As many Sprucewold residents have remarked this week, “It’s grandchild season!” The sounds of young voices abound on the wooded trails, on the road to the beach, at the Crooked Pine Dock, and on family porches. It’s August!

Gretchen Murray and Dotty Reilly extend their thanks for the great success of the silent auction to benefit Nahanada Park. Thanks to those who donated items, and to those who attended and purchased items. This lovely event, held at the Sprucewold Lodge, raised an impressive amount of funds to support the beautiful park.

The annual Rusticator’s Dinner is set for Saturday, August 10: wine on the porch at 5:30 p.m. and a lobster dinner at 6:30 p.m. There is one seating only. The menu includes clam chowder, a 1¼ pound lobster or a chicken breast, potatoes, corn on the cob, salad and blueberry cobbler ($25, adult ticket). Children six and under can have chicken fingers and/or mac and cheese ($10), and those seven to 12 can have chicken and sides ($12.50). If a child wants lobster, the cost remains $25. Tickets will be on sale through Wednesday, August 7. Please contact Sara and Jack Angel, Kathy Mouliason, Ralph Kimball or Sarah Stedt to buy tickets.

On August 10, the Sprucewold Beach Association annual meeting will be held at 11 a.m. at the Sprucewold Lodge. Please be sure to attend or to give your proxy to an attending member.

Curt Norred would like to remind us that the Firewise brush and tree limb-chipping program is Friday, August 16. Please contact Curt at 207-633-1092, if you would like an application for your home or if you can volunteer your help for this critical program. Please be advised that “punk wood” (wet, rotten, or dead brush off of the ground) will be left behind unchipped (it dulls the blades). As a guideline, consider wood cut from this summer, and with a breadth of up to four inches.

A quick newsflash from Suzanne Roche: a very sweet dog, Poppy, a visitor at the Spruce Point Inn, found his way to the Sprucewold Beach behind a deer last week. The owner was able to locate him after a five-hour search. Thank you to the beach children who took care of him during his stay: Jacob Moulaison, Aaron Wilgren, Alex, Kimball and Avery Khetani, and Ally and Lily Nein!

Finally, for the cold-water swimmers among us, the annual Cabbage Island Swim is set for Saturday, August 18.

Please sign up at the beach: swimmers, assistance boats, and snack providers are all an important part of this fun event. The Linekin Bay water has been on the warmer side this summer, and we hope to see many bodies in the water on August 18.