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Really, it’s totally useless.
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See?
Useless, as promised.
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Explain to me again why we’re so anxious to apply AI to medicine… because this doesn’t bode well.
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If you have to ask, you’ve never been to Maine.
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Even the crab world is rejecting AI.
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Damn straight.
I wouldn’t hug him either.
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Whaaaat?
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Seems a little harsh, but okay.
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Every once in a while we throw the cooler in the car and head out on a pilgrimage.
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We drive two hours south to a little town in New Hampshire that houses one of our favorite places.
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Part tavern, part butcher shop… it’s always worth the drive.
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Husband likes the bar, where antiques hang over your head.
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And the food?
Oh my…
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My Banging Shrimp were crispy, spicy, sweet and delicious.
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Husband’s French Onion soup was rich, hearty and had steak in it as well.
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I started with a beer but switched to an alcoholic Dreamsicle.
Gin, orange liqueur, lemon creamsicle simple and orange juice with a sugared rim.
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The Real Burger King Burger for me. Ground filet mignon and ribeye with caramelized onions, Swiss cheese, smoked bacon and truffle aioli.
Seriously, one of the best burgers ever.
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Filet mignon with mashed potatoes and baked beans for the spouse. The gravy was to die for and made from roasting their prime rib.
Along with the excellent tavern, there’s a massive butcher shop filled with steaks, chops, chicken, sausage and deli salads.
There’s also a wonderful selection of local craft beer.
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Batson River’s cans are quintessentially Maine.
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There were also a few weirdos.
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I was very tempted to buy some …
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But our beer fridge is bursting at the seams as it is.
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We did come home with a few things for the grill though.
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Their house marinated steak tips are da bomb.
👍
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Autumn is right around the bend.
Do I know this because the leaves are turning and the temperatures are dropping? Yes, but there’s also a less subtle sign of fall.
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Pumpkin spiced everything. Cereal, coffee, cookies… you name it, they spice it. Even the nuts aren’t safe.
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The next two photos were taken by a friend on the island where I spent my teenage years.
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Sunsets there are pretty special.
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Ours was nice that night, but not nearly as dramatic.
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Has anyone ever tried these tricks?
Because I fail to see how ice cubes are going to deodorize a stinky disposal.
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In a world where there’s entirely too much hatred and prejudice, Maine is welcoming some new neighbors.
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And finally, 61.
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I was 61.
😳
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Working up an appetite walking around the lighthouse made us more willing than usual to try an unassuming little local spot for lunch.
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Yes, it was called the Happy Clam.
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And to be honest, he did look happy … so we ducked inside.
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The raspberry frozen daiquiri? Awful.
Clearly the clam wasn’t drinking that.
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Seeing the German flag proudly displayed out front and learning that the owner’s wife hailed from there, I took a chance on the schnitzel fingers appetizer.
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And oh my…
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Was I ever glad I did. Perfectly cooked, light and flavorful with the most delicious mushroom and thyme sauce. I haven’t had any this good since my Austrian mother passed away.
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Husband went with a puréed lobster bisque which was equally as good.
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And though I felt like I should have ordered the aforementioned bivalves, I opted for a fabulous crabmeat roll instead.
Totally stuffed, we stepped out of there happy as the namesake clam.
Until my husband spotted a yard sale…
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And bought a fistful of old wooden hangers and rulers.
I wasn’t so happy then.
🥴
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Marshall Point lighthouse… Port Clyde, Maine.
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Did you guess which famous movie used this landmark as a backdrop?
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Yes, it was the eastern most spot Forrest Gump encountered on his run across the country and where he turned around.
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The little museum made sure to memorialize its moment in the sun.
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This really is a gorgeous location.
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With the quintessential rocky Maine shore.
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The light itself is tiny and there was a line of people waiting to climb in so we just strolled around outside and enjoyed the views.
https://youtu.be/gFBPufqy9r8?feature=shared
WordPress is acting up and won’t let me embed the video. Grr..
