The Quiet Sentry

In the heart of the local art scene lays one of the least known or appreciated spaces in all of Portland…the Military Entrance Processing Station (MEPS).  There are 65 MEPS located all over the country, many on military installations, and they are the first official stop America’s brave sons and daughters (known for now as “applicants”) will take if they enlist in our nation’s Armed Forces.  Portland MEPS has a humble yet very public location - tucked away on the third floor of a non-descript building located between Monument Square and the Maine College of Art.  Fittingly, humble perfectly describes many of the applicants who spend the day at MEPS navigating their way through a tiring maze of medical tests, aptitude batteries, and paperwork.  Should they meet the strict requirements demanded of a modern patriot, they will raise their right hand and swear “to defend(ing) the Constitution of the United States of America…” in a room named for Army Master Sergeant Gary Ivan Gordon; a Mainer from Lincoln who gave his life in Somalia, was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor, and whose heroic actions are memorialized in the movie Blackhawk Down.

If you pay close attention to the street scene near MEPS, you will spot various uniformed service-members entering and exiting the building on a regular basis.  They have already dedicated their life to protecting democracy around the globe, just as these applicants aspire to do.  Walking seamlessly through the eclectic scene one expects of a true art district, these camouflaged men and women of valor stand apart for their willingness to serve but ironically are easy to overlook in the hustle and bustle of Congress Street.  In the very heart of Maine’s most metropolitan vibe, the military maintains a quiet presence.  No frills; just a quiet, confident service.

Lighting the Path

Greetings friends.  My how time flies.  The last time I posted to this blog the days were still getting longer.  Now, three weeks short of Christmas the days are almost as short as they will be.  This time of year is known as Dark Season in Maine and for good reason.  

Today is an important day in Dark Season.  Today the sun set at 4:04pm.  Even though solstice is still weeks away, this is the earliest sunset we will have.   Our days will continue to get longer through the middle of next week due to the later sunrises, but even then, the sunrises will start to retrograde and we will be beginning our journey to longer days.    Even for the few hours a day the sun makes an appearance in Dark Season, it doesn't ever get terribly high in the sky.  When it's not obscured by the dark, stormy winter clouds, it shines directly into your eyes at obscenely blinding angles (remember to bring your sunglasses when you visit us in winter).  This low sun-angle is what the local weatherman calls "bright, but ineffective sun", referring of course to its relative inability to affect a rise in temperature.  I actually don't mind this time of year.  After a wonderful summer and gorgeous fall, it is natural to want to come back inside and make things simple again.  This usually leads to more eating, more sleeping, and less activity, so I have to be mindful of this and try to get exercise in when I can.  But other than THAT little detail, the shorter days bring with them the holidays, football bowl games, basketball and hockey seasons, and yes snow!  In a part of the country where the spring is late yet vibrant, the summer is all too short yet glorious, and the fall is like a second spring where every leaf is a flower, the winter months can easily become monochrome and underwhelming for the continual bombardment of white and silver palattes.  If it wasn’t for the -20 degree wind chill greeting you at the door each morning, you could almost sleepwalk through the entire season…

...Enter the addition of wonderful holiday lights local artist, Pandora LaCasse, places all around town during the coldest months of the year.  Arriving just short of Thanksgiving in mid-November, they often serve as a startling reminder that December is right around the corner.  More than just Christmas lights, they are truly works of art and turn Portland (as well as nearby Freeport) into a magical, colorful wonderland for kids of all ages.  Adorning street lamp posts, trees, the sides of buildings, anything they can cling to really...they bring a whimsical atmosphere to an already vibrant northern city.  This parade of colors compliments my traditional yet modern city by bringing a contemporary flare that says "look at me!".  Usually on display for the coldest, darkest months, they are almost pretty enough to make you want winter to last year round, their familiar and comforting glow casting a warm light across icy walkways and fields.  Then, sometime in late winter/early spring, you wake up one day and they are gone.  My first response is almost always instant sadness.  But days later it seems (I'm sure it is more likely weeks), a few little buds of color start to appear through the late season snow...the purple crocus are back!  Following them in short order are the yellow daffodils and then the multi-color tulips (I remember this because the OCD in me is delighted that they appear alphabetically!). 

Ah yes...the parade of spring colors will eventually arrive and with it the hope of a new warm season with long, sunny days and lobster on the dock.  But, until then, I have "Pandora's Lights" to remind me winter isn't so bad after all and, for now, spring can wait.

For full color pictures of Pandora's Lights, please CHECK OUT THESE AMAZING LINKS!!!!!

