I just read in the Bar Harbor Times that the Obamas are coming here to Mt. Desert Island this weekend, from Friday through Sunday. The two small articles (at least in the online version) ran right under a story about a coast guard officer taking a new post (and now, by evening, they are totally buried under a hot story about a food market asking the community what it wants them to sell, a former principal getting an award, a local museum getting a grant, and a fire at a restaurant (and the picture to go with the Obama story was one from his inauguration, feature Justice Robert's bald head in the foreground). The local congresswoman was quoted saying something to the effect that we're flattered that the President and his family will get to enjoy our beautiful water and mountains and forests, because we know that they could vacation anywhere in the country. This sounded either like the statement that the pilot makes right before you get off the plane ("Thank you for choosing our airline; we know you have many choices out there") or like a teeth-gritted, less-than-thrilled canned comment.
But there certainly are a lot of Obama stickers on cars around here (maybe all tourists?). And I'm excited about it. I'm worried that they can never get a real private vacation, with all the people ogling (as I certainly intend to do, if given the chance!), and the Secret Service surrounding them. I suspect they'll stay in Northeast Harbor, but I'd really like to show them (or at least the girls!) our two favorite ice cream places on the island--one in Bar Harbor and one in Southwest Harbor. And take them for a walk to our local lobster pound!
Tonight Avi got a hankering for some ice cream (we'd been at least a good 48 hours without any!), so we stepped out into the cool night air to walk downtown for some. We'd been hearing faint music all evening through our open windows. Avi thought it was classical; I'd thought it was swing. As we approached downtown, we realized that it was a steel drum band, Flash in the Pans, that was playing 
at a dance as part of Southwest Harbor's week-long Flamingo Festival (don't ask me!). We got our ice cream and walked over there, with Avi threatening me with all sorts of awful things if I even thought of dancing. Of course, it's impossible NOT to dance to steel drum music! They call them "pans" here. Apparently this is a community pan band that has been playing for almost 20 years. I couldn't even get close enough to see how many of them there were, or what they were playing. But I did manage to get close enough to buy a CD. I asked which would be the recommended CD to keep me alert on a long drive, and without hesitation he pointed to their 10th anniversary CD, with lots of swing tunes on it. Looks like there are about 20-30 people in the band. Amazing. They play every week in the area, doing benefits for various good causes.
at a dance as part of Southwest Harbor's week-long Flamingo Festival (don't ask me!). We got our ice cream and walked over there, with Avi threatening me with all sorts of awful things if I even thought of dancing. Of course, it's impossible NOT to dance to steel drum music! They call them "pans" here. Apparently this is a community pan band that has been playing for almost 20 years. I couldn't even get close enough to see how many of them there were, or what they were playing. But I did manage to get close enough to buy a CD. I asked which would be the recommended CD to keep me alert on a long drive, and without hesitation he pointed to their 10th anniversary CD, with lots of swing tunes on it. Looks like there are about 20-30 people in the band. Amazing. They play every week in the area, doing benefits for various good causes.Here we are, in remote Maine, getting away from it all. I can't even remember the last time the president and a steel drum band visited Durham!
