Maine...the way life should be...

Maine...the way life should be...Six words that make a pretty bold claim.

I'm sure the people that live in Ohio, Utah, or even Massachusetts, feel the exact same way about their state...OK maybe not Massachusetts, but I'm pretty sure about every place else!

However, I've decided that while those states may have their claim to fame...they certainly don't have it as good as we do here in Maine. We are truly blessed by the hospitality, and the natural beauty of our state. Oh sure we have a winter that seems to last 6 months...and I sure hate to shovel snow and pay that oil bill every month...and granted we have some rainy, muggy summer days where it feels like you can cut the air with a butter knife...

But then there are days like today...

We woke up around 8...which is rare at my house on the weekend because my son's, Jack and Nick, usually wake up at 6...no matter what day of the week it is, or how late that stayed up the night before.

Now you may be thinking that 8 a.m. seems a little early...but let me remind you...I get up at 3 a.m. five days a week....so 8 seems like noon to most regular people!

So after wiping the sleep from my eyes, and getting a quick shower, we had a family meeting to talk about the day. This was an important meeting because it would set the tone for what was really the only day that we could salvage after an otherwise disastrous 3 days.

You see, on Thursday my two precious children decided that it was a good day to test the limits on what they could get get away with. Without getting into the long drawn out specifics, I'll just tell you that it certainly didn't turn out exactly as they had planned! Instead they ended up grounded until today...no TV, no computer, no bikes, no phone calls, no friends...in other words...NO FUN!

So now you understand why this mornings meeting was important.

My wife and I decided that perhaps we'd start the day at one of our favorite restaurants...it's a Maine landmark, and one of our states precious resources...The Maine Diner. OK...I think I just got hungry typing the name of the place.

If you've been there then you know of what I speak...if you haven't been there...don't walk to your car...RUN...and drive to Wells. If Maine is the way life should be, then The Maine Diner is the way diners should be. I can't find words expressive enough to tell you how much I love the place. I guess the best way to put is that it's like going to a family members house...you know the Aunt that makes the best pot roast, or the Grandma that makes the best blueberry pie...the one that you talk about all the way to their house, and then all the way home.

The food is spectacular, the service is great, and the price is fair.

After an amazing breakfast we decide that we'd make a stop by the Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge and walk off some of those calories. We'd never been before...but we'll be going back soon.

The refuge was established in 1966 and protects salt marshes and estuaries for migratory birds, and other wildlife. They have an awesome walking trail with lookout spots and benches. It took us about 30 or 40 minutes to complete the walk...that was with stops to admire the geese and other wildlife, and talk with the boys about it. Then we made a stop by the rangers station, asked a few questions, and met some great kids working there for the summer. They gave my kids some really awesome nature posters...and we left feeling lucky that we live in Maine and not someplace like California where a good part of nature is up in smoke right now.



As we walked along the trail we had a great view of the ocean...



And that got young minds thinking that it might be a good day to head to the beach...IF they could convince the slightly graying guy driving the car (that's me in case you were wondering!)...as they dropped hints about what a beautiful day it was and how it would be a shame to go home so early...

When I pulled up to Dairy Queen for a little frozen treat I went from Mean Ogre to Glorious King in a matter of seconds. I swear I heard them whispering, "Long live the King" as a I whipped out the debit card! OK I made that last part up...BUT they should have been shouting it from the roof tops!

A few minutes later, they we were on Kennebunk Beach...the waves crashing in...and me thinking how great George Bush must feel every morning when he wakes up and looks out his window!

My kids were in the water almost instantly, my wife curled up on a blanket reading a book, and I just sat back and took it all in...that's when it hit me...Maine really is the way life should be!