COMMON GROUNDS

Hello again. Don't ask me how but when someone told us about the Common Grounds Fair in Unity, Maine, I realized I had heard of it long ago. I knew it was a fair with ecology as it's theme, all organic food. Off we went. It seemed we parked miles away from the fairgrounds and there was no shuttle. It was a senior rate of $8 to get in and $5 to park. By the time we got inside it was 1pm and hunger ruled. The food stands were so busy that each had 20 or more people in the line. Stumbulled on one with only 5 or so. Italian sausage sandwiches-all organic it. Cost us $18 for two sandwiches and 1 shared bottle of water. So before we ever saw a thing, we were down $39!

We always head for any ox pulls. Did you know that ox are only bulls? They are trained when very young to pull and as they grow the collars get larger? The ox closest to the driver is called the near ox and the other one is called the off ox. I have heard that when one of a pair dies the other cannot be trained to pull with another animal. In the days of the settlers, that ox became food for the table. Waste not, want not.

Glad we went to see the fair but it is not a fair I would repeat.

DEER ISLE

A week later, we traveled to Deer Isle and the little bayside town of Stonington. Again the trip took us on roads where all you see is miles of trees. I love going through the little towns though. We stopped at Penobscot Maine where I found a cemetary that an 1800s Alley is buried in. His name was Lemuel Alley and he drowned on the 4th of July when he was only 19.

We drove through the little town of Blue Hill where some of Dwayn's ancestors came from. All these places I talk about going through are usually less than 100 miles from the Pumpkin Patch CG where I am working.

Deer Isle is a small island and I think Stonington is the only town on it. We drove directly to the harbor. Of course all these small towns are fishing towns where the lobster boats leave from. No matter where you look on the waters you see the many colored lobster buoys bouncing up & down with the swells. Every lobsterman has his own combo of colors on his buoys so they are easily identifiable. Lobster boats are not big boats at all.

Of course it was lunchtime when we got to Stonington so the first place we visited was a resaurant. It was right on the bay with outside tables. Very nice & very touristy. The food was great but not a lot of it and we both discovered we were hungry after eating. We walked around town some. Here are a few pictures.

The first is a picture of a cormorant. These birds are like the anhingas in the south, they have no oils in their feathers so every time they get in the water they have to find a place to "hang out their wings to dry".

Granite abounds on this small island and there is a statue at waters edge to honor the granite workers. It is said that there is granite from this town in the Capitol Building in DC.

In Stonington was a great example of how Mainers love their flowers. They are so colorful.

Here are a couple harbor scenes.

If you look close in this last picture you will see there is a trailer truck at the end of the pier and it is being loaded with "caught today" lobstah and seafood. The small boatis a lobster boat. We watched several small boats pull up to have their catch of the day unloaded to the trailer truck People in Boston and New York were probably eating this fresh catch that night.

After sightseeing and an hour or so passing we decided that time did not make us feel full & oh darn, there was a small bakery. Their blueberry crisp was delicious. As we were leaving I noticed a sign that said Dough Floggers. The pastry was a long roll of a flaky crisp pastry. I asked about it. Remember when we were kids or mothers of young ones how when there was leftover pie crust we would butter, cinnamon & sugar it and bake it? That's what these dough floggers were only they rolled it in a rectangle & they rolled it up jelly roll style and sold it. I used to do that but before baking cut it into slices. Needless to say we bought one and it was mighty tasty.

Another adventure comes to a close. Not a lot of them left because, as I write this it is the 2nd of Sept and my last day of work is the 29th. On the 30th we will be heading home to AZ. I am ready as I have the whole new house to move in.

CADILLAC MOUNTAIN

After the whale cruise, we went into Arcadia National Park. It was well after lunch so we decided to go to a restaurant beside Jordon Pond that locals had told us was a "must do". They are most known for popovers which are baked there daily and the home-made strawberry jam that accompanies the popovers. I really do not remember the rest of the meal-a pasta of some kind but the popovers-that memory is a lasting one. So tall & crisp and when you broke them open they released steam and the air pockets were quickly filled with the delicious strawberry jam. I wish I had taken a picture of them & maybe one of us eating one to see if I could make you drool. (Smile here).

We from the west scoff at what the Easterners call "mountains", as they come across as only hills to us. Cadillac Mountain is less than 1600 ft and fits this description. I Have traveled to the top of Pike's Peak but never have I felt like being on top of the world as I did at Cadillac Mountain. The view from there is like a 360 degree postcard, water and islands and green all

around.