Tag Archives: maine

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High praise for a pork chop.

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The husband and I were searching for a bakery in Windham but found a wonderful new restaurant instead.

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Stumbling in at noon right after they opened, we had the place to ourselves. For a strip mall location, it was surprisingly nice inside, kind of boho rustic.

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And the cocktails were next level good.

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I felt right at home with chickens over my shoulder.

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And we discovered their menus are seasonal as well as locally sourced.

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Everything was fresh and utterly fabulous.

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My mini beef Wellington appetizer melted in my mouth.

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Husband’s garlic and white wine mussels with saffron butter, chorizo and pine nuts were huge and flavorful .

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Naturally we sat at the bar.

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And naturally my husband made a friend.

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My cast iron chicken with mushrooms, mashed potatoes and a lemon thyme gravy was amazing and after a recommendation from the owner … who claimed they had the best pork anyone had ever tasted…

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Husband had the best pork chop he’s ever tasted, bar none.

Perfectly prepared, the chop was massive. Hard to tell from the photo but it was easily 2 inches thick. Cider brined, grilled with a char but tender and juicy inside. Topped with caramelized onions and Honeycrisp apples and served with fresh green beans and butternut squash puree.

It wasn’t an inexpensive meal, but damn. It was perfect.

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Autumn leaves and antiques.

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Another beautiful fall day called for another scenic drive.

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I’m sorry, but autumn in New England is hard to beat.

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The air is crisp and the trees give us a splendid tableau of color.

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It also means the last gasp of yard sales and antique store sales that my husband can’t drive by. This particular shop had auxiliary rooms made out of tractor trailer boxes and were filled with vintage horrors.

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Ack!

😱

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Wow.

Please note the base table of this lamp lights up as well.

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Inside, my husband combed the shelves for treasure but thankfully came out empty handed.

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I’d much rather view foliage.

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Statue of Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain at Bowdoin College. Hero of Gettysburg, he taught rhetoric and modern languages as a professor and later served as the college’s president. His home is across the street.

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Danger, Will Robinson!

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Strolling around the property last week , His Lordship spotted an intruder.

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Lord Dudley is a gentle soul. Mild mannered, sweet and usually quite skittish, but when he spotted the neighbor’s cat Silas?

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Our resident Royal went full blown Jekyll and Hyde and started growling, hissing and screeching.

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He tried to give chase but thankfully his harness did its job and saved me from running for the garden hose and paying a large vet bill.

I doubt Silas will be back after that frosty reception.

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Continuing our walk, I noticed the sedum was thoughtfully color coordinating with the Man Cave/Barn Mahal.

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And some of our backyard trees were putting on an autumn show.

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My two weirdo daisies that only bloom after the first frost were doing their late season thing as well.

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With some very sluggish bees taking final advantage.

😊

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Squirrel gymnastics.

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It’s been squirrel central at Casa River lately.

Our beef feeder pole is out in the open, and with our resident hawk patrolling the skies we usually only have a single squirrel show up to nosh.

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Seven is a record.

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But after something scared the others away one brave little guy took advantage.

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I know people hate squirrels because they eat the bird seed, but we’re equal opportunity feeders here and all critters are welcome.

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I enjoy watching their gymnastic performances.

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Rats with bushy tails?

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Maybe.

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But they’re still sweeties.

💕.

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An autumn day.

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A weekend in Maine in the fall calls for a scenic drive to enjoy the glorious foliage, so that’s what we did.

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Stumbling on a covered bridge was a happy surprise.

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On our travels, the husband saw a sign for an antique tractor show and craft fair at a local farm so we detoured there.

Not our best idea.

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Yes, there was a farm.

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And yes there were some old tractors.

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Some in use.

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And while there were two miniature horses…

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And a “dining room” with the worst fried dough I’ve ever had…

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(Hard as a rock, crunchy and tasteless)

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The “craft show” consisted of fresh vegetables, a few tables of American flag boards, patriotic signs and multiple tables of right wing propaganda. There were candidates handing out pamphlets and political ephemera, trying their best to swell the MAGA base.

These are just not our people y’all. And while I respect their right to be there, I have to admit I wasn’t expecting to be arguing about restricting voting rights and ICE roundups at a craft show.

My husband is a veteran of a certain age. He has grey hair and wears a Marine Corps hat. That’s usually all it takes for people to assume he loves the Mango Monarch … which couldn’t be further from the truth.

They kept trying to draw him into discussion but my guy just brushed them off and didn’t engage, other than to make it clear where he stood.

Color me surprised.

We departed soon after and got back on the road…

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Where the husband found a barn sale.

And can you see what’s in his hands?

Another wooden ruler.

🥴

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Which called for a cocktail and some nibbles.

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And more scenic beauty.

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Deer me.

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We have a few nice bucks visiting this fall.

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Sometimes with a companion skunk.

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As long as stinky doesn’t get too close the buck doesn’t seem to mind.

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It’s hunting season so I’m always worried about these guys, even though our property and our neighbors is posted.

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A deer’s home range is usually one square mile and while our neighbor’s properties on both sides are 4 times bigger than ours… that still leaves us about 600 acres short of a safe from bullets zone.

😥

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