Maine

[cory]

MAINE.

It is quite simply The Sh*t.

I basically had a mild case of PTSD from 4 weeks of storm clean up in CT, had the thousand yard stare, was in a bit of a stupor as I headed out for a week up there. About 12-16 hours past the state line, I was back to feeling human, feeling good again. The state slogan up there is "The way life should be" which sounds kinda hokey but you know what?? It's true. The air is clean and smooth. The people are very friendly as a whole. Not overly, in your face friendly or something like that, but just good, basic friendly, the way humans are to each other when they are not all overcrowded, overworked, or overstressed, etc.

My parents were born and raised in Livermore Falls, ME. We are fortunate to have a small, unwinterized camp on a big, beautiful, clean lake in the neighboring town of Fayette, it is on a quarter acre bought by my mother in 1940 for $50, my grandfather built the camp in 1964 and we've been summer-vacationing there ever since. I got my start there in the tree biz in 1977 when I got a job with the logger working my uncle's woods.

Last week we had much fun and relaxation there, exploring the surrounding peaceful woods (one nearby area, Cranberry pond, looks like it is straight out of the 1600s, untouched and wild) SUP'g all over the lake, and later, a large coastal salt marsh in Scarborough (looking down into the water from your SUP perch, it is so cool to see all the sea life and the bottom structure), getting home-made food at the local bake shop, great veggies at the local farm, fun shopping at LL Bean etc in Freeport (normally, I don't shop anywhere except Home Depot and the auto parts store but when I get to Freeport, idk, I become Shopping Squirrel ). I really wanted to look up Ruel but ran out of time.

I'm posting this just in case others would like to weigh in on the great State of Maine. Like any place, Maine has it's issues, but nevertheless it is definitely a very special place.

 

[vharrison]

Did you take any pictures you could share? It sounds beautiful.

 

[Benjo75]

Sounds like a nice place to be. I was in storm damage for about 10 weeks starting on Easter Sunday this year. 12 to 14 hour days all summer. Put me months behind so I know how you feel. Kinda getting back to normal a little. Was ready to run out in to the sea for a while. I watch Maine cabin masters sometimes and get to see some very pretty scenery from that area.

 

[SkwerI]

Some of the fondest memories of my life are from Maine. It was the summer of 1973, I was 7 years old spending my summer vacation with my grandparents in Marlborough, CT. Grandpa had a summer house in Maine so he and I took off one day with Grandma following a week later (she had to work).

That week with my Grandpa was the best week of my life. He had an old WWII Jeep that we took out in the woods to go mudding, drive over trees and pick blackberries. He had some tall trees next to the house with limbs all the way to the ground, like a ladder. So I climbed my first tree! I got up to the top, higher than the two story roof peak. Then a breeze came up and made the tree sway. I thought it was great so I started swinging back and forth trying to see how far I could swing. He taught me how to cook scrambled eggs, about looking both ways before crossing the road, about how to fix the brake line on the Jeep after he ripped it off knocking down trees and all sorts of other fun stuff.

Grandpa kept a diary from those two weeks in Maine written from my perspective. He was a thoughtful and caring man. He passed away 6 months later of a stroke. I never saw him again after that summer. Still miss him to this day.

 

[cory]

Wow, Skwerl, I got chills from that, reminded me of time I spent with my Grandfather. He worked in a paper mill and did carpentry as well, building our camp and a few others. He was like a classic Gfather, relaxed, moved kinda slow but very capable, very easy going and good humored, didn't talk all that much but when he spoke, folks listened. When I knew him he drove and old GMC step side pick up with home made ladder rack on top.

I had a lot of other relatives up there too. Maine is full of characters and my uncle was definetly one of em, he was the funniest guy ever and his 2 sons were even funnier. So many stories about them as well as the stories they told about other characters in town.

Yes indeed, Benjo, you make a couple extra bucks doing storm work but it often seems like it isn't worth it.

 

[pantheraba]

Wonderful story, Brian. I guarantee, he was in hog heaven that week with you. No Grandma to rein y'all in! I have taken my grandsons to our Farm a few times, just us. Adventures are great when it's just the guys. Hayden is now 14 and I am letting him learn to drive my truck on the dirt roads. I got some pretty serious scowls from my wife when she found out but we got past it. That is how my dad taught me way back.

Those are great adventures you had with him...wish you could have had more. I hope you still have that diary...must be cool to read that.

 

[cory]

 

[cory]

Sorry for the large size. Anyway this is turning into the grandfather thread!

Gigi, that pic is from 1977 but the easygoing Maine vibe is there in my grandfather's face

 

[CurSedVoyce]

My neice just moved to Salem MA. One of the first places i told her to visit was Maine. Gosh i sometimes really miss back east.

 

[Altissimus]

Ha , Salem is cool too though they take their history serious and (until this year) it's a crazy to be there on Halloween. Back to Maine , F ucking LOVE it there ... Used to go over when the Grateful Dead played ... Yep L.L. Bean at 3:30 AM

 

[cory]

Geez you're from VT and you still dig Maine?!? Interesting. I woulda thunk you'd get your woods fix in your home state, no need to travel for it!?!

