Category: Family Fun

#atozchallenge | X is for Moose X-ing and a Visit to the Maine Wildlife Park in Gray, Maine

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I have never seen a moose in the wild. I know that probably surprises you. I’m from Maine and have lived here most of my life so you’d think I’d have had a few encounters, especially since I’m so friendly with the local deer population. I don’t even have to seek the deer out, they come to my house to visit all the time. They’re especially fond of my tulips. They enjoyed them for brunch one fine spring day a few years ago, so for obvious reasons, I haven’t tried to grow them since. I don’t mind. I like deer.

Moose are a little more stand-offish. When they do venture into neighborhoods, it usually makes the evening news and they never look comfortable. They always seem confused as to how all the buildings and people got in the way of their jaunt through the woods. I read Sarah Smiley’s new book for my blog post, R is for a Review of “Got Here As Soon As I Could” by Sarah Smiley, and one of the things she mentions frequently in her short stories is her lack of success with finding a moose in the wild.

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#atozchallenge | R is for a Review of “Got Here As Soon As I Could” by Sarah Smiley

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As my A to Z Challenge theme is focused on Maine, I thought it would be fun to do a book review on a book that has a connection to Maine. Fortunately for me, Sarah Smiley released her latest book, “Got Here As Soon As I Could; Discovering The Way Life Should Be” on April 1st. It’s almost like she knew I would need something for the letter R in my A to Z Challenge. Isn’t it just like a fellow Mainer to do something so nice!

I have not read any of her previous books, but one of my good friends absolutely loved her earlier book “Dinner with the Smileys” so I figured I was in good hands. This latest book is a compilation of articles from her Syndicated Column.  Sarah moved to Maine from Florida about six years ago and she immediately bonded with the state. That’s something I can appreciate. While I didn’t relocate here, I have a great passion for my home state and enjoy how she tells stories that really highlight some of the wonderful things about Maine.

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#atozchallenge | Q is for Clam Digging for Quahogs

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Having recently finished a post on blueberry picking with my grandmother, it got me a bit nostalgic. It brought back memories of another food foraging experience from my youth. My dad’s side of the family spent many summer days along the Maine coast clam digging for quahogs or hen clams.

I was lucky growing up. My mother’s parents lived next to the ocean so I spent my summers at the beach. Their home became a meeting spot for family members some of whom came for sunbathing and for others who came for clam digging.

While I was mainly a spectator, I did try clam digging a little bit as I got older, but I didn’t have the same knack for it as my Grandmother, Dad and Uncle. They were talented and could harvest clams like crazy. I was lucky if I walked away with more than ten. I guess those clam digging genes skip a generation.

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Fourth of July Banner

#atozchallenge | O is for Ocean Park Fourth of July Parade

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An article in the Boston Globe by Christopher Muther, “From Maine to Cuba, the hot places for travel in 2016” offered Ocean Park, Maine as a suggested vacation destination this year. It’s an eclectic list and, although I’d love to visit any of the vacation spots included in the article, Ocean Park is one trek I happily make every year.

The article highlights that the best time to go to Ocean Park is July 4th because of their annual holiday parade. I grew up in Saco, a neighboring town, and my family still has a home in the Ferry Beach area just up the road from Ocean Park so I understand the appeal. The whole parade experience feels like a throwback to an earlier time, as does the town.

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Maine Blueberries

#atozchallenge | B is for Blueberry Picking with Mémère Rose

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Memere RoseMy grandmother was unflappable. Mémère could fall asleep in a room full of chaos. Nothing ever seemed to bother her. She had no hesitation taking her young granddaughter into the deep Maine woods to go blueberry picking, even though her granddaughter had a life threatening allergy to bees. Clearly she was right, because no catastrophe ever occurred but rather just wonderful memories eating handfuls of blueberries right from the bushes.

I remember many outings, where we would walk deep into the Maine woods to find the best blueberry bushes to pick from during blueberry season. These were in the days before the evolution of pick-your-own farms. This was old school. She knew where the blueberries were and had mad skills picking them.

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