We got us this morning and did a road trip. Drove about 70 miles north of where we live to a town called Houlton, Maine.Right on the Candian border.. Why ? Well half way up there we asked ourselves the same thing..WHY?But, when your on a mission ,Why? doesn't even matter anymore .. It's WHEN? will we get there!! Took only about an hour and a half of driving.. The first 25 miles there was civilization.. then another 40 miles of absolutly nothing!!Oh ,there was plenty of trees and I think we might of passed two cars along the way.Waved to them, just because I felt we had a kinship to them, being all alone on that backroad.
Our mission was to get new flooring for our house , which we finally did manage to do, at the Mardens Store. Who held it for us ,until we got there. Not that there was a mad rush for it, but we didn't want to take a long ride for nothing.
So,being in a new place, why not look around the town and check out all the good places to shop. And to me the good places are the Thriftshops and Bargain stores. We found a second hand book store.I am all for enterprise in this country, but give me a break. This place wanted $19.00 for the 4 books I picked up. 3 hardcover and 1 soft cover. I knew they were used because they had the old owners names in them and were a little ratty tatty on the edges . Not that I wouldn't pay a decent price for books, but come on!! I told the owner I can go to yardsales and buy them for a buck or less. His response was, he has to heat the building and wouldn't be able to if he sells them to cheap!! For crying out loud,, there was 300,000 books in the place. Sell them cheaper and you and go south for the winter ! As it was I left the books beside him,thinking..at these prices you might as well burn them and heat your building next winter...HA! I guess I showed him!!
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Who tried them first
I am so wondering who was the first person that looked at some of the things growing wild and thought "Wow" I bet those things would be good to eat!
I'm refering to alot of spring time bounty in Maine.
Who was brave enough to actually cut a dandilion green out of the yard and cook it up.Not to say, I don't enjoy a few feeds of these delicious greens myself, with lots of butter and vinager. Man, do they have a bite or what? The bitterness is what makes them so good! But before summer is over we will be swearing at these plants for taking over our yards with yellow flowers!And causing lots of grief with alergies.
Next comes the fiddlehead. One of the best parts of spring. We all wait in anticpation for the first one to pop up , then look out!! The riverbanks are full of two legged scavangers with plastic shopping bags , trying to get a fresh feed for supper!! My grandpa had an old saying " if you listen, you can here them growing behind you as you pick"Now I know what he meant, they grow almost as fast as you can get pick em'. Everyone has a private spot , and only share it when they have more then they need for themselves.These locations get passed on from generation to generation.
Just before the fiddleheads arrive we have what is known as smelting season. As soon as the ice starts to melt everyone heads to the mouth of the rivers and dips smelts. Usually this takes place after dark, with carloads of people ready to get their limit. Of course over the years this changes, was a time it was a gallon a person. Now you get a 2 quart limit, or 200 smelts ..whichever comes first. I'll stick to the 2 quarts . I'm thinking who in their right mind would stand there and actually count out 200 three inch fish??
I'm refering to alot of spring time bounty in Maine.
Who was brave enough to actually cut a dandilion green out of the yard and cook it up.Not to say, I don't enjoy a few feeds of these delicious greens myself, with lots of butter and vinager. Man, do they have a bite or what? The bitterness is what makes them so good! But before summer is over we will be swearing at these plants for taking over our yards with yellow flowers!And causing lots of grief with alergies.
Next comes the fiddlehead. One of the best parts of spring. We all wait in anticpation for the first one to pop up , then look out!! The riverbanks are full of two legged scavangers with plastic shopping bags , trying to get a fresh feed for supper!! My grandpa had an old saying " if you listen, you can here them growing behind you as you pick"Now I know what he meant, they grow almost as fast as you can get pick em'. Everyone has a private spot , and only share it when they have more then they need for themselves.These locations get passed on from generation to generation.
Just before the fiddleheads arrive we have what is known as smelting season. As soon as the ice starts to melt everyone heads to the mouth of the rivers and dips smelts. Usually this takes place after dark, with carloads of people ready to get their limit. Of course over the years this changes, was a time it was a gallon a person. Now you get a 2 quart limit, or 200 smelts ..whichever comes first. I'll stick to the 2 quarts . I'm thinking who in their right mind would stand there and actually count out 200 three inch fish??
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
