Range Ponds State Park, Poland
POLAND — At noon, eight blue kayaks glided up to the hot, sandy shores of Range Ponds State Park.
Seven Gray-New Gloucester Middle School students and outdoor educator Calvin Vaillancourt popped out.
On any other day, they might have been finishing up a lesson. Vaillancourt has given them physics challenges before including, “Here’s a boat and a life jacket — now build your own paddle.”
Monday was all about the end-of-year celebration.
“It was relaxing,” Angel Merrill said of the 20-minute paddle around the lake.
Vaillancourt had his own reason to celebrate: He and the school’s other outdoor educator had originally been hired through a grant that’s expiring. The positions have been included in next year’s school budget.
“They decided they want to keep us around,” he said.
With eight kayaks at Range and 80 students at the state park, he had more leisurely paddling left to do. But first — it was time for lunch.
— Kathryn Skelton
Dutch Treat, Wilton
WILTON — The thermometer read 85 degrees. At Dutch Treat, a large white canvas tent stood atop the hill overlooking the intersection of Routes 2 and 4 with Route 156. Beneath the tent were several weathered picnic tables. Even in the cool shade of the tent, the heat of the day could be felt.
Jay resident Dana Churchill and his son, Dawson Churchill, sat at one of the tables, eating ice cream. Dawson’s cool shades reflected the scene both inside and outside the tent.
Dana had chosen a peanut butter sundae while Dawson had selected vanilla ice cream swirled with gummy bears.
The two swapped their treats after learning the gummy bears were almost frozen and too hard for Dawson.
”They’re chewy!” Dawson exclaimed.
Dawson took another bite of his dad’s sundae, swallowed and looked up. A little bit clung to his lips. A tint of pink covered his cheeks, evidence of a day spent on the lake yesterday.
After finishing their treats, the pair planned to spend the afternoon boating on Wilson Lake.
— Pam Harnden
Dog park, Lewiston
LEWISTON — At Robin’s Garden and Dog Park beside the Greater Androscoggin Humane Society in Lewiston, six dog owners sat in lawn chairs, chatting and watching their dogs.
Some had been there for hours. Others had just arrived. All bring their pups to the park every day, winter or summer, with some exceptions.
“In the snowstorms, I came and shoveled,” said Bill Heald of Poland, who sat in the sun with his wife, Julie, and their dog, Oscar. “We had snow up to here and I shoveled it back for the dogs. This is much better.”
At noon on the first day of summer, the group chatted about their lives, their animals, the weather. The dogs, all small breeds, played around the yard, romping after each other, chewing stray twigs or lounging in the shade.
“We socialize, the dogs socialize,” said Michelle Spear, of Lewiston, while her dog, Buck, clambered onto her lap. “I’m usually here a good two, three hours.”
Park visitors come in waves. By 1 p.m., the place would probably be empty. By 5 p.m., it would fill up with people home from work.
But for that minute, the morning group still had its place.
“It’s nice and quiet here,” Julie Heald said.
— Lindsay Tice
Dairy Joy, Spring Street, Auburn
AUBURN — For an hour Monday morning, the regulars came to the Spring Street Dairy Joy, one after the other.
Elizabeth Dargie, 21, of Lewiston served all of them beginning at 11 a.m. — a man who ordered a medium scoop of maple walnut ice cream, along with a bowl of peanut butter-flavored ice cream for his dog; the kids who each ordered a cone; the woman who ordered a scoop of cookies and cream.
At noon, she got a short break to clean up and get ready for the lunch rush.
“Up to then, it’s mostly regulars and neighbors,” Owner Manager Lisa King said. “But we get lots of businesspeople stopping by 12:30 to 1 p.m., during their lunch.”
It’s one of the regular rhythms of summer, now that the schools are out. The days are reliably warm and cold ice cream is one of the first things people think of when they want a treat.
“But it does change as the summer wears on,” King said. “People will wait outside in a snowstorm for ice cream in April or May. But if it’s cloudy in August, they stay indoors.”
— Scott Taylor
Clearwater Pond, Industry
INDUSTRY — The hot rays of the sun beat down on light, sun-starved bodies Monday as several children spent the first day of summer at Clearwater Pond.
Light screeches echoed the shock of warm bodies dunking down into the cool, clear water.
An American flag whipped in a light breeze and motors from the nearby store broke the serenity of the picturesque lake.
After a swim, Evan Phillips, 10, of New Sharon explored the area for hidden treasures with a small metal detector. He found two small pieces of metal fencing and a playing card, a jack of spades.
“Here’s my first find of the day,” Evan told his mother, Karin Schott.
Children swam while others played in the sand and climbed along the rocks of a stone barrier near the community beach.
With temperatures soaring to over 80 degrees, it was a good day for a Grammie-day, Sue Jones of Farmington said. Jones challenged four grandchildren, Max Teele, Layla Walther, Adalynn Walther and Trae Tingley, to join her for a quick dip in the water.
When asked how the water was, several said it was “cool.” But after the initial dunk, it did not seem to matter.
— Ann Bryant
Hippach Field, Farmington
FARMINGTON — Victor Wallace of New Sharon steadily pushed his younger daughter, Isabelle, 2, in a child’s swing Monday at Hippach Field.
Two older daughters ran over from the play structure to sit on swings. He gave each one a push to get them going.
The sound of a lawnmower running in the distance and vehicles traveling on Main Street did not deter from the family’s time at the playground. Sprinklers could be seen watering the grass at the field.
The children continued to swing under the sun with a light breeze to cool them.
“Could you give me a push, Dada?” Ciara, 4, asked her father.
Victor Wallace did.
“Too bad we didn’t have Mama,” said daughter Katerina, 8, as she pumped her legs to go higher in the swing.
“We will have Mama tomorrow,” Victor Wallace said as he continued to push his youngest daughter’s swing.
At the park? Katerina asked.
“It (is) our anniversary, so we will probably do something,” he said.
— Donna M. Perry
Gallant recently graduated from the University of Maine at Orono with a degree in social work.
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