Dear Readers,

Do you follow the national and international news? If not, let me bring you up to snuff, sort of.

There is a major religious war going on in Syria and the Arab world is in a tizzy. They want us to wave our military might and solve it.

There is this former NSA analyst who is blabbing our nation’s top secret programs all over the world. The biggest surprise (to me at least) is that some of our own citizens, including some members of Congress, think we should not have any national secrets at all.

It seems our national TV news programs feature at least one major segment, which we used to call a “weather story.” We are assaulted with images of horrific forest fires gobbling up seven-figure woodland retreat homes, rivers racing out of their banks cascading through towns, and tornadoes swirling through the Midwest splintering mighty trees and urban homes like they were made of paper.

They always end with photos of devastated victims trying to hold back the tears.

Our national government seems to be at war with itself as the conservative wing of the Republican party tries to destroy what we used to refer to as “The Grand Old Party.”

On the other side of the aisle, some Democrats, the same folks who once declared President Obama a secular saint, are up in arms because he has not rolled over his opposition with a wave of a magic wand.

Meanwhile, pundits on the right and left have turned into national scolds, jumping on leaders of all stripes for minor slips of the tongue, for errors of geography or for having the audacity to suggest we should try to learn the facts of a situation before forming an opinion.

With all this going on, is it any wonder folks have turned off the TV, packed up their families and driven thousands of miles to spend some time in Wiscasset and Boothbay?

Why not. Would you rather endure nights of sweltering heat versus a cool ocean breeze in the evening? Would you rather have a fast food “bland-burger” or an honest lobster roll? Would you rather be tethered to a buzzing smartphone or spend a few days in the land of “no bars at all?”

Instead of amusement parks designed to divert your wallet out of your back pocket, why not wander through Wiscasset and tour Castle Tucker or stop to peruse antiques. Or, if you are into technology, take an afternoon to marvel at the incredible artifacts in the Musical Wonder House.

A few miles up the road in Boothbay Harbor, gallery owners will be glad to show you works of art that have nothing to do with electronics. Real works by real human artists using their brains (not their computers) and hands to represent what their eyes see.

A piece of original art would look great hanging in your den, wouldn’t it?

Do you and your kids love the Saturday fishing shows? We have charter boat captains who will be glad to help you hook a “big one” and even fillet it for you.

Or maybe, you should stop and buy a lobster or two. Then go to your cottage, boil up a pot of water or flop the fish on the grill and savor the taste of real fresh seafood.

If you are not into cooking, we have a lot of restaurants that will provide you with fresh fish dishes.

Then take an evening cruise and watch the sun go down and the stars come out and find a spot to marvel at fireworks over the river or the harbor.

Go to bed before midnight without turning on the tube or answering your “smart” phone.

And leave the window open.

I find that a cool sea breeze is a much better sleep aid than some magic pill you buy at the drug store.

I bet you will, too.