From the Editor-at-Large

Summer is in full swing

Wed, 07/30/2014 - 8:00am

Dear Readers,

August is almost here and that means our summer season is in full swing, although our children and grandchildren are already looking forward to getting back into the classroom.

Here in our beautiful corner of God's Great Geography, our restaurants, from those offering fine dining to lobster shacks have lots of customers waiting in line.

As usual, it is a bit tough to find a parking place in the center of town as cars sporting license plates from away have filled the good spots.

Over at the golf course, duffers like me and low handicappers alike are happily playing the back nine of the refurbished Boothbay Harbor Country Club. Pro Chad Penman reports the Tuesday and Friday evening scrambles attract a good mix of participants.

Meanwhile, on the front nine, gently rolling bare ground has turned green almost overnight as the grounds crew put down truckloads of sod. All over the course, landscapers are planting flowers, bushes and trees providing a bit of additional decoration to the lush fairways and greens. Opening day for the front nine is set for August 21, and it looks like Paul Coulombe's crews will meet that deadline.

Construction of the new club house is slated to begin in the fall.

In recent years, the beautiful Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens has joined our crowded tour boats, succulent lobsters and picturesque light houses as the latest reason to stop in our neighborhood.

Not long ago, a quartet of women from Indiana traveled a thousand miles just to visit the gardens. Then, after a delicious lobster dinner, they stopped at a harbor shop and exercised their gold cards.

In addition to the Gardens’ lush landscape and colorful plantings, the “great lawn” has become a favorite for outdoor weddings.

On Saturday, a perfect Boothbay summer day, with the warm sun tempered by a cool breeze, a hundred or so friends and neighbors witnessed the wedding of Adam Casey of Boothbay Harbor and Cindy Farnham of Southport.

As casual tourists in shorts and T-shirts wandered though colorful floral exhibits, most paused to watch the handsome groom clad in a black suit and the beautiful bride, in a stunning white lace gown, walk down the grassy aisle. Congratulations to the newlyweds and their families.

The Garden Club held its annual house and garden tour on Friday and attendees are still talking about the gorgeous displays.

In front yards and side gardens, bright clumps of lilies sway in the breeze.

In our back porch pots and kitchen gardens, the tomatoes are starting to turn red and yellow. Soon, we will be able to pick them off the vine and take them right to the kitchen for salads, stews and my favorite, the BLT.

For my money, songwriter Guy Clark was right when he wrote: “Only two things that money can't buy, that's true love and home grown tomatoes.”

It is almost August in the Boothbay region. On our sunny summer days we reach for a cool drink. On cool evenings we grab a sweater.

Enjoy.