The place in Maine on the water, whether it is a river camp, a woods cabin on a stream or a lake vacation home.
Opening it up is a tradition. Sometimes a production. One that reminds the owner of the others in the family before them that did the same routine. Or that this is too much work for one person to shoulder the burden. That sometimes seems to be like batting clean up long after the game ended.
To pick up after other far traveling family members who are not so tidy. And steal the joy of using the place that has a job jar before that can be accomplished in the too little time, so much to do.
The opening up of a Maine vacation retreat. Sometimes in the spring or often times in the fall for hunting, leaf peeking. Maybe for winter ice fishing, snow sledding only. But no matter what the season, places on the water in Maine are a sacred investment. Sometimes on leased land in the middle of no where in places “T” this, “R” that.
Many waterfront properties in Maine just idle, waiting, sitting.
Some folks collect second, third and more homes that they don’t get to enjoy but hope to someday. Paying the property tax bills but not darkening their doorways. With no dock out, no boat parked on either side of it.
Time carved out of a busy schedule to make sure the place on the water is enjoyed is a healthy habit. As life ticks by whether you do or don’t.
Big meals, cribbage games, outdoor horseshoe competitions, time napping on a porch swing or dooryard hammock. Family discussions, talking about the fish that got away. The wildlife that sauntered by while enjoying hot coffee or a cold adult beverage.
Take your pick, select your poison for fire water. While cooking your food outdoors with a sizzle happens. As kayaks ply the like a bottle smooth, polished lake surfaces.
Or as rain peppers the metal roof that may leak or not depending this opening day season. On what that blow down tree did that let loose over, struck the structure sometime over the winter months.
At least it produces some firewood in the clean up. When processed and cut up in bite size pieces for the parlor stove or end heater.
Everything reduced down to turning up the volume on the greater awareness of what is truly important in life.
You can hear yourself think in Maine. So much of the layers of living in a city are reduced one by one the more reflectorized mile markers that click off on the way up the I-95 pike. When you point whatever you drive north.
And often what is found is missing where the property owner spends most of their time chasing the dollar the bulk of the year. It all shows up right on time. Traveling the many miles that separate the two of you. Many moons distant, down the road from the state of Maine where the property owner chases the dollar where all the people collect.
The smell of the familiar place on the Maine waterfront is the most powerful.
The sense of smell the oldest of the senses a person uses to navigate in life. Follow your nose like Toucan Sam.
A mixture of damp, moist wood, earth underneath the settling camp structure. Lack of heat and a proper foundation makes a place shift, settle.
The dust, collection of house flies and any other rodent who used the place as the winter home all add to the what you find, what you notice in the beak. Moth balls to protect clothes, wool blankets might be noticed too as you unlock and enter the place in Maine on the waterfront.
The quick throw everything mad dash. From lawn chairs to lawn mowers inside on the screened or glass porch if lucky enough to have one. Underneath a camp if elevated enough or equipped with a hatch door. Maybe into a storage shed for the outdoor toys, cooking and sporting gear.
Or all escorted in to the living area in one big last call type hurry as the bright house lights come on, the music stops. Is what greets you after a long drive north to open up for another six month’s later or more season. Who did this… you did this. Oh yeah.
There is a lot of work involved with a second home in Maine.
Storm damage, regular maintenance, or renter fatigue. Waiting on professionals that don’t want to really fiddle with the little pain in the neck jobs that are piddly. Don’t pay a lot.
Not so much on the to do list, the depth and width of the job jar with a simple woods or Maine lake place that has just bare bone comforts though. When it is not a two or more star lodging.
Maybe that still uses an outhouse and the bath on Saturday night is a ritual out front carrying a bar of Ivory soap, with a towel on shore to dry off after the dip that refreshes. Helps you sleep on a hot summer night at a Maine lake, waterfront place.
Where crickets, loons, honking Canadian geese provide the back ground music that Maine is famous for if you are lucky enough to be parked next to the waterfront.
Do you vacation in Maine on the water?
I’m Maine REALTOR Andrew Mooers, ME Broker
207.532.6573 | mailto:info@mooersrealty.com|
MOOERS REALTY 69 North Street Houlton Maine 04730