This is Just For Me

I rarely print photos anymore, fill albums or create scrapbooks.  But I do publish my blog annually and make $millions$.  (Just seeing if you're paying attention.)  But seriously, it's the easiest way to keep a written record of memories.  And maybe one day my great, great grandchildren will get a kick out of reading what their dear old ancestors were up to back in the good ole days.

So, before we head back to Europe (in blogger world), I have to post some of my favorite photos from Maine.  This may take two or three posts.  You've been given fair warning.

Happy 5th Birthday, Lauren!

You make life fun!!!!!

Bucket List Item #4

Neal's "bucket list" is now a little shorter.  He has always wanted to go to Maine and eat all the lobster his poor little tummy could handle.  And that is just what he has done.  At the end of Day 3, we actually ate PIZZA. Although he was disappointed that lobster was not one of the topping choices.

The lobster pounds are definitely the cheapest way to go.

You just pick out your catch of the day...

They throw 'em in a pot of boiling sea water...

And serve 'em up...

No frills, no bibs, no plates.

We have followed the lobster from the docks to the table.

And have not been disappointed.  If you're headed that direction, I'll be happy to give you our list of recommended restaurants, cafes and lobster pounds.

The Plane in Maine Stays Mainly in the Rain

...or something like that....

I'm here to tell ya, it is NOT easy to get from Tulsa to Bangor.  

Connections in Minneapolis and Laguardia.....and Hartford, CT.  That's the one they don't tell you about. Due to a low ceiling (besides the one in the puddle jumper's lavatory--which explains the bump on Neal's head) Laguardia was gridlocked and we were diverted to Hartford.  Now the folks in Hartford didn't exactly roll out the red carpet for us. The only way they would grant us a gate was if we approached the 3-hr rule on the tarmac.  Which we did.

We got to know our crew and fellow passengers quite well.  Except for the terr0rist in front of us who kept his hood on the entire time!  We met a lovely couple who lives in the Bar Harbor area.  He's a biologist and counts bears for a living--Neal's dream job.  She works for the Forestry Department--Neal's dream wife.

So they finally allowed us off the plane into the airport.  Yay!!!  The peanuts and pretzels were starting to wear off.

After the okay from NYC, we boarded again and headed back to Laguardia, which was actually in the opposite direction of our destination.  And of course, our connection from there to Bangor was also delayed.

So...with another 4-hour layover, we followed our noses to the pizza place.

Make the most of every situation, I always say...or wish I always said.

We landed in Bangor around midnight and drove to Bar Harbor (arriving at 1:30 a.m.), where a perfectly charming room (and comfy bed)  awaited us.

Vacation begins!

MIA

Brief departure from European posts.  Thought you might need a break.

Stella went missing for 18 hours -- 2:00 p.m. Monday to 8:00 a.m. Tuesday.  She uncharacteristically went outside during the daylight hours when I left to run errands Monday afternoon.  No sign of her when I returned.  No sign at dinnertime.  No sign at bedtime.  No sign Tuesday morning when Sophie returned from her nightly prowl.  My common sense told me that yet another of my feline friends had ended up splattered on the road, or carried off by coyotes.  Surprisingly, the strongest emotion was aggravation that I had just spent $70 on her at the Vet last week for an ear infection.  Arghh!

As I was drinking my coffee and scanning the landscape it hit me.  I had gotten some things out of the garage Monday before I ran errands.  Could she possibly have slipped in there and gotten trapped?  Affirmative.

Poor kitty.  It was hot yesterday, and even hotter in that garage.

Now, I know she didn't go 18 hours without needing to potty.  But I haven't gotten the courage yet to go back in there to inspect.  If I wait long enough, it'll disintegrate, right? She's getting back at me by refusing to cover her deposits in the litter box now.  

But she's not wandering too far away from me, whether in the house or outdoors.

There are more mice to catch in her future.  Happy ending.

Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo, blah, blah, blah

We actually had a discussion as to whether or not we would visit the Louvre.  Oh my goodness!  I can't believe we almost missed this.

Apparently there has been some controversy about the three modern glass pyramids in the courtyard.  I must say, I don't really fancy this particular blending of the old and the new.  But then, I'm not an artist.  I just love art.

Know what I'm sayin'?

The outside is almost as beautiful as the works of art inside.

 Case in point....

This is what Ted & Greg had to put up with.  Cargo Pants Girl trying to strike a pose, Monkey Impression and Betty Boop.  My apologies for your embarrassment.

Would anyone mind if I just lie on the floor and study this ceiling?

Sweet!

And of course, the main attraction.  Looks just like the magnet on my fridge.  And not a heck of a lot bigger.

Another one of Napoleon's arches.  This one, just across from The Louvre, has rose marble columns.

Just a little freshening up at the Hilton, before leaving Paris.

Ahhh.  I heart Paris! :)

Eiffel Tower and Other French Things

There she is.  A really tall steel structure.

With some very intricate details.  I thought it looked like lace.

She's also quite beautiful at night.

The Seine River

The old ball and chain.  (Just kidding, Greg, we loved being on a schedule.)

Arc de Triomphe

and

The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier 

The Champs Elysees

or Paris' "Rodeo Drive"

Egypt gave France this obelisk.

and

France gave us the Statue of Liberty.

And Obama gave the British Prime Minister 25 movies on DVD.

Things that make you go hmmmmmm.