A day at the lake

I'm still posting a few pictures from the time our daughter, her hubby and family were with us earlier this month.  One thing they really wanted was to spend some time at a lake.  Their kiddos have never experienced the fun of just being able to run into a lake.  We are fortunate to live quite close to Wellington State Park, and I grew up going there frequently, as did my own kids.  So during their visit, we took an entire day (we had hoped to take more) at Wellington, and met up with friends and family there too.

Emily's sand airplane, which Sam built around  her.  Note frisbee propeller at front of plane.  (A detail I missed at the time.)

I took this as we were leaving.  Hadn't noticed that those folks sitting back in the shade were in the picture, but I envy them.  This is a very relaxing place!

 Hope you have enjoyed this look at our day at the lake!  I hope that Mr. T and I can find time for a few hours there ourselves before summer is over.

The Loon Center

This was not taken at the Loon Center, but on Back Lake in 2010.

This is also on Back Lake in Pittsburg, NH, in 2012.

Among the day trips we took when our daughter and family were visiting was one to The Loon Center in Moultonborough, New Hampshire. They do not have loons in their part of the country and were very interested in learning more about them.  Mr. T and I have always loved loons and their calls, and also wanted to learn more about them.

It's free to visit the Loon Center, which includes a wonderful visitor's center, a fantastic and unique gift shop, and is also home to the trails of the Markus Wildlife Sanctuary.  The Loon Center is also the headquarters for  The Loon Preservation Committee, which has a mission to restore and maintain a healthy population of loons in New Hampshire.  They are doing a fantastic job but the work is ongoing, as might be expected.

I wish I had gotten more pictures, but hopefully I can add some in when we get the pictures from our son-in-law.  The only two we got were of Lake Winnipesaukee as seen from the trail.

We went into the visitor's center first.  There's an informative and very beautiful film to watch about loons.  I learned some things I didn't know!   After viewing the film,  the kids had a fantastic time doing the necessary activities to become Junior Loon Biologists.   The number of activities a child has to complete varies with age.  Some of the activities are quite easy, like counting the number of stuffed loons in the center or doing a simple jigsaw puzzle.  Others were a bit more complicated, like word searches and building a loon nest from the materials provided.  The kids loved this and were so excited to complete the necessary tasks!

A scan of a very informative brochure on loon behavior from the Loon Preservation Committee.

After receiving their awards, the kids were eager to get out on the trail.  Along the way, we were able to see a loon's nest with a loon sitting on it, though the staff at the center said there might not be eggs in the nest.  It was still very neat to see.  The trail is about 1.7 miles long and had enough twists, turns, boulders and muddy spots to make the kids very happy.

The gift shop contains probably hundreds of lake-themed and especially loon-themed items, everything from mugs to Christmas ornaments and much, much more.  I bought a really beautiful mug from the sale table and have been enjoying it so much.

If you live in New Hampshire or plan to visit, you will want to take an afternoon and spend it at the Loon Center.  I highly recommend it!

Strawberry picking

We got three flats of these gorgeous strawberries!

 It may seem simple, but another thing my Nevada daughter wanted her kids to experience was picking strawberries.  As it worked out, peak strawberry season fell during the time they were able to be here.  We took a morning jaunt to Pierson Farm,  our favorite place for U-pick strawberries.  Since this is in Vermont, it made another state for the grands to visit.  They spent time in four of the six New England states while here!

I wish I had gotten some pictures of the picking in progress, but I did not.  I am quite certain that they did, so when they send us their photos, I may add some in.  The kids all pitched in, and some of the cousins and their parents met up with us in the fields too, so it was a fun time.

I had planned on getting two flats, but my son-in-law decided to buy a third so there would be plenty of strawberries to eat fresh as well as to freeze.

After lunch we washed and hulled the strawberries and began the process of quick-freezing them. 

These cousins had so much fun together!

So much fun, with a delicious yield at the end.  I had intended to make strawberry shortcake the way we had it at the Brunswick Diner in Maine -- with vanilla ice cream sandwiched in between the biscuits and strawberries -- but it just never happened.  Maybe next visit!

A glorious day at the ocean

I last posted about our time at Lighthouse Park on Pemaquid Point in Bristol, Maine.  After a wonderful day there, we spent the night in the Freeport area and headed out for Reid State Park after breakfast the next morning.  We had been to Reid once before, the last time our Nevada family was here, and we just love it.  The unique thing about this park is that it has a long sandy beach on one side, a rocky shoreline on the other, and in the middle a lagoon for swimming, along with grassy areas for picnicking.  I didn't get as many pictures this time as I would have liked, so I'll be using some of those older photos from our earlier visit in fall of 2012 as well.

If you would like to see more, check out one of these links: Reid State Park or Reid State Park.  The first link is to an article from Yankee magazine; the second is from the state of Maine.

The kids get excited when we see Bath Iron Works, because they know we are getting close.

Tranquility.  Love it.

In fall 2012

2012 again

One more from 2012 -- still beautiful

The lagoon in 2012

Exploring around the lagoon in 2012

Big brother, little sister on the grass overlooking the lagoon

God's majestic handiwork

Hope you've enjoyed this virtual trip to the ocean with our family!

Along the way, along the shore

As we traveled from Pemaquid Point back to our lodgings for the night in the Freeport area, we made a brief stop for a photo-taking opportunity just across the Wiscasset bridge.  We weren't there long, but my hubby and daughter, plus some of the grandkids, wandered around snapping a few fun photos.

Simply iconic

Two grandsons try out a fish-shaped wooden chair!

So many fun and colorful memories!

Lighthouse Park at Pemaquid Point

As I mentioned earlier, when our Nevada family -- our daughter, her hubby and five little ones -- began planning a visit to us out here in New England, our daughter began thinking seriously about sights she wanted her kids to see.  Things they will never see in northeastern Nevada.  High on her list (no pun intended) was a lighthouse ... preferably a lighthouse they would see the inside of.  Her research led her to Lighthouse Park at Pemaquid Point -- and what a wonderful choice it was!

We spent hours at this park and had a wonderful, wonderful time.

This view greeted us as we headed for a picnic table.

Glorious.

These gorgeous roses abound on this area of the Maine coast.

Some of the picnic tables were under pine trees.  We were so blessed to observe a man with study materials and Bible spread out on a picnic table, having his quiet time here by the sea.

The Keeper's House -- it is possible to actually stay overnight in the upstairs.  They rent it out!

So beautiful.  I love the creamy seafoam green as the waves come in.

So gorgeous.

Looking from the rocks up toward the lighthouse.

Similar view from farther away

So majestic.  I could sit here taking in this beauty for a long, long time.

Many people did.

The bell house.

Mr. T took this one down on the rocks.

These lovely little flowers were growing among the rocks

Another vista.  I believe this little building is the oil house.

Up in the lighthouse.  Kids have to be over a certain height to go up.

This light shines 14 nautical miles out to sea.  I didn't realize prior to our  visit that this is the lighthouse depicted on the Maine state quarter.

A window in the Fishermen's Museum

Hope you've enjoyed this look at a beautiful place featuring God's majestic creation.  We certainly enjoyed our visit tremendously!