, etc. She also made a valiant attempt to fit 2 tennis balls in her mouth at once, but finally had to admit that it just couldn't be done.
K.'s brother's family (visiting from L.A.) suited up and went swimming--I declined in favor of the walking and just chatting with K. and her parents. Eventually we called in an order to Pizza Hut in Farmington, and then K., her mother, and I went to make the pickup--35 minutes each way. Dinner was pleasant, if noisy--K.'s two nephews (9 and 7, I think) provided various topics of conversation with sound effects, and the puppy was learning to be in her crate and had to inform us periodically that we just must have forgotten to let her out so she could join us at the table. No matter, we enjoyed the pizza with salad, topped off by a blueberry pie a la mode (the pie was purchased at the lunch spot in Mount Vernon).
Not long after that I headed back to town with Krissi and mom Doris who were going to grocery shop after dropping me at my hotel. We drove up Blueberry Hill (a lookout point over Long Pond and Great Pond) to enjoy the nice clouds at sunset, and went by the sprawling mansion "Maine Chance" which was once a spa/resort owned by Elizabeth Arden. Despite, or perhaps because of, keeping an eye out and cameras available, no moose were spotted.