Farmers Market in Deering Oaks Park

Today I walked up to the Farmers Market in Deering Oaks Park. It's a nice day and there were a lot of people out. There are craft booths, musicians, and lots of plants, vegetables, meat, cheese, and eggs, among other things. I picked up a little of everything so we can sample which farms we prefer. I got a free hug, listened to a cello/guitar duo (among others), and chatted with the people there, working or shopping.

Hiking in Portland

Just up the road from me is Baxter Woods, a preserve set aside for hiking in the middle of Portland. I discovered that I could connect to the Forest City Trail, a ten mile hike that winds through Portland.

 

Sundays on the Boulevard

The Back Cove Trail goes around the Back Cove in a 3 1/2 mile loop. Baxter Boulevard runs around one side of the Back Cove. The City of Portland has decided that on Sundays from May to October they will shut doortion of the road so that people may use it for walking, biking, roller blading or whatever, as long as it's non-motorized.

View from Tukey's Bridge

Today was just gorgeous, a little warm, but with  a nice breeze. There were a lot of people out enjoying the good weather. 

Spring is here!

This week I've started to see signs of spring. Forsythia and daffodils are out, trees are blossoming, and birds are flocking around Portland. Ben and I saw a snowy egret as we walked around the Cove and there have been wood ducks and sandpipers out. The loudest has been a crow who loudly protested my taking pictures up at the Eastern Cemetery.

Gray Wildlife Park

The Gray Wildlife Park and Ranger Station is basically across the lake from where we used to live in Otisfield. Almost every spring we'd take the boys over and whichever nieces, nephews, relatives and  friends that happened to be visiting. One year we saw a baby moose just a few hours after it had been born - it was bigger than our dog.

Porcupine

Deer waiting for some feed

The Ranger Station takes care of hurt animals or ones too tame or too odd (they have a lot of albinos) to survive in the wild. It's a great afternoon for small children and an easy walk around with cute exhibits and sessions for them.

The Tree Trail

Mama Moose

Turtle in the sun

Yesterday I took a ride up there and thoroughly enjoyed myself. It was a nice afternoon, the Rangers are friendly and knowledgeable, and there were a lot of families there.

Brown Bear

Fox taking a nap

Trout at the Fish Hatchery

Bald Eagle

Albino Peacock

Hawk

Eastern Cemetery in Portland

I volunteer for FindAGrave, a site that posts pictures of graves so that the descendants can use them in their genealogy. I walked up to the Eastern Cemetery yesterday to take some pictures that people had asked for. The gate was locked and I walked all around it, trying to find a way in. Finally, I used my trusty IPhone to call the City of Portland and found that the key is held across the street at Carlson and Turner, an Antiquarian Book Store. What a temptation that store is! It carries used books, some very valuable, as well as maps, prints, and lithographs. The lady was very nice and when I finally tore myself away, gave me the key to the cemetery.

The cemetery is peaceful but beautiful, located near the Eastern Promenade, looking out over Casco Bay. It is the oldest cemetery in Portland, established in 1668, and is on the National Register of Historic Places. I wandered around and took about 250 pictures before it started to sprinkle. The rain was refreshing on a hot day, but sprinkles on slate ruin the pictures.

It was a good excuse to go back to the bookstore and browse. I also found
KnitWit, a yarn shop that I want desperately to visit if I can convince myself I do need more yarn right now. Maybe if I finish Harry's sweater.

Biking in Portland

Portland is one of the best cities for biking around. I went up to Longfellow Books and got a trail map. Online I found a map that shows all the places you can leave your bike locked up around town. And the Back Cove Trail is right outside my door.

So I looked around to find a bike, checking the discount stores and one very expensive bicycle store. I really wanted a bike like I had as a girl, no gears and a comfortable seat. LL Bean's came through and I'm now the proud owner of a Casco Bay Cruiser with a big basket for carrying produce back from the farmers' market.

Walking around Portland

Yesterday and today I took hikes around Portland, trying out some new trails that branch off the Back Cove Trail. Yesterday I went onto the Eastern Promenade Trail, past Fort Allen and the waterfront into the Old Port and back down Preble Street to home.







It was a beautiful day with a lot of people out, walking and biking. There were even some boats out on Casco Bay racing.

The Old Port was busy with a lot of tourists from Nova Scotia, who had come in on the Nova Star.




Today I walked through Baxter Woods over to Evergreen Cemetery to do some FindAGrave volunteer work. The park is small but lovely and the trails continue into the cemetery which has a large pond in the back.

Evergreen Cemetery is huge and despite not finding the plot map until really late, I was able to find my Moultons and take the pictures for their descendant.

