It's mid-June and feeling warmer in the mid-coast region, bringing us close to the July 4th holiday and the weekend of the Fifth Annual International Rock-Skipping Contest sponsored by Orne's Candy Store in Boothbay Harbor.

This contest - brought to life by the Webster family following their many years of "skipping rocks across the water" - will take place at 4 p.m. on Saturday, July 5. Bring your own skipping rocks (we suggest at least seven), and don't forget your "rock-skipping moniker/name." You can't skip without it, and you might not like the one we make up for you. As in past years, the proceeds from the competition will benefit the Boothbay Region Food Pantry.

Sign-in will start at 3 p.m. right on location at the Footbridge Parking Lot, The Inner Harbor. However, there are several chances to sign up: pre-register online at www.ornescandystore.com . Click on the Rock Skipping symbol on the home page, download a pdf form, fill it out and send it in, or you can sign in right on the Rock Skipping form, and pay when you arrive for the event. If you're in town, just step into Orne's Candy Store on Commercial St. and add your name to the list on the inside of the door.

The divisions are: girls 12 and under; boys 12 and under; adult women and adult men, Suggested donations: $5 for adults and $1 for kids 12 and under, all to benefit the food pantry.

What's a contest without prizes? Everyone who enters gets rock candy on a stick. The winner in each category gets "the thrill of victory," a pound of Orne's Rocky Road Fudge, a handsome trophy created by Arthur Webster, your photo and name in the paper and your name added to the "chronicles of rock skipping legends."

It's not too soon to think summer, think rock-skipping, practice techniques, and become a contestant in this annual event. For more information, email ocs@gwi.net .