Welcome to Maine!

This weather forecast is a beautiful thing!

I took this picture for two reasons: to show you a pretty boat, and to show you high tide.

There were signs all over downtown Rockland about the Blues Fest going on this weekend. This one was my favorite.

It's outside Rock City Cafe where I ate 2 breakfasts and a lunch. Great place. 

Yesterday while I was eating breakfast, a guy at the table next to me asked the girl with him what she was doing for work now. She replied, "landscaping." 

"Oh yeah? Yourself? Or with a company?"

"I work for a woman named Rain."

Buh-dum-bum!

Seriously took all I had not to laugh out loud. And no one at their table saw the hilarity.

Downtown Rockland:

I may have bought a book here.

I did not buy a book here. But I still thought you'd wanna see a pretty bookstore:

These chairs are made from lobster pots. They are surprisingly comfortable.

This is either a dragonfly or a mosquito. I liked it either way.

I heard some of the Blues Festival. The only guy I had heard of was Victor Wainwright.

I listened to his set from right here behind this nice couple.

At the end of it, Victor said, "All right guys, we have to go soon, but first we're going to play you 30 more seconds of hell fire boogie!" 

And they did.

Remember the picture of high tide? Well, this is low tide from the opposite angle. They have a 12 foot tide here! Ridiculous.

I took that photo last night around 5:30 on my way into town for happy hour and live music at The Fog. When I got there though, the place was near empty. I reconsidered. Instead I walked up the street to an outdoor patio area, I think called The Speakeasy, where there was live music. 

The picture below is The Kennebunk River Band. They played blues-ish music yesterday on that patio from 1 until almost 6:30. They played everything from Roger Miller, to Southern Cross, to Adele, but they blues'd up everything. (That is too a word!)

You can't tell from this picture, but there are only picnic tables outside to sit on. So I made some friends. They were in town from somewhere inland on their motorcycles. Nice couple. They told me Camden is even prettier than Rockland. I'll believe it when I see it. 

While I sat with them, I ordered a Sam Adams Summer Ale. About half way through it, a server guy came over and asked me if I'd ordered it outside. When I told him I had, he handed me a t shirt. "Order Sam Adams outside and you get a Sam Adams t shirt!" 

Pretty cool.

When the band stopped playing, I asked them if they planned to do another set, they were really good.

The guy you see in the ball cap informed me they'd played since 1, and no, they're going home. "But did you get a cd?" he asked.

"No, I only have a credit card."

Then he gave me a cd. And I rifled through my bag for 3 crumpled dollars.

A couple minutes later, a guy came up and said he and his group of six want to sit down, would I mind? I said no, of course not. And got up and moved. There was a table across the patio with a guy about my age and a guy twice my age, and they looked friendly, so I asked to sit. Nate and Dana were good company. Local guys, very proud of Maine. It turns out they'd only known each other about 20 minutes when I sat down. 

We small talked for about a half hour, then our checks came, and before I could get my wallet out, Dana grabbed my check and said- no, yelled- "Welcome to Maine!" 

When I objected, he yelled even louder, "Welcome to Maine!"

"Thanks, Dana!"

Overall, this was a great weekend in a new place. If you're ever in Maine, stop in Rockland. If it's a Friday night, visit the Kennebunk River Band at The Speakeasy's patio. They're there every Friday. And apparently some Saturdays. 

Tell them Dana sent you.

Day 13: Rockland, not Rockford (I've had the theme song stuck in my head all day)

Yesterday, on my way into the marina from a walk around town, I noticed these locks on the fence. It's Maine's Center of Creativity's version of the love locks bridge in Paris, and I think there's one in Manhattan now too. I thought it looked kind of pretty.

This morning, we left DiMillo's Marina ("serving nice people since 1954") in Portland around 6. We passed this light. 

I thought it looked like a good picture.

Then we saw this next one that looks like a shed.

Here's the backside of it.

Maine is just absolutely gorgeous. Terrain and everything!

