Of Beasties and Beaches

There aren't many things that start the day off better than a rooster crowing. Unless it's at 5:30 am. Or so I'm told - I slept through it. Greg, however, did not, so he thought it might be nice to go watch the sun rise from the east windows in the refurbished barn we're lodging in. Soon the roosters calmed down and Greg thought he'd go back to bed....but discovered he had locked himself out of our room! He had to wait until I got up around 8 to get back in.

While we waited for Will and Maxine to bring us breakfast and coffee, we chatted with the owners and got a quick tour and introduction to the animals.

One of the chicken gangs - there are two, and they apparently don't share well.

I went to the pasture to take some photos of the farm, and after taking one of the field lined with apple trees that were LOADED -

- I soon heard something fairly large running up behind me. My first thought was that Blossom the resident sheep was charging me to chase me out of her pasture. But turns out she's just an attention whore. She stood there waiting for me to pet her, and then followed me around when I quit.

First order of the day was to go to the ocean. I have missed Rye Beach. It's not your typical lie-in-the-sun kind of beach - it's very rocky and if there is any surf at all you get some awesome reminders of the power of the ocean. We happened to be there the day after Hurricane Jose passed the area. 

 

Although I could pass the entire day watching the tide come in and out, the young 'uns were antsy, so we headed off to Fuller Gardens, which was established as a private garden at a seaside estate about a mile from where we had stopped to watch the surf. An enormous formal rose garden, espaliered apple trees, a Japanese garden - it was all gorgeous.

Best photo from the day, though, was Will and Maxine at the gate with the ocean in the background :)

A trip to a local brewery (being the proper way to entertain folks from Asheville), dinner at Rosa's in Portsmouth, and we were wiped out. 

Today we head out to Wisscasset to get the world's best lobster roll, then cruise down the Maine coast back to Portland, where we will play it by ear. Tuesday we visit Boston.