I'm a fall/winter person, always have been.  But I'm really sad to say goodbye to the summer of 2010...beautiful, record-breaking weather (since March!), great times with the kids and family, and really happy guests...it's been amazing.

We celebrated at our annual Labor Day barbecue with family and friends and had a blast.  Lots of lobster to help out the local fishermen, wonderful weather, fishing, kayaking, swimming and even tents pitched all over the lawn for overnighting guests.  Although I'd love to think that next summer might be as nice, I really believe that this one was once in a lifetime--and with Jenna off at college now and Jack headed to preschool this week, I'm pretty sure it was.  Although I can't say I'm really "happy" with the life changes in our family, I'm thrilled that Mother Nature is making the adjustments just a little bit easier.  :)

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!

We spent the weekend at the lodge cleaning and prepping for guests and friends, and were thrilled to be able to use the South River campsite for most of the weekend.  Never, ever has the South River been this warm or low in June--it's at the level that it usually is in August.  Between the warm weather, lack of bugs, and river temperatures we're really getting an amazing treat this year so early in the season.  We celebrated Father's Day with a bonfire and picnic at the campsite with my parents, and it was great to stop the work once in a while and cool off in the river.  Jack just had a wonderful time splashing and playing in the shallow water and having a science lesson about the clams, snails, and crayfish that we found.

Each time we're here we remember why it is we love the place so much, and the addition of the satellite campsite makes it even more special and enjoyable. 

After Conway recovered from his first tango with a porcupine (the porcupine won!) we had a great weekend with a lot of fun guests.  John set a new record for the earliest-ever swim in the river; the previous record was May 15th so he really shattered it.  Jack and his cousins tried their hands at fishing, but had no luck getting a bite--probably the dogs jumping in the river while the kids were trying to cast didn't help.  Lots of sunshine, great friends, food, and happy dogs and kids...doesn't get much better than this.

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Mother Nature was good to us during March; the snow is all gone and earlier in the month we had temps in the 60's.  Although we're avid winter people we don't mind an early Spring this year...and good news, I saw the first robin of the season at the lodge this weekend!  My Dad always says that that's a sure sign of Spring. 

With Spring comes the ice-out, the term for when all of the ice is gone from a body of water.  It was very early this year and Heidi was more than happy to partake of her favorite activity, chasing rocks that Jack throws for her into the river.  I personally don't understand why she enjoys attempting to catch them in her mouth...with the expected occasional clunk in the head...but it's really her thing.  I checked the temperature of the water and it was way too cold for any normal dog to go swimming, but she doesn't seem to mind.  We had great fires in the bonfire pit and Jack was thrilled to be able to toast marshmallows again!  The vote's in--Mommy is the best toaster--"dolden brown" beats Daddy's fire-charred marshmallows anyday.  :)

Another great weekend at the lodge, this one full of fun outdoor activities.  It was warm--40 degrees--so we took advantage and did some sliding and hiking with Jack.  The snowmobile trails go for miles through the woods and make a nice hard surface for walking, running, snowshoeing, or cross-country skiing.  We saw tons of moose tracks, and though Jack and Dad followed them we didn't get to see a live moose this time.

We've been really busy lately but were able to sneak away to the lodge for one night this weekend.  Jack and the dogs were thrilled to say the least!  Winter stays for us always mean sitting back and relaxing...the lack of outdoor projects is actually quite nice.  It was pretty much a mini-adventure since we kept the cabin winterized (read:  no running water) but being true Mainers it's not too difficult for us to adjust.  The squirrels were not pleased with the sudden "chase" game that Heidi and Conway foisted on them, that's for sure.  We grilled and watched movies, and were reminded once again why we love this place so much!

We had a great fall season this year, the foliage was gorgeous and the September weather was amazing...it made up for some of the rain this summer.  We're looking ahead to winter and just enjoying each day of sun and cool weather; we're winter lovers but it's hard to say goodbye to fall.  There's always a lot to do in autumn--cutting and stacking firewood for the winter, raking leaves, and general cleanup.

I took some photos of John and Heidi on the island and some of the foliage.  To reflect the positive changes in our lives, we're looking to rename the island...it was formerly "Stephanie's Island" but that moniker has lost its positive meaning so we're searching for just the right title.  It's such a beautiful spot that it deserves an inspiring title so it might take a while.  We might ask Alan for suggestions since it's his favorite place in the world...or just maybe rename it Alan Island.  :)