John K. Hanson, Jr., Publisher
Maine, Boats, Homes & Harbors

Sitting in the gloaming of a fall evening seems as fine a time as any to review the events of the past summer. The darkness takes the edges off the bad times, and the firelight adds to the glow of the good. Thankfully there was far more of the latter.

The month of June was wet and cold, dismal on all weekends it seemed. Thankfully, Polly got the garden in early and the sun did shine on Tuesday nights in time for Etchells racing. July was the month of Tuesday night thunderstorms, a couple of which packed an almighty punch. Swimming at the lake began in earnest. One of our little boys is beginning to swim like a fish, and the other is beginning to swim.

August went by in a flash—the Eggemoggin Reach Race had fabulous wind and weather. We didn’t win our class, but we had fun and learned how to tack the boat properly. The final preparations for the Maine Boats, Homes & Harbors Show began immediately upon our return—tents went up, stakes were driven in the wrong place, docks were placed, the Model Pond was filled…oops, the Model Pond leaked all over. All the joys of show management, heightened by the glow of yet another massive wet thunderstorm on the eve of the event.

The show itself was wonderful—great boats, great exhibitors, great weather, great music, great people. It took me all the third week of August to stop grinning. The fourth week, spent on North Haven island and the surrounding waters with my family, was the jewel, as always—filled with small boats, island picnics, ice creams “downtown."

The boys played soccer and the almost-six year old learned to row and row well. The freedoms he learned this summer—bike riding, swimming, and rowing, and the smiles he had on his face as he mastered each discipline—those are the best memories I’ll retain of the summer of 2006.