Ten members of the Maine Outdoor Adventure Club paddled 10 miles on Cobbosseecontee Lake yesterday and enjoyed a lunch comprising mostly cookies.

The big attraction of Cobbosseecontee is the two dozen or so islands -- with an extremely attractive grouping almost dead center in the lake. Our plan was stop at one for lunch. Participants were urged to bring cookies and other non-nutritious food to share. They did, in abundance!

Amanda Blaine and Katherine Birnie, both new members, didn't have a boat. So I loaned them my canoe, a Bear Creek Cubby, a Maine-made product. John Therrien and Connie Gatz paddled another tandem canoe. The rest of us had solo kayaks.

Members of the Maine Outdoor Adventure Club pose near the start of yesterday's trip on Cobbosseecontee Lake in Winthrop.
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Our flotilla launched at the East Winthrop boat ramp, posed for a group photo, then paddled a beeline for Ladies' Delight island, complete with its delightful 1908 decorative lighthouse.

Our group at Ladies' Delight Island yesterday, with its delightful and decorative 1908 lighthouse.
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Then we paddled south past Cuba Island and Little Cuba. Continuing south, along the east side of Hodgdon Island we encountered a flock of about 25 loons, the largest group of these large birds that any of us had ever seen.

Just off Hodgdon Island we encountered about 25 loons, the biggest gathering of the big birds that any of us had ever seen.
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Soon we stopped at Mosquito Island, owned by the Kennebec Land Trust and open to the public.

Boats pulled ashore at Mosquito Island.
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Mosquito Island is owned by the Kennebec Land Trust.
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Lunch on Mosquito Island yesterday, more or less dead center in Cobbosseecontee Lake.
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After lunch, we paddled a few hundred yards west to an exposed ledge and went swimming.

Katherine Birnie and Amanda Blaine paddle my Bear Creek Cubby canoe yesterday, approaching our swimming island.
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Katherine Birnie swimming in Cobbosseecontee Lake yesterday.
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Following our swimming break, we navigated around the southern tip of Horseshoe Island before heading back north to where we started. Along the way -- about five miles -- we took another swimming break.

Back at the start, Peter Thomas, who carried a GPS unit, said that we'd covered almost exactly 10 miles. And we'd been on the water almost exactly six hours.

After taking out and tying down, most of us headed for Mulligan's, a couple of miles away in Manchester, for ice cream. That's the tradition wrap for MOAC summer trips.

Cherie Perkins finishes her day with an ice cream, the traditional wrapup for MOAC summer trips.
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With the end in sight for the 2007 paddling season, I started talking up ski trips.

You had your pick of pickin' or paddlin' or both at the Thomas Point Beach Bluegrass Festival, which wrapped up yesterday in Brunswick.

Out in the bay, there were plenty of kayaks enjoying the perfect weather both Saturday and Sunday.

Preparing to launch yesterday at Thomas Point Beach.
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Paddling off Thomas Point Beach yesterday.
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Gorgeous weather for paddling!
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Back on shore, the banjo pickers and guitar strummers played from morning to night.

Looking across the crowd at the Thomas Point Beach Bluegrass Festival.
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Randy Waller fronts the Country Gentlemen.
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Sierra Hull and Highway 111.
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Fifteen-year-old Sierra Hull was the prettiest mandolin picker at the festival, and she's a fine singer too!
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Per my usual, I attended two days of the festival. Of all the artists and ensembles, I was especially impressed by 15-year-old mandolin phenom Sierra Hull and her band, Highway 111. This young lady from Tennessee boasts exceptional talent, voice, poise and stage presence. Expect to hear much, much more of her in the future. Let's hope she's invited back to Thomas Point Beach often.