Up the creek without a paddle? That was what comedian-bassist Bernie Coombs had to say about his band, Back to Basics, at the Thomas Point Beach Bluegrass Festival on Sunday afternoon. I enjoyed this Brunswick-based fivesome -- the funniest guys at the festival since the Synchonized Swimming Team retired a few years ago -- along with about two dozen other bands at the four-day festival, which wrapped up Sunday night.

Back to Basics has won some awards, and according to their website, they're "definitely not plastic."

Up a creek without a paddle? Back to Basics, a Brunswick-based bluegrass band, plays a song for swimmers and paddlers at Thomas Point Beach
Scott Andrews photos

There were lots of paddlers at the festival in addition to a gazillion banjo, guitar and mandolin pickers. I counted nearly two dozen kayaks, two canoes and the "Vermont yacht" pictured here a couple of days ago. I met a group of students from St. Joseph's College in Standish. They were on a paddling excursion on the New Meadows River, a freshman orientation trip guided by Scott Shea and his Seaspray Kayaking Company.

Freshmen students at St. Joseph's College in Standish stopped for a coffee break at Thomas Point Beach

A dad and his two sons return to their campsite from a kayaking trip

Legendary banjo picker Earl Scruggs was the top draw at the festival

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