We're staying at a marina in Rockland, Maine that has a 12 foot tide! Holy cannoli! 

Barry went for a walk this afternoon and when he came back, he informed me that there are 3 bookstores on Main Street. Woohoo! 

I plan to go for a walk and take some pictures to show you tomorrow. So far, we like it here.

Hope you're well. Love.

To life!

Good morning, friends! We're still in Portland, Maine. I'm at a bakery and coffee shop called Crema. Fantastic iced coffee, and oh em gee, the quiche! Later today is grocery shopping, and perhaps some more exploring. But first, let me tell you what you've missed.

Yesterday was a great day- we explored the town and found that we like it very much. I took a screenshot of the map of town for you. See where it says Long Wharf, bottom center? That's where Dimillo's Marina is.

This piece of the Berlin Wall is outside the marina. 

I found a bookstore I like very much.

This is their front window display- so pretty!

I read the description of this book and I love it. This guy, Crash Barry- what an awesome name, was everything from a sheep herder to a blueberry picker to a sternman? Which I guess is a commercial fishing/lobstering term. This was one of maybe 8 of his books. And I want them all.

The next two pictures are of beautiful boats, but that's not the only reason I photographed them. While I was on my way from the boat to lunch yesterday, I stopped the Capt. of these two boats. I asked him if he was from this area, he said he is. I then told him that I was planning on going to B. Good for a cheeseburger, unless he had a better suggestion. He sent me over to J's Oyster right at the edge of the marina parking lot. "They have great everything," he said.

When I got to J's, I was one of the first. I sat at the bar because I hate taking up a seat at a whole table just for me. Just after I sat down, 4 gentlemen sat at the corner of the bar, one seat down from me. These men were all retired from various professions and of an age that warrants a whole lot of interesting stories. The guy closest to me, Russ, moved to the seat immediately next to me "because the a/c was blowing right on him..." Yeah, right. Haha

I enjoyed talking to Russ very much. He told me about the other "old guys," as he called them, Ed, Marshall, and a third guy. Russ told me all about him- into politics, history buff, "probably the smartest guy in the bar," and when I interrupted to ask the guy's name, he replied, "now, don't ask me questions." 

After the bios, he gave me a play by play of their conversations. I commented that they all seemed knowledgeable in different areas, perhaps they're learning form each other? "No," he said, "they're all just listening to themselves."

He also told me about his job as a 15 year old kid as the only crew member on a 65 foot Wheeler. Not sure what a Wheeler looks like, but he said, "nice boat." I appreciated the similarity to me. 

When I told him I'd never had oysters, he insisted I try his. "That's just the lobster stuffing, you can't have my oyster!" He cracked me up.

When I told him I had a blog and that the four of them would likely be in it, he said, "How do I explain that to my wife?!"

"I'm 27, Russ."

I wrote down the blog address and told him to contact me if he was misrepresented in any way. 

Hope you like it, Russ!

After leaving J's, I walked around town a bit more, eventually wandering back to the boat. 

We had a fantastic supper at Dimillo's. It's an old transport ferry at the center of the marina. We got a great picture of the three of us.

And I got some good pictures after supper too.

I've lost track of the days. We're in Portland.

Yesterday was a great day in Newburyport, Mass. I took pictures yesterday and the night before that I forgot to show you.

This next one is just to prove that we remembered to take a picture of the three of us. We so often forget. But it really is an awful picture. Supper was great, so that's something.

Then last night, it rained a little and we enjoyed a nice evening on the stern. And saw this rainbow!

This morning, we left Newburyport early and had a very pleasant ride (except for all the lobster pots) to Portland, Maine. 

We saw a bunch of lighthouses. I got pictures of four.

This is West Cape Elizabeth and East Cape Elizabeth.

This is Portland Head.

And this is Ram Island light.

Now we're in for the night. The boat is all clean and sparkly. And this town has a whole lot for us to see tomorrow. There will be pictures. 

Hope you're well. Thanks for reading!