What is it to be "summer in Maine"? (Monmouth: sales, real estate)

[MaineMathTCHER]

We had a posting about winter and spring-how about summer.

Here's mine--
I came to Maine to be cool, if not downright cold. I am eagerly awaiting the first snow of the next season! But I can appreciate the beauty of summer. I pick wild flowers daily from our land, can walk at night without too much problem from bugs, and my porch can be used to sit on (trust me this can't happen in Texas! the bugs are startling). My plants I have grown from seed are LOVELY and I get to meet more of my neighbors now that everyone is out. At night we open the front door and the kitchen widow and a sea breeze of wonder blows through the whole house! Plus, I get to see bald eagles almost EVERY day!

What is summer in MAine to you?

[Lindsey_Mcfarren]

I used to live in Mass and enjoyed many a trip into Maine in the Summer. One of my favorites was when we would pull into a layby with our trailor and I would accidently fall into the stream with the family dog. Sometimes my dad would accidently fall in as well.

Of course you can't beat front and center at York Beach or Old Orchard beach for the day. Of course as a tourist the trips also included lots of antique shopping and outlet shopping as well AND as much lobster as posible.

We always enjoyed a trip to LL Beans as well. No matter the time of day we were passing through, we always had to stop and see what they had that was new.

[mollysmiles]

The last three summers have been bonfires on Aaron's beach in the evenings, and being out in the Jeeps with him, or on the water in the kayaks. In many ways we're learning how to fill that space now. We're doing it though We've been geocaching a lot--last night with Maine Writer --and planning the camping trips too. We haven't spent as much time at the lake or the beach as we'd like yet, but we will--I'm waiting for a little sunburn from the 4th to heal

When I was growing up we had a neighborhood full of kids. I remember playing outside until Mom called me in....and coming into the yard and hearing the Red Sox on TV through the open window. It was into the house, take a bath, and beg to watch the rest of the game When I was in high school three of my summers were spent at Bowdoin College....even now the smell of pine in the summer takes me right back to that campus! I remember having "snowball" fights in back of the hockey arena and hot summer nights at Monmouth Theater. After I got back home I'd waitress for the rest of the summer, and at night we'd all get together and "hang out"....

great idea for a thread MMT!

[RANGER.101ST]

this summer will be the first summer i have been home full time in 15yrs.and i am enjoying every minet of it.every night we go out if its not raining and start a fire in the fire pit and sit have smores.summer in maine cant be beat.

[starwalker]

Being who and what I am, living as I do closely in touch with the seasons, what strikes me most about Summer in Maine is the incredibly long days... The sun gets up here MUCH earlier than anywhere else I have lived. K notices it a lot too, as he is used to living in mountain valleys, where the days are made shorter by the sun rising and setting over mountains.

I love the proliferation of wildflowers (as y'all probably have noticed, with my compulsion to photograph and identify each and every one!) and that fact that it cools overnight. I love the fact that, as summer came last month, I was still having to pull out a long-sleeve shirt now and then (and not just for taking to town to wear in the overly-cooled stores). I love the foggy mornings (like today) and the firefly evenings.

On another note, I have suffered badly from seasonal depression, in the summer, for years and before I moved, I was wondering how that would be affected by the cooler summer and the longer days. So far, I can report, that for me it has NOT been as bad as in the south, where the rising sun shining through a closed window into an air conditioned house, seemed painful upon my skin. So, I guess for me the intensity of the suns rays -- and/or the temperature -- was at least a factor. Here, while I have needed to resume my St. Johns Wart therapy, I did not have to start it in May, and my symptoms are minimal enough that I am having trouble remembering to take the herb. Then, too, not being settled yet and those stresses play into it I am sure, so I will wait to see what, if any, changes come about in future years.

[Nor'Eastah]

To this day, whenever I smell pine needles beneath my feet, a flood of memories of Maine summers in my youth overwhelms me. Back in the 50's, before southern Maine got so built up, my younger brother and I used to love to run down the road to "hide out" in the Maine forest, and the pungent aroma of pine needles left a lasting impression. I hope that the last of my days are similarly filled with that unforgettable aroma whenever I step into the great north woods of Maine!

[booker_one]

Originally Posted by MaineMathTCHER

We had a posting about winter and spring-how about summer.

Here's mine--
I came to Maine to be cool, if not downright cold. I am eagerly awaiting the first snow of the next season! But I can appreciate the beauty of summer. I pick wild flowers daily from our land, can walk at night without too much problem from bugs, and my porch can be used to sit on (trust me this can't happen in Texas! the bugs are startling). My plants I have grown from seed are LOVELY and I get to meet more of my neighbors now that everyone is out. At night we open the front door and the kitchen widow and a sea breeze of wonder blows through the whole house! Plus, I get to see bald eagles almost EVERY day!

What is summer in MAine to you?

i live in texas and am a teacher too. i just got back from a vacation to nh-maine. please tell me how you afford to live there. we looked in real estate magazines and it was crazy.

[Siobjuan]

Summer in Maine means all the relatives think of us when planning their vacations. I like it as it means I know when they're coming AND when they're going! I'd rather them all at once, but we can only sleep so many at a time!

So it means we are the popular ones now that the snow is gone, trips down the hill to the lake, exploring fireflies with the little ones, dragonflies, fresh produce from the garden, yard sales & auctions, kids all over the neighborhood, macaroni salad and cookouts!

[corgis]

Summer in Maine is so much nicer this year since we got new windows with screens that actually move up and down without using every bit of strength.

I can also open the window over the sink and the front door and the sea breezes bring the most wonderful scents of the ocean, flowers, freshly mown grass, sounds of the seagulls, foghorn, children playing.

When you are used to 100 degree temps for days on end and 100 % humidity, Maine in summer is a true delight. At night, sitting on the front deck looking up at the stars and watching airplanes move towards Europe, just little moving dots on the night sky.

Listening to the rain at night, lulling you to sleep. Waking early to the bright sunshine. Nothing better in my book than summer in Maine.

[MaineMathTCHER]

Originally Posted by booker_one

i live in texas and am a teacher too. i just got back from a vacation to nh-maine. please tell me how you afford to live there. we looked in real estate magazines and it was crazy.

We live way up north and east on the coast. It is not a very populated area compared to down south. Our housing was very affordable. There are several homes in our coastal area that are under 100,000. I knew we had to move here and we made al the adjustments. It really has only raised our level of quality of living since we moved here.