Paddling with Tom.....

Still trying to catch up on some posts.....

But last week (actually, almost exactly a week ago) when the kids and Sally were in NJ, I got together with my buddy Tom one morning (last Friday) and we paddled a neat section of the Kennebec--it was about five miles or so, and we put in just below the Shawmut dam and landed right at the town landing down by the police station....for something so nearby, it truly is a gem of a paddle with some nice rips, some quick water, beautiful views of dairy farms and cows and horses, and plenty of (here, I will say it) birds. I hate birds. But whatever. Haha. Also, the smallmouth bass in this section of the river are UNREAL and you can see them jumping to catch bugs and such. Furthermore, there are several little islands (and some large islands) in this section of the river, and many rocky crags built by loggers back in the log driving days, so the river drivers could stand on them and push the logs down the river when they got jammed up....if anyone would like to go, I would love to take you...it is a gem of a paddle

We saw these big black birds on one of the rocks sticking out of the river....maybe they are cormorants? swans? Penguins? IDK guy. Who knows. Who cares. They are birds. But some people like birds, so there ya go. 

Tom, in a reflective moment as we pass along Mill Island (there used to be a .....wait for it....MILL on this island a hundred years ago....now it is a beautiful park with a playground and fields and trails and such...a very nice place that the kids enjoy...). But I like how we paddle under some railroad trestles (and the bridge for Rt 95!)

After the paddle I made my way back to Tom's house to meet up with the kids and Katie...Jake and Meg each had a friend over, so I was "Tom's friend" that HE had over (but I was Katie's friend too! haha). I had a BLAST and we swam in the pool, played a version of Marco Polo called SILENCE that Jake taught us, hung out in the hot tub, and had, quite possibly, the best pizza I have ever had...it was from Michelina's Apizza in Waterville, and the owners are from CT and they make very authentic coal fired oven pizza. You do not see pictured the BACON AND CLAM masterpiece, which was heaven, but you do see, on the left, a chicken curry pizza next to a Hawaiian pizza. Unreal how good this pizza was. And also, Katie made a blueberry pie that was so good that I had two pieces (those who know me know I NEVER eat dessert....haha)

Another picture of Tom on our paddle in our wonderfully reliable Old Town Camper canoe....one of the best purchases we ever made...we've had the boat for ten years!

And, finally, a typical day's harvest at the GoldsmithGarden....I have cut back and harvested all the lettuce and greens, and now it is time to plant more. Still have many cucumbers coming in...I HOPE our tomatoes start stepping it up a bit!!