It's Coming!

Snow is on the way. It is unavoidable up here in Maine, but for those who do not ski, or ride snowmobiles, or "enjoy" the bracing experience of not feeling one's toes, fingers - or worse, snow is a menace.

It can be pretty

More often, it is not pretty at all. Sometimes it's destructive

It's always too much unpleasant work

Sometimes the work is worth the effort

Other times, snow is the cause of great unhappiness

Snow freezes everything!

But - for the prepared, for those for whom riding isn't a fair-weather-only affair, for the few who understand that what's underneath won't be seen anyway, warmth is waiting, in the form of the old fashioned Union Suit!

Laugh if you must - but toasty warmth trumps ridicule every day!

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"Lincoln"

I just returned from watching the first showing of "Lincoln" in Maine. In my opinion, students and lovers of American history will be astounded by the film. Even the younger crowd will thoroughly enjoy "Lincoln;" it is simply a fascinating film.

 

For me, it was a step or two beyond thrilling to see Abraham Lincoln so realistically portrayed. Back in the fifth grade, the biography of Mr. Lincoln was one of the first I read - right after Babe Ruth and Ty Cobb.

 

One odd thing about the lobby of the theater - there was just one line, waiting to buy tickets for the new Bond movie, the latest "Twilight" vampire flick, and "Lincoln." Each appeals to a different age group, so the long, meandering line held old people, young people, older folks, kids, younger kids, and a few wicked old geezers.

 

All of us seemed to be staring at one another, not believing that that old fart is going to see "Twilight;" no way that punky, goth kid cares about our greatest president; and I know that almost dead old man is going to have a heart attack within the first 15 minutes of "Skyfall!"

 

Well, it all got sorted out at the doors to the various auditoriums. And this isn't a movie review. It is a sincere statement of the opinion of a life-long student of American history, in particular the Civil War, and especially, A. Lincoln: this is as good as a film about that time, and those people, and that singular man, that we are likely to ever see.

 

 

 



 

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Down Bailey Island way

There's an old Downeast story that begins with an old Mainer being asked where he's from:

"Bailey Island way," the elderly gentleman says.

"Lived there all your life," is the next question.

"Not yet," is the pragmatic answer.

A couple of weeks ago, Mike and I rode down Bailey Island way, with Tina and Kevin, a pair of scooter riders from Portland. The weather was so marvelous, it was hard to go inside to have lunch, but the Cribstone Bridge Restaurant is so wide open and is actually over the sea that the momentary confinement was pleasant.

We were seated in the picture-windowed section in the front of the photo. Come summer, we'll surely try out the pier seats.

The restaurant is named for the one-of-a-kind bridge one rides over the reach the dining room.

This plaque explains the amazing structure.

Close up, it's easy to see that nothing but the weight of the stones is holding the thing together.

The sky over the island was brilliant

And the clouds and open sky made for some fascinating lighting

Mike explains the bridge to Tina and Kevin - and even with that, they still decided to ride over the structure to the restaurant.

Note Kevin's scooter - a 1985 Honda Elite 250

This spot is called "Land's End," because this is where the land ends

 

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