Forty six years ago this morning I was sitting by the pool of a motel in Topsfield Massachusetts with my mom, dad and brother, my high school English teacher and Judy’s cousins Debbie and Sharon.. Forty six years ago today at 2::00 PM I got married.
Today at 2:00 PM the four-masted schooner the Margaret Todd cast of its lines for a two-hour cruise of Penobscot Bay. Sitting next to me was the same gal – Judy – who exchanged I Dos with me 46 years before.
Forty six years ago we never would have guessed that we’d share this anniversary with two grandkids – Carter and Reagan – on a trip to Mt. Desert Island. Nor would we ever guess that we’d be living next door – literally – to Griffin and Esme – our two other grandkids.
And we of course had no idea that our union – truely a blessed union as it turned out – would produce Jeff and Rebecca, parents of the aforementioned grandkids.
The one constant across the last 46 years is the place we left this morning for this adventure: Lake Onawa. I visited Judy and her family there nine years before our I Do day 46 years ago today.
The four of us set out around 7:30 AM and by 11:30, Dunkin’ Donuts stop included, we were buying tickets for the Margaret Todd. We walked the waterfront, ate crab and lobster rolls (and, the house specialty, a bowl of mac and cheese) and boarded for the cruise under full sail for two hours. The day was beautiful, a National Park ranger provided commentary and the views were the typical coast of Maine seascapes you see every month in DownEast magazine.
Carter had the most accurate 10-year-old observation: « thé first part of any trip flies by. The last hour goes on forever.« He was more than ready to walk the plank as soon as we tied up at the town dock
The next stop had Carter written all over it: Thunder Hole Did it matter that the hole produced no thunder? Not at all. Carter burned all his energy stored up on the cruise jumping and running on the kelp- and barnacle-covered granite rocks He gave his poor elderly grandparents continual heartbeat stoppages watching him Even his sister got into the act: ”Careful, Carter! Don’t run so fast Stay away from the edge.” Eventually she decided if she couldn’t lick him she’d join him and went boulder hopping with him out of sight behind a huge granite outcropping near the water’s edge That got Nana into the act: “Grandpa, you stay up here with me The kids are fine. Don’t you fall and kill yourself trying to follow them.”
Everyone escaped and we traveled on to Northeast Harbor in search of a lobster dinner with which to celebrate 46. We settled at a low-key inn at Seal Harbor. While lobster was on the menu at a reasonable price they had none on hand so we settled on newburg and halibut, promising ourselves lobster tomorrow night.
Then on to the Anchorage Motel to check in; 15 minutes later we walked back a few blocks to the Bar Harbor Town Green for the 8 PM open-air band concert. Carter was less than thrilled. At 8:04 he pointed out two nearby ice cream stands I said ok but not until 8:30: a twenty six minute eternity. So I walked him once around the green and timed his solo circuit and said, “Carter, make 10 more loops and we’ll do ice cream “ He did, we did and now we’re snug in our two double beds for the night.
it took 46 years to get here but what a trip!
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