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In life, you sometimes have to fight for what’s yours.
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And if you’re a baby woodchuck, you have to fight birds.
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They’re always in the way…
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And always eating your food.
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At times, you’re outnumbered.
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And when that happens?
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You call in reinforcements.
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When the nightly buffet of apples and deer grain is laid…
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I also put out some special grain free dry dog food with taurine for the fox and skunks.
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Problem is the woodchucks and ducks like it as well and scarf it up quickly.
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But sometimes they have competition.
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And a stand off with Starlings begins.
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Sometimes it gets physical.
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Every night at dusk, the skunks show up.
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It’s usually too dark to take pictures through the window, but last week they arrived early.
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And trust me, they really are fun to watch.
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Of course, sometimes….
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They don’t get along.
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And it’s on!
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There’s a lot of squealing….
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A lot of posturing and tail raising..
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But more often than not….
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They settle in and eat side and side.
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No air freshener required.
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And though it’s not riveting footage, here’s a little skunk video for your viewing pleasure.
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Two baby woodchucks showed up for apples yesterday. ( we put them out for the deer but these little guys are beating them to it )
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The chuck on the right seemed to be annoying his brother with his close proximity.
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Before long they were squabbling.
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And a sibling scuffle ensued.
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Left woodchuck held his ground, as well as his apple.
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And right woodchuck was forced to step aside.
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Family.
What are ya gonna do?
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Wouldn’t it be great to always have an umbrella handy?
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No more rooting through the nightmare that is your hall closet or under your lost french fry infested car seats.
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Every time it rains?
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You just flip your built in umbrella up over your head… and the problem is solved.
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What… you were expecting Christ and the Madonna?
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Sorry, wrong blog.
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On my page you get momma chucker and the baby that sticks close to her side.
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She’s started to swat them away when they try to nurse….
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But brings them to the buffet every day.
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Happily they love to eat broad leaf weeds.
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Because momma’s not sharing her apples.
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Starling photo bomb on the left.
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The little guys (girls?) are branching out and feeling more comfortable in the backyard.
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We often see 3 but rarely all 4.
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Momma wanders off now and then but usually shows up at apple time.
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Not that she shares mind you.
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As much as I despise them for eating my flowers, it’s hard to stay mad when you see the little ones scampering around.
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I’m not sure why…
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But momma woodchuck always looks pissed off.
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Is it because her children are always under foot?
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Or because the pesky human woman keeps spraying all the tasty munchies with coyote urine?
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Maybe it’s because her tatas are hanging so low they scrape the rock wall.
Tough call… but I’m going with gravity. That’s bound to make any woman cranky.
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It was a lovely drive along the coast…
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And though I would have loved to stop and snap some photos, the husband was hungry… so you’ll have to make do with a few quick shots from the car.
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Here’s the famous Cribstone Bridge.
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And as you’ve probably guessed, lobster reigns supreme.
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This was our destination, Cooks Lobster and Ale House.
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A local landmark built in 1955 on a long spit of land with panoramic water views. Popular with locals and tourists alike (although we locals don’t appreciate the tourist prices) it’s a no fuss, traditionally rustic waterfront restaurant.
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But what it lacks in decor? It makes up in scenic vistas. The view from our table was pretty sweet.
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The cocktails are potent.
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And two Cosmopolitans were all I could handle if I wanted to remain upright.
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Pardon the fuzzy pic, it was taken through a screen.
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The food is simple but delicious. Caesar salad (with the most amazing homemade herb butter croutons evah!) for me, a tasty French onion soup for my other half.
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Perfectly cooked lightly battered fried sea scallops for me….
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And lazy lobster for my rat bastard husband who ate it in front of me without feeling the least bit guilty. (I came up allergic 7 years ago and can no longer consume the delicious crustaceans without becoming seriously ill. 😩)
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Dessert? Of course it was blueberry pie. And as we waddled out to the car… we stopped for a moment to take in the beauty.
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And realized the husband might have backed up a bit too far upon arrival.
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Maine rocks. They’re unforgiving little devils.
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When it’s a beautiful summer evening in Maine? You head to the coast for dinner… and since we hadn’t been there in a few years, we drove to Cooks Lobster and Ale House.
In order to get to the Island where it’s located, you drive over the world famous Cribstone Bridge.
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Why do I say world famous? Because it’s literally the only one in the world.
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Built in 1927 of stacked granite blocks held together by gravity alone, the unique design allows high tides and rough seas to pass through freely.
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It’s a marvel of engineering and has had only minor repairs since it’s construction nearly a century ago.
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We tend to take it for granted in these parts but it’s actually a major tourist attraction.
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Of course the beautiful coast of Harpswell and Orrs Island don’t hurt either.
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Quintessential Maine fishing villages. Small, rugged and built to last.
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Onward to the restaurant… past stacks and stacks of lobster traps.
To be continued.
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River's world..... 