We heard a bird hit the window and checked to see if it was okay.  The silly bird had its wind knocked out of it.  The kids enjoyed holding it as they debated the safest place for it.  We were amazed how long it stayed with us before flying off into the woods.
It has been a difficult year finding Monarchs, at any stage, in the wild.
Audrey discovered if she bleaches the eggs of sick butterflies, the offspring have a good chance of being healthy.  She set up a nursery and managed to collect a lot of eggs this year. I do not know exact numbers, but she has released over 150 Monarchs this summer!
As we explored around the coast, we enjoyed observing and listening to the waves on the rocks. We watched the seagulls and the cormorants. Â We admired how the fog changed the scenery.
It is amazing to me that God created such awesome scenery for us to enjoy. Â It is easy to forget that he designed this world in the busyness of every day. I am so thankful that we had the opportunity to remember and enjoy what God created!
We were told that a great place to see sunsets was Bass Harbor Lighthouse. Our campsite was a short distance away, so we went there a few times during our stay. It was a challenge getting there on time, the sun set a few minutes after 7:00 while we were in Maine. We wanted to get there earlier so we could see the sun setting.
We were disappointed the first time there because the lighthouse was behind us and there was only a short sidewalk to watch the sun setting.  The parking lot was crowded and the sidewalk lined with people watching the sun set. We wondered what was so special about the place.
The last time we went there, I was talking to a family who mentioned there was another path on the other side of the light house. Â We knew we would miss the sun officially setting, but we ran around and discovered what we missed! There was a path that lead to a bunch of rocks that you could climb out on. Â Depending where you stopped, you could get some wonderful pictures!
After watching the sun rise, we hiked to Thunder Hole. We walked since we did not want to drive all around Park Loop Road again.
Thunder Hole is neat! The waves come into the inlet in such a way, that it sounds like thunder at times. When we got there, there was another couple already there, but we had the place mostly to ourselves.
We could hear the thunder while we walked, but once we got there it was much better. We stayed and enjoyed the noise and watching the water spray for quite a long time before moving on.
On the way back to the car, there were a lot of people and the thunder was much softer. We think we missed the best noise by just a little bit. We hoped to return another day, but we ran out of time. It is on our wish list for a future visit.
I enjoy playing with the close up lens that my dad gave me. Â I love looking for the “creepy crawlies” that are on flowers if you look for them.
This morning the children discovered a fledgling on our front ledge.  We needed to move him because we did not want the dogs to find him and we did not know how well he could fly.
Adrian tried to get him, but the bird hopped away. Â Then Megan tried and he hopped right on her hand! Â He perched for a very short while and then fluttered away. Â He did not fly well at all.
The kids slowly tried to catch him again to move him and he fluttered to the wall and perched there.  Since he was safe there, we watched him until he flew away to another branch and then Adrian watched until he flew to a much safer tree in the woods.
Here is Megan’s view of the story.
We found a fledgling.  She was very cute. I named her Rose. She is very pretty.  She is soft soft. I was glad to be able to hold her.  I wish Adrian could have too.
We have been “babysitting” Oma’s dog. Flopsy decided that she did not like Thor when she first met him at my parents’ house. Â She would growl at him and try to scare him off. Â That did not bother Thor. Â Finally, Flopsy decided Thor was not worth anything and refused to acknowledge his presence. Â She turned her back on him and refused to look at him.
Then she came to stay with us.  She tried growling at him and snapping when he came too near.  But Thor was persistent and kept going up to her.  Flopsy started walking in wide circles around Thor, but slept in corners where he could not fit and under the table when all the chairs where pushed in.
However, I have five children who insisted that these two learn to be friends and like each other.  They have worked at it all week, and now, while not exactly “best friends”, Flopsy has decided that Thor is not so bad…
Especially when treats are involved.