September, 2010, a wonderful time to enjoy friends old and new on the shore of Lake Willoughby and take a bike ride around the lakes of the area. I stayed in Top Trail, one of Stephen and Martha’s cottages at Trail’s End. Betsy greeted me and during the short walk to my cabin I already saw photo opportunities including this member of the Lily family, a False Solomon’s Seal. From my bedroom window, the view down to the lake revealed sparkling blue water and a brilliant sun with a diffusion star created by the tiny aperture of my lens. I took the stairs down to the dock and photographed a crooked cedar along the shore.I had some time to look around. Ken was assembling a bench just outside a room filled with bikes and Stephen’s drawings. It looks like it is viewed through a fun-house mirror because of the wide angle distortion and the blending of two photos in the image below. I started to worry about my upcoming ride the next day.

Soon Claudia arrived, followed by Paula and Tom, and later Jackie who drove from her bike shop in Maine and brought many pies for desert. Ralph appeared the next day. Martha and Stephen arrived and a spirited game of Petanque began—women against the men. This was repeated the second evening with similar results both nights.

The men certainly had the better technique.
But the women seemed to have more fun. And they tried to prepare the courts so the balls would roll their way.But what they lacked in technique they made up in LUCK beating the men two nights in a row. Too bad we were playing best of 5.
A good time was had by all, and the food and conversation were great too.