• http://www.downeast.com/magazine/2010/december/pandora-lights
• http://www.pressherald.com/news/pandoras-lights_2010-11-28.html
• http://vallierephotography.blogspot.com/

Storms and Rainbows

We've had an extremely stormy weekend here in Maine.  Lots of thunderstorms and even a few tornadoes.  Luckily, it wasn't been a total washout since we had plenty of intervals of sun in between the storm cells.  I took this picture as one such storm approached yesterday.  I have always loved storms, except as a really small child when I used to hide in my mom's bed whenever the going got rough (that's normal though...right?).  I'll never forget the day when things changed for me and storms got "cool".  I was in 8th grade and had the chance to watch a storm slowly advance from a distance through my bedroom window.  I'm not sure why, but something in my mindset changed that day and ever since I've been a big fan of storms...thunder, snow, all of the above.  I'm a bad weather junkie of sorts.  I wouldn't classify myself as a true storm chaser per say, but I have been known to drive a few hours in pursuit of violent weather.  I'm lucky where I live now.  Maine gets it's fair share of exciting weather.  Snow, ice, thunder, hail, we seem to get it all (don't worry, we have a lot of really nice weather too).  In my downtown Portland apartment on the fourth floor of my building, I have a west, north, and east facing exposure.  I can see all the way to New Hampshire (I can see Mount Washington and much of the Presidential Mountains on most clear days).  This is great on weekends like this one since I can see a storm coming from hundreds of miles away (it's also great for sunsets!).  Yesterday's parade of storms was like "must see TV" for a storm aficionado such as me.  I literally stood at the window and watched as storm after storm came and went.  And, in the end as you would expect, there was a beautiful rainbow over town.  As much as I love storms, I always look forward to rainbows.  They are the reward for putting up with storms. 

Wouldn't it be nice if in life we had rainbows after putting up with life's "storms"?  Maybe we do.  Maybe they are just less obvious.  Hmmmm.  You know, I bet we are surrounded by rainbows in life and we are just so focused on what's wrong to notice them.  Let's try to find more rainbows.  Sure, the "storms" are always going to be there.  But we need storms to have the rainbow in the end.  My wish for you is to find more rainbows in YOUR life.  Until next time...love and rainbows to you and yours...

Healing Time at Dyer Cove

Ever since I was a little girl, the ocean has been a source of renewal and healing for me in times of trouble or despair.  Two weeks ago, I took the opportunity to visit Dyer Cover in Cape Elizabeth (just south of Portland) while my rat terrier Henry and I were waiting to hear the results of his blood work.  A random decision from the very beginning, I didn't even know of the cove's existence until I literally drove right into it.  The decision to drive that particular road was random and wonderful and surprisingly amazing.  I was only trying to get my mind off of things when it happened and boy was that a decision I will never regret...

Henry has been sick for some months now, with a rare immune disorder rearing it's ugly head suddenly in February.  Since then he has spent a number of days uncomfortable from severe pain.  Thanks to many vets and two different animal hospitals, Henry seems to finally be coming out the other end of the worst of it, though he will always be on some medication to keep his disease at bay.  So two weeks ago I thought it would be fun to take him to the ocean, as a way to celebrate his newfound health and so that I myself could enjoy a few minutes of peace and quiet celebration.  He and I walked on the rocks for a bit, but we mostly just sat, Henry in my lap, and watched as wave after wave pounded the rocky coast of Maine and the lighthouse horn sounded over and over.  It was just what the doctor ordered.  And as luck would have it, while we were there, the phone rang with great news: Henry's blood counts were great - the first time we had heard that in months!  Little did I know, it was the last good news we would have in a while...

You see, that was a Thursday.  The following Saturday my cat Lucy became ill.  On Sunday, less than 24 hours after I knew she had a problem, I lost Lucy.  Just that suddenly.  And, as if that didn't hurt enough, my other cat (Amos) became sick and I spent Monday in the vet with him.  Thankfully he only had a mouth infection so he ended up fine, after a stiff round of antibiotics.  Fast forward to the following Friday, and I had to put my 15 1/2 yo dog Lucky down...it was time (and had been planned prior to the drama that had unfolded with the kitties).  So there I was, merely a week later, and all four of my beloved pets had made trips to the vets.  Two came home, two did not...

