My husband just left Sprucewold to return to his teaching responsibilities and our out-of-control garden back in Vermont. As he was packing up his things, I had him take home my bicycle as well. I arrived in Sprucewold five weeks ago with the joy, enthusiasm, and grand plans that we all have at the start of our time in Maine. I suspect that whether we are here for a week or for four months, the plans for how we might accomplish all of our favorite Maine activities are similar. As summer winds down, I think about all of my Maine must-dos, and have paid attention this week to others’ lists too.

A Sprucewold visitor who arrived this week was thrilled to escape the heat and hustle of DC. I believe that she spent about half of her first day just soaking in the claw-foot tub in her cabin. She says that she looks forward to that long soak all winter long. This is not the first story I have heard of the joys of a claw-foot tub.

Many of us spend parts of our days walking our dogs. Whether we come from cold climates where it is not always pleasant to walk or city homes where we have to contend with the smell of exhaust rather than the smell of the woods, the roads in Sprucewold are ideal for long dog-walks. Early morning or late afternoon treks out to Spruce Point provide a chance to catch up with a friend or view the late-afternoon sun in the harbor.

Trips to town are also on people’s lists. This month the weather has been far too nice for some to leave the ocean breeze in exchange for the heat and crowds of town. However, summer is not complete without trips to the Ice Cream Factory (In spite of their huge wall of flavors, peppermint stick with chocolate sprinkles is always my choice). I also plan a visit Sherman’s to buy my Bob Mitchell calendar that will hang in my kitchen for the long winter months – always reminding me of Maine. A childhood friend and I were trying to describe the smell when you first walk in the door of Sherman’s. It’s a wonderful mix of balsam, sweet taffy, and books. It’s hard to explain, but I bet you know what I am talking about!

At the cabin we love to go to the bookshelf and look through our summer cookbooks. Linda Greenlaw’s cookbook that she wrote with her mother is a favorite. The “Foggy Morning” blueberry muffin recipe is stained with food droppings, proving it is used often. Another favorite is the Maine Seafood Bake, complete with Ritz crackers, that my mother made just last week from another favorite, Maine Ingredients. Sprucwold’s famous Cabin Cookery is also fun. That was a hot topic at our Annual Meeting last week and folks are in search of extra copies.

Summer is not summer without a fire in the fireplace and this past Saturday’s temperatures dropped enough to make a fire feel wonderful. As I walked to the mailbox to retrieve the day’s mail, I smelled the smoke from neighbors’ fires as well. We were not the only ones to enjoy this summer treat.

Every summer people arrive with stacks of books to read, plans to exercise daily, craft projects to complete, a list of friends to catch up with, and endless ideas about how to spend precious time in Maine. Likely, many tasks have been completed and must-dos checked off. But there are still lingering joys unfulfilled that will have to wait until next year. I never rode my bike while I was here. I still have another week, but reality is slowly creeping back in and the convenience of having my husband take my bike was stronger than the possibility that this would be the week that I finally took that ride out to Ocean Point.

Switching from Maine to my “other” life is challenging, but I carry with me the memories of the wonderful days in Sprucewold and eagerly look forward to next year. Early in January I start making my pile of projects for the summer and my lists of what I want to make sure I do. You can bet I’ll bring my bicycle again!