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Published: August 14th 2009
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August 8,2009 -
This week our friend Byrd invited Karen and I to stay with her at a house in Deer Isle, Maine that she had rented for the week. This was a great opportunity for us, as we had never visited this part of Maine before. Deer Isle is on one of those great peninsulas that stretch out to sea for miles from US 1. They're part of Maine’s 3400+ miles of coastline that’s connected by bridges, causeways and boats. To get here, you cross this rickety old suspension bridge that crosses Eggemoggin Reach. Deer Isle has certainly earned it’s name. Deer are everywhere, one hangs out near our house eating the hosta and flowers the owners have planted in the front yard. The entire peninsula is a collection of some of the worst roads I’ve ever seen. They are narrow winding roads in terrible disrepair that climb and drop off in every direction. A cow could walk a straighter line! That is true for every road but one. Today we found the only freshly paved road on the island. It's the dead end road called Quaco Road, the road that goes to the town dump. We assume the man
that runs the transfer station must have pictures on someone on the town council.
We’re staying at a nice new house about 2 miles from the center of town and having a wonderful week. The weather has been the best of the summer so far H-H-H. The only problem has been the Hazy H which makes it hard to take crisp pictures. Deer Isle is a sparsely populated community. The center of town offers few amenities and there isn’t even a breakfast shop. The Galley, a small market on the way into town, is the only place locally to shop. This area in absolutely beautiful with outstanding ocean views around every turn. The roads along the coast, although treacherous, offer one spectacular vista after another. The local Mainiacs drive their pickup trucks at outrageous speeds for the road conditions.
While we’re here on Deer Isle, we’ve been visiting with our friends Isabel and Kurt who live on the Blue Hill Peninsula. Isabel works as a teacher in the local Waldorf School and Kurt, our old friend from Marblehead, MA. runs his own sail-making loft servicing local sailors. Sunday, Kurt brought over eight pound and half lobsters he had
caught for the five of us to have for dinner. Kurt lobster fishes his six recreational traps from the deck of his kayak. He’s a real “Old Man and the Sea”. He and Isabel really live off the grid up here along the coast of northern Maine. They live a life style away from the electronic gadgets and machines that complicate our everyday lives. It’s an admirable lifestyle if you can survive. Last night, the five of us drove to the other side of the island to the Goose Cove Resort and the Cockatoo Restaurant. This is a Portuguese restaurant at the end of a long dirt road by the ocean. The food was outstanding. Everything was extremely fresh and well prepared with ample servings for all of us. During dinner “Flash in the Pan” a steel drum band played on the restaurants outside deck. They played a soothing mix of songs. Isobel knew the band’s drummer and they spoke during the bands brake. His son had been in her class at the Bay school. “Flash in the Pan” is apparently a real favorite on the peninsula. We all enjoyed the evening and had leftovers for lunch today.
Each
day here, we’ve toured and visited a new part of this glorious peninsula. As of today, we have visited Stonington, Isle au Haut, Blue Hill, Brooklin, Castine and Woodlawn Museum in Ellsworth. There are just so many interesting places to explore.
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Jeanne
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Beautiful pictures and quite an adventure.