CULTURAL EVENTS, CLASSES AND MUSEUMS ON THE MAINE COAST

There are so many options for entertainment within walking distance or at most a 2 mile drive from Camden. The Bay Chamber Concert series begins July 4 and continues until August 30. The summer festival which began three years ago, is lead by Manuel Bagorro as the artistic director. Rockport opera house, Union Hall, Camden opera house, and First Congregational Church in Camden are the various venues for the festival.

BAY CHAMBER CONCERTS

I heard such a variation of artists and music by world class musicians it was exhilarating. Bridget Kibbey (harpist) played Canadian,Cuban,and Syrian music. A New Frontier - International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE) that featured a new composition by Paola Prestini was inspired by the Hubble Telescope images. Very timely with the 25th anniversary in 2015. Bach, Brahms, Elgar, Schubert,Beethoven, Mozart, Bartok and Debussy were presented by some of the most talented artists in the country. David Krakauer (clarinet),Kathleen Tagg (piano),Benjamin Beilman (violin), John Largess (viola), Joshua Gindele (cello), and Camille Zamora (soprano) were some of the outstanding talent that played during the festival.

Arturo O'Farrill and the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra , a multiple grammy award-winning artist was spectacular.

Don Campbell Band played Dan Fogelberg, as well as his own blue grass music. Two comedians Jim McCue from Boston, and Juston (Just on time) McKinney were absolutely hilarious. We took the ferry from Rockland to North Haven Island "Red Eye of Love" . This play had many Broadway luminaries. John Wulp wrote the book and lyrics, and won a Tony for production.

PAINTING CLASSES

Our studio in the camp ground

Susan showing the class a vintage Airstream

Painting in my "white" toga

Susan Tobey White who has a very successful gallery in Belfast, taught a two day painting class. "Glamping" - Glamorous Camping - paintings of Retro Campers was the subject of a two day class at a camp site in Searsport. Great fun!!

 

CHATS WITH CHAMPIONS

An 88 year old man showing a certificate of the flight plan when he flew Charles Lindbergh in WWII

Reeve Lindbergh

The Damariscotta Library hosts a series of famous authors to present lectures and readings during the summer. I heard Reeve Lindbergh, Charles Lindbergh's youngest daughter talk on her mother's life and the books that she had published. After her mother's death, Reeve found out that her father had three "mistresses" in Germany who fathered 7 children who were her step sisters and brothers.

I also heard Jennifer Finney Boylan, an author of a New York Times bestseller, and a guest on Oprah's show. She is a transgender who parented 10 years as a father, 8 years as a mother, and 7 years as a lesbian. Very fascinating story.

 

CLASSICS SYMPOSIUM

Homer Virgil Propertius Ovid - Let the Wild Winds Carry. Fascinating program with speakers who were authorities on the classics. Nancy Jenkins, Polly Chatfield, Christine Kondoleon and Madeline Miller - all experts on the classics.

 

MUSEUMS

Other than the Farnsworth there are many other great museums in the area.

Owls Head Transportation Museum. If you are a car, motorcycle, or plane buff, this is the place for you. Founded in 1974 the museum has an extraordinary collection of cars, motorcycles, bicycles and planes, nicely displayed in a tidy hangarlike building at the edge of Knox County Airport.

Penobscot Marine Museum. The Penobscot Marine Museum is one of the best small museums in New England. The museum does a great job of educating visitors about the vitality of the local shipbuilding industry. Wandering from building to building shows a great sense of wonderment at the vast enterprise that was Maine's maritime trade. At one time there were 286 weathered sea captains who called Searsport home. The curators are some of the best I've experienced.

The church at the museum

A sea captains house

The Knox Museum. General Henry Knox who was a general during the Revolutionary War, repositioned the Ticonderoga cannons that were used to attack the British to abandon Boston Harbor.

A replication of General Knox's house the DAR reconctructioned in 1945

Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens. The expansive complex of waterside gardens is worth exploring. It's a natural habitat with different pathways through the mossy forest featuring different themes and flowers. The walks are quiet and lush, and one of the best trails runs along the tidal shoreline.

A rare orchid

Building a "fairy house"

Friends enjoying the gardens

 

 

 

 

 

FESTIVALS,FAIRS,GARDEN AND HOME TOURS IN MAINE

Maine "celbrates" the summer months. The summer's are perfect. From July 4 until Labor Day the days are sunny with an average temperature of 70 degrees. Beautiful long days, cool nights and many outdoor concerts, fairs, and art festivals greet your senses daily. The "Free Press" is a paper that is published each Thursday. The listings include local fairs, concerts, lectures, and farmers' markets. The spirit of the people is alive in each of these events - so many choices.

HOME AND GARDEN TOUR

Six homes - three in Camden, and three in Rockport were chosen for the 66th annual house & garden tour.

Beautiful homes and natural gardens were on display.

 

LOBSTERFEST

Rockland has been hosting it's annual Lobsterfest for 64 years. Rockland is the largest port for lobster fishermen in the world. At the 5 day festival 23,000 pounds of lobster are cooked and served to the festival participants. Many booths of arts and crafts.

The lobster's lined up to consume.

Our lobster dinner

We are enjoying our lobster

King Neptune and his mermaids.

The lobster cooker and chief lobster cook. 23,000 pounds of lobster are consumed in a 5 day period.

"Mom, do I really have to dress up as a lobster?"

 

UNION BLUEBERRY FAIR

This fair has been active for 144 years. It is an 8 day event, and located inland in Union, Maine. The events celebrate Maine's blueberrys, and are geared for the entire family to enjoy. We loved the "Blueberry Spitting Contest". A frozen blueberry would be placed in the mouth. Whoever spit it out the longest distance was declared the winner. The entrants ranged in age of 4-12. We also enjoyed the blueberry pavillion where blueberries were the main ingredient in everything from jelly to wine. The state police K-9 demonstration was fascinating to us as well. The Matthews Museum is on the fair grounds. Moxie soda, developed in Maine, (and tastes like cocacola) was the first bottled soft-drink.

Waiting for the big "spitting " to begin.

That's a good one!

Don't think I spit a winner

I gave it my all!

This is a winner.

I want a turn to spit.

The first bottled soda.....MOXIE

The spinners.

The comb used to harvest blueberries.

Mica and his trainer for the K-9 Core

The midway

 

MERRYSPRING KITCHEN TOUR

There were eight homes featured in the kitchen tour in Camden, Rockport, and Hope. The local chefs created their favorite recipes in the kitchens.

These cakes are my favorite

and they were tasty

 

NEWCASTLE-DAMARISCOTTA ROTARY'S CANINE CAPERS

Here are the categories, and the ribbon, and the trophy

Events such as Best Costume, Heels the Best, Loudest Bark, Sits the Longest, Waggiest Tail, and the one that looks most like their owner (no one wants to win this!). We loved this event, being "dog people".

This is Tripod - only has 3 legs

I won for "waggiest tail"

I won for cutest mutt

I won for longest sit, cuz that's all I do

I won for best costume - my name is "Flour"

We didn't even win largest dogs.

I won for best heel

I won second for best costume, my name is "Sunflower"

My dog didn't get a ribbon!

 

WHALE WATCH

From May until October the Gulf of Maine (Atlantic) is home to several species of whales. The humpback,pilot, minke and finback (80 feet long) are frequently seen from the various whale-watching boats that journey 20 miles offshore. The operators are so certain that whales will be seen, there is a money back guarantee. On all of the boats, there is a naturalist on board.

This is an 80 foot Finback whale