The horses were scared to cross the water in the foreground. Mark offered to help by tempting them with a sugar cube. Here they receive their reward.

You never know what you are going to see on a private beach.

Marie is not like the rest of us. She was the only adult to brave the icy water and taught the kids a thing or two about body surfing. I believe Irish people have a different kind of blood that makes them impervious to emersion in bone chilling liquid.

“I can do this all by my self.”

In she goes, happy as a clam in mud.

Sophia under the supervision of her papa and the protection of her sun hat had her first exposure to the ocean. 

Cold water or not, the waves were just too tempting to resist.

A more pristine and isolated beach I have never before seen.

Naturally, the water was freezing but this was of little consequence to the kids and Marie.

Today we enjoyed a rare opportunity. Our good friend Aliza and son Win, invited us to join them on thier private beach. Most of the Maine coastline is rocky so this massive sand beach is quite an exception. The slope of the beach is so shallow that the waterline shifts by several hundred yards between low and high tide.

Brother and sister with their daughters.

Rachel and Maya were inseparable.

Although we did not get much time alone, both Jeanine and I thoroughly enjoyed this vacation.

After the lobster bake, the kids all participated in round dancing.