The reason I share all of this comes back to my opening paragraph.  Two weeks ago, the ocean reached out and grabbed me with its strength to tell me everything was going to be ok.  Almost as a precursor to events, it provided me comfort going forward.  It's like, it knew.  It knew I wouldn't be able to take the time to escape to its shores the following week - there wouldn't be time, too much chaos and responsibility.  It knew that life would call on me and I would need to respond...there would be no time for frivolous trips to the shore.  So it gave me the gift of sounds, and sights, and smells in advance.  The sounds of crashing waves and fog horns.  The sights of water spilling over timeless rock and tidal pools.  The smells of seaweed and salt water.  It was all right there and it etched an indelible impression on my heart and soul.  Looking back on it I cannot help but think it was Mother Nature's way of reaching out and giving us a big hug as if to say - "thank me later, but you'll need this".

Over the course of the last eleven days (hard to believe it's only been that long), I have gone back to that cove over and over in my mind.  Longing to return to that point in my life so recently when Henry's blood work was the heaviest thing weighing on my mind.  When I returned to my apartment to see four furry pets instead of only two.  To know that all was right in the world.  But alas, we cannot go back in time.  So instead of longing for that time, I hold the memories close.  Because what is past is past.  And today, I have two loving animals, Henry and Amos, who love me dearly and continue to depend on me and I on them.  And I know that someday, THIS will be the day I look back to and long for.  So I will enjoy it and be grateful and know that even as I type this, the ocean is there, waiting to comfort me yet again...as it always has...

The Dolphin Restaurant

    

I took this picture today just before dining at one of my family's favorite summer season restaurants in Maine.  You can live in Maine your whole life and still not know about the Dolphin Marina and Restaurant located in South Harpswell on the mid-coast.  This local gem is a seasonal restaurant open from May 1st-Oct 31st and has one of the best reasons to drive 20 minutes to no-where I can think of.  Located about 20 minutes south of Brunswick, the drive itself is half the fun as the road weaves through rolling farmland, coastal marshes, and seaside villages.  Views of red barns, lobster shacks, and Casco Bay islands will alert your senses to the fact that you are on your way to someplace special.  The final prize reveals itself on the final leg of your journey when you round the edges of a salty marsh on the left and view Mt. Washington, NH (located about 100 miles to the northeast) on your right.  Then you pull into the parking lot of the Dolphin and are rewarded by a 180 degree view of Casco Bay and Potts Harbor (picture above).  

By now you're probably starving which is a great thing because the food you're about to eat is fantastic.  No matter what you order, it's bound to have a very non-tourist flavor...and it certainly doesn't have a tourist price!  Many of the items on the menu come with the standard Maine Blueberry Muffin.  And trust me - this is no ordinary blueberry muffin.  It's an "OMG I can't believe that comes with my meal and maybe I won't need my meal now" kind of muffin!  Coated in cinnamon sugar and loaded with sweet Maine blueberries, this gem almost steals the show!  If you're smart and you ordered a fish chowder or lobster stew, you'll feel like you've died and gone to heaven.  Most places give you some broth with a little fish - not the Dolphin.  A whole Maine lobster is hidden (or not) in your bowl of stew so much so that you may feel inclined to eat it with a fork!  The fish chowder does not disappoint either and will leave you opting out of the typical crackers (there's not enough room in the bowl!!!).  The lobster roll here is better than average as well - lobster portions far outweigh most of other restaurants' and include tail meat in addition to claw meat.  

One disclaimer: don't come here for ambiance.  The management clearly benefits from their ocean side location but spends their money on food preparation, not decor.  You might find that the average customer is on the older side and looks local.  They are.  But that's what makes this place so special.  No frills, just great food and ultra-friendly service.  If you come here more than once you're slapped with the "regular" label and conversation is bound to follow.  Enjoy the journey!

Portland Sea Dogs

Anyone who lives in the Portland area would be remiss to overlook the Portland Sea Dogs baseball team!  This AA Affiliate of the Boston Red Sox has a lot of things going for it.  For starters, the Red Sox are as close to royalty as you'll find in New England so anything associated with that organization is going to have an advantage in this area.  For the record, the Sea Dogs used to be a farm club for the Florida Marlins...not that we have anything against that team in particular, but lets face it: in the major league there's the Red Sox, and then there's everyone else!

As a farm team for the boys who play down the highway, the Sea Dogs get a fair share of players who have either played for the Sox and come here to rehab (Ortiz, Dice-K, and John Smoltz recently) or started playing here and went on to have notable careers with the Sox (Josh Beckett, Jacoby Ellsbury, Jonathon Papelbon, Dustin Pedroia, and Kevin Youkilis just to name a few).

