First stop heading south…Keen, NH Annual Jack-o-lantern Festival.  The weather held out pretty well…overcast, but no rain!  It did however effect the attendance keeping Keene from breaking the Guiness Record this year.  Despite that, there WERE over 21,000 pumpkin-based carvings to admire, question and laugh at. pumpkins lined the streets used to draw him while not listening to the teacher How cool is Linus? Some of them were really awesome.   They were everywhere you looked!  I had originally planned to carve one and contribute to the count, but when I heard there was a Pumpkin Orphanage there, IRead More

  Martie and I spent the day shopping and marveling at the beauty of coastal Maine!  First, we checked out Boothbay Harbor, a quaint touristy town with a pretty good selection of shops and cafes. Boothbay Harbor Our last shop-stop,  Enchantment, was a treasure-trove of fun and funkiness!!!  No doubt my favorite place!  I could have done some real damage to the bank account if I had more space….fortunately, I don’t! The view outside the windowat our table I got to wear a bib this time!!!    We did manage to find a restaurant serving lobster.  I couldn’t choose oneRead More

One of MANY logging trucks passing Mel’s house every day!       It was with mixed emotions that Van-Go and I drove out of Mel’s driveway this morning.  We have had such a fun visit!  We probably broke some kind of record on how much of Maine you can see in three consecutive Abol Falls days!!!  Thank you, Melanie for inviting me to stay in your home and for helping to make my time in Maine so memorable. Back yard Sunrise across the road Full moon night Sunset at Robbins Hills… Mel’s “other” back yard Moosehead Lake Chia petRead More

  Wow!  First time for 3 Bright Spots in one day!!! Bright Spot #1– Gotta love small towns…I went to the post office at 12:30 and it was closed for lunch until 2:00!!!  So, I decided to have a little lunch myself…”when in Rome” as they say!  I met Amanda in the House of Pizza.  I asked what was great there that wasn’t pizza and she highly recommended their grilled chicken salad.  It was fabulous. Amanda This woman had the most beautiful smile and I just wanted to talk to her…knowing she MUST have some happy news.  As it turnedRead More

     Last weekend I stayed at Melanie’s parents’ home.  We all had such a great time!  I must say that I was totally spoiled for nearly 3 whole days and it was wonderful! cellar holes from original settlement in the early 1600’s Commemorative plaque sinking of the ship…Angel Gabriel…Conan had relatives on that ship old fishing boat called a trawler- the wheels at the back reeled the nets in Pemaquid Point Lighthouse Pemaquid Point…where the ship sank Fisherman’s Museum -anchor from waaay back View from inside the museum Conan shared amazing stories of his family and of Maine.  HeRead More

    Everyday everywhere we go there are decisions to be made…do this or that, buy this or that, say this or that…take a path, or not.  I think there is merit in all decisions and beauty in all paths…perhaps not immediately recognized, but nonetheless there.  I love to imagine not only what may be at the end of a path, but what treasures I might discover along the way.  I’ve taken many shots of pathways over the years and I love them all!  I thought I’d share a few with you and I’m pretty sure each one’s beauty willRead More

Daily details are being bumped for a 2 part picture gallery blog.  These are samples of the many giant pumpkin designs throughout the town.  I am always in awe of peoples’ creativity… Winners…1st place pumpkin weighed in at 1,697 lbs!!! (left) 2nd place was a mere 1,200+ lbs. (right) The artist that does all of Stephen King’s illustrations did this one….pretty cool! Kids’ Pumpkin Derby Derby entries Derby entries Derby entries

   This was my first adventure without a tour guide…lol  So little traffic headed north…it was great! First stop was Solon…where I was able to get some fabulous pics of the bubbling dam and walk along the old railroad to see the smooth side of the dam.  Even the bridge across the dam was cool!  In addition to photo ops, it was a nice spot to just “be” for awhile! The wild side starts The calm side The wild side continues The bridge      Next stop was lunch at Kennebec River Pub in The Forks on my way toRead More

      I arrived at Melanie’s adorable cabin home in Madison around 2:15PM on Oct. 2nd.  It didn’t take us long to hit the road.  We went to Kingfield near Sugarloaf Mountain and saw the half moon over the Lodge…it was gorgeous!  Then we had dinner at Longfellow’s restaurant.  I feasted on a Mediterranean dish brimming with shrimp, Kalamati olives, artichoke, roasted red peppers, spinach and more over a steaming hot bed of rice!!!  Mmmmm good!      OMG….so much fun, so many spectacular sites…so little internet service!!!  Gotta drive to find some!  We’ve been everywhere…almost…lol   The “BEAST”, Melanie’s truck,Read More