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The keeper’s cottage doesn’t look like a bad place to call home.
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The monarch butterflies agreed.
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❤️
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We took a drive the other day.
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Up the coast to a famous landmark in this part of the world.
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Sadly, the current drought had hit this area as well and most everything was brown…. but this is Marshall Point Lighthouse, first built in 1832.
Read the full history here…
https://www.marshallpoint.org/history
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Before checking out the light itself, we stopped in the little museum which is located in what used to be the caretaker’s house.
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And they had an interesting array of artifacts on display.
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These boiled wool mittens were made in the mid 1800’s, passed down and used right through the 1980’s.
Mainers are thrifty people.
If it’s usable? We use it. For as long as we can.
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I don’t sew, at all… and have been known to superglue things, so this quilt impressed me.
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The lighthouse keepers honor toll.
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Eula, the lighthouse keeper’s daughter. Damned if she doesn’t look exactly the same.
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In case you’re wondering, lobster stew goes for around $35 a bowl today.
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I thought this was a nice tribute to local lobstermen.
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Buoy colors are taken seriously here and passed down through the generations.
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A bad storm last year did considerable damage to the lighthouse approach decking….
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And access was blocked.
But everything had been fixed by the time we arrived.
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Trivia question- This lighthouse was featured in a very famous movie.
Can you name it?
To be continued…
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I was born in New Jersey. And while we moved to Maine when I was 15, there’s still a part of me that identifies as a Jersey Girl. I say dawg and cawfee, love a good bagel, speak rapidly and have big hair.
What can I say?
Some things stick like glue…
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My hometown?
Thinks it’s New York.
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Ugh.
Say what you want about NJ, they know real Italian food.
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Isn’t that what it means?
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Definitely.
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In our case it was a baboon. An ostrich chased our station wagon as well…pecking at the windows the whole time.
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😊
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Ridiculous and uninformative, that’s the goal.
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The way we’re going now?
I think I’m okay with that….
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In her defense, airline tickets are too expensive these days.
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I suppose that could come in handy.
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Like enough people won’t bad mouth you when you’re dead? Geesh.
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“ I know that’s not real bacon, Karen.”
No mystery there.
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Worst. Wedding. Ever.
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A wannabe Tik Tok influencer, for sure.
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After drinking our fill of beer at the off the beaten path brewery it was time for food, so we took the scenic route back through Westport Island.
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It’s a lovely place… and I even spotted a Kingfisher on a power line.
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Heading inland you can tell fall is right around the corner.
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The blueberry barrens are starting to turn red.
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Our destination was the old Jameson Tavern in Freeport which is now the Kings Head pub.
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We settled at the bar where I had a fabulous and quite potent blood orange margarita.
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The menu was small and I knew the husband would grumble, but I started with a plate of decent garlic Parmesan wings.
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So far so good for me, but my spouse is picky when it comes to restaurants. He said his shrimp cocktail was tough and chewy…and when he asked for some vinaigrette for the accompanying greens, the waitress brought a teeny tiny finger full and that was all it took.
He was done.
We went home, where I made hot turkey sandwiches.
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The husband and I enjoy finding new breweries and never let it be said we don’t travel far and wide on the path to discovery.
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Up the coast, off Route 1, across a country road, over a small bridge (arrow) and down a long peninsula…
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Through the woods…
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Where the road turns to dirt…
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Don’t blink or you’ll miss the sign to the long driveway that leads to…
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A family run farm brewery.
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With only outdoor seating, I’m guessing Sasanoa (named for the nearby river) is a seasonal spot.
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I have to say I’ve never had fresh veggies on offer alongside the beer….
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But it had a charming, laid back, rustic vibe so I wasn’t completely surprised. All beer ingredients are local, organic and many are grown on site.
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Their lime basil ale?
Superb.
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When I commented to the owner that this was definitely an out of the way brew destination she said, yes.
And we like that way.
❤️
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River's world..... 