After years of begging, I finally got my wish...an outdoor shower at the lodge.  I rented a cabin 10 years ago up north in Maine that had one and I just loved showering under the open sky, in the outdoors.  Complete with hot water, I think ours is the best upgrade we've ever made!  Recent guests who had four young children agreed--like Jack, their kids were more than happy to shower outside--as opposed to the usual battle of trying to get them to clean up in the sink or tub.  I'll bet the same can be said for dogs, although ours are always in the river so much that we never have to endure the trauma of a tub bath.

It's just been an amazing summer here in Maine.  Virtually no rain, tons of sun, and aside from some humidity the temperatures have been perfect.  The rivers are warm, the nights are cool, and everyone we've hosted has had a wonderful time.  We're winter people, but honestly the summer of 2010 has been so beautiful that we really hate to see it winding down.  Driving around New England we've seen a few trees here and there that have leaves starting to change already...and with our oldest daughter's departure for her freshman year of college rapidly approaching, we'd really like to just freeze time right here!