a good friend

I have a good friend from my days in Connecticut with AT&T dating back some 14 years ago. Bob Breau worked in our media center and was in charge of compiling our "raw" drafts and customer information into polished, bound proposals complete with the customer's logo and beautiful charts and graphics he created. Bob has been and always will be a very interesting fellow. He reads voraciously and has many interests ranging from music to nature to science, to just about anything you can name. In fact, I cannot think of an area of human endeavor that Bob has not explored to some extent. We have maintained contact throughout the years via e-mail and his e-mails are always packed with interesting tidbits. He has sent photos as well as sound clips taking full advantage of technology to share information. There are times when I will prompt him to send more information by asking innocently if anything interesting is going on in his neck of the woods. He never disappoints.

Several years ago, when we were in the CT area scouting colleges for my daughter, Bob made a distinct effort to connect up with us to spend some time together with me and my family. On our trip to Maine last week, Bob drove 200 miles to meet up with us once more. Of course, he does have a sister who lives not far from Portland, so he did have lodging, meals and the chance to visit his sister as well, but nonetheless, I am grateful and touched he would extend himself in such a maner. I have "friends" nearby who probably would not even deign to drive me to the airport in a pinch.

We spent the good part of a day exploring the city of Portland together and catching up. We shared a couple of moments of hilarity, one involving a very odd, but colorful clerk at a local hardware store whom we encountered again on the street many blocks from his place of employ. The clerk could have easily been a character in the movie "Ghost World." Bob commented it was almost as if he had been hired as an extra for a movie we were in and he was asked to double as a passerby for the street scene in addition to his role as sales clerk. Reviewing this, here on the computer screen, it isn't as funny as it was at that moment. You had to be there.

In any event, I wanted to acknowledge Bob's friendship and thank him for keeping in touch all of these years. Thanks, Bob! You da MAN!

divining rods

During our visit to Fort Knox in Penobscot Bay (the OTHER Fort Knox, not the one where the gold reserves are kept), I spotted a small display of divining rods in the museum shop. Naturally, I could not resist the temptation and purchased myself a pair of L-Rods. Divining rods come in different configurations, with the sort of wishbone shaped stick being the most well-known. L-Rods resemble the letter "L" and come in pairs. The handles are hollow tubes and L-shaped copper wires are placed within the tubes to allow free-movement of the wires to do their thing. Tradition calls the ability to utilize a divining rod as "dowsing." Dowsing is the sixth sense originating from one's subconscious mind.

The document that accompanied my purchase of the dowsing rods claims that as your proficiency increases, "you will also be able to locate lost pipes, unmarked grave sites, lost treasure and other earth features with a high degree of accuracy and confidence."

Today, there exists an American Society of Dowsers (Inc.) headquartered in Danville, Vermont. There are approximately 1000 members with other smaller (dowser) organizations throughout the world.

There are many theories about the dowsing phenomenon. It is purported that those who believe it is possible and could work have moderate success, followed by increasing success as confidence and belief strengthens. As I have mentioned in earlier posts, I want to believe in such things (see my post regarding the Loch Ness Monster). I'm intrigued by the possibilities of things unseen and unexplained. I can attest to the fact that as I departed happily from the store with my L-Rods in hand (wasn't it P.T. Barnum who proclaimed, "There's one born every minute!"?), I swear the wires started to rotate freely, coming to rest for a brief moment, then arced towards the river to my left in unison! I turned with my back to the river, re-positioned the L-Rods in my hands once more with the identical result. The wires began to rotate, stalled for a brief moment as if settling into a final resting position, then slowly turned (again in unison) and pointed directly behind me! My daughter, Marissa, tried utilizing the L-Rods with exactly the same results. When Joni and Chris, my daughter's boyfriend, tried the L-Rods, neither achieved any positive results. Perhaps their shared training as lawyers was a hindrance to their psychic success.

I did try the divining rods again that night in the comfort of our hotel room and the L-Rods behaved in the same manner. In this instance, they both pointed directly to my left. I had no idea where any bodies of water lay in relation to the hotel room so I cannot vouch for their accuracy, but the fact that they both pointed in the same direction leads me to believe something was at play here. I'll have to keep you posted as I experiment more with these things. I figure my $7.00 investment is a small price to pay for a renewed sense of wonder . . .

consequences

I neglected to mention that I gained an additional 3.7 pounds due to my overindulgent ways in Maine!

the food of maine

Where to begin regarding some of the restaurant highlights of Maine? In chronological order they were:

Duckfat - owned by the same purveyors of Hugo's, a renowned destination dining restaurant (see below). Duckfat is known for its fries cooked in duckfat. The duckfat renders the fries a deep brown color mirroring the richer, more earthy flavor. We ordered the fries with cheese curd and duck gravy (referred to as Poutine), but also tried some with truffle ketchup, which was absolutely amazing. The truffles added depth to the ketchup which simply has to be experienced firsthand. Duckfat does not take reservations, so needless to say, we had to wait for quite a while before we were seated. We also ordered their vanilla milkshake which has to be one of the richest shakes I've ever had. The vanilla ice cream was obviously home made, incorporating the freshest of vanilla beans.

