Maine summers must be special! This is at least the fifth time I have been drawn to this state in the rocking summertime. What is it that draws me and so many others to Maine?

• the cool (sometimes cold), crisp days
• the brightness of the sun and getting to bathe in its warmth
• the “oomph” with which the flowers bloom
• the force with which the ocean waves splash upon the craggy rocks and cliffs and then the gentleness with which the water recedes and rattles through the pebble rocks at the edge of the beach
• the friendly people who live and “rock” in Maine
• quaint harbors and the glistening sun dancing on the water
• beckoning lighthouses
• well groomed miniature golf parks that spring to life in summer
• the food--oh, my goodness--the food
• learning all over again how to crack and eat lobster
• the islands--inhabited or not
• the mountain tops, beaches and quiet harbors for solitude and meditation
• the bustling coastal towns for excitement, shopping and people watching
• the beauty of the varied color lupines as they stretch toward the sky
• salt-water taffy and getting to watch it being made
• fresh strawberries and blueberry everything
• moose road signs that lead to high expectation of a sighting
• the gold-trimmed signs in front of businesses or shops
• seeing Belted Galloways and observing they are losing their winter coat
• the suddenness with which multitudes of ice cream shops appear
• finding shells and beach glass and counting them treasure

Is it time to be drawn back home? Let’s see . . . one hundred degree temperatures, lack of rain, grasses browning. I think not! I believe I’ll stay a while and see what else rocks in Maine in the summertime.