 

[Bermy]

We spent a couple months sailing the coast of Maine, we squeezed up rivers, dropped anchor in out of the way places...one time when we'd gotten settled a bloke appeared on the shoreline (we couldn't see any houses but there was a little day sailor moored there and called out to us..'thats the biggest boat I've ever seen in here'...'57' three mast schooner.
We got the dinghy over and went ashore, met the guy, he was building a house we couldn't see from the water, long story short, we stayed for a week or so, gave him a hand with the building, helped haul windows up to the second storey with block and tackle we had...he loaned us his old Ford pickup and we went exploring, Acadia National Park and loads of beautiful back roads.
SUCH a good time!

We also had some cruising sailing friends from Maine, they would head to the Caribbean in the winter and as many do, stop in at Bermuda on the way, and we would catch up on what had been going on with them.
Once they said they knew it was time to leave when they had become so Maine-izesd'...they had the following experience.
They were were driving looking for an address where they were heading to do some work, they followed a dirt road deeper and deeper a!long until it finally ended behind a beach somewhere, not a house in sight...now you have to say this with a slow Maine drawl...Tom said to DL...
'Huh...road don't go no further...DL said to Tom...'Road hardly got to heeah (here)'

Love Maine, we finally left when ice started forming around the edges of the bays, back across the gulf stream to Bermuda!

 

[treesmith]

Cory, I’ve read that post through several times and still haven’t seen the address/driving directions, where the key’s hid out and what the Treehouser weekly rate is.... Anybody else having that issue or is it just a glitch on my end?

 

[Bermy]

Yeah man...what's the deal!!

 

[cory]

Bermy, you certainly captured a lot of the Maine vibe in your post- generous, easy going, often humorous people, in a beautiful area. Acadia is truly amazing, the rocks along the shore are so cool.

I've spent all these years visiting Maine, worked in the Rangely and Bangor areas too, but have never been to the northern half of the state, Katahdin is on my bucket list.

Yeah man, a lil TH gtg would be fun there fo sho. But it would indeed have to be little, I cross my fingers every time I flush the toilet there, you never know when the 56 y o septic system will say Enough lol!

 

[cory]

I saw this a few months ago here at TH, but in case you missed it, there's a few serious Maine accents on the loose here.

FTR, I cut for that mill when I first started out, it's in the next town over.

 

[Altissimus]

saw the GD in Portland several times , Augusta , and Oxford

 

[Jonny]

Haven’t been there in 3 years and it’s driving me buggy. Got a sweet little old spinster aunt living at York Beach, and my brother is about 40 miles inland from her.
It’s therapeutic man, good for the soul.

 

[cory]

It’s therapeutic man, good for the soul.

Yup, that's the crazy chit I'm trying to convey.

 

[ruel]

Love the Maine humor Fi, that's a good one. Maine is absolutely beautiful, sometimes I can forget. I have a lot of mixed feelings about the state right now, feelings of awe and wonder and loss and abuse/ exploitation. Might get inspired to elaborate later.

Here's a picture of my favorite cove, with campfire smoke and sunset.

 

[Jonny]

When my grandma was still alive, we went to my aunt’s in York beach for Thanksgiving a few times. Incredibly spooky. Once the tourists are gone the place just shuts down. There was a Chinese restaurant with a bar that was still open, and that was it. Hotels all closed except 1 small motel, and they lay off the police officers.

Was really cool going out for walks and basically feeling like we had the Atlantic all to ourselves. I miss the smell and sound of the ocean. It’s just amazing.

 

[lxskllr]

I love the ocean. I was thinking about going to OC MD this fall, but covid put a damper on it. I might not have gone anyway. It was fun going with my daughter, and less so going by myself. I'd still have a good time, but it's hard getting motivated to drive a couple hours just for me. October's the best time. The air's crisp, the water's warm, and there's just enough stuff still open to feel like an old time summer, but no crowds. Probably not this year though. I'm sure the places will cut their losses and close early for the season.

 

[cory]

I have a lot of mixed feelings about the state right now, feelings of awe and wonder and loss and abuse/ exploitation. Might get inspired to elaborate later.

Spill the beans, sir. You are the one in the know.

 

[BeerGeek]

I love the ocean. I was thinking about going to OC MD this fall, but covid put a damper on it. I might not have gone anyway. It was fun going with my daughter, and less so going by myself. I'd still have a good time, but it's hard getting motivated to drive a couple hours just for me. October's the best time. The air's crisp, the water's warm, and there's just enough stuff still open to feel like an old time summer, but no crowds. Probably not this year though. I'm sure the places will cut their losses and close early for the season.

John, the family and I spent a few days there the end of August, as we used to go almost every year for a decade. Spoke to quite a few down there, and your assumptions are correct: many will bail early this year, especially since all the big events/conventions have been cancelled.

 

[ruel]

Camped on swan island in the Kennebec river last night, one of my favorite places. Short paddle to this big island the state bought back in the day. The old abandoned houses are still there, and the amount of geese and ducks is incredible.

View from the dock