Back to the Past

We needed to run an errand in Lewiston the other day and took the opportunity to come back through Hebron and Otisfield. We stopped at Hebron Academy where the boys went to school. The campus looks much the same but they've added athletic fields and a new Field House.

Hebron Academy Field House

Then we drove through South Paris and Oxford, down Route 26. There's been some building going on, but I was surprised at how much has stayed the same in fifteen years. It was nice to come around Robinson Mills and the end of Thompson Lake. There was still ice on the lake, although it was pretty wormy. Then we drove down to Otisfield Cove to see our old house. I really like the new roof and the solar panels the new people have added. But it looks basically the same as when we built it.

Otisfield Cove

I've been catching up, scanning old pictures and copying VCR tapes. It's amazing how much time we spent at the beach here and all the fun we had with friends and family.

Portland Sea Dogs Opening at Home

When my sons were small, we'd often go down to Hadlock Field in Portland and attend one of the Sea Dogs minor league baseball games. At the time the team was associated with the Florida Marlins and we always had a good time - lots for the kids to see and do for a very reasonable price.
Last night was the home opener, so Ben and I walked over to catch the game. It's only a little over a mile to get there from our apartment and it was a nice day, though windy. We got our Fenway Franks (the Sea Dogs are now affiliated with the Red Sox), then hunkered down to watch the festivities. As the sun went down, it got progressively colder....and colder....and colder. But we waved at Slugger the Sea Dog, laughed at the Trash Fish, and enjoyed the first three innings. By then we'd had enough - we just didn't dress warm enough - and left to walk back through Deering Oaks Park. But we'll be back...on a much warmer day.

Walking Around the Old Port

Ben and I walked up into the city yesterday. First stop was to get our library cards at the Portland Public Library. A very nice lady gave us key cards and I'm very excited because not only can I use the facilities there on Monument Square, but they have ebooks and eaudiobooks for downloading as well as Mango language courses online (I'm starting with Gaelic, then maybe French).

Then we wandered down into the Old Port. Ben tolerated my popping into various stores pretty well, but was glad to stop for lunch at Bill's Pizza on Commercial Street. Then I had to stop at Gorgeous Gelato where I had limoncello gelato - delicious!

We decided to take the public bus back home as I wanted to try it and see how it works in Portland. This was Ben's first ride on a public bus and I think he was impressed - quick and clean to get back home.

Maine smells

When I walk the Back Cove Trail, on the far side of the cove from my apartment, I go by the B&M Baked Bean factory, next to Tukey's Bridge. If the wind is just right when I go by, I get an interesting sniff of baked beans mixed with salty sea air. If there was just a little pine also, I think you'd have the quintessential Maine scent.

My first weekend as a retiree

So yesterday started as a typical Saturday for me. I made a list of all my errands and chores and started out with getting acquainted with my new gym here in Portland. But while I was doing some leg lifts, I suddenly had an epiphany - I'm retired now and there's absolutely no reason I need to cram everything into the weekend.
I want to see Divergent and The Grand Budapest Hotel but I can now go on an afternoon next week, no hurry or reason to mix with crowds. My laundry can wait until next week when the complex is quiet. I'm already trying to be "European" in my grocery shopping and plan to go every few days and procure fresher food and what I exactly need rather than the way I've always shopped in the past - a huge load that often has sugery snacks and other stuff that is duplicate or that I never use.
So I think I'll kick back until Game of Thrones Season 4 previews tonight.

First Week Impressions

Just one week ago I retired from my job in Danbury, Connecticut and moved to Portland, Maine. I've worked all my life excepting two shore maternity leaves for my sons, so when I realized that I had the opportunity to stop working and move to Portland, I jumped at the chance. 

We lived in Maine when the boys were small and I loved the city of Portland. It has a very European feel to me and I find it very affordable. Ben and I took a ride up about six weeks ago and found an apartment on the Back Cove, looking out onto the water. 

So last Saturday we packed up our apartment in Danbury and took off in the rain for Portland, the two cats howling for a good part of the way. On Sunday we moved in with the help of two local college kids.

We've gradually been unpacking and taking the time to explore the area. I've walked the Back Cove Trail twice - 3 1/2 miles around door to door. We've been changing addresses, running to the stores, and meeting our neighbors.

I love my apartment. It's tiny but I'm finding that I don't need all the stuff I usually have had in the past. The complex was built in the 1940's and it definitely has a retro feel. But the front looks out on the water. Sunrises and sunsets are just beautiful here.

I think I've adjusted well to not working. I really don't miss it at all. I have plenty to do and I'm enjoying not having to deal with all that stuff at work. 

Tomorrow I plan to do some exploring in the Old Port and maybe catch a movie 

at the Nickelodeon.