Calm after the Storm

Waldoboro, ME - After a big snow storm yesterday, the sun came out today and view was very beautiful. Here are a few photos.

New Religion ?

Montville, Maine - I see this sign every time I drive through Montville, I still don't know what it means.  There is not even a church the next five miles.  Ideas?

There was a baby seal in my back yard

Waldoboro, ME - Last June my wife said she heard a funny noise coming from the water in front of our house.  We went out to investigate and discovered a baby seal.  We did not see the mother seal anywhere around, so we called the Marine Mammals of Maine . The told us to not go near the pup and that mother seals often leaves the pup on the shore while they go out to feed.  It was getting dark so they told us someone would come by in the morning to check.

When we got up in the morning we could still hear the pup but it sounded kind of funny.  I went over to see, from a distance, and the pup was in a big drain pipe that goes under the road.  He followed the water, which comes from a drainage ditch around my property; it has water in it in the Spring.  He followed it and then climbed out and went from my backyard to the neighbors yard.  He made his way to the neighbors garden (see above).  He then hid under their steps.

The women from the Maine Marine Rescue came to check out the pup, making sure it was healthy and if it still had a umbilical cord.  It was healthy and did not have an umbilical cord which meant it was not recently born.  I will tell you the pup was not happy and tried to bite her while she was examining it.  She led it back to the water and told us to call if it was still there the next morning.  Come the next morning, it was gone. We are telling ourselves that the mother came back to claim the pup but we really don't know.


To know what to do if you come across a baby seal, read this info from Marine Mammals of Maine

Pies on Parade - 2018 Part 2

Rockland ME - We were intrigued by the offering by Maine Coastal Islands Visitor Center, Seaweed Pie.  We were not sure what to expect, come to find out it was a quiche made with seaweed harvested from the Damariscotta River.  The seaweed is dried and flaked, there are samples in the bowl on the left side if the table. I sampled it and it was not bad, as you would expect it was salty.

In front of the 250 Main Hotel is a pizza oven from the Cafe Miranda.  I think the cafe's size does not lend itself to having hundreds of people streaming through it so they setup in the hotel.  Other businesses do the same.  The pizza served was Greek Italian Chicken and Rock Pizza Pies, also Apple Cheddar Pizza with Maple Drizzle.

My vote for the cutest would be these Cream Puffin Sweetie Pies served by the Project Puffin Center.  They are eclair/cream puffs covered with chocolate and a puffin head to finish the treat.

In addition to the sweetie pies, there is live music by the Puffin Plucker Ukulele Group.  When I was there we joined in singing a rendition of "Sweet Caroline"by Neil Diamond.

Unfortunately, there were two locations that we were not able to sample the pies because they ran out...sad.  I guess some people took more than their share.

When you pick up your ticket they give you a plastic badge to display your ticket and a metal fork.  The ticket is so they know who has paid for the event and the fork is so you can eat the pies, you carry the fork to each location.  When you finish with all the locations or when you are too full to continue, you drop off your fork and plastic badge so they can be used next year.  Every location has a drop off point.

Pies on Parade - 2018

Rockland, ME - Yesterday we went to Pies on Parade in Rockland Maine.  This is our third time going to the event we enjoy it so much.  It is put on by the Historic Inns of Rockland Maine as a fund raiser for Area Interfaith Outreach Food Pantry. Twenty-four businesses take part in the event.  Each location will give out "pie" samples, from fruit pies, pizza, tortes, quiche, muffins, and even shepards pie.

This is a "piehead" delivering what I think is quiche to the Rockland Talbot House. Note: he is wearing a "Wicked Pissah" sweatshirt(Maine humor)

In addition to the quiche are these Blueberry and Raspberry pies at the Berry Manor Inn/Rockland Talbot House location.

This is Erbazzone Italian Savory Pie served by Penobscot Language School.

Not all locations are restaurants or inns as you can see from the language school and here, Flowers by Hoboken and Hawthorn Inn.  Which was serving Zucchini , Quinoa, and Goat Cheese Tart, and Drunken Pumpkin Bourbon Tart.

More from Pies on Parade tomorrow.

Medomak River Ice

 This is what the ice on the Medomak River looks like after the cold spell that we just had.

Note: the sections of salt water that a river runs into is called a "river".  In this case, the Medomak River, the fresh water section is about 3 or 4 miles away.)

The entire river was frozen, and from high and low tides and the wind, this  happens.

Osteria Bucci

Damariscotta ME - I visited this new restaurant in Damariscotta a few days ago.  It is a "hole in the wall" in one of the alleys.

I was greeted by Bernie who owns this establishment.  He wanted to create a place with a feeling of visiting grandmother's house in Italy.

To create that feeling he has this table for patrons to sit around and talk.  On the walls he has photos of his grandparents. You can almost hear "Nonna" say, "Stay for lunch, I just made some Eggplant Parmesana".

Prices are very reasonable, a cup of coffee is a dollar.  Patrons are encouraged to stay, sit around Grandma's table, and just talk.

I'M BACK

It's been a few years, but I am back posting again.

Many things have changed since I last posted. I have retired from working from my programming job and moved to Maine with my wife, two dogs and our cat. I spent much time fly fishing, fly tying, kayaking, and working on my house. Winters in Maine for me are kind of slow, I don't ski or snowmobile so I had to find a way to keep myself busy, and you can tie only so many flies. I really enjoyed the years I posted to this blog so I decided to start it up again. So stay tuned for postings, a warning to viewers, I take photos of anything!

Me-Oh-My-Pie Shop

Red Hook, NY - On our trip to New York state we were advised to go to this pie shop in Red Hook. The pie was awesome, but we were in late and most of the pies were sold. My wife and I each had a delicious slice of Chocolate Mousse pie.

As you can see from my shirt, I like Pie, well...just about any baked good. I guess that is why I am "Doughy" myself.

New England Photos Extra - A Fork in the Road

Rock City, NY - Anyone who wants to take Yogi Berra's advice, "When you come to a fork in the road take it", would have a problem taking the 31 foot fork in Rock City, NY. According to the back of the fork where a newspaper article and a Ripley's Believe It or Not cartoon are taped(see below)it was built by Stephen B, Schreiber as a joke.

The fork is at the intersection of Rts. 308 and 199 in the Rock City Hamlet in the town of Milan, New York. As I said above, he put it there as a joke on January 2, 2000, never thinking that it would be allowed to stay there but no one said anything and it has been there over 12 years now.