Juniper-McKown Point

Thu, 08/21/2014 - 3:30pm

Now that we all seem to have survived last week’s two days of nasty weather, there are still some weeks of summer left for us to enjoy all the fine things our area has to offer. Our residents all seem to be taking advantage of those things as the driveways of most of our cottages seem to be overflowing, the swimmers are on the beach and the boats are off the dock. We all hope the weatherman will cooperate for the rest of the summer season. 

Judy Leoni was away in Iowa to empty out her parents home after they moved into a transitional living facility. She was disappointed to miss several weeks on the Point, but was able to celebrate her father's 90th birthday and her parents 67th anniversary. Kirk and Judy arrived back in Maine midday on August 9, provisioned their sailboat and left for a cruise with their friends Holly and John O'Shea from Southport. On the first leg of the trip they enjoyed a beautiful sunset on the St. George river and all enjoyed anchorages in the Deer Isle region. They spent one adventurous evening during last weeks storm on a mooring in Rockland with substantial waves and winds gusting to 45 knots. Not a good nights sleep, but other than that they had a relaxing cruise and returned to the Point last Friday.

The Leonis' daughter, Meredith, has moved back east after six years in Colorado and is starting a master’s program in art education in Portland. Judy and Kirk look forward to having both Ben and Meredith in the same city and on the same side of the country for the first time in ten years. 

The Barnes household was overrun last week with family who have gathered for a Barnes family reunion. They arrived on our Point from Massachusetts, Florida, New York and California. One of our biggest problem was trying to figure out how to feed 17 people at once at our dining room table that comfortably seats eight. Fortunately everyone helped with cooking, shopping and clean up. We all survived and had a wonderful experience of having three generations all together and learning from our oldest granddaughter, Margaux, that next December we will be able to welcome the first member of our fourth generation. A big thank you goes to Jonathan Sylvester, who appeared at our cottage to take photos of our whole mob.

JPVIS tennis program hosted Christmas Cove on last Thursday in a junior interclub match. JPVIS players that competed were Clay Kynor, Emma Monsourian, Oliver Monsourian, Soren Zimmer, Peter Posever, Liam Culina, Alex and Teddy. We are beginning to realize that the summer of 2014 is starting to wind down when we have learned that our tennis director, Dave Taylor, along with Becky and Katherine will be leaving our area on Friday, Aug. 23. Po Grant will be running lessons through Tuesday, Aug. 26. 

The JPVIS Ladies Tennis Championship Tournament is underway with lots of exciting tennis. Jessica Dumphy did the draw for the ladies, which she published on YouTube with her daughter hamming it up! Kristen Gray and Jennie Cook were paired against Emily Whiting and Jessica Dumphy. Lee Corbin and Gail Freund were paired against Linda King and Marcia Deegler. Both matches were played on Thursday afternoon. Both matches were very close in score and hard fought. However, despite many deuces Emily and Jessica and Linda and Marcia ended up the winners of the semi-final round. The finals between these two doubles teams will be played on Tuesday, Aug. 19. The winner will be announced in next week’s column!

The Corbin year round house is progressing very well. Shingling on the outside is about half complete, thanks to very hard work by Gordon and Daniel, and the inside is completely sheet-rocked and almost completely “mudded.” Gordon and Lee, standing 20-plus feet high on scaffolding in the living room, worked on the primer coat of paint. Who’s afraid of height? Kitchen cabinets are ordered as is the flooring. If all goes well, Lee should be in before the summer water is shut off.

During the last week of August Kit and Caroline Andrews are celebrating their family's 70th season at their cottage. The gathering includes Californians Mike and Robert Hahn on their first visit to Maine. The brothers are great-grandsons of Captain E. E. Hahn, the first superintendent of the McKown Point Lobster Hatchery from 1904 to 1928. The three Giude siblings, Nancy, Terry, and Bill, who grew up in the Welch House during the 1950s are coming from Juneau, Atlanta and Annapolis. 

The end of the summer of 2014 seems to be happening a lot faster than most of us have planned. Let's be sure we all take advantage of all the fine things our area has to offer in what's left of it.