Friday, July 19, 2024

Hosting Exchange Students: The Gift That Keeps on Giving... The Lambergs

Our final night: The Lambergs with Connie and me
Click on photographs to enlarge.  

Hosting exchange students is the gift that keeps on giving... We welcomed the Lambergs from Denmark to Maine. Espen's parents, Rikke and Jon, are great fun with rich backgrounds in travel. Younger brother Lau just finished a yearlong exchange in Texas in a suburb of Dallas. Imagine the maturity it takes to travel to America and live in a foreign community with a new family. These kids... just wonderful.  While here, the Lambergs swam at Coos Canyon, visited Rangeley, and took pictures at Height of Land on the Appalachian Trail. They drove up Mount Washington and explored the White Mountains and North Conway.  We also spent a day upta camp in Weld canoeing, kayaking, and jet skiing.  Now, the Lambergs are up on the coast on Mt. Desert Island exploring Acadia National Park and the little tourist town of Bar Harbor. Then, off to Camden... and then home sweet home

Espen came in Rumford in 2017-18 with Moritz. A soccer star who grew as a ski racer, Espen ended his exchange year playing baseball and even pitching in the final game of the season. Impressive beyond words. He's just the best young man. 

Upta camp

The boys gearing up for a swim

Rikke's three boys :-) 

Byron Notch, Webb Lake, Weld Maine

Exploring


After exploring Dummer's beach. 

The brothers off to play baseball



Espen

Espen and his girlfriend, Julie, have explored Asia and even climbed Mount Kilimanjaro. Recently, Espen has been working with special needs students and substitute teaching to earn money for more travel and his university time. 

Bailey's favorite

Baseball 2018

The boys and coaches

Army man Espen

Part of Espen's responsibilities were to 
guard the Queen and her castle! 




Sunday, July 7, 2024

Rain, Mosquitoes, and Deer Flies

 


We've had warm, humid weather that spark thunderstorms, mosquitoes, and deer flies. I don't like deer flies or horse flies. They circle and buzz and... bite. Mosquitoes just float around and settle onto one's skin–an easy kill. Not so with deer flies and horse flies. It takes skill to slap one of those suckers.  








Thursday, July 4, 2024

The last seven hikes

Cloudy summit view
Click on pictures to enlarge


Since returning from out west, I've taken seven hikes plus 10 walks. I'm bothered by patella tendonitis but if I ice and rest, the aching disappears. Rest is usually the best procedure.