Captain Andy And His Yard Ship

Sometimes I make it a point to get lost.

Even when I am headed to a specific destination, I will turn another direction if the mood strikes or if the street looks interesting.  I think it's the surprise of the unknown that draws me to veer off course.  There are so many places to turn on the coast of Maine.  You can see something new everyday if you make a turn to the unknown.

Yesterday, I did just that.  I was bored of driving on the main road so I decided to change direction.  I didn't know where it would take me but I just wanted to see something different.  I drove by some absolutely beautiful homes and after a while, I came across a home with a shipwreck sitting right on the front porch.

At that moment, I knew I had to stop.  Not knowing what I was going to encounter, I saw a man standing there staring at the ship in the yard.  Of course he turned to me as anyone would with a stranger pulling up in their driveway.  I smiled and said hello and said some brilliant words that went something like, "that's a big ship in your yard." Well, duh anyone could see that but captain Andy was gracious enough to play along and say, "yes it is."  A Maine resident all his life, Andy and I then chatted about ships for a while and he was kind enough to allow me to take his photograph with his pride and joy.  He stood there and couldn't take his eyes off of her.  She was part of him.

I am glad I made the turn to the unexpected to meet Andy and his yard ship.

Lifeguard Chairs

I love lifeguard chairs.

Maybe it's because I used to be a lifeguard one summer a long time ago. It's not a glamorous job. You sit there hours on end watching people play in the water. At first it's fun, but after a while it can be a bit boring and annoying.

Perhaps I just didn't master the art of making sure people knew how to swim when they jumped in the pool. I figured that they would have some sort of life preserving skills before they took the leap. Not always the case.

I appreciate the fact that the life guard chair is always on duty even though the season has ended. It reminds me of summer days and gives me hope that the warm weather will come back soon. On most of their off duty days, people climb on them to get a better view of the sunset, relax from a run, do a photo shoot, or snuggle up together for a quiet moment. They serve a purpose even during the off season.

It's no wonder that I enjoy taking pictures of them...just sitting there, waiting for the season to start again.

On the East coast, they put away the chairs after Labor Day, but they are usually out all year long here on the West coast. Here is a collection of chairs I've taken on my travels. For more, click HERE