TGIS (Thank God Its Summer)

OK, I know it's not really summer yet (my literal boys remind me of this regularly), but it sure feels like it around here.  With the near-90 degree temps today, and the annual opening up of the cabins in Waterford last weekend (in nothing close to 90 degree temps), it's beginning to look a lot like SUMMER!  Oh how I love me a Maine summer.  And oh how I love Memorial Day at the compound. Cold, rainy weather didn't stop us from having a fantastic opening weekend, chock full of work, family fun, and fishing.  I love the feeling of community that pervades opening weekend, from the moment we all gather to put in the docks between hugs and "How are you?"s and "Happy summer!"s after a long winter apart, to the campfire (or fireplace, in this case) sing-a-longs to celebrate birthdays, to the association meetings that involve both young and old in efforts to care for and preserve this amazing resource we all share.  It's all quite special, and I try to teach my boys that not everyone has this.  Not everyone gets to gather with their huge extended family on a regular basis in an idyllic setting.  Not everyone has the opportunity to run free with their cousins, to explore trails and pirate ships and lookout towers.  Not everyone is able to easily access their ancestry and their history, through scrapbooks, and artifacts of summers past, and situations that encourage storytelling across generations.  I think if you grow up spending summers at a place like the compound, you think it's all quite normal.  But as someone who didn't, I can assure you it is not at all normal.  With every passing year, as I watch my kids engage with their cousins and truly reap the benefits of all that this abnormal wonder offers, I feel more and more lucky to call this community my own.

We spent a LOT of time here this weekend.  It was chilly!  But here's what I'm talking about regarding artifacts of summers past - check out that mantel.  We have a picture of Ben and his dad fishing from when Ben was about Ethan's age, an award we won for our costume last year, and a mounted fish that Tom caught decades ago.  There are treasures like this all over the compound.

This kid fell in love with fishing this weekend.

That is, everything except the part where you actually catch a fish. 

Check out that cast!

We let the boys spread their wings a bit more this weekend than we have in summers past.  Here they are Monday morning out on the T'Cozy dock, while the adults stayed happily inside drinking their coffee.  Ethan is casting (surprise, surprise) and Adam is dutifully listening as Ethan instructs him in all things fishing.

The next generation of NEWHATS.  This was the first Junior NEWHATS meeting our boys attended.  And while these four boys had a little trouble sitting still for the proceedings, they were a big help clearing sticks from the Green Arrow Trail right afterwards.  

Ethan was generous enough to give his brother a try or two before reclaiming the sole fishing pole.  Another fishing pole is on our shopping list.

When the clouds cleared on Monday morning, we did our first hike of the year up Tir'em. 

Other Stockwellians had the same idea.  It made for a fun party at the top.

Cousins at the top!

Adam found a friendly caterpillar that entertained the boys for quite a while.

Proud hikers at the bottom.   First hike of the season deemed a big success!  And very sore muscles for Mommy the next day, after having chased a certain little monkey who decided to sprint down the whole mountain.