Tag Archives: maine

A little rain, a lot of alcohol.

 

Saturday we had tickets to an afternoon festival promoting local beer and food. It was called The Taste of Summer and was being held on the old Navy base. The band were friends of friends and we were looking forward to it. Until the heavens opened up on the way over….

 

IMG_5058

 

It was raining, thunder was booming and people were standing on line wearing trash bags.

 

IMG_5056

 

We sat in the car for a while, thinking it would pass… which is when it started to hail and festival goers ran for cover.

Seeing that trash bags aren’t a good look for me, and I generally prefer to do my drinking while dry…. we left and headed for Boothbay Harbor.

 

IMG_E5080

 

Which is always a good idea.

 

IMG_E5083

 

Boothbay is one of our favorite places to walk…

 

IMG_E5079

 

To sight see…

 

IMG_E5081

 

To eat…

 

IMG_E5086

 

And yes, to drink.

(Don’t be shocked, it’s been know to happen on occasion.)

 

IMG_5074

 

First stop… The Boathouse Bistro.

Best damn food in Boothbay Harbor.

 

IMG_5063

 

Appetizers were Coconut Lime Ginger Mussels for the husband and my friend.

 

IMG_5064

 

Those babies were huge!

Cajun Shrimp and Cheesy Grits for me.

 

IMG_5065

 

I hate grits. I love these.

Enough said…

 

IMG_5066

 

A Harborside Lemonade and a Summer Bliss later, I dove into Pan Seared Scallops on Parmesan Mushroom Risotto with Citrus Wilted Arugula. You could have killed me right then and there… and I’d have died happy.

 

IMG_5067

 

Husband had a deconstructed Beef Wellington with split lobster tail and goat cheese mushroom compote.

 

IMG_5068

 

Girlfriend had 2 rum punches and a Bourbon Brown Sugar Glazed Ribeye with rosemary fingerling potatoes and broccolini.

We were happy campers.

But onward.

 

let-the-drinking-begin-

 

Technically it already had, we were two cocktails in… but the bar hopping portion of our afternoon/evening will now commence.

Trust me when I say a good time was had by all.

Second stop… The World is Mine Oyster. A bit of a dive, but keep walking… through the hallway, up the winding stairs, thru the restaurant and out on the deck?

 

IMG_5071

 

One of the best views of the harbor.

 

IMG_5072

 

And 2 sea green margaritas.

Life is good.

Third stop… The Harborside Tavern.

 

IMG_5076

 

This was a place we’d never been before and though we sat at the bar instead of enjoying the view….

 

IMG_5075

 

One extremely strong bourbon filled Perfect Storm later?

I didn’t much care. The bartender was so heavy handed she either loved us.. or hated us. I still don’t know which.

Fourth and final stop…. The Boothbay Harbor Inn, where things got interesting.

 

IMG_E5087

 

Needless to say we were feeling no pain by then.

This is across the harbor from where we started and has a beautiful view as well.

 

 

Our bartender was an adorable little exchange student from Romania named Meihi.

 

IMG_E5101

 

With whom my soon to be divorced friend was instantly smitten.

Of course Happy Hour Blueberry Mules may have had something to do with that.

 

IMG_5093

 

At this point it started to pour again….

 

 

So what else could we do but stay and drink?

 

19ahcs

 

We drank. And made friends with a group that was staying at the inn.

 

IMG_E5106

 

We drank. And watched the cute bartender play bar games.

 

 

 

We drank. Until the sun started to set and I figured we shouldn’t drink anymore.

For this…

 

IMG_E5108

 

My cheeky friend flipped me off.

 

IMG_E5111

 

Sunset.

 

IMG_E5113

 

In Boothbay Harbor…

 

IMG_E5104

 

Is a beautiful thing.

 

IMG_5117

 

My girlfriend trying to pole dance on the parking meter?

 

IMG_5120

 

Not so much.

 

 

Clearly some of us had a better time than others….

 

 

Orange in da house!

 

Okay, technically…. outside the house.

 

IMG_0284

 

But I spotted a few of these beauties the other day…

 

Img_2541

 

And realized it was time to get the Baltimore Oriole feeder out.

20 minutes later…. after tearing the utility  (read – I don’t know where else to put all this crap)  closet apart, I remembered a raccoon had broken last year’s feeder trying to drink the nectar and I never replaced it.

 

yes-thats-rightfill

 

May in Maine means Orioles.

It also means there’s not a feeder to be had within 500 miles. We northerners are starved for color after a long white winter and take our bird feeding seriously.

Jeff Bezos to the rescue.

 

bezos

 

Good thing I don’t use Alexa.

 

IMG_0276

 

2 days later Amazon Prime came through with an interesting new triple threat feeder.

 

IMG_0280

 

A flat dish for nectar.

 

IMG_0291

 

Spikes for holding orange halves.

 

IMG_0282

 

And 4 reservoirs for grape jelly.

I’d never done the jelly before, but Holy Hell!  They love it.

Welch’s….

 

SAMSUNG

 

Giving birds diabetes since 1923.

 

Fat-bird-Meme

The great goat escape.

 

Yes, we who live in the country are easily amused.

 

goats-are-amphibious-now-photo-u1

 

A few weeks ago as I was doing dishes, I saw one of our neighbor’s goats on the run…. with their daughters hot on it’s heels.

 

IMG_0146

 

It was a grand chase.

 

IMG_0147

 

And went on long enough for me to photograph it.

 

IMG_0148

 

Don’t think goats can run?

Try chasing one.

 

IMG_0149

 

One daughter managed to steer it closer to the outbuildings…

And viola… the take down.

 

IMG_0145

 

Country goats.

