New beginnings can present themselves in literally a matter of days, weeks, or in some cases, in the blink of an eye.  When I left for Texas one month ago, I had no clue that upon returning to the Midcoast of Maine,  it would only be for a few more months.  I was looking forward to another crisp cool summer, golden fall, white winter and vibrant tulip and peony filled spring that would follow.   The memories of those are what I will be left with, along with the many new friendships made this year.  Friends that we can always come back to visit and others that will remain a cherished memory.  We are so blessed to have lived in Maine, if only for a year.   To think– we even made it to the pages of Down East Magazine–for people who love Maine!   I’d say that’s pretty remarkable.

The Traveling Pear enjoying our weekend ritual. Breakfast at Home Kitchen Cafe in Rockland.  The Chef was pleading with me not to order the oh so delish sticky buns…we had just devoured a plate of the gluten free blueberry pancakes and farmer’s omelette.  We were really too stuffed.

There’s not that many states in the US  where you can build your own snow fort!

So yes, the countdown has begun for The Traveling Pear to make another trek across the US.  In about 8 weeks time we’ll be loading up the little Veloster and headed back to where the *Pear* started…back to the very island we set sail from 2 years ago tomorrow.  From the shores of Galveston, to the cobbled stoned streets of Paris, to middle suburbia (The Woodlands, TX) and the hidden gem of the USA (Maine) , The Traveling Pear has come full circle–not intentionally that is…just by chance.  “Galveston oh Galveston”!

A younger looking Traveling Pear aboard the tall ship ELISSA –where we said “I do” in 2005.

Until that bittersweet moment, we have so much to do, see, eat, find, explore, chase, buy……   Our first stop was of course our adopted farm– Oyster River Winegrowers & Farm.  I got word that there was a new arrival to the mother/daughter goat family.  Little Edelweiss is a grandmother!  Vanilla Ice–short for an extremely long name I can’t remember, was born on Oyster River’s pizza night–June 5th.  Quince, Edelweiss’s daughter, was suspected of being prego during our farmstay and sure enough she was! My stud muffin Don, the Belgian, was grazing near the vineyard, so no hugs and kisses for him this time around.

Sweet little Edelweiss checking out her grandgoat.

Can it get any more precious? Quince and baby Vanilla Ice

It was also rosé bottling day for the newly arrived Arizona interns.  We got to catch a glimpse of the action before going all googly over Vanilla Ice out in the barn.

The life at Oyster River is the life I long for…   “One day“, I keep telling myself…”one day, we’ll have that new beginning.”   However, there’s many many miles between then and now .  Until that day when we settle on our own plot of rolling green hill covered land dotted with black faced sheep and a big red barn, we are destined to traverse the coastlines of the USA.

I leave you with Glen Campbell’s 1969 “Galveston”.

xoxo,

TTP