66350 Clear Blue sky 55* The leaf hangs on.
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| Still hanging on |
We got an early start and thought we might check out Sturbridge Village, a living history museum, but the signs and GPS were confusing so we wound up back on
Northbound I-84 to I-90 and I-495 around Boston to I-95 into Maine. More evidence of snow; a sign saying "Out of state firewood banned in Maine"; a visit to LL Bean's in Freeport, ME; more snow and ice in the ponds along the way to New Sharon. The roads seem to be one continuous frost heave. Aunt Miriam and Arnie were glad to see us. We enjoyed dinner in town at the Homestead Bakery where Sonny's brother, Eric, is the baker. The next few days, we met up with old friends and family, road the back roads we used to ride when we were courtin' and sparkin' in the '70s (since this is Sonny's home turf and my college town) and spent time on "the farm" learning about making maple syrup. 10 year old Bradley Smith, Sonny's 2nd cousin, educated me on farm equipment.
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| Almost there..... |
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| and then we're here! |
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| Typical Maine farm home |
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The snow this year has been unrelenting. Many of the
birch trees are bent over from the weight.
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| Hay bale snowman that never melts |
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Driving up Smith Road on Cape Cod Hill in New Sharon, ME towards
Aunt Miriam's house. It's April and still the snow hangs on. |
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Road to the barn. When I was 19, I chased a cousin up the tree on the left
after he hung a May basket on me. He didn't think I would climb the tree
after him but I did! |
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| Aunt Miriam is waiting for us! |
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Arnie Smith, Sonny Wirta, Lynn B Wirta, Miriam Smith having dinner
at the Homestead Bakery |
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| Couldn't resist a carrot cake desert |
Arnie is a talented musician
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| Farm fresh eggs for breakfast. |
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| Sonny's second cousin, Bradley, with his 4-H project. |
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| Bradley loves the farm animals |
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| Sonny and Billy, a long time neighborhood friend. |
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It's sugaring time in Maine. Can you see the buckets on
the trees? Some people just use milk jugs while others hook
up elaborate pump systems to suck the sap right out of the
trees. |
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| The old way with tap and bucket |
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Cooking the sap down. There's a wood fire going round the clock
under this pan. It takes 40 gallons of sap to make 1 gallon of
syrup. |
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| The sugar shack where the boiling is going on |
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| The farm horses and the bull. |
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| It's mud season in Maine |
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| Temple Stream at high water |
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A few weeks ago, the stream beside this home flooded.
A woman was rescued from the second story window. |
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| The stream beside the house has receded. |
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Frost heaves call for the "Bump" sign. I think the Bump sign
should just be at the State border since all roads are rough. |
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Hard to see the art work on the old stone wall but the home
owner has a tea kettle collection sitting out there. |
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At Sonny's brother's house, there is a salt water fish tank where
the star fish population has exploded with these little stars. |
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| There are hundreds. |
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Palm Sunday, we took a ride to Phillips to find that
3 more inches of snow had fallen that morning. |
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| Snow turned to rain. Smith Farm animal shelter |
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| The old barn built in the early 1800s |
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| Boston Baked Beans factory near Portland, ME |
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Sonny get a coffee at his favorite place. This one is at the
rest stop in Kennebuckport, ME |
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Livermore Falls, Maine. In the distance, is a restaurant sign that says
"Chuck Wagon". Sonny took me there with his parents on a dinner date
early in 1971. |
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| Animals from the woods at LL Bean |
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| Moose in rutting season |
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Front doors to LL Bean "Home
and Cabin" |
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Can you pronounce the name??! This river borders
Maine and New Hampshire. |
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