Gulls and Waves

With all of our beach gear wedged into the trunk, we left for Rehobeth. And so of course that is when the sky decided to open up and dump an entire ocean's worth of water onto our car, and the temperature plummeted several degrees.

So we occupied ourselves at the outlets for a few hours, and then when the rain finally started to let up, we hopped into the car and raced to the shore.

Our first hour or so was pretty chilly and overcast, but in the evening, the clouds stayed away long enough for us to enjoy a bit of sunshine and some stunning clouds. The water was refreshingly cold, though not nearly as frigid as the Maine water.

The seagulls were very daring. There were several instances when they snatched food directly from our hands! And even though I don't have photographic evidence, I also saw a dolphin! It didn't exactly jump out of the water, but it's back fin flashed out of the water for a second.

I think my dad had a little too much fun in the sand.

Well, too be fair, I had a lot of fun too. My parents and I worked together to make a sand face (it was supposed to be my dad's face).

But part of it could have been that we were a bit intimidated by the guy next to us.

I was hoping to get better photos, but oh well. I'm still learning. I didn't realize how hard it is to get good photos of seagulls and ocean waves!

I'm happy to be home again, though this means I have to deal with the disaster that is my room. Only three weeks left at home to clean and pack and buy everything I need for college! Moving out. Such a strange concept. Well, I'd better get to work. Until next time!

The Maine Attractions

If you did not get the pun, then shame on you.

My family took a long car ride up to Maine in mid-June. It had breathtakingly gorgeous views, from the shores of the rocky beaches, to the tops of the tallest mountains. We got to see a beautiful sunset, and then the next morning, my brother and I got up at 4am to see the sunrise on the beach. What a terrible idea...the mosquitos were brutal.

We stayed at a little place called the Keyhole. It was cozy and quaint, and it sat in the middle of a lot of lush greenery. We had to hike through quite a bit of it to get to the beach.
The entire family was surprised to find that the Keyhole had no Wi-Fi. But it turned out to be a blessing, though we still made regular trips to Bar Harbor for their free Wi-Fi...

We also got to see some wildlife in their natural habitat, a rare opportunity for many. I was lucky to get a shot of a bald eagle taking off. Thank goodness for my humongous long distance lens! It's a shame I don't know much about photography. I can't wait to take my photography class this coming fall.
There were a lot of seals lazing on the rocks. I swear, they must think that they are actually slugs.

And last but not least....the food. Oh WOW the food was delicious. Maine is best known for its abundant lobsters, but also its blueberries (oh, and whoopie pies!). So the entire week we feasted on our new favorite drink, Blueberry Soda, blueberry pie, blueberry soft serve, fresh bakery bread, whoopie pies, and lobsters. We even cooked the mussels we picked on the beach.

The final day, we splurged on lobsters. There are these huge tubs of boiling water outside of the shop, and men are hauling lobsters in and out of them every few minutes.
My mom, sister, and I each got a 1 1/4 lb lobster, my brother got a 3 lb lobster, and my dad ate, all by himself, a 4 lb lobster! And we have photographic evidence as well.

It was such a pleasant stay, a week-long getaway from the humidity and stress of Maryland. I was sorry to leave, but happy to go home to my own familiar bed.

Right now what I miss most is the mornings my brother and I would spend on the beach, singing our cares away, just the waves and our voices. Please pray for him, for he is now in China on a missions trip, teaching English.

Thanks for sticking through, I know that was a heap load of photos. I took so many that week, it was hard to choose which ones to post!

Anyway, enjoy the rest of your day. Make the most of it!