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Sheepscot River Spring Run, 2012!April 24th, 2012Well folks, I don’t want to make anyone green with envy here, but things just fell into place for my honey and I to get on the Sheepscot after the big rains of April 2012. What a blast!! The conditions should be PERFECT for more mellow canoeing/kayaking this weekend. Perhaps even a little fiddleheading? Enjoy the photos.  Here we go, folks! It's time to paddle the Sheepscot River!  Scotty's psyched!  Bethie's psyched!  Some water coming over the dam in Head Tide  Hydro power, for sure  We just love paddling this river!  The Sheepscot River, one of my most favorite paddles in the state of Maine! Washington Pond PaddleApril 15th, 2012Wow, what a great day for a paddle! We headed to Washington Pond in Washington, Maine for a fantastic day on the water. The conditions were great, and we saw all sorts of wildlife: countless turtles (literally! it was weird…) feeding osprey, eagles, loons and an otter sighting to finish off the day. It’s a great paddle in a very pretty part of the state. Go do it!  A very cool beaver damWe saw countless turtles, so much fun!  Here we go!We found a beautiful marsh brimming with turtles, fish, and osprey.Washington Pond offers lots of islands and inlets for exploring
 We saw countless turtles, so much fun!
 Washington Pond offers lots of islands and inlets for exploring
 We found a beautiful marsh brimming with turtles, fish, and osprey. Dodge Point hike, EdgecombFebruary 19th, 2012What a beautiful Sunday for a hike! We headed down to Dodge Point in Edgecomb today for a great hour and a half walk in the woods and along the shores of the Damariscotta River.  Dodge Point trail starts in the woods and cuts down onto the shores of the Damariscotta River  There are tons of treasures to be found on shore.  Bring the dog! Dodge Point trail is a huge hit with the canines!  Our favorite part of the trail is the shoreline section.  Another great hike for Scott and Beth! Making Valentines at Sheepscot GeneralFebruary 13th, 2012Happy Valentine’s Day to you all! My daughter and I spent some time Saturday at Sheepscot General making Valentines. It was a really great way to celebrate, and spend some time with other creative folks! And I think we can all agree that handmade Valentines totally rock!  Valentine artist at work  Valentine fun for kids and adults alike!  A beautiful Valentine for someone special!  Tools of the trade  It's great to make art with other folks! Maine pond hockey – a favorite Maine winter activity!January 8th, 2012Well, our backyards may be void of snow, but the backyard skating is just PERFECT right now! Enjoy our photos of one the best Maine winter activities: Pond hockey.  Lacing 'em up  Skating takes lots of patience!  Skating lesson  What a great day for some pond hockey!  Pond hockey ROCKS!  Our family loves pond hockey!  Time for a skate break  We took a page out of the Bruins' playbook!  Hockey dog wants to go get warm paws! Header ImagesAugust 29th, 2011Hiking in Maine- Rattlesnake Mountain by Jennifer LagueAugust 14th, 2011
 View from the Top of Rattlesnake Mtn. Route 85 in Raymond, Maine. Highway 85 is off of Route 302 on the right beyond Windham and before Naples. It’s a climb that pretty much anyone of any age in the family can achieve. The trailhead has no signs but all I can say is maybe it doesn’t need one. If you go about 3-5 miles on 85 and pass a beautiful view of Crescent Lake on your right you will go up a hill and soon come to see an opening on the left with a beautiful field and a fence. There’s a grassy area where cars can be parked. It starts with a walk through an enchanting pine forest until the trail breaks into two. One way is the high road and the other is the low road. (“…and I’ll be in Scotland before ye.”) They both go to the same place so no worries. Pretty soon you will see a path to your right going straight up. It will go straight up for about 20 minutes if you keep a steady pace. There are lots of logs and rocks to sit on if you need to take a breather. It won’t be long before you come to your first view of the mountains. But, don’t take your pictures yet because you ain’t seen the real view. Continue on the trail and I promise you it will level out soon and once again it will become less of a chore and more of a lovely walk in the woods. When you come upon the most fabulous view of the lakes region ever you will know you’ve hit your destination. Did you bring some fresh fruit and a sandwich? Well, push the bug spray out of the way in your backpack and find them because you are going to sit here for a little while and take in the view. Now, that you’ve enjoyed the spectacular beauty of Crescent lake, Panther Pond and Sebago Lake as well as mountains as far as the eye can see I want you to get out your camera and get a picture of your loved ones in front of this lovely panoramic backdrop. Can you say Christmas cards?! Bingo! On your way down, remember that if you hike heel to toe it saves your feet some hassle. You will always remember your lovely day hiking a mountain in Raymond, Maine. Now, go jump in a lake! 
