A Visit to Skylands on the Fourth of July

I spent this last July 4 at Skylands, my home in Maine. Tim Robbins and his wife, Susan Sarandon, who were visiting the area, gave me a call to get together and I was so delighted when they came over to join me for a boat ride. As usual, the views were spectacular and everyone really enjoyed themselves. Come and take a look. 

Here I am with Tim Robbins and Susan Sarandon aboard my Hinckley picnic boat, Skylands II.

Susan and Kevin Sharkey enjoying lively conversation while sunning in the stern of Skylands II.  The day was glorious as is evident from the picture. I hope you like the orange Sunbrella upholstery -- it seems to work well with the teak, cherry, and white of the boat.

Tim admitted he has never played a "sailor" in a movie, yet he loves the sea.

Southwest Harbor was pristine -- the water clear, the boats all shipshape, and the sky bright blue.

Overtime is the lobster boat owned by the brother-in-law of my captain, Bryan Dow, who also manages the house. He said that lobstering was a bit of a challenge this year with such high fuel prices.

Bryan's wife, Stephanie; two daughters, Jillian and Elyse; mother-in-law, Barbara; father-in-law, Wyman; and brother-in-law, Captain Hess.  The boat doubled that day as their picnic boat.

The Stars and Stripes flies at the stern of my boat. I always like how it looks in the wake and against the sky.

Sharkey and Francesca always come for the boat trips. They keep on their leashes and harnesses, and spend most of the time napping, wrapped in towels.

Bear Island is right at the mouth of Northeast Harbor. My friend Martin Morad lives in the lighthouse.

Don't put your boat on auto pilot when focused on a large buoy. A boat did that last year, hit it, and sank!

The skyline of Mount Desert Island -- the bare-topped mountains were named by Samuel de Champlain, the French explorer. In 1604, he wrote in his journal, "The mountain summits are all bare and rocky.... I name it Isles des Monts Desert."

Another view of the incredible coast and skyline of this island paradise. Mount Desert is the third largest island off of the East Coast of the United States. Can you name the largest and second largest? See the end of this post for the answer if you don't know it.

This is the former home of Nelson Rockefeller, right at the mouth of Seal Harbor.

The highest house up on Ox Hill is my house, Skylands.

Another view of the western side of Seal Harbor.

The front drive at Skylands is a round turn.

Here's my Edsel two-door station wagon, which was a gift to me from my daughter, Alexis.

The last of the blue Meconopsis poppies in the council circle garden. This true blue flower is also known as the Himalayan poppy.

Francesca -- statuelike -- on one of the many stone walls at Skylands.

Sharkey on the bench of the council circle garden. I always keep their harnesses on, with ID tags, whenever we travel, just in case!

I baked two tart/pies for a dinner party. On the left, green gooseberry; on the right, red gooseberry.  One can actually taste the difference. They were served with buttermilk ice cream made from buttermilk from the Smith family farm on the island.

We set the table with an interesting centerpiece made from the giant alliums in the gardens. I always plant these fireworks flowers and they never fail to bloom on the Fourth of July.

The delphinium were also in full bloom. We picked so many that and Kevin and Darrah (the gardener in Maine) arranged them in massive arrangements around the house.

More vibrant blue spikes!

A somewhat clearer view of the giant Allium schubertii and Allium A.christophii.

The answer is: Long Island is the largest, followed by Martha's Vineyard.

More of my blog posts from Maine! Take a look.

Come join the parade in the charming town of Northeast Harbor, Maine

Posted June 1, 2008

Come see what happened when I went boating this past weekend!

Posted May 30, 2008

My pictures from Skylands this weekend!

Posted March 4, 2008

A Fabulous weekend in Maine

Posted October 24, 2007

Comments

[lorena]

thank you so very much for sharing your pictures and your time with us the viewers.from riverdale, md

[miriam neeson]

Dear Martha,
Skylands is sure a piece of paradise. It's my favorite of your homes, and this 4th of July seemed to be amazing. You can't beat the great scenery and crisp air of coastal Maine. I'm envious! We had a lovely time on the Fairhope pier/bluff and saw the fireworks from all adjacent areas(Mobile,ect), but it pales in comparison to lovely Maine
Keep these blogs coming as they are a bit of Martha we all love.
Miriam Neeson/Fairhope.AL.

[Diane]

Hi Martha..I was fascinated with the Gooseberry pies...do you grow your own or are they imported?
Lovely pies, and I love the photos of the little babies all wrapped up in their blankets..so cute.
Thanks so much!

[Karla Crouse]

Hi Martha,

It looks like you had a fabulous time on your boat trip. I love the pictures you took, your fur babies are too cute! I also love how you set the table, the flowers look awesome. You inspired me to try this sometime, love it! Thanks for sharing your memories!

[Beth]

Thanks for giving us a glimpse of your 4th festivities in Maine...we too had a great Independence Day in RI...nothing beat a summer celebration in New England with family and friends!

[Hal Hunnicutt]

Martha,

Your Maine holiday is inspiring! Most boaters think blue, black and burgundy. Thank you for the delightfully refreshing choice of Tuscan in your Hinckley.

My favorite, though, is the gooseberry pie with buttermilk ice cream. Yum!

Hal Hunnicutt
VP Marketing, Sunbrella

[Mary Ellen Barnatt]

Dear Martha,

Your Captain and Manager of your house, Bryan Dow, is the brother in law of my co-worker, here in MA at the Massachusetts Farm Bureau. I heard all about your great 4th of July on Monday!..He visits his wife's family, and his, every weekend, and never misses 4th of July in Maine. He is from Ellsworth, Maine.
He never misses an opportunity to let me know he could visit your house if he wants to, and not invite me! Office humor, I'm sure! He knows what a long time fan and supporter of you I am. But the next time he needs some office work done, I may just be too busy!.

Thank for the pictures, the are wonderful.

Mary Ellen Barnatt

[Pauline caton]

Thanks for the nice photoes! what channel can i find your show on in central missouri(otterville).thank you
Paul;ine Caton

[Harley Girl]

We are planning a trip to Maine next year. We want to ride our Harley motorcycles along the coast and check out the lighthouses along the way. What month is the best for warm weather & no fog?

[Cindy]

Hi Martha!

Loved the use of the "spent" alliums in your centerpieces. I did this same treatment at a small gathering at my home last month (see url below). Thanks for sharing your life with us on your blog!
Cindy

http://cindydyer.wordpress.com/2008/06/22/setting-the-table/

[Letitia Ricketts]

Martha,

The pictures are beautiful. My husband and I go to the Bar Harbor area each year and hope to one day make it our home. It is truly God's country.

Letitia

[Damaris]

Greetings.
Regarding a question asked by a audience member about how to end a party.
One day at a house party it was 3 am and the guest were not leaving. My brother started to play the song "Tequila" over and over. When the guest started to ask why the music, my brother said that it was the last song. People took the hint and started to leave. Now everytime my brother wants to end a party he plays "Tequila" and people know its time to leave.

[Scott]

Dear Martha;
Love seeing the blog posts from Maine. I have lived here all of my life and have been on Mount Desert Island for ten years... I had the good fortune to be at the event this past week where you spoke of your ten years in Maine and saw the response from the guests. I was one of the workers there and was able to listen to your presentation. It was very nice to know I was from a place that gave people from all walks of life such a good feeling. There is something about Maine that makes you long for more. The photos are wonderful, but can't begin to relay the feeling of being here: only a slight glimpse from the smiles on your guests faces.
Thank you for bringing that glimpse to so many.
regards:
Scott from Bar Harbor, Maine