Hugo's - that same evening, we had procured reservations at Hugo's. Chef Rob Evans was the winner of the 2009 James Beard Foundation for the Best Chef of the Northeast. We began the evening with Romaine Hearts, white anchovy, parmesan, caesar dressing and bottarga. The simplicity of this first course was superb due primarily to the freshness of the ingredients. The Romaine Hearts were crispy and sweet. For the second course (actually another first course choice, but we shared), we had Watermelon & Watercress Salad, with goat cheese, organic radish topped with a citrus vinaigrette. Again the excellence of this course was based upon the finest freshest ingredients. Finally, the entree was Prime Beef Rib Eye, potato- miso puree, onion jus with multiple garnishes. The portions were very small, but overall the dining experience was superb. We overheard a waiter telling a patron that some of the courses took three days preparation. It is not difficult to believe judging from some of the dishes featured on the menu.

I won't bore you with too many more details, but have to mention a couple of other highlights:

The Azure Cafe in Freeport was located in a small building in the middle of town. I had the Freeport fish and chips made of haddock that was probably among the finest I have ever experienced. The batter was light and did not overpower the fresh delicacy of the haddock. Even the fries tasted light and were not greasy at all. I also sampled their lobster roll which contained some of the sweetest lobster meat of the trip. I suspect from the cost, the lobster meat may have been harvested solely from the claws, the most tender and prime part of the lobster.

Finally, Fore Street in downtown Portland capped off the entire trip with what was the finest meal we had in Maine. You cannot pull up a menu for Fore Street on their website because it is determined by whatever ingredients they purchase that day. There are a few favorites they do offer consistently however, like their hanger steak and spit-turned chicken.

We started out with a tomato tartlet appetizer which was nothing short of amazing. The tomato was baked to sweet perfection in a flaky dough that complimented the taste and texture perfectly. We then had mussels, steamed and swimming in its own juices and butter. As with most high end restaurants in Maine, the mussels were fresh and of the highest quality. The entree was striped bass with fresh celery relish and broccoliette. The delicacy of the fish and the fresh test of the celery were again a wonderful combination of ingredients that served to enhance each other. Finally, the dessert was a warm Rainier Cherry upside down cake with caramel sauce and house made vanilla ice cream. This was a dessert I will never forget! I can still taste the warmth of the cake and the caramel sauce in my mouth just as the sweet tartness of the cherries hit my taste buds . . . Just so you are aware of its credentials, in 2002, Fore Street was named Number 16 in Gourmet Magazine's Top Fifty Restaurants in the United States. In 2004, Chef-partner Sam Hayward was named Best Chef in the Northeast by the the James Beard Foundation.

Finally, as mentioned, I had lobster in one form or another each day of our visit in Maine. Most of it was in the form of lobster rolls, one of my favorite dishes culled on our first visit to Maine. Most places were tiny shacks manned by high school students earning their summer pay, but all you really need to know to produce a fine lobster roll is how to cook fresh lobster, get the meat out of the shells, mix it with a little mayonnaise or butter and slap it onto a grilled hot dog bun (which in the Northeast is really a slice of bread folded in half). There were admittedly, small variations in the lobster roll in the different shacks, but most were superb. I don't know if this can be attributed to the fact that I only visited those shacks recommended by the guide books, but I suspect as in anything, quality control and good management make for some better shacks than others. Occasionally, I would indulge in other menu items like fried clam strips during these visits to the shacks, but honestly, I faithfully adhered to having lobster each and every day in some form or another. Perhaps given another week, I may have tired of this seafood choice, but overall, we were there for 9 entire days, and I am confident I could go for more days, perfectly content.

more images of maine

This is the Portland Observatory. The observatory was used to track incoming ships in the old days to signal dockworkers to prepare for unloading. A flag of the particular ship's company would be hoisted to identify the ship. Visitors can climb the observatory for a wonderful 360 degree view of Portland.

This is the Portland Headlight, the most photographed lighthouse in the United States. I shot photos in a fog enshrouded setting of this very same lighthouse over 10 years ago. Nearby was the Lobster Shack, essentially a shack that served lobster with both indoor and outdoor seating with a nice view overlooking the water. It was touted in one of my guide books as one of the best places of this type to enjoy lobster. We were not disappointed. The going price for lobster rolls ranged from $12.95 to about $19.95, so needless to say, after purchasing the accompaniments like fries or onion rings (fattening and bad for your arteries, but oh so delicious!), drinks and a slice of blueberry pie, you we were shelling out something like $48 to $56 on average for two people. And this was at a place no more classy than a drive-in! It was worth every penny . . .

