Stetson Preserve Trail

 M-S and I did a big loop through the woods in Jefferson on this chilly morning.

 Its another Midcoast Conservancy property with very well-maintained trails.

I've got to keep getting into the woods. Life is good.
~MET

Historic Middens & Craft Beer

 M-S and I went to Damariscotta to take a walk and then enjoy a ride in the country to have lunch. Our walk took place here:

 A midden is essentially a dump site created by Native Americans who discarded their oyster shells.

 These middens used to be enormous, but farmers used them for chicken feed in the late 1800s. It was still cool to walk on land that is made up of shells. The path also had a story book for children to read as they walked:

 There were several signs that explained the history of the middens. Some had been built up over 1000 years.

 Across the river you can see a small part of the largest midden on the east coast:

 Its a very nice spot.

 We drove up 220 to try Liberty Craft Brewing:

 The brewery is in the bottom and the pub is up those steps. They have a great deck with this view:

The food was fantastic and the beer was very good. A brought home a growler of their Red Ryeder, which is the dark one in the back row. There are so many incredible small businesses in tiny towns within a 50 mile radius of my front door. Life is good.
~MET

Following a Stream

 A very nice walk in the woods this morning that followed a stream in Vassalboro.

 Like most rivers and streams, the water is very low.

 I love trails that bring you briefly by fields and farmland:

 Drainage ditch out of the field:

The trail was very quiet and peaceful and the woods were very pretty. Life is good.
~MET

Another Beautiful Walk in the Woods - Another Meeting

 I took to the woods again this morning, and this time very close to home:

 This trail follows the Sheepscot River in an effort to allow Atlantic salmon a spawning area. Click on the pictures to make them larger. In the one below I heard a seemingly big fish rise, and you can see an old bridge leftover from the Narrow Gauge Railroad:

 I love the mist in all of the pics.

When I went past the lodge I didn't see the beaver jump into the water - but boy I heard it! It was a beautiful early morning walk. I then put on a jacket and tie and went to Belgrade to talk politics with more awesome MEA members. I have another meeting tomorrow and school starts next week. I can't wait. Life is good.
~MET

Henry David Would Be Proud

 Another walk in the woods of Central Maine.

 2.75 miles, very interesting trail.

 Lung lichen on the side of a tree:

 Bad picture of a very young porcupine:

I'm loving starting the day with a walk in the woods. Life is good.
~MET

Exploring Local Trails

 I have decided to get into the woods more often, and it turns out that there are dozens of trails within a few minutes of our house. Between the Kennebec Land Trust and the Midcoast Conservancy there are many, many interesting and historic trails through the woods. This morning we did this one:

 Its about a 2.75 mile loop with some heart pumping hills and very nice trails:

 I was interested in this one because of the old fishing cabin:

 Along with a 100 year old two-seater:

 Me in the camp by the sink:

 It was a wonderful walk in the woods. M-S in "Fern Gully:"

 It followed the Sheepscot River for a while, which is VERY low right now:

Look at the mud flats! I'll be trying to get on a new trail and get some fresh air in my lungs everyday that I can. Another great reason to live in the quiet hamlet of North Whitefield. Life is good.
~MET

Dinner in Rangeley

 Yesterday afternoon M-S and I took a drive to the mountains of Western Maine to have dinner in one of our favorite little towns. Rangeley will always be a special place, and although it changes a little each time we visit, it has maintained the same charm since the four years I lived there in the late 60s and early 70s.

 We had dinner at a new place called Forks in the Air:

 Its right downtown, but I can't remember what used to be in this space...I think it might have been a hardware store. The place is kind of an upscale gastro-pub. It was really nice and the food was fantastic. They also featured Tumbledown Brewing on tap. We walked around town, went by my old house, through the town beach, and did some window shopping in the few stores. On the way up we stopped at Smalls Falls:

There were lots of people there enjoying the cool pools of water. It was a nice afternoon and early evening - a beautiful drive, a great meal, and some great conversation. The only thing missing was a moose sighting. Life is good.
~MET

Last Brooklyn Post - Restaurants, Broadway, and Such

 M-S and I had a wonderful time (like we always do when we travel) in Brooklyn last week. be sure to click on the pics to make them bigger. The first one is the skyline of Brooklyn as seen from our sail on Sunday. See an earlier post about the boat ride. We had a great time walking around our downtown neighborhood:

 On Friday night we ate at a Haitian place called La Caye. Highlights = Haitian beer:

 and fresh conch, which is a big snail:

 On Saturday we went to the Brooklyn Art Museum (see earlier post) which was AWESOME! The weather was awful for the entire trip - 95-97 and very humid. Walking anywhere was instant sweat. On the way to the museum I joined some kids at a playground to cool off:

 Saturday night we went to Broadway to see:

 If you like musicals - see it.  It was fantastic. Our cab had to drop us on 46th St. for dinner at the end due to a street fair.

 While M-S looked at some jewelry I watched these guys rock the joint...and tried not to sweat:

 We had dinner before the show at Barbetta, which has been a NYC landmark since 1909:

 Its been in several Woody Allen films, Dudley Moore ate here in Arthur, etc. It was outstanding.

 Another great restaurant stop was a place called Martha:

 Its a hip Asian-fusion dive that was very fun. I started with a very spicy soju shot (Korean):

 We then split some delicious funky deviled eggs (click on the picture, the eggs are beautiful) and fried oysters:

 Crispy dumplings and noodles:

We loved staying in Brooklyn and we also liked the new Concord express from Portland. Its very comfortable and there are lots of amenities like free food and drink. Already looking forward to our next adventure. Life is good.
~MET