Sheepscot General Store – the latest gem in the ‘buy local Maine’ movementAugust 11th, 2011 Sheepscot General in Whitefield, Maine Here in Whitefield, we’re very fortunate to welcome Sheepscot General to the neighborhood. If you’re in or around Lincoln County, it’s worth the trip to the charming Townhouse Road store for fresh veggies, organic meat, milk, bulk wheat, homemade doughnuts, cold beer – and well – the list goes on and on. “We see ourselves as both a collaboration of people interested in promoting the uniqueness of Whitefield, the Sheepscot region,and the State of Maine wrapped into a country-style store carrying everything we imagine a general store ought to carry.” The store doesn’t only offer a wide variety of edibles; there’s also a long list of events, classes, and community services. There are monthly art exhibits, a book/video swap, seed library, movie nights, live music, and coming soon – a cafe. And last – but certainly not least – Sheepscot General is now offering fresh lobster (pre-order by Wednesday for Friday delivery) and will be offering fresh Maine shrimp in season as well. It’s best to call ahead to check availability. Enjoy your trip to Sheepscot General!  What else do you need?  Fresh and local fruits and veggies...YUM!  This month's featured artist: Julian Sacks of Whitefield  Sheepscot General's book/video library is cozy and inviting Camping on Omaha Beach: An incredible Maine adventure!August 7th, 2011Camping in the Katahdin/Penobscot region of Maine is one of our favorite family adventures. The hiking, swimming, exploring, fishing, and paddling opportunities are limitless – not to mention being surrounded by some of the most beautiful scenery around.  Maddie and Molly enjoy a late-afternoon swim We have many favorite spots to see when we’re up on the river, the Cribworks rapid on the West Brand of the Penobscot being one of them.  The cribworks rapid on the West Branch of the Penobscot is one of the most technical - and beautiful - rapids in Maine.  Our buddy Bryan sets up for his run down the cribworks rapid. Another great spot to visit for some great swimming is Abol Beach. The current is a blast to play around in, and it’s yet another opportunity to raft-watch.  Our campsite offered amazing swimming and amazing views. We had an outstanding weekend in one of our favorite spots in Maine, we are lucky to have places like the North Maine woods to play in!  Omaha Beach sunset, always breathtaking Kayaking, paddle boarding, Surfing, and skimming at Higgins Beach by J. HerrickJuly 20th, 2011 Skimmboarding at Higgins Beach one of Maine's best activities!  Wipe out! Spending a summer day at Higgins beach is heavenly. Don’t miss the experience and great pleasure of a day at one of Maine’s best and most beautiful beaches. Our crew from Activity Maine checked out the skim, surfing, kayaking, and paddle barding on this beautiful Maine summer day. We had a blast at Higgins Beach, & recommend it to anyone who enjoys what beauty Maine has to offer. We also recommend Higgins to anyone who likes the adventure and thrill of some great Maine surf. Mountain biking at Maine’s Bradbury state parkJuly 20th, 2011
 Bradbury park boasts nearly 25 miles of hiking, biking, rock climbing, and ski trails Activity Maine rose with the sun, packed our cars, & ventured to Bradbury Mountain State Park for some 2 wheeled adventure!!! Attracting all mountain bikers from the most aggressive, to the not so savvy, Bradbury State Park is one of the most beautiful options (and one of our favorite spots) to get some mountain biking in for almost any level rider. We chose this family friendly trail that takes you right to the summit of the mountain in just under 30 minutes. If you haven’t been able to experience the park, and the nearly 25 miles of hiking, biking, rock climbing, and ski trails Bradbury Mountain State Park has to offer this year, pack that car for a day of adventure and beauty! Cruising the beautiful Maine coastJuly 18th, 2011This past weekend we had the treasured opportunity to spend time out on my Dad’s boat Aurora cruising in the amazing Penobscot Bay region of Maine. It’s a trip we do every July, and it’s the highlight of our summer. As much as our family adores Maine’s rivers and mountains, there’s nothing like spending time exploring Maine’s awesome coast.  A schooner heads out on a tour of Penobscot Bay The sights, smells and sounds are unlike anywhere else in the state: porpoises breaking off the bow, harbor seals popping up to see what’s going on, the clang of a bouy bell. And that salt water smell! Intoxicating…  Seal Bay, one of our family's favorite spots! There is so much exploring to do once you’ve moored up, we packed our inflatable kayaks so that we could do some island hopping and SWIMMING! It’s so fun to launch yourself off of a granite cliff! We were also fortunate enough to hit my Dad’s favorite clam digging spot, which provided an outstanding Saturday night treat.  