Sweet Summertime

When I think back on everything that's happened in the past two weeks, my jaw drops and hangs open like a tired little child's. Summer, with its slow-pulled taffy time, is stretching the days to be longer, sweeter, and yes, chewier. They stick with you in such a way that you eventually lose track of how many bites you've taken, but you don't care because they taste so good.

Funtown Splashtown USA

I went with my middle school students to Maine's little adventure park for a celebration of a job well done at the afterschool program this year. There's not a lot to say about this trip except that I still have the bruises to prove I went. The students really enjoyed themselves and I enjoyed their reactions to roller coasters and drop rides.

New Gloucester Strawberry Festival

For my friend Laura's birthday, my friends and I went to New Gloucester for what was called a strawberry festival that was truthfully more of a strawberry social. The Berry Berry Good Band was there to play folk tunes to shortcake-eating patrons inside of an old church fellowship hall while other patrons sat on its steps or on the stone wall edging a span of yellow wildflowers. We had to wait in a fairly impressive line (for Maine) to pay our dollar bills for delicious strawberries, biscuits, frozen custard, and whipped cream. Boy, were those berries good! We sat on the wall and laughed and then opened birthday presents. What a good Thursday.

The Church & Fellowship Hall

Great job, clean bowl club! So camera shy...

Weird friends

Lamby Lambs

Of course a horse would just show up!

creeps & weirdos

Birthday time! (Belated birthdays included)

Baxter Brewing Company

I sincerely believe that participation in AmeriCorps service is positively correlated with alcohol consumption as a means of coping. Fortunately, you can't afford to be an alcoholic on a pauper's budget, so you are satisfied by diminished tolerance and strong brews. When your pockets are shallow, you aim to make the beer you imbibe delicious, and that is not a difficult task in Maine thanks to its local craft breweries. I went to Lewiston's very impressive Baxter Brewing Company on Sunday afternoon for a tour of their facilities inside of the old Bates Mill.

In the tasting tap room

Some of the production equipment

deliciousness

cute little tap room

Upstairs space in the old mill

After the brewery tour and enjoying the well priced beers on tap, my friend and I walked to Gritty's just across the river. Pitchers of Vacationland summer ale on the cheap and the best pork barbeque I've found in Maine. How lovely.

The mighty Androscog'

On the back porch before the rain.

During the rain which we endured because it was still colder inside than outside. Warm days must be savored.

On the walk back to the Old Mill.

Range Pond (pronounced rang)

My friends and I went to Range Pond this week on a hot, sunny day after work this week. Sunny afternoons are a gift; finding a way to be outside on these days is your thank-you note. Range Pond is a huge sandy bottom'd body of water that I would call a lake, but would be wrong to do so. It's not deep enough to be considered a lake, so that water warms up faster which is very nice for poor southerners like me.

sideways life

sandhand

 Despues pond, we went to Taber's little grill hut that is a true gem in Auburn. The burgers taste like heaven and the onion rings are like calabash donuts, as evidenced by the following photos.

Cute little place

these are, like, covered in fried dough... obg.

I went through my schedule for the rest of summer, and while it makes me want to cry at its fullness, I know that it will only become more full as I find time for sweet moments like these. Thankfully, I have stretchy-long days to fit them into.

I could sure go for some taffy...

JB