Ray The Wanna’ B Retreiver?

We took our boy, Big Ray, out to a friends camp on Halfmoon Pond in Swanville / Prospect the other day for a swim. And there he encountered a small flock of quackers which clearly caused  a bit of confusion on his part.

I've never used him as a gun dog but it seems to me that from his body language his instincts were kicking in..  soon however he overcame his primal urges and settled instead for a handful of kibbles.

Guess he's not ready for prime time...

This post can also be seen at this link below..

Everybody Loves Ray - A Marshmellow Labrador

Much Ado About Lobster....

Having been home for a week from our vacation in the Gouldsboro / Corea / Prospect Harbor area, I find my mind wandering back to the many pleasures that we had spending time Downeast. 

Since I've lived on the Maine coast my entire life, one might think that complacency would overtake my enthusiasm for the special treats that it has to offer. One might think that..But one would be wrong. 

And perhaps topping off the "Treat List" would be the spiny, nasty tempered, scavenging, salt water bug that we love..lobster..

Soon we found ourselves outside the front door of what must be one of the busiest lobster landing spots located on our beautiful shores...

The Corea Lobster Co-Op

The nice folks inside ushered us down to their wharf where we would find a lobster lovers paradise.

While the rest of my party worked their way to the end of the wharf, the first thing that struck me was the warehouse, within which were totes upon totes of the smelly bait that is the object of affection for 
Homarus Americanus. 

Slipping and sliding past the warehouse door I joined the rest of my companions at the front (or back) of the wharf to observe the goings on. Lobster boats were everywhere to be seen. These were serious fishing boats with serious men tending to them.

Lobsters coming off and bait going on..

with plenty of totes.

Many filled with the catch and many more waiting to be filled and weighed.  

At last we caught the eye of one of the crew who took our order and filled a bag with a mess of the absolutely freshest lobster that one could find.

One last look around and we were heading back to the cottage.

Soon our supper found themselves in a bucket covered over with some fresh rockweed with their final destination only minutes away..

It's a far, far better thing that they did then they had ever done before..

Camp Pie..Dutch Oven Style

Since we are vacationing for a week on the shores of Gouldsboro Bay on the back doorstoop of Acadia National Park, it was decided to take advantage of the one of the two most noted and beloved gifts of nature that the area has to offer. Of course I speak about lobster and wild blueberries. It is the latter that this post will deal with..

Nothing beats camp food. Whether it be a grilled steak, or a pot of beans or roasted potato or biscuits or...  

Dutch Oven Blueberry Pie prepared by my Downeast Gal..Pat

Step 1

Find an appropriate spot for your set up. In this case it was the red granite ledge in front of the cottage and on the shore of the bay. 

Start some charcoal briquettes and arrange them in a single layer over which the Dutch Oven will be positioned.

And don't forget to place the pie in the oven. 

On goes the lid with more briquettes on top.

On the side of your fire pit you should have a separated section devoted to replacement briquettes ready for action as the others burn out on the top and under the oven.

Eventually having the lid completely covered with ash and the live briquettes..

Bake the pie until the crust is brown and the blueberries are yummy, sweet, blue bubbling stew of delicious Maine goodness. About an hour. Then remove from the heat and let the cast iron pot continue to do it's thing..

Sweep the ashes of the lid , serve and enjoy!

Now where is that lobster????

Fort Point State Park Pier..Picnicking and Fishing

On a fine morning a week or so ago, with the tide running just about perfect, I decided to take a boat ride to Fort Point State Park. 

Located in Stockton Springs, the park is situated on 120 acres, much of it bordering on the head of Penobscot Bay and at the mouth of the Penobscot River and built on the remains of the Revolutionary era, Fort Pownall.

Being very fortunate to be able to travel by boat rather than the road trip up Rt. 1, coupled with the fact that there is a public pier available to boaters, made the trip that much more enjoyable. 

(No worries about beaching the boat on a outgoing tide.)

I've been past the pier many times on my trips up the river in search of the elusive striper but never have I decided to tie up there.

The pier is around 200 feet long with a nice float and ramp and as you can see with no overcrowding and no signs prohibiting one of my favorite activities,  fishing from a pier. 

Located at the same spot as the old steamboat landing 

it offers a sheltered anchorage and groomed picnic area.

Perhaps that is exactly what is in the offing in the very near future with a bit of aforementioned fishing thrown in for good measure.

Picnicking and fishing..a pretty fine combination wouldn't you say?

Meet Bailey..Our New Project

With our last boy Zed, officially starting his "college education" to become a Guide Dog, we now have a new boy and start the process anew..

Meet Bailey..

Bailey was born on April 25th and has been integrating into our household for just a short time. But long enough for us to tell, including Big Ray,  that the new boy will be a project, but a fun project. 

Readers of maine-matters know that boating is a major part of our life style and Bailey could not have a better mentor to show him proper boat dog etiquette than our boy Ray. For instance, who has dibs on all toys..for now.

Of course as the little guy grows he will assert himself more and more and eventually Ray will accept him as an equal, almost...

So here we go again..number 15

Not all have made it. Some just don't want to do it. Just ask Ray. But Bailey seems to have the right stuff. And in another 14 or 15 months we'll find out. 

But until then..batten down the hatches!

Congrats To Zed

Congratulations to our boy Zeddy. 

He passed his IFT (In For Training) exam with flying colors. In fact we have been told through a highly placed source that he is a rock star at Guiding Eyes For The Blind.

Zed following his commands..

A very nice down..

Intense concentration..

A well deserved rest..

So now he is in the formal training program to become a Guide Dog but there is a long way to go for him. Many things can still happen to derail his career. He could get released for stress, or something physical or, as the pressure mounts on him as his training intensifies, he may just say no to it all.

But for now he’s on course and making us very proud parents..

Good Boy Zeddy!

Off To College..Our Boy Zed..The Bitter and The Sweet

Friday was one of those bitter-sweet moments in life that we all go through. Our boy Zed got "called up" and left home to start his new adventure in life. From the first day he set paw at home, some 16 months ago, we knew this day would come, for Zed is a Guiding Eyes For The Blind puppy.

And being such we always knew that his duty would come a calling. We always understood in the back of our mind that he was always a loaner puppy, his time with us would always be borrowed time. 

Always, always, always..

But no matter how hard we tried to keep that thought and worked really hard at keeping  our emotional attachment to Zed tempered by that reality..it never really worked.

From the first, we immediately found out that Zed was a special boy. He integrated extremely quickly into our home life and with his "Big Brother" Ray.  Ray does not suffer puppies gladly. And since Zed didn't pick on him, at least not much, the two of them would become good friends.

Zed was always up for a new adventure and accompanied us on many of our day trips along the Maine coast, always eager to meet new people, There was something about his demeanor that begged for a head scratch. Could that wagging tail have something to do with it?  He was very attracted to these lobstermen from Stonington or was it their lobster bait?

When the 2012 boating season arrived  little Zed immediately took to it without hesitation, but also needed a little assurance from his "mother".

Here they are enjoying their very first boat snug, one of many to come. 

This soon became standard ship board behavior and continued even to his very last boat ride.

Just a couple of days after this day on Lake Megunticook, Zed was gone.

Off for "college", to the campus of Guiding Eyes For The Blind in Yorktown Heights New York.

His next big test will be his In For Training exam and hopefully a new adventure of becoming a companion and of course guide to whom some blind person will entrust their life. It is for this higher calling that we say farewell to our good boy Zed. 

 Good luck Zed. We will miss you.

You have a special spot in our hearts.

The bitter with the sweet......