These inflatable kayaks made island-hopping so easy!  We had great luck at Dad's clamming spot!  Aurora and Caribou (my Uncle Ted's boat) rafted up in Seal Bay In addition to swimming and clamming, heading ashore to find treasured Maine seaglass and other cool beach artifacts is one of our favorite things to do when we’re out on the boat.  Maine island treasures We were all kind of sad heading back into Rockland Harbor on Sunday, but we know we’ll be back next year. Every time I think we’ve had a trip of a lifetime, we go ahead and have a weekend like this past one…a trip of a lifetime! Thank you Dad and Jenn!! A day at the beach – Pemaquid BeachJuly 1st, 2011This Friday, we decided to kick off the holiday weekend with a trip to Pemaquid Beach. Always up for a challenge, I agreed to add and extra 9-year-girl and 10-year-old boy to the posse, my kids’ BFFs..  Summer and Maddie were to the first to brave the chilly waters! Pemaquid Beach is a great beach for families; there’s no riptide to be concerned with, it’s not too big, hardly ever over-crowded, and they have a really cool little nature center and snack shack for the hungry troops. There’s also room to roam and plenty of salt -water habitat exploring to be had.  Crabbing is a great way for kids to meet other kids! If the sand and surf aren’t keeping the kiddos’ attention, the lagoon to the left of the beach has some most excellent rock crab and hermit crab hunting adventures.  There's tons of fun crabbing adventures! All crabs were released after a brief visit to the bucket. Time on the Pemaquid Peninsula is always a great time, it’s everything that summertime in Maine is famous for: a laid back time, happy kids, relaxed adults, salt and sand, and the drone of lobster boats working their gear offshore. Have a great holiday weekend, folks! We hope you get some time to unwind and enjoy beautiful Maine!  Wild beach roses are prominent on Pemaquid Beach. Tumbledown Mountain Hike – An awesome Maine hiking experience!June 27th, 2011This Sunday we decided to give the kayaks a break and head out on a hike. Our Maine Atlas (map 19) and ‘Best Loop Hikes’ guidebook led us to Tumbledown Mountain. I could blab on and on about the amazing vistas, cool fauna and flora, the beautiful summit lake, and aching leg muscles, but instead I’m going to let the pictures do the talking…Enjoy! And go do that hike!!!  Wild azalea growing on the trail  We saw a bunch of moose poop on the trail!  Weather rolling through the valley  We made it to the East summit of Tumbledown to discover Tumbledown Pond  A well deserved swim for the trail dog!  Hiking in Maine makes us SMILE! A little baseball lesson on the streets of DamariscottaJune 24th, 2011The kiddos and I stumbled into a really cool and informative baseball moment this morning in Damariscotta. Bud Elwin, a.k.a. Ted Williams, had set up a raffle ticket selling display in front of the Maine Coast Book Shop & Cafe. With all of the Red Sox gear and Bud’s striking resemblance to the infamous Ted Williams, we had to see what was up!  Connor and Maddie pose with Bud 'Ted Williams' Elwin On a rainy Friday morning, the bookstore was bustling; the smell of fresh coffee and books was a welcoming and intoxicating mix. Outside, we stopped to see what the fully-uniformed Bud was up to. It turns out he volunteers to raise money for assorted charities of his choosing.  Bud Elwin discusses the anatomy of a baseball with Connor and Maddie This year he chose to sell raffle tickets for “Healthy Kids,” a community based family and professional network, offering support and educational outreach to families throughout Lincoln County. He’s raffling off Red Sox gear with the grand prize being an authentic, signed and framed photo of Ted Williams.  Bud shows the kids the diference between a brand-new baseball and one that has been "mudded" We learned from Bud that Major League baseball goes through about 170,000 baseballs in a season, that the average game baseball sees about 6 pitches, the wool used inside is from New Zealand sheep, and one of the most interesting facts: when a baseball comes out of the factory, it’s far to smooth to be pitched effectively. The baseballs are treated with mud – literally – harvested from the Delaware River in New Jersey. A very fun and informative visit to Damariscotta, for sure! Stop by and see Bud if you’re in town, he knows his stuff when it comes to Red Sox baseball.  Baseball rubbing mud, the exclusive treatment for Major League baseball's baseballs! |
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