Washington County, Maine

Before OLGS took off for Hungary and the fleshpots of the spa life, we went down east with my parents. Much revisiting the past--trips to graveyards, a few childhood friends (my parents', not mine), and a few relatives. Washington County is still dirt poor. Still bleak. Still unpopulated. Still beautiful.

We had quite a bit of fog, which was not the case last summer. Our real estate lady informed us that fog is very common in July. As long as you're not driving in the dark on an unfamiliar road, it's quite lovely, keeping everything silent.

We rented a house in Roque Bluffs, which has undergone quite a bit of development, at least for this part of the world. It was perched on a cliff, so there were no beachcombing trips. However, we were close to Roque Bluffs State Park, which has a lovely beach (see above), with hardly anyone on it. At the back of the beach is a big hedge of rugosa roses. The smell is intoxicating.