We bought Owen his first pair of skis. He went directly to the backyard to try them out.

The end of July found us visiting my mother in Machias, Maine. She lives in "Down East" Maine on Little Kennebec Bay.

If you saw the PBS Special Colonial House then you have an idea how remote the area is - the "colony" was right across the bay.

Her place is deep in a number of things; great views, eagles, seals, and lobster. It's a wonderful place for a family vacation even if it gets a little deep in misquitoes now and again.

Jamie and I really loved the fact that we could let the boys run without having to worry the way we do if we turn them loose in Seattle. I think the boys really enjoyed the freedom too. It also helped that meme had a surprise for them. A recently acquired ATV for exploring the logging trails.

Atticus did a great job with the ATV. He started out riding on my lap sharing the steering duties with me, but over the course of two weeks he was able to take over the steering and eventually demonstrated that he was responsible enough to steer on his own as well as control the brake and throttle.

And Owen? Let's just say it will be a few more years. The photo tells you all you need to know about Owen's riding style.

Early in the trip, we took a ride up to Eastport to fish from the pier up there. The boys did great. Owen proved to be a natural, first catching fish and then later exaggerating both the size and number of fish he hauled in. Atticus did a great job hauling in sculpin. At the end of the day we had a bunch of sculpin and a flounder that we took home and cooked for the boys. Here are some photos.