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

 

 

 

LIVING IN MAINE MIDCOAST SUMMER 2013

DRIVING TO CAMDEN,MAINE

Why Camden? Why Maine? I decided that I wanted to live in a summer environment very unlike Dallas. I chose Maine, and then the midcoast because the average summer temperature was 70 degrees;the towns and villages along the coast were small;there were a lot of cultural activities during the summer months;and I have never been to Maine.

I departed Dallas on July 1st for the 30 hour drive to Camden, where I had rented a house for July,August and 1/2 of September. Along the way, I stopped in Pennsylvania to spend time with family.

Coastal Maine towns have maintained their identities in the face of considerable pressure. The region has taken pride in its low-key practical approach to life. Town meetings are the preferred form of government. "Use it up, wear it out, make do, or do without" is the mantra that aptly sums up the lifestyle - very opposite to the designer-outlet ethos filtering in. Today a Coastal Mainer might have been a former editor of the "New Yorker", an investment advisor working from his office at home, or an artist who in his former life built a tech company. All of this makes for an interesting and very approachable mix of people. I've made new friends in the very short time I have lived in this community.

CAMDEN

On top of Mt Battie overlooking Camden

A quintessential coastal Maine town at the foot of Camden Hills. The village of Camden sits on a picturesque harbor that no Hollywood movie set could improve on. Many of the mansions still dominate the town's shady side streets (although many are now B&B's).

National Historic Landmark

 

ROCKPORT

View from Union Hall where the Bay Chamber Concerts Perform

Rockport is the "sister" town to Camden. Two miles away, it sits on a bluff above the historic harbor and many photo opportunities. The Center for Maine Contemporary Art is a gallery for local artists - painters, sculptors and craftspeople is also in Rockport.

 

ROCKLAND

Located on the southwestern edge of Penobscot Bay, Rockland was built around the fishing industry. Rockland is a new entrant to "tourism" - the largest contributor to GDP along the Coast. Noted sculptor Louis Nevelson grew up in Rockland. In 1935 philanthropist Lucy Farnsworth bequeathed a fortune to establish the Farnsworth Museum, which is the most respected little art museum in New England. Most of the painters and sculptors have connections to Maine. Three generations of Wyeths (N.C.,Andrew, and Jamie), Rockwell Kent, Childe Hassam, Maurice Prendergast and Robert Indiana are present in the museum collection.

 

PORT CLYDE - MONHEGAN ISLAND

The light house made famous by "Forest Gump" when he ran East and then turned West

Lobster traps.

Port Clyde is located at the tip of a long finger of land about 15 miles south of Route 1. It is still a charming fishing village. This is also where one can access the 45 minute ferry ride to Monhegan Island. Monhegan was visited by Europeans as early as 1497. The wild, remote island was settled by fisherman. In the 1870's artists discovered the island and stayed - George Bellows,Edward Hopper and Robert Henri. The island possesses a mystical sense of tranquility. All of the trails lead to magnificent vistas that look down to the rugged coast. This is a perfect destination for hikers.

 

BELFAST

The northerly stretch of Penobscot Bay is rich in history, especially maritime history. In the mid 19th century, Belfast and Searsport produced many ships, along with the captains to pilot them on trading ventures around the globe. In 1856 , 24 ships of more than 1,000 tons were launched from Belfast. Searsport at one time had 17 active shipyards. Now there are many shops and galleries that are occupied by regional artists. The Belfast shipyards are readying for 600 skilled craftspeople, and an addition 600 workers to restore and repair the wooden boats. This is a lost art, although many still have wooden boats.

Belfast festival with an electric moose.

The 100 year old Colonial Theatre - still operating