The Sea Dog's home stadium, Hadlock Field, was renevated in 2003 following the team's transition to the Red Sox organization.  It was given a make-over to more closely resemble Fenway Park, including a "green monster" in left field (known as the "Maine Monster") and even a mini-Citgo sign!  Of course, this being Maine, there are a number of sights seen around Hadlock that are special in our state to include a large LL Bean "boot", a retractable lighthouse (which lights up and sounds its horn when a Sea Dog hits a homerun), and of course in the pavilion there are a number of concession stands carrying local micro-brews and food including Shipyard Beers and Bingas Wingas Chicken!  The Sea Dogs' mascot "Slugger" is known affectionately as "Baseballs hardest working mascot" and delights children and adults alike with his silly antics and team spirit!

With a seating capacity of almost 7,500, the stadium has a small town feel and there is not a bad seat in the house!  It holds the charm of Fenway and other Major League Parks (the brick laden Portland Expo building adjacent to right field gives Hadlock a Camden Yard type feel) without the prices or traffic nightmare of the bigger parks.  So next time you're in Portland when the Sea Dogs are in season, come on by and for $8 you can enjoy a small slice of Americana and watch the future stars of the Red Sox get their game on!  You may even see a celebrity taking in a game while visiting their Maine vacation homes (Former President George H.W. Bush and his family, Bill Parcells, and Kathy Lee Gifford are all regulars). 

Note: I went to the game last night and the Sea Dogs beat the New Britain Rock Cats 13-4 powered by a TEN RUN 7th inning!  We were particularly lucky too because after the game we got to see a 20 minute fireworks display that, to my delight, put a lot of Fourth of July shows to shame!  It was a great evening!!!

Lower Exchange Street

Portland’s downtown shopping district is known as the “Old Port”.  And though it stretches about three blocks in either direction, this street is one of my favorite areas.  This picture was taken at the bottom of Moulton St, looking back up toward Fore St.  Since Moulton connects Exchange St. with Commercial St, it is sometimes referred to as “Lower Exchange”.  Commercial St (behind me in this picture) is another very important Old Port road as it runs the length of the Portland waterfront and is lined with dozens of restaurants (more on that soon!).  I especially like this time of year as the tree blossoms make this New Englandy cobblestone street even prettier!

In this area you will find a number of local favorites.  Bull Feeney’s Irish Pub, a favorite gathering place for food, drinks, and entertainment, is at the top of the picture on Fore Street.  If Guinness or Whiskey are your drinks of choice, you can’t miss this place.  Not only are they revered by bartenders and patrons alike, they also somehow manage to be inserted into nearly every dish served here!  You've gotta love a place whose motto is "Losbter's love Guinness"!  Certain to impress any connoisseur of good food too, the environment in this place cannot be matched anywhere in town.  At once a rowdy bar, a quiet restaurant, and a music venue, their two story, three building expanse allows them to provide a niche for just about everyone.   Mexicali Blues, located on the right, is a locally owned import store.  They specialize in clothing, jewelry, and gift bought around the world using fair trade practices.  And though their style may not suit your tastes, simply walking through their store adorned with bright colors and the smell of incense will warm your heart and awaken your senses!  Even walking anywhere near their storefront, you can’t miss their sights and smells.  Located next store is a relative newcomer to the Old Port Scene (2007), The Maine Squeeze.  A truly authentic California style juice bar, this little gem may be new, but is already one of the coolest kids on the block!  Need a morning meal replacement?  This is your place.  Looking for a mid-day pick-me-up?  This is your place!  Thinking about walking around the Old Port on a warm day and looking for a healthy alternative to the standard iced mocha frappuccino or ice cream cone?  This is your place!  Owner Buzzy Trusiani, himself a California native, has blessed our little corner of the world with the real thing.  In his attempt to bring a slice of the California coast to Maine, he has created a gem.  You can find thousands of juice possibilities in this place from the extremely healthy (think: raw/vegan/vegetarian) to the not so healthy (think: chocolate/honey/ice cream) and everything in between.  You can fall into a coma just trying to decide what to order - if one of the hundreds of named drinks don’t inspire you, Buzzy and his staff gladly entertain any combination you can think up and might even add it to the board if it turns out well.  And though we all think of juice bars when the weather turns warmer, Buzzy stays open twelve months a year and is quick to point out that you need your fruit and veggies most when the days are coldest and the sun is lowest in the winter sky!   One more thing before you head here...bring cash because they doesn’t accept plastic.

If you’re lucky enough to live in the area, or are planning a visit, make sure to put this corner of Portland at the top of your list of must sees - you won’t be disappointed!  Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to walk down to Maine Squeeze and get my favorite juice shake for lunch!