Big Dog Checks Out the Cove

Happy May Day friends! Yours truly, Big Dog, has just emerged from mud season here in Maine, and let me tell you it always flies by too quickly. Mud is a glorious thing to play around in all day. But life goes on as it will and it must.

To take away my end-of-the-mud-season blues, my pal Marcus brought me down to the seaside with Miss Mary on one of her sketching trips, and what was the first thing we spied down at Perkins Cove?  Miss Mary, can you quickly draw this little boat?!

Quite a few boats are still out of the water. I can see they need my help!

Hey Marcus, I have inspected this boat and it just needs a little more work.

Big Dog, take a look!  Who's coming down the channel?

It's the Michelle D., back after her morning run.

I wonder how many lobsters the two orange-clad gentlemen caught?

Cruising right behind is the Mary E.  I guess they are saving on letters, because nobody has a last name!

Marcus and I are posing in front of the only user-operated pedestrian drawbridge in America. It actually raises up when the tall masted vessels go through. You have to send someone ahead to go up there and push the button to open it. It's a big attraction down here in Perkins Cove.

All of this observation puts me in the mood for a nice cool dip, but Marcus, the kind friend that he is, says I have to wait a few more weeks!

Worker guys were getting the restaurant ready.

Here, let me help you with that!

I was happy to meet Jason, one of the worker guys.

Sorry Jason, I lick everybody's hand!

Marcus brought my attention to the Help Wanted sign. He thinks maybe I should get a part-time job.

I said, "Woof woof!"  Now they will never hire me!

Well, since we are right here, I wonder if they have a dog menu?

Check out these cool lobster boats. Yup, you are looking at Perkins Cove.

Here comes the Mary E. again, all loaded up with lobster traps and ready to go out tomorrow morning.

Hey Marcus, it would be fun to go out with them!

I am serious!  I want to go out on the lobster boat tomorrow!

I want to go!  Please.... can we, can we ?!!!

Sure Big Dog, we can go, but we'll have to be down here at 4 o'clock tomorrow morning.

Uh..., no that's OK, uh..., maybe some other time!

The high point of the day was meeting Shorty. We speak the same language!

The rapport was instant, and we promised to get together again soon!

Here is the VIP parking for the lobsterman guys.

Whew! I needed a break to chill out at the park for a few minutes!

Then what did we discover down at the dock? The S.S. Crusher! This little ship is the icebreaker that keeps the harbor open in winter, when the fresh water river emptying into the cove freezes on top of the salt water.

Hey, I can crush ice too!!

Has anyone seen Fred, the harbormaster?

Here is his boat.

He built it himself last winter. 

Hey Fred, nice to finally meet you. What a great way to end our adventure!  Everyone, I hope you all have a spectacular month of May!   Be sure to check back on my on-going Spring happenings.    

Peace & Love & Hugs, BIG DOG!!!

Big Dog's Big Maple Sugar Tour

Sniff, sniff, what's that smell?  I smell maple sugar in the air!  It must be the sap rising in the maple trees. Hey Marcus and Miss Mary, let's jump in the car and check out "Maine Maple Sunday." I bet we'll find lots of great treats to eat at the sugar houses!"

So we all headed north to Newfield, Maine where there's lots of maple sugar houses taking part in this special open house event. On the way up we came upon the "Irish Maple Sugar House."  Let's follow the big yellow arrow. Excuse me, who let that dog out?

 Just inside the house there is a big tub of maple sap cooking away. I LOVE that smell! The maple sugar guy explains to my blue-capped friend Marcus all about the process. There is a wood fired stove under this "evaporator" boiling the water out of the sap which makes all this steam. After a while the water is boiled away leaving maple syrup. YUMMM!!!

Here is the wood burning inside the cast iron stove under the evaporator. Looks hot in there!

All the sweet smelling sap is rising up through the special vents in the roof. Check out the old sap buckets on the rafters.

Here is a rear view of the sugar house. Notice the steam escaping from the roof. The tubes going into the building carry the sap directly from the trees. Not too many syrup producers use the metal sap buckets anymore.

And who is just aroung the corner? The Ice Cream Lady!  Handing out free samples with maple syrup on top!

Hmmm, can't wait to taste this!  Thanks Ice Cream Lady!  Please give some to Marcus too!

Wherever we go Miss Mary Byrom records the action with her sketchpad and pen. I love her sketches!

 Wow, look at these old farm tractors. I sure would like to take one for a spin!

Oh, these are here for the children to play on. No problem!  Please let me join you.  Whoopie!!

Our next stop was "Sugar Hill" maple products. See the wood all neatly stacked and ready to cook the sap.

This sugar house has big tall chimneys to let off the steam.  Please allow me to sniff. Heavenly!  This is a very happy day for my nose!!

 Here is the big shiny evaporator at "Thurston & Peters" sugar house.  Marcus is being a real good tour guide today!

 I love being in the middle of the action!

We met Bob "the Lineman" who checks the tubing that brings the sap from the trees to the sugar house. Sometimes the squirrels or deer chew into the tubing to get at the sweet sap and he has to repair it.  I asked him if he knew Santa Claus!

Our final stop was "Hilltop Boilers." Here they still use the old fashioned metal sap buckets. A tractor pulls a wagon through the woods, and they empty each bucket into a bigger container. Healthy exercise!

We traveled into Newfield town center and discovered this quaint little post office.  Now this place is just my speed!  I wanted to buy some stamps but of course it's closed on Sundays.   By now I was one tired little puppy, and all the way home I slept like a log.  I was happy that Marcus and Mary bought some maple syrup which I have been enjoying every day on my BIG DOG PANCAKES. (recipe coming!)  Please come and visit me soon!   PEACE& LOVE & HUGS.....BIG DOG!!!