Back in September of 2011, Cindy and I took a few days off and visited great friends Scott & Karen Dombrowski up in Maine. If you read our blogs frequently, then you’ll know Scott & Karen from our many forays around Cedar Key and the West Coast of Florida on our ‘Tuesdays Fundays’ adventures.

Scott & Karen split their time between Cedar Key during the winter months and Cape Porpoise Maine during the summer months. Pretty ideal if you ask me as they live in a somewhat perpetual spring-like temperature that is what most people long for. When they’re up in Maine, they act as Lighthouse Keepers for the Kennebunkport Conservation Trust that manages the Goat Island Lighthouse amongst many other islands and properties around the Kennebunk area.

We always follow along with the happenings of the Lighthouse on their Facebook Page, and while we were there on our last visit, the island was under major construction with a total renovation taking place. On this visit, the island was quiet and calm with the covered walkway between the Keepers Quarters and the Lighthouse having been completed. The grass was lush and freshly mowed, the house looks so different, it was hard to even imagine how it looked before. The place is immaculate and is truly a gem to visit. Kudo’s to the Conservation Trust for tackling this project and restoring such a valuable piece of history…and especially leaving it open to visitors to paddle over and be able to walk through on a daily basis.

Our lighthouse here in Cedar Key is only open a few times per year. Those days the tour companies that provide boat shuttles out to the island are swamped with visitors coming from all around Florida and the country for that matter. The Goat Island Light is open year round, and as long as Scott or Karen are out on the island when someone pulls up to the dock, then the visitors can climb the historic iron stairway to the top of the light and take in a magnificent panoramic view of the Atlantic Ocean and the quiet, picturesque Cape Porpoise Harbor.

Cindy and I spent hours upon hours just wandering around the house-sized boulders that protect the island from the Atlantic’s relentless saltwater pounding. We both joked about how amazing it must have been for Scott and Karen’s children along with the other Lighthouse Keepers children to spend their childhood years running around these boulders. Here we are as adults having a blast. As kids, they’d seem twice the size and would be the ultimate childhood playground.

The lighthouse was refurbished in the 1950’s era fashion, so the appliances look like retro models, but are up to date when it comes to the efficiency of the working parts. One afternoon was spent in 1950’s style lawn chairs that reminded me of my youth. Not that I was born in the 50’s, but my family always had old stuff, so we were still using 1950’s style lawn chairs in the 70’s when I was a kid. We sat on these lawn chairs all afternoon with the warm fall sun keeping us comfortable in our sweatshirts while the dogs entertained us on the lush lawn. Karen has a very energetic Australian Shepard that can leap off the ground head high when chasing a Frisbee. Since I see photo opportunities in EVERYTHING I look at, this kept both Karen, Follie (the dogs name) and me busy for quite some time while Scott and Cindy sat back laughing and encouraging the dog and Karen.

The evenings were cool to almost chilly where a sweatshirt was mandatory for Cindy and I with our thin Florida blood. The moon was full which meant the tides were crazy high to crazy low, and the sky was bright enough that sitting up in the lighthouse at night, we could see the harbor like it was a overcast day outside. We stayed up late into the evening taking photos, philosophizing on life’s priorities and just how lucky we are.

One long conversation, and I mean a few hours worth was on the topic of ‘Do you think people know why they were put on this earth?‘ The depth of this conversation went wild and in so many directions. Luckily, after over 20 years of being beside one another almost constantly, Cindy and I can still talk for hours upon hours about the littlest of things. We’ve both found our purpose in life, and we both agree it’s simply to live it beside one another no matter what state of mind, income level or hard/good times we’re going through.

I could talk on and on for hours about how much fun we had, but I don’t think I write all that well, so I’ll just let my images speak for themselves. Thank you Scott & Karen for your hospitality. Thanks Craig for the Lobsters and thanks to the Kennebunkport Conservation Trust for keeping this  island and lighthouse open to the public.

The ThinkTank Camera bag loaded up and headed out to Goat Island

Notice how far down the tide is! This boat ramp has a hoist at the top to bring the boat up into the boat house for these low tides

Sunset Behind Goat Island

Karen playing with her energetic puppy Follie

Cindy playing on the rocks on Goat Island

Cant think of a better way to spend a fall evening in Maine

Scott and Cindy holding up our dinner at Langsford Fish House

The Docks at Cape Porpoise

Cindy Picking out our Dinner

Just Chillin’ out on the porch

View from atop the Lighthouse

Keeper of the Lighthosue, Otie the cat

Perfect way to waste away an afternoon on Goat Island

Slicing up some fresh swordfish at Langsford Lobster House

Antique Wooden Door Knob inside the Lighthouse

Even low tide in Cape Porpoise Harbor looks pretty under the right lighting

Scott & Cindy heading out for a boat ride

Shadows on the Bell Tower

Scott & Cindy playing around with our dinner

Looking down the hallway that connects the light house to the keepers quarters

I Am Woman, Hear Me Roar

Fresh off the boat and onto our plates…Maine Lobster at it’s best

Loving these cool afternoons and warm grass to roll in

Rainy Sunset on Goat Island

Scott & his trusty companion Lauren

Cape Porpoise Harbor after sunset

Lobster Boat returning into Cape Porpoise Harbor

Cape Porpoise Harbor as seen from atop the Lighthouse

Same Scene, only shot in the middle of the night with the full moon behind my back

Follie & Lauren playing at Sunset

Maine Postcard – At least that’s what Cindy said when she saw this

Follie can catch some air

The Milkyway over Goat Island Light House

Waves Crashing against the giant boulders. This sound is deafening when this close. My feet/shins were wet to get this shot

The Heavens revolving around the North Star

Looking across Cape Porpoise Harbor

Fish house Reflections, Cape Porpoise Harbor

Otie the cat getting a drink of water from the faucet