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When friends visit from out of state? They want to have dinner on the ocean and take a sunset drive.
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We joined them for a nice meal and then chauffeured them to our favorite spot.
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Ocean Point Drive in East Boothbay.
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It’s always lovely, but at sunset?
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Wow.
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We continued on…
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Into Boothbay Harbor proper.
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And then?
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No words were necessary.
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❤️
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We had a thunderstorm roll in recently…. and when that happens?
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We head out to the Barn Mahal porch to enjoy the show.
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More often than not this involves freshly tapped beer.
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Unless the CO2 cartridge runs out without us knowing, making the (admittedly almost empty) kegs untappable.
😩
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Hard blackberry lemonade in a frosted glass to the rescue.
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With Momma Red in the distance, keeping a close eye on us.
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When it’s hot and humid we flip on the air conditioning, but the outdoor critters aren’t so lucky. They have to find relief in other ways.
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The red squirrel?
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She sploots.
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Yes, autocorrect… that is the correct spelling.
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Splooting:
Most commonly used by dogs and squirrels. Flattening their belly against a cold surface (like tile or hardwood) helps them regulate body temperature.
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This little lady was in full sploot for half an hour.
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Right on top of the layer of sparrow poo and stray seeds the birds insist on eating on the deck railing.
🥴
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I love peony season.
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Brilliant pops of pink brighten my day.
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The scent is heavenly.
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And they make wonderful bouquets.
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Shame the blooms don’t last longer though.
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In other news, the Red B*tch has discovered the new kitchen landing storm door is a perfect place to tease His Lordship.
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Poor Dudley.
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And poor me for missing what was surely a rollicking good time.
🤣
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Whenever we visit Boothbay Harbor?
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We have to take a drive out to East Boothbay.
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Their loop road is one of the prettiest in Maine.
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Skirting the shore…
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Right along the Atlantic Ocean….
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It’s quintessentially Maine.
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And has some pretty fabulous waterfront homes.
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With some stellar views.
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There’s even a mini lighthouse.
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Some of the properties are for rent in the summer, though I’d hate to guess the cost .
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Scenic drive done, we headed for the Thistle Inn for cocktails and a small bite to eat.
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A ship captain’s home built in 1861…
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it now houses a charming rustic pub and restaurant as well as six suites.
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Did I mention the bar is an actual boat?
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Husband’s French onion soup was rich and hearty.
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My truffle mushroom tart was rich and delicate and absolutely fabulous.
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If you’re in the area, Thistle has some of the best food around.
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A beautiful summer day in Maine requires a trip to the coast.
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And one of our favorites places is Boothbay Harbor.
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It retains its quaint old fishing village vibe despite being over run with tourists during the season.
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Parking is a nightmare.
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But the scenery divine.
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A walk across the footbridge is a must.
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As it has its very own house.
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Talk about waterfront property.
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It’s been many different things over the years.
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Right now I think someone’s summer home.
Not much in the way of privacy, but to each their own.
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Since we had friends coming up from Connecticut that week we decided to give a restaurant near the bridge a test run.
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Everyone wants to eat on the water when they visit so we sampled the Harborside 1901 Bar and Grille.
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I’d heard great things…
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And the craft cocktails didn’t disappoint.
The Man-Go Mojito – rum, lime, mango puree, mint, sugar, soda was fabulous. Light, minty, and bursting with fresh, ripe mango.
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The teriyaki dumplings app? Overcooked, dry and pretty tasteless. Husband’s lobster bisque? Puréed, with no discernible meaty bits.
Boo to that.
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As for Harborside… technically it was. But your immediate view is a parking lot which stretches the “waterfront” marketing.
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Cocktail #2?
The Strawberry Elderflower – vodka, St. Germain, lemon, strawberry, prosecco
Floral and fruity, perfect for summer.
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Since we weren’t overly impressed with the appetizers, we opted for salads. Which to be honest were nothing special.
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They looked better than they tasted with the husbands apple and pistachio having little to no dressing and my Caesar positively drowning in it. The grilled chicken on both was over cooked and tough.
Nice drinks aside, we’re crossing this place off our list.
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But not before I helped myself to a Grateful Dead coaster for the man cave/Barn Mahal collection.
😉
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The little chuck was back on the kitchen landing yesterday….
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Scampering around, having a grand old time.
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His Lordship on the other hand….
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Was not enjoying it nearly as much.
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Since we replaced the storm door and he can see right outside at cat eye level?
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The critters are driving him mad.
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I swear they do it on purpose.
🤣
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Our new storm door is Lord Dudley Mountcatten’s most favorite thing in the world right now. As soon as we swing back the kitchen door in the morning and allow him viewing access? He’s perched. Watching the world go by at perfect kitty height.
He watches birds. The rain. Squirrels. A leaf blowing by. It doesn’t matter… he’s there. And riveted.
So when I heard him cackling the other day I figured it must be something good.
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And it was.
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A baby woodchuck climbed the stairs to the landing and lay down on the welcome mat.
Right there.
In front of His Lordship.
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It was almost too much for a cat to bear.
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That little chucker got comfy… and stayed.
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No matter how crazy it drove our resident feline.
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🤣
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The little chucks love their carrots.
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And there’s one baby who holds his high in the air.
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So high it tips him off balance.
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I never manage to get a picture of him falling over while nibbling …
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But trust me, it happens.
😊
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Every spring Maine has a pollen problem. The trees explode with new growth and yellow powder covers everything. And since winter hung on a little longer this year? The pollen season has stretched into summer.
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This was I-295 southbound a week ago.
Not fog. Not smog….
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Pollen. Choking the air.
Makes me glad I don’t have allergies.
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It’s rare, but woodchucks do climb trees. As evidenced by this photo I took of a youngster checking out our apple tree branch.
Even rarer?
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Capturing a picture of the young woodchuck kamikaze diving off said branch.
He was fine and wandered off shortly after the drop.
😳
Warning – little bit of grossness ahead.
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I bought a rotisserie chicken for a chicken and dumpling casserole recipe the other day. But as I started carving it?
Eewww …
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I can honestly say I’ve never seen whatever the hell this was before.
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A big blood spot on the breast and something disgusting that looked like pumpernickel bread in the meat.
What the hell!
Was it an infection? A tumor?
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Either way, it was disgusting and completely off putting.
Needless to say we ordered pizza that night.
🤢
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River's world..... 