Maine Late Summer - 2005

We try to spend every Labor Day weekend in Maine as September 1, is our wedding anniversary. This year it happens to be our 43rd. Last year we missed it as we had gotten back from our Canada trip around the middle of August and were getting ready to go to Branson, Missouri. So after a one year hiatus we re-established the tradition. We left NJ on Tuesday, August 30 at around 11:00 AM and pulled into a motel in Westbrook, Me (north of Portland) around 6:30PM. After a little unwinding we went for a late dinner at the local Friendly's. When I asked mom for a buck to complete the tip she realized she didn't have her wallet with her. After checking the booth in the restaurant and also the car with no luck we went back to the motel to see if she left it there. No luck either. By this time mom was frantic thinking that she had left it home again but something in her manner made me feel that it was more serious than that. We decided to check out of the motel and drive home thru the night to make sure it was or wasn't there and to then call all the credit card companies to cancel the cards. All the records were at home. Before heading to the Maine turnpike we stopped at the Friendly's again and after inquiring we found out that mom's wallet wasn't found but that all her wallet contents other than cash and pictures had been found scattered on the ground next to the dumpster. Getting all that back was a load off our mind. I have checked the balances on line and find that nothing has been charged that we didn't initiate. We went back to the motel and got our keys back to the room we had vacated. the clerk must have thought us crazy.

On Wednesday August 31 we drove up to Union, Me to visit Morgan's Mill which is an old gristmill. It was an interesting site. The mill is a vertical mill which is powered by an electric motor. The millpond and turbine is still used but only in the late fall, winter and early spring to generate electric power which is sold to the power company. During the summer months the electric generation is shut down as the level in the river must be maintained for the residences on the river. The mill then uses the credits for the power sold to run the electric motor on the mill. We stopped at a woodworkers shop in Union who we found out had moved there from New Jersey. He showed us some of his work. We heard some motorcycles going up the hill and the woodworker told us that local workers speed up the hill on motorcycles. When people complain, the cops set up a radar trap in town but generally at 11:00 am not at 4:30 when the cyclists get out of work. Thus the old timers going to get their groceries get ticketed and the speeders at quitting time get off free. We then visited the Center for Creative Furniture Making in Rockport, Me. This is a school which offers up to 12 week classes in woodworking. We were here last year in the spring and enjoyed it very much. Maybe next year I will try to sign up for a two week carving class. We arrived in Boothbay Harbor in the late afternoon and checked into the Brown's Wharf Motel for our four day stay in Boothbay Harbor.

Reid State Park in the fog	Lobster Dock at Georgetown in the fog	Carving at the Rockport Center for Creative Furniture

Thursday, September 1, our anniversary, we drove up to Lincolnville to visit the Lincolnville Windsor Chair workshop and store. The shop in the back is staffed by furniture makers who not only make Windsor Chairs but also make excellent tables and also Shaker style chairs and furniture. We wandered thru the showroom examining the various chairs. They had various chairs made by other craftsmen which were not for sale. They were there to allow the visitor to compare the sitting comfort of their own chairs versus the other brands. There was some differences in the "sit". From Lincolnville we drove to Port Clyde to visit the Marshall's Point light house. the lighthouse is in one of the most beautiful settings you can have. The volunteers at the lighthouse were full of information about the keeper that had been assigned there for over 40 years, a Charles Skinner. One of his daughters had lived to be 102 and had just died in the past few years. The keepers recommended a restaurant in Tennant's Harbor which proved to be great. For the evening we attended an old fashioned band concert on the lawn of the public library in Boothbay Harbor.

View from our room at Brown's Wharf	Marshall's Point Lighthouse	Two women working a lobster boat at Tennant Harbor	View from restaurant at Tennant Harbor	Some people have big toys - This ones called Diamond Lady

Friday, September 2, we drove out to Lisbon Falls to a woolen mill outlet store. Some purchases later we headed back via Bath, Maine. On Wednesday on the way north we had stopped at Georgetown/Five Islands area to have a lobster roll lunch but had not seen much because of the dense fog along the shore. The man at the lobster pound told us that this area was one of the most scenic in Maine. Since we were close we returned to see the area in crisp sunshine. He wasn't far from wrong on his assessment of the area. After this break we drove up the the Pemaquid Point lighthouse which we visit every time we are in Boothbay. Of course the crafters co-op in New Harbor is a required shopping place in the area. We have been going there for years. Pemaquid lighthouse is beautiful and the views from the top were spectacular. We returned to Boothbay and visited the Boothbay Opera House for a performance of "The Quilters". It was an excellent performance by five women telling the pioneer story through the eyes of quilters. Some of the vignettes were funny and some were sad. The actresses were excellent. There were only 25 people in the audience. Hopefully the attendance picks up.

Five Islands at Georgetown, Me.	Lobster Dock without the fog at Georgetown, Me.	Pemaquid Point Lighthouse	View South from atop the Pemaquid Lighthouse	View north from atop the Pemaquid Lighthouse

Saturday, September 3, we started by going to the annual craft fair on the green at Boothbay. Mom loves to shop and look there. We then wandered downtown Boothbay Harbor, visited Cape Newagen, drove out to Ocean Point and also went to Edgecomb Pottery to wander through their wonderful showroom. It is like going into a museum. Once again we managed to fritter away a perfectly good day. Tomorrow is Sunday and after church we will start to wander home.

Newagen Lighthouse out on the water	Boats at Browns Wharf Marina	Sunset at Browns Wharf 09/03/2005

 

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