Summer Vacation...

I believe that we all have a somewhere that is special to us. Sometimes it is a place we once visited or a familiar vacation destination. The funny thing is when you are there it can often feel like you are at the place your heart calls home.
One of my very special places is the coast of Maine. When I was five I was reading Blueberries for Sal by Robert McCloskey, I loved that story. That little book stole my heart. I knew I would someday walk on those same reaches, islands and rocky beaches collecting shells and picking blueberries
just like Sal! As a young woman I started summering in Maine and continue that tradition today. I have taken many photographs of the light, boats, sandy shore, rivers and lakes over the past few decades. Maine is magic to me.

Summer is a fleeting season. The kids are without schedules and you have the ability to create traditions and memories for each family member collectively and individually. Take time to have a campfire, explore a mountain path or take a bike ride on a trail you have never explored. With the warmer weather it is fun to hang out late into the evening gazing at the stars and if you're lucky you can watch the full moon rise over a lake or the ocean.


Click on arrow to view movie.
Lynn Wedekind's "On the Wing" is
the featured music in this slide-show.


This is also a great time of year to gather up the entire family, drive to a beautiful spot and share a picnic supper. Bring an extra friend and have them photograph all of you, it will make the perfect family Christmas card, oh yes and you will have fun. Summer is about fun, relaxation and enjoying all of the blessings you have in your life. Before you know it school will be back in session and the kids will all be another year older, do not waste these special moments take time to enjoy them.


As a girl our family was into camping however as an adult I am not a big fan. It is simply that I prefer a cabin or cottage with a bed to a tent and a sleeping bag. I believe because I was introduced and taught about the outdoors during my childhood I have a great appreciation and understanding for the natural world. So take the time to explore the natural world with your children, nieces, nephews and grandchildren. It does make a difference in who they become. I believe it creates the foundation for them to go out and be good and understanding citizens of the world.