Because city people don’t know what to do with them…

 

2tj76d

 

Dragons on the other hand…

 

Bwaahaahaa!

Air mail for bird nerds.

 

I love living in the country….

Because you never know who will drop by.

Or deliver the mail.

 

IMG_0153

 

The other day?

 

IMG_0151

 

It was this little beauty.

 

IMG_0154

 

An American Kestrel.

We have many birds of prey fly over head…. Bald Eagles, Red Tail Hawks, Golden Eagles, Ospreys .

 

C_X-13AWAAAh3OS

 

We have a Sharp Shinned Hawk who plucks mourning doves off our bird feeders.

 

bc968909fed5cbaa84344d6801f5caff

 

Yes, even the ones in disguise.

We have a Barred Owl who perches on our deck railing waiting for mice to scurry by.

 

92e3cb9006d64d55548366d9ccb0b176

 

But this Kestrel is the first one I’ve seen on our property in the 18 years we’ve lived here.

For bird lovers like us?

It’s a beautiful thing.

 

wejidf

 

 

You’re never too old to learn…. Mindfulness.

 

I was cleaning out my desk the other day and found an old brochure for Adult Education.

Then I remembered I’d started a series on some of the more interesting classes when I first started blogging here…

 

You’re never too old to learn…. Chakra Toning.

You’re never too old to learn…. Spoons.

You’re never too old to learn…. Ukulele

 

Yes, you can learn some weird things in Maine.

So let’s continue….

 

plkorehg

 

Good.

I’m glad someone is.

Today’s class?

Mindfulness.

 

mindful

 

O-kay.

The definition?

1. the quality or state of being conscious

 

So let me get this straight…

For $95, and over the course of 6 weeks, they’re going to teach me to be conscious?

To be honest, that’s not usually something I have a problem with…. unless I’ve had too much to drink.

 

 

And as I read the class description I kept picturing this:

 

27e8b2d983e8696008f0af224b905cca

 

But for the hell of it, I tried practicing being in the moment…

And it didn’t seem too difficult.

 

76633ff02bc707fbd5595044009b30a7d3976ffa699ac0d6a7dd88bc34d66aa1

 

And I figured…

I got this.

Who needs a class?

 

mindful-funny

 

 

Yeah.

It didn’t work.

But that’s okay, I’d much rather buy $95 worth of Girl Scout Cookies anyway…..

UFC – turkey division

 

Have you ever seen a turkey smackdown?

I hadn’t, and to be honest….

I’m not anxious to see it again.

When there’s snow on the ground, we get wild turkey visitors. They come in for the bird seed that falls under the feeders and while the husband will shoo them off due to the copious amounts of poo they leave behind….

 

ttt3

 

I usually enjoy their comical turkey antics.

Until yesterday.

When it turned into a brawl.

 

 

It went on for what seemed like forever.

 

1eon55

 

Two combatants, who I assume were males fighting for spring mating rites…

 

eb444fc4f5335c91524d8045a6e20e20

 

Went at it hard and heavy.

 

,hfgbh

 

They bounced, and flew, and scrambled, and chased each other all over the back yard…

Until this happened.

 

IMG_4458

 

Not sure if you can tell by the picture…

 

IMG_4461

 

By one bird literally had his beak down the throat of the other.

They seemed to be stuck… and were thrashing like crazy.

It was horrible to watch.

 

IMG_4463

 

While I usually don’t interfere in nature, after what seemed like an eternity I finally went outside and made some noise.

It startled them and thankfully they broke apart.

I’m sorry, but no amount of sex is worth that!

 

23r2yduhj

 

I believe it.

Damn!

Those little buggers are mean.

 

 

 

Pink sky at night….

 

Sailor’s delight.

Pink sky in morning….

Sailors take warning.

 

IMG_E4220

 

Our backyard sky Sunday morning.

 

IMG_E4221

 

Uh oh.

 

dc509892fb00d734028e003adebaaf3c

 

Our weather has been wacky lately.

Bright sun and 55 degrees one day….

Cold, snow and bitter wind the next.

 

cefced1d225b334fd66d3533f0701b90

 

Oh well..

We’ll get there eventually.

 

IMG_4198

 

But not today….

 

 

Me, shoveling Tuesday morning…..

And not really enjoying April.

Come on spring!

 

 

r3qdsij

 

Nothing blooming here but snowflakes…

But that doesn’t mean I can’t import a little now and then.

 As for the upcoming holiday?

 

I broke the unbreakable. And snow.

 

I can break anything.

Really. It’s one of my lesser known talents.

You know those cheap Corelle bowls?

The ones you can’t kill?

 

IMG_E4160

 

Well…

 

IMG_4159

 

I didn’t even have to put it on the stovetop or broiler.

Yay me.

In other news, it snowed.

Again.

To which people in Maine replied….

 

IMG_4170

 

A simple reminder that we’ve had enough frigid blasts of white stuff followed by 52 degree days and melting.

Of course, the melting does allow us to participate in the annual derby.

 

IMG_E4144

 

The pothole fishing derby.

Loads of fun for the entire family….

But not your car.

 

pothole_memes_3

 

 

A wee bit of snow.

 

Southern Maine dodged the snow bullet this winter with only a few insignificant storms here and there.

Northern Maine…?

 

 

Not so much.

Every time we got an inch?

 

 

They got a foot.

Personally, I think that kind of snow is a hoot.

Snow banks?

 

 

Yeah, baby.

That’s what I’m talkin’ about!

 

 

Snowmobile trail?

It’s there…

Somewhere.

 

 

Well, I wouldn’t go that far.

Two years ago this was our driveway –

 

 

And yes, that’s a ruler.

Ah, winter.

You make life interesting…