This is the Penobscot Bay Bridge. Visitors can ascend in the elevator to the top of the 420-foot tower on the right. As the elevator doors open, you face a wall of glass which can be somewhat unsettling. There are only three bridges of this type in the world and this is the only one in the United States.

This is the view of the town of Bucksport, Maine from the tower.

A shot of a restaurant in Bar Harbor. We didn't actually eat here, but the entryway deserved to be photographed.
Sadly, we encountered fog during our visit to Acadia National Forest. It did make for some moody images. The photograph of the boat shrouded in fog on two previous posts was shot on the same day.

images of maine

We took a short cruise to Peak's Island for a lobster cookout. This is the view as we entered the harbor. Peak's Island is the closest one to Portland and boasts the highest population of year-around residents of any of the islands due to its proximity.

This is the view of Portland at dusk upon our return from the cookout.

maine

I've just returned from our Maine adventure. I can tell you that it is possible to eat lobster every day and that no, I did not tire of it. It IS a very expensive proposition however, and even the most modest of lobster shacks did exert a toll on my pocketbook. The trip really turned out to be more of a foodies guide to Maine taking precedence over the sights. I'll post a review of some of the more memorable meals there shortly along with some photos.

We experienced the best dinner on our final night in Portland at the Fore Street restaurant. It was located in a lovely, very old but expansive brick building one block up from the wharf on, you guessed it, Fore Street. The menu cannot be viewed on line since it is determined by the day's purchase of the finest fresh ingredients. Sadly, I did not take photos of the meals as others were obviously doing as their flashes went off nearby.

To be continued.

I'll be heading for Portland, Maine shortly with family in tow (actually, I'm in tow - since it is in conjunction with a conference my wife will be attending). Happily, we will be meeting up with our daughter, Marissa, who will be joining us for a week of fun-filled adventure. I know this posting does not dwell on larger matters like the end of days brought on by the Large Hadron Collider or the Loch Ness Monster, but nonetheless, I cannot contain my excitement here. I fully intend to gorge myself on fresh lobster every day (which I have worked into our itinerary as we work our way up the coast). Fact: 90% of the lobster served in the U.S. comes from Maine. Can one ever have too much lobster? I will let you know.

Also, I am anticipating many wonderful meals. I have cross-referenced four travel guides (Fodor's, Frommer's, Mobil and Moon's) in selecting restaurants where I have made reservations. If the selected restaurants do not appear in at least three of the four travel guides, they have been discarded from consideration.

In addition to the lobster, let's not forget Maine's blueberries and other unique culinary delights. For instance, Moxie Soda is evidently an invention of Maine's, touted as the official soft drink of the state. It originated in 1876 and was developed by a doctor who claims it helped alleviate just about any malady. After more rigorous standards were implemented by the Food and Drug Administration however, it was downgraded from its medicinal status to a mere soft drink. It is said to have a unique taste that many prefer mixed with whiskey rather than as a standalone beverage.

And, there is a woman who makes her own special version of what she calls Wicked Whoopie Pies, which have been featured on Oprah and ABC's Good Morning America. One of her outlets is in Freeport, Maine, home of L.L. Bean and an entire community of factory outlet stores. You can count on a visit there and a subsequent review. If you are interested, Wicked Whoopie Pies can of course be sent anywhere from their website.

It may appear that I will be eating my way through the state of Maine, rather than sightseeing, but really, I will post some photographs just to let you know that there are other things to do there. More to follow.

dark matter

I'm very interested in the concept of dark matter. I think it's fascinating that scientists "know" it is there even though it cannot be seen; its presence is "inferred" from the motions of astronomical objects, specifically stellar, galactic, and galaxy cluster/supercluster observations. Supposedly the universe is composed largely of dark matter.

I'm also drawn to the name itself: "dark matter." For me, our lives are intertwined with "dark matter" not altogether different from the one identified by astronomers and physicists. There are times when events in my life seem to have been influenced by an unseen, unobservable force, beyond the scope of my power to control or alter. As in the full spectrum of our experiences, these events have proven to be both uplifting and burdensome.

Dark matter.

I can only conclude that dark matter, destiny, chance, the power of a greater being or whatever we choose to call it, will continue to buffet me around, determining my trajectory or orbital path. How I behave and what attitude I adopt as dark matter continues to surround me though is my choice.

large hadron collider - continued

If you have been following some of my posts, you may be familiar with my portents of doom concerning the Large Hadron Collider. Of course, I don't really believe that a cataclysmic event will occur once all of the experiments are fully underway, BUT according to a recent article in the New York Times, the collider is presently riddled with thousands of bad electrical connections and thus far, it has yet to collide any particles at all. Could it be that this is the reason we are all still here? I'm just saying . . .