Expanding horizons at Funtown, Go Pirates

I took G., L. and her buddy A. to Funtown last week. My kids are not big fans of amusement parks (rides nor crowds) but after our trip last year, they were at least familiar with some of the rides and cautiously anticipating another visit.

A. likes rides and she helped my girls work their way up from the Tea Cups to the Sea Dragon. G. liked the Cars, Tea Cups, Trapeze and Tilt-a-Whirl but generally took a pass on most other rides.

It's been years since I've been on a roller coaster (mostly because I too don't care for the crowds) but I decided on this trip I was going to go on the Wild Mouse.

I went on by myself while the girls were in line for the Tilt-a-Whirl (in visual range of the Wild Mouse) and had a ball. L. asked me a few questions about my ride and then decided she wanted to try it.

I took advantage of her agreeable mood and got back in line (luckily, it was a quiet day at the park, overcast skies kept the crowds at bay and made for an enjoyable experience for us with only a few minutes waiting in line for the rides). L. and I rode the Wild Mouse with much screaming and laughing and that was all it took - one ride - for L. to get hooked. We rode the Wild Mouse about half a dozen times before the other girls dragged us away to explore the rest of the park.

When we walked by Excalibur, I suggested L. try the big coaster with me. G. and A. were certain that did not sound like a good idea but L. decided to take the plunge. The picture the park took of us going down the first big hill was of L. ducking and me laughing (although L. did laugh and enjoy the rest of the ride).

L. decided Excalibur was a once-per-visit sort of thing and once her teeth stopped chattering afterward (from fear or relief, I'm not sure she even knew) she said that the next time we visited the park, she definitely wanted to go on the giant coaster again. She liked the ride but she just wasn't sure she could do that first big drop again.

So she suggested we go back for another couple of rounds on the Wild Mouse.

After L. touted the Wild Mouse's fun-factor over and over again, I asked G. if she'd like to try it. I received a very definitive, "No!" (No surprise as she still talks about, "that scary log ride I will NEVER ride again!" - and once more I was reminded of how different my children are).

The girls did spend a bit of time in Splashtown even though it was kind of cold (amazing how fast cold temps set in this year). And even though L. and A. don't want the summer to end, Splashtown had them talking about the upcoming Pirates hockey season (the team's home-opener is Oct. 10) and making sure both sets of their parents knew they wanted to go to the games together again this year (they like sitting together in the stands and acting crazy).

Go Pirates!

New American Girl doll has unfortunate name association

I read a news brief in the latest issue of Audubon Magazine (a fab mag BTW that the kids and I read cover-to-cover every month) about the new American Girl doll, Rebecca Rubin (from a Russian-Jewish immigrant family), having the same name as one of the FBI's most wanted. Her name is also Robin Rubin and is believed to be an eco-terrorist wanted by the FBI for allegedly setting fires in the name of the environment.

Apparently the American Girl company didn't know anything about the real-life Rubin and said the reason for choosing Rebecca as a first name for the doll was because it was a common name in New York at the turn of the century (the doll character books are set in NYC in 1914).

A $50,000 reward for the real-life Rubin's capture is being offered by the FBI and the bureau is hoping the new doll might assist in her capture.

My favorite part of the brief in the magazine was the ending. It had me chuckling long after I read it.

Rubin, the person, is considered "armed and dangerous." Rubin, the doll, is armed, too - with challah bread (sold separately).

I do enjoy a little snark in my news, especially when the story is already on the odd side to begin with...

Exploring living history museums is great educational fun

We recently visited Newfield to explore the 19th century village of Willowbrook with the kids' 4-H club. There were tons of exhibits and many interactive opportunities that I haven't seen at some other living history museums we've visited in the past.

We've been to Strawberry Banke (it's in Portsmouth) and Old Sturbridge Village in Sturbridge (MA) and both were fun places to chat with living history characters. And we discovered quickly that there were so many exhibits to explore on the sprawling grounds at both places that it really couldn't be done in any meaningful way in only one day.

Willowbrook isn't quite as large as either of those (nor does it have living history characters on a regular basis), but the admission price is a bit more affordable and it offers some special treats, including a 19th century carousel.

During our visit we saw a demonstration of the carousel that included an explanation of its history. But, the last Saturday of every month the carousel is open to riders. Our timing was off for that one-of-a-kind experience but the next "open ride" day for the carousel is Saturday, September 26 (10 a.m. - 5 p.m.) so we're hoping to go back then to try it.




The carousel demonstration included a presentation about its history. The carousel actually moves really fast and was not originally designed for children. It was an adult-only ride in its time.

The kids were also really happy to discover they could sit on a bed and open and close dresser drawers in one of the historical homes at Willowbrook (the plaque encouraged kids to do this in one of the rooms). That's not an option at most of the other places we've been to in the Portland area (Tate House, Marrett House, Longfellow House or Victoria Mansion) so they especially enjoyed that.




You see, my girls are really nosey when it comes to visiting other people's houses (historic or not). When they were younger they invited themselves into everyone's house we met so they could look around (then afterward tell me all the changes I needed to make in our own). And last spring when an opportunity to explore an 1800s home offer was made during our vernal pool research (and totally unrelated to the project), it was too much for them - they simply couldn't resist the invitation.

The Willowbrook Village is open until October 12 this year and there are a couple of special events planned before they close for the season. It's well-worth a visit.

And in case you've never heard of Newfield, it's next to Limerick and near the southwestern corner of the state. Get directions here.

The Book Thief, anyone read it?

I read, "The Book Thief," by Marcus Zusak and it is technically young adult fiction, although it doesn't read that way. The theme of the story is for the older teen but more realistically, it appeals more to an adult because the reader has to be familiar with some historical facts to understand it I think.

The title caught my eye at the library and thought I'd preview it for my girls to see if they'd enjoy it and got sucked in after the first few pages (the metaphor for the colors of death grabbed my attention - and shortly after that I was certain my kids were not at all ready for this book yet).

The narrator of the story is Death and his thoughts about the human race. He also keeps a watchful eye on an 11-year-old German girl living in Nazi Germany during WW2 (the main character). It's definitely not a 'happy' book yet has it's moments of poignant humor and hope (the name-calling was a great touch with the characters. I now know how to call someone a pig's ass in German). And although it sounds a bit like a cliche, diary-type story of that era, it's not.

So although not a typical recommendation I'd make, the story sucked me in and it made me stop and think about life and what's important. I prefer escapist reading but I veered off that path and in to the life philosophy mode for about 500 pages when I read this book.

And Hollywood is jumping on the band wagon for every best-seller these days and this book is in production for a 2010 release.

The History of Love, have you read it?

A friend asked me about a book I had read a while back by Nicole Krauss called, "The History of Love," because she was considering reading it. I told her to do it because I thought it was great.

Another friend had recommended the title a while back and at that time I was short on time so I got the audio version from the library to listen during my commute to work. The audio version was a full cast of voices that were fabulous to listen to. The story is told through the eyes of several characters and it is really well done. I suggested to my friend she check out the audio version because I thought it was a great way to experience the book (although I'm usually a reader, this was a title enriched by the voice interpretation).

The book reminded me of "The Red Violin." Anyone remember that movie? The story was told through the history of ownership of a special violin. I was totally compelled with the concept of telling a story that way and how all the pieces of the violin's history brought it to where it was in current times. Plus there was a mystery around the violin through the whole movie and it wasn't until the end that all the pieces were put together for the 'aha' moment of how and why the violin was created - and I love that kinda stuff.

Anyhow, the "History of Love" is about a guy who writes a book about his true love that he lost and how the book passes through the hands of many people (and how it affects them) over a couple of generations. At one point the book mentions the Lamed-Vovniks (one of the kids in the book thinks he is one w/some funny scenarios of how he's going to prove it) and since I read the "Book of Names" before this title, I was happy to have known the details of that reference (they're from the Jewish teachings of the 36 souls whose existence protects all of humanity).

The book has some really funny parts about love (lost and found) and I really enjoyed it. I was also guessing right up until close to the end how all the characters were connected and how love affects them in different ways through the pages of a book.

Chickens, dogs, neighbors *could* get along

This morning I had to linger at home before heading in to the office because we had another incident with the neighbor's dog and Fino and I felt it was time - yet again - to call Animal Control.

This has been an ongoing issue for many years (early on we didn't know whose dog it was) and each time an incident happens I get more angry.

Not at the dog.

This dog is just being a dog. She's never been properly trained to heel on command and the prospect of chasing birds around is simply too tempting to her nature.

Who I am angry and frustrated with is the dog's owner.

(BTW, nearly every one of the 20+ houses in my neighborhood has a dog but only this dog is consistently running in our yard and attacking our poultry).

I really don't understand why it's so hard for him to put a collar and leash on his dog.

And I want to know why this guy makes such poor decisions about controlling his dog that it forces me to be the bad guy?

I don't like it. Not one bit.

I may not have called Animal Control this morning (I usually err on the side of not reporting if the dog trots back home and goes right into her house) if another neighbor (and responsible dog owner that the girls' adore) hadn't told me that last week she witnessed this other neighbor's dog biting one of our chickens. Actually the dog killed a guinea hen and took a bite out of a chicken's behind. That chicken later died too.

She said the neighbor was cursing a blue streak trying to get his dog to stop and drop the chicken (he was walking the dog without a leash past our house when the dog took off running away from him). Apparently he did a lot of looking around to make sure he wasn't seen once he finally grabbed the dog (after the mauling was done).

Well he and the dog were actually seen doing the crime and my friendly neighbor let me know about it, figuring we'd be wondering what happen to our flock while we were out.

We did wonder and the girls were bummed when the injured chicken didn't survive her injuries.

But I didn't report that incident to Animal Control because I hadn't seen it myself and I think there should be a first-hand accounting of events for me to call (although Fino begs to differ and I'm deferring to him to handle future incidents).

This morning though, having the dog barking at me in my own driveway while walking to my car and then watching the dog take off chasing one of my chickens, I got angry and finally made the call.

Animal Control said it's time for a monetary fine for this irresponsible dog owner (I've been resistant in the past because honestly, I really do just want to get along). But the officer said that in the past AC used to mandate the dog be moved to another location but found that the people just got another dog and the old problems ensued anew. But when things start to hit the purse strings, well the officer said, that gets people's attention, and usually a turnaround in compliance with the law.

So I ask again, why do I have to be the bad guy and cause financial hardship on my neighbor? I really resent that his poor decisions have put me in this unpleasant situation for both of us.

So I stomped my feet this morning like an indignant 5-year-old.

But I'm going to move on now. And wait and see how many times the Animal Control officer has to visit the neighbor before he mans-up and actually answers his door when the officer knocks...

Oh my, how you (the pigs) have grown

L. did a weigh-in for her pigs yesterday and it was, as expected, a messy and muddy affair. Even with the dry spell recently, the downpours from thunderstorms have kept the pig pen as wet and pond-like as ever. But we have been less concerned about the puddles these days because the water has been keeping the pigs cool in the hot temperatures (unlike the cooler, more problematic situation a few weeks ago).

Even before this weigh-in it was clear the pigs have had a growth spurt recently (eating 100 pounds of grain per week will do that do you). And because they are quite large, there is less space for them to manuever out of reach so I had hoped this weigh-in would be a bit easier than previous ones. But Pulchra is still quite agile and managed to get away from us while trying to get the measuring tape around her middle (a special tape is used to take measurements in order to guesstimate livestock weight).

We were successful in getting the job done and we guesstimated each pig was about 250 pounds. This revelation prompted L. to make the quintessential mama comment.

"Wow my babies have gotten so big!"

Unlike the last time, G. managed to get the antics of this weigh-in on video. And since compromise is important with my family, I conceded to posting the video of me (looking my best of course) trying to out-maneuver a large agile animal in a muddy pen.

As you'll see, the weigh-in went OK for Titus (aka "Bubby" these days). He's a laid back personality and a quick back scratch is all he needs to comply with most requests (I do appreciate his idea of exercise on weigh-in days). But Pulchra, she is a different story entirely.



And in case you'd like see how much these pigs have grown in a little less than three months, you can re-watch the video I took of L. doing the late-May weigh-in (they were a bit under 90 pounds then).



As G. reminded me (in the most recent video) the proper comment to say here is, "Holy Pig!"

Finale for Great Am Road Trip, you watching?

My kids have been totally hooked on "The Great American Road Trip" reality TV show this summer. The Di Salvatore family from Yonkers have lived up to so many stereotypes of an Italian-American family from New York that all of us have been thoroughly entertained watching this show.

And my kids are rooting whole-heartedly for this family to win the final road challenge tonight, although I'm not sure they will.

The other family in the final challenge is the Cootes family. My kids really don't like this family's ungracious, competitive-to-the-detriment of all others attitude. I equate the parents' behavior to the unpleasant antics of the competitive adults on the sidelines watching a child's sporting event (up to and including commenting - kids and the adults - on how much smarter and skillful they are than all others in the game. This family has also deliberately mispronounced other family's names, which was clearly meant as an insult, when they won a challenge).

Watching this family though has opened some good discussions with my kids about the desire to win and come out on top and being a good sport about it. And what being a "good sport" and the spirit of sportsmanship is -- and what it is not.

Here's a short clip from last week's ending, which actually makes the DiSalvatore's look a bit like poor sports but they've been pretty gracious up this point given the other antics of the Coote family.



Anyone watching this show and want to share their opinion about it?

Zeppoles, a donut inspired by St. Joseph

My family has had donuts on the brain ever since our blueberry picking adventure when we ate the most delectable fresh (and still warm) blueberry donuts.

Last week G. and Fino scoured the web looking for blueberry donut recipes and settled on this one from Emeril. The results were lousy and we were all disappointed.

But just as Fino was headed back to the computer to search for another donut recipe, I remembered my grandmother's zeppole recipe. My grandmother made little donut hole-type fried dough (zeppoles) every year for the Feast of St. Joseph (March 19 for those unfamiliar with Catholic feast days). Zeppoles are fried in a vat of oil and rolled in sugar and are the BEST when eaten while still warm (actually, they were never around the kitchen long enough to cool down anyhow).

My brother and I referred to zeppoles as "Italian donuts" and they may actually be the reason I don't care for regular donuts. Zeppoles are soooo much better.

I didn't have the recipe for zeppoles but I knew my mother had my grandmother's recipe and suggested to G. that she email her to ask for it.

The recipe, like many from my grandmother (she died when G. was a baby), didn't have precise measurements for the ingredients so my mom did her best to guesstimate amounts and annotate the recipe for G. to make it easier to follow.

The results?

As tasty as I remember!



G. made the zeppoles recipe by herself and even if they weren't as round as my grandmother and mother used to make, they were just as tasty.

There have been times in my life when having a large Italian family has been a challenge with the many family obligations (I can't even begin to count the number of weddings, anniversaries, baptisms, confirmations, school graduations, etc. I was obligated to attend as a kid), the gossip, the family dynamics, etc. that come with any large group of people. But when it comes to food, my grandmother and her sisters were some of THE BEST cooks and bakers. Life was centered around the kitchen for them (actually every event and visit to a family member's house involved food) and to this day I can honestly say that the best meals and baked goods I have ever eaten were made by my family.


This photo was taken at my family's annual "Cousins Connection" party we had a few weeks ago. My grandmother was one of 13 children (all deceased now except for one sister) and they all had a bunch of kids, and so on. So like I said, I'm from a large Italian family.

So I'll share with you the Merenda Family Zeppole Recipe because really, it's darn good.

Zeppole Recipe
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup warm tap water
2 1/2 tsp active dry yeast
4 cups vegetable oil for frying
Confectioners’ sugar for sprinkling – or granulated sugar

Note from my mother: *My Mother and I double the recipe because we used to eat them while we made them! My mother and I liked them with raisins but you can add blueberries or just keep them plain.

***********
Mix flour and salt together and set aside.

Pour water into a medium bowl and whisk in the yeast. Stir in the salted flour with a rubber spatula until you have a rather wet dough.

Cover bowl loosely with plastic wrap and let dough rise at room temperature for about an hour, or until dough is double in size and very puffy.

Heat oil to 375 degrees and line cookie sheets with brown paper for draining.

Dip a tablespoon into the hot oil, then quickly use it to spoon up some of the risen dough. Use another spoon to scrape the dough off into the hot oil.

Fry no more than two or three at a time. Fry until they are a deep golden color. Drain on prepared cookie sheets with brown paper.

Dust generously with confectioners’ sugar before serving. We always used granulated sugar as well.

Makes about 2 dozen zeppoles.

Oh, and the kids were curious about the history of zeppoles and I came across this bit of info I thought I'd share here as well:

Also called "St. Joseph Day cakes," zeppoles are a part of the St. Joseph Day celebration on March 19th.

Some say that the tradition of St. Joseph’s Day began in Sicily, during the Middle Ages. There was a severe drought. The people prayed for St. Joseph, their patron saint, to intervene. They promised him that if he answered their prayers and brought rain, they would prepare a big feast in his honor.

Their prayers were answered and the rains came. True to their word, the people of Sicily prepared a banquet and placed huge banquet tables for the poor of the town to enjoy. The day is a day of generosity and kindness. It was not only a way for the people of Sicily to thank St. Joseph for answering their prayers, but a way to share their good fortune with the poor of the town.

But like my mother said in her email to G. with the zeppole recipe, "(They're) made for the feast of St. Joseph on March 19, or anytime you like ..."

I'm a fan of the "anytime you like" bit.

Handle money then wash your hands

I read a disturbing story on cnn.com last night about money being dirty, you know, actual dirt dirty. I remember being told this as a kid but what I didn't realize is how much of our money is contaminated with cocaine (literally, although figuratively it's probably a higher percentage than anyone wants to admit) as well as disease-causing germs.

The amount of bills estimated to be contaminated by cocaine? 90% !

Here's an excerpt from the story:

In the course of its average 20 months in circulation, U.S. currency gets whisked into ATMs, clutched, touched and traded perhaps thousands of times at coffee shops, convenience stores and newsstands. And every touch to every bill brings specks of dirt, food, germs or even drug residue.

Research presented this weekend reinforced previous findings that 90 percent of paper money circulating in U.S. cities contains traces of cocaine...

Money can be contaminated with cocaine during drug deals or if a user snorts with a bill. But not all bills are involved in drug use; they can get contaminated inside currency-counting machines at the bank.

"When the machine gets contaminated, it transfers the cocaine to the other bank notes," Zuo said...

Zuo, who spoke about his research at the national meeting of the American Chemical Society on Sunday, found that $5, $10, $20 and $50 bills were more likely to be positive for cocaine than $1 bills...

For years, health agencies have advised people to wash their hands after touching cash for sanitary reasons. Disease-causing organisms such as staphylococcus aureus and pneumonia-causing bacteria have been detected in paper bills. According to a 2002 study published in the Southern Medical Journal, 94 percent of the tested bills had potentially disease-causing organisms...

Although the contaminated bills do not affect health, Negrusz said, they could cause in a false positive drug test if a person, such as a law enforcement officer or banker, handles contaminated currency repeatedly.

"Imagine a bank teller who's working with cash-counting machine in the basement of the bank," Negrusz said. "Many of those bills, over 90 percent, are contaminated with cocaine. There is cocaine dust around the machines. These bank tellers breathe in cocaine. Cocaine gets into system, and you can test positive for cocaine. ... That's what's behind this whole thing that triggered testing money for drugs."

You can bet I'll be taking more care to wash my hands after handling bills... and making sure my kids do the same.

But a small part of me has to wonder if this is just another reason the credit card companies have devised to encourage us to use their plastic instead?

Another milestone, a dip in leech river

After our kayaking and swimming adventure the day before, the girls were itching to swim again. We planned to visit a small nearby beach on a lake but the parking lot was packed and since none of us are keen on crowds, we decided to swing by the river to see if people were swimming there.

This would be the same river that we ran in to leeches last year so it was a big step that they even agreed to take a look-sy there.

There were quite a few people swimming in the river but we found a quiet spot to dip our feet and contemplate a quick jump-in, jump-out to cool off.

We were standing in ankle-deep water debating the merits of this idea when a woman who had just been swimming further down the river stopped by and asked us if it was muddy where we were standing.

I replied that yes it was a little muddy.

She replied that there were probably leeches there (at which point my kids walked out of the water) because she'd had a run in with them in the area and suggested we try the sand bar where she had just been for a swim.

The kids took her suggestion (our research on leeches last year confirmed that leeches do NOT like sandy areas, mud is where they hang out) and after discovering the sand bar was quite large, decided they were so hot that taking a quick dip would "probably be OK."

I guess if it takes a 90-degree day to get over your fear of leeches because you're hot (and desperate) enough and want to get cool, then so be it.

I did debate telling the girls a little while later about the young boy with a leech on him (he was not at the sand bar and I watched his mom pulled off the sucker without fuss which led me to believe they'd been to this swimming spot before) but they were playing in the water and I didn't want to ruin their fun.

And I'm happy to report the Almeida kids did NOT encounter any leeches after about a 1/2 hour swimming around the sand bar.

This short visit turned out to be a great life lesson about overcoming fear. The girls had a bad experience in this river but they proved to themselves that they could get past that fear and not let it stop them from doing something they wanted to do.

Although none of us are keen on swimming in a river known to have leeches, we're now open to the idea of a quick dip to cool off when we can't swim anywhere else.

On the sand bar of course. I have no desire to re-live/re-teach this particular lesson.

Percy Jackson & the Olympians: book to movie

I took the kids to see Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince movie the other day and saw a trailer for "The Lightening Thief," the first book in the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series by Rick Riordan. The kids have enjoyed reading this book series (and listening - the audio version is well done). After seeing the movie trailer the kids said that they hoped the movie is as good as the books.

After watching the Half Blood Prince my kids are skeptical though about Percy Jackson's turn on the big screen because there was so much left out (and in some cases changed) to the Harry Potter movie. But my kids were inspired to re-read the HP6 book. Although I too was disappointed in the movie, I am happy that Hollywood let the kids down and that they are turning back to the books to find the "real story" (their words).

But even with skepticism, my crew is still looking forward to seeing their favorite Percy Jackson & the Olympians characters come to life even if they have to wait until Feb. 2010. I am sure they'll re-read the books in anticipation of the movie and that's not a bad thing either.

Here's the movie trailer we saw in the theater.

Kayaking ... third time charmed

We went kayaking this weekend on Tricky Pond in Naples and believe we've put to rest our rocky history with the sport. We had a fabulous time.

It took a little fast-talking on my part to convince L. to take another kayaking adventure after her ill-fated (and front page news) day on the Saco River in New Hampshire last summer. But she was willing to try the sport again if I agreed to a tandem kayak (so she could be in the same boat as me).

After chatting with my friend Shannon about her Kayaking experience in Naples, I opted to call an outfitter there to inquire about tandem boats and calm water possibilities.




Sebago Kayak Company on the causeway had both traditional tandem kayaks as well as the sit on top kind. I assured L. she could choose which one she felt most comfortable with once we got to the outfitters.

Brian at Sebago Kayak Co. was very helpful in explaining the different kayak options as well as locations he thought we'd like based on our preferred conditions of "calm waters" and "a nice place to swim."

L. decided the sit on top tandem kayak was the best choice (as did G. for her single) after it was explained they were the most stable and easy to get in and out of. We also decided Tricky Pond was our best destination option. We were told there was some boat traffic but much less than Sebago (and calmer water). Then after hearing about the rope swing on the shore that we might like to try, the deal was almost sealed.


"But there aren't gonna be any leeches there right mom?" L. asked.

(Last summer really was a rough one for L. and she has yet to step a foot in the Saco River since the leech incident).

Based on the description of the pond being a popular swimming place, I assured her it was highly unlikely.

The outfitters delivered our kayaks to the portage on the pond, which was included in the rental fee, and a big plus in my book.

It took L. and I a few minutes to get our paddling in-sync as that is key to tandem kayaking (it's easy to cross paddles sitting in such close proximity). But we found a rhythm and flowed across the water fairly effortlessly. Well, until I had to scratch my knee and L. lamented that I was "messing her up" by stopping my paddling without warning.

G. did great in her single kayak but L. and I had to stop a few times to wait for her to catch up.

G. was sure L. and I were paddling faster because there were two of us. But after explaining that she didn't need to dig so deep with her paddle (she learned to paddle a canoe when she was younger and the principles are different), she was able to keep a steadier pace closer to us.

We spotted a rope swing on the shoreline but the girls thought it was too high. I wanted to give it a whirl but chickened-out after a closer inspection (it was about 10 feet above the water and require a second rope to reach out to grab the swinging rope above a rocky area).

We paddled close to shore for about an hour and managed to cover half the pond before we turned around to head back to the little islands we had seen earlier.

There were a few motor boats pulling wake boarders and tubers during our paddle (I was envious as I LOVE to water ski but haven't had a chance to do it in years) but the wake waves we experienced close to shore were manageable and, enjoyable (after the first couple of wake waves L. even agreed the rocking motion was fun).

We circled each small island and spotted another rope swing. This one was closer to the water and looked a lot less intimidating.

We tied up our kayaks and spent a half hour laughing, swinging and jumping in to the pond from the rope before some other kids from a motor boat swam over to play on it.


After eating lunch and seeing more kids from boats swimming toward the swing, we decided to leave the island and head back to shore.

On the short paddle back to the portage, L. asked G. to switch kayaks so she could do a solo paddle. It was then I knew L. was feeling confident about kayaking and I deemed the day a big success.

The "third time's a charm" saying was apropos with kayaking for us as we truly had a fabulous day on Tricky Pond and both girls are eager visit again.

The summer of 2009 will be remembered as a short and wet one but in some ways it has been much better than our 2008, at least for fresh water sports.

Blueberry bonanza

Blueberry season is one of our favorites. From frozen blueberries to canning jam and making batch after batch of blueberry muffins and cobbler, it's by far the most popular fruit at our house every August. We pick about 20 pounds of cultivated blueberries (these are larger and more tart than wild berries) along with whatever wild blueberries we can find in our yard and surrounding area each year to ensure we have a stockpile of "blueberry popscicles" (L.'s nickname for plain 'ole frozen blueberries eaten directly from the freezer container) to last us through the winter.

This year our trip to the blueberry u-pick farm in Limerick included a special treat - blueberry donuts. I'm not a donut fan (I adore sweets yet donuts don't hold much appeal for me) but these blueberry ones smelled so good that when the kids asked to buy one, I agreed. They were still warm and oh soooo delicious!

The cultivated blueberry season runs through mid-September at some u-picks in Maine (find a u-pick farm near you). Call ahead though to ensure this month (and next) that there is fruit to pick on a particular day (u-pick farms close when they are "picked out" and waiting for more fruit to ripen on the bushes).

Happy blueberry season.

Another adventure in haying at the farm

The farm where Sparkles (G.'s cow) lives was doing some haying this weekend and my family went over to help out.

Haying season has been significantly shortened this year due to such a wet summer (to store square bales of hay in a barn loft, the hay must be dry or it will start a fire) so there was a big effort to do as much haying as possible on this rare (for this summer) stretch of dry weather.

Last year I posted my 10 learnings about haying (it was my first introduction to it) and this year I have a couple of updates about this aspect of my farming education.

Last year I wrote: Wear long pants and a long sleeved shirt even if it is wicked hot outside. Last night G. and I were nursing cuts and a rash from the constant contact of hay on our forearms.
This year: I wore long pants but still chose a short sleeve shirt because even though it was cooler in the hay loft this year, I can't stand to be any hotter than I have to be. I'm nursing another hay rash and cuts on my arms but not complaining about it this time around.

Last year: Bring lots and lots of water. It might have been the upper 80s outside, but on the roof of a barn, it gets a whole lot hotter.
This year: We froze our water bottles the night before and they stayed cold for the duration of our work at the barn. It was wonderfully refreshing so we plan to do this again next year.

Last year: People with pollen allergies should plan to have an extra dose of antihistamine and eye drops on