a life less ordinary...

Today is the day we must say goodbye to this sweet island, and head back to Portland.

Goodbye Grits...
Goodbye skulls and jawbones by the door...
goodbye more hats than I ever realized one person could own.
We were ready to leave early because we knew that we needed to row ourselves to town in the dory. But we had not anticipated that there would be problems with the pegs. Oops. Hope's dad went out to start working on them...
and continued whittling them down in the boat as Hope rowed the first shift.
we all took turns...
and we slowly but surely made our way
to dock at the ferry terminal.
Tickets in hand, we waited for the ferry...
and hopped aboard in Lila's van. Fortuitously she was leaving on the same boat!
We landed in Rockland, and headed to the coffee shop there to wait for our ride. On the way we passed this amazing beaded silver and gold gown at the second hand store that Hope NEEDED, but unfortunately they were closed. How sad!

So, instead we got tasty iced drinks to cool us down...
and read inspired love poems...
while trying not to get beat up by the feisty patrons there.Joe and Eve were so sweet to give us a ride back to Portland in the Toughcats' van
and it was wonderful to have a chance to catch up while we talked about school, and catching babies, and starting clinics, and traveling, and tried to avoid thinking the flood of to-do-list things leaking their way back into our heads.
But we did make it home to Portland, at last.

The house was full of friends and chefs and shellfish... they were pulling together their 16-course foraged dinner for 19 people. Milkweed, herring, and sea urchin were abundant and the house was wonderfully fragrant.
So... this epic journey with Harriet is complete. But if there is one thing we realized, it is that this was only the beginning of a lifetime of journeys. It's easy to create adventure, even on your own turf, on a day that might otherwise be described as ordinary. All you need is an ounce of wonder, a pint of mischief, and a pinch of really delicious Saigon cinnamon. So on we go to other adventures.

Did you think it was over? No, no my friend! Don't you worry! Never fear! After we shower and pull a comb through our locks we may just turn this town upside-down. So stay posted, there is certainly more to come!