A Perfect Summer Day: Dogs, Kayaks, And Ice Cream

The perfect summer day on the coast of Maine has to include three things: dogs, kayaks, and some sort of treat, whether it be ice cream, blueberry pie, or a late afternoon swim in the bracing cold ocean.

I love to swim around in the water next to my dog, almost as if we are one, scouting tiny inlets and moving our limbs to beat the current. My kayak has taken me so many places, but no place is more familiar to me than Mosquito Harbor, a tiny inlet on the southern end of the St. George Peninsula between Port Clyde and Tenants Harbor. I like to pick a calm night and slowly drift around while the sun sets and moon rises.

If there is a heaven on earth, surely it must be found while on the water in Maine. As for the ice cream and blueberry pie, it’s all covered, for I like to indulge in those two treats more than I care to admit. The real treat for me is the swim! I like to spend at least 30 minutes in the water, long enough to become acclimated to the chilly temperatures.

I jump off the dock and swim across to Stevens Island, a small piece of land that sits directly in the middle of Mosquito Harbor. At low tide, the island looks regal and massive, while at high tide, only a sliver seems to remain. There is a small sandy beach where blue, green, and purple shells scatter the sand. When the clear waters barely brush over the sand, the shells sparkle and gleam in the afternoon light.

If time could stop, here on this small stretch of coastal paradise, I would be more than happy to go along with it!