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