I’m a bit delayed this morning in writing and posting my missive. Last night, two families came over for a cookout and I had spent the day on the water, kayaking up in Muscongus Bay. In my hour and half or so on the water I saw a Bald Eagle with its juvenile eaglet (juvenile, but still massive), an Osprey, a number of seals, ripples from jumping fish (that’s why I saw so many seals), but most astounding of all, was a Sturgeon who jumped right off the bow of my kayak. That was shocking and incredible and I was so relieved that it hadn’t jumped closer and capsized me. The Sturgeon Moon was Thursday night and still gorgeous on Friday night and then I saw an actual Sturgeon on Saturday – nature is mind boggling.

But this isn’t why I’m late in writing this note: I’m late because my younger son leaves on Thursday for college and I’m emotionally wrapped up in those feelings and have been trying to parse them apart so I can write about them. Still not there. But this I do know, I’m both sad and excited that Eli soon departs on his next adventure. For me, holding lots of emotions at once is tiring and I feel a bit fractured inside, but I know that my salve will be getting outside. It’s not only sinking into wilderness that helps, it’s doing my own hard things, and focusing on my what’s immediately in front of me whether it’s a mountain trail or an ocean path. I’m learning a new sport (SUPing) and having that focus helps me too. I know that many of you have and are experiencing this mix of emotions as you send/have sent your youngest child off to college and most of us have worked through hard transitions of some kind. It may be sad, but I also know that what’s on the other side could be pretty incredible.

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Can you join me and Leah Day on Thursday, August 25th for pizza and a visit to Peaks Island? Please send a note if you can so I have a sense of how many are coming (I’ll let the pizza place know ahead of time). Leah Day is the author of Changing Gears and here’s her interview with NPR’s Marketplace. If you’d like to join in this fun LAC adventure, take the 5:35 p.m. ferry over to Peaks (or an earlier one if you’d like to have time to explore the island on your own). There’s a 7:45 p.m. and an 8:45 p.m. ferry back to the mainland.

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Check out this NY Times article about the Two Maine Mermaids

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Order your LAC trucker cap today! Head over to the LAC store page to see what we have for sale.

Upcoming Community Adventures

Maine
☀️ July 4-September 4: L.L. Bean Summer Across Maine
☀️ August 16: Carrabassett Valley Group Ride
☀️ August 18: Maine Audubon Bird Walk
☀️ August 19-21: Enduro World Series at Sugarloaf
☀️ August 20: MATLT Community Hike at Goose Eye
☀️ August 24: Maine Audubon Sunset Canoe Tour
☀️ August 25: LAC Peaks Adventure with author Leah Day
☀️ August 27: Androscoggin River Canoe Race
☀️ August 28: MATLT Community Hike at Moxie Bald Mountain
☀️ September 2-5: Two Loons Guides Fall Retreat (LAC members receive a $125 discount. Contact Ashley directly for the reduced price.)
☀️ September 3: LAC Crescent Lake Paddle & Potluck
☀️ September 24: MATLT Community Hike at Four Ponds

New Hampshire
☀️ August 18: Naturalist Led Hike at Tin Mountain (Thursdays through August & September)
☀️ August 23: Hike to Mountain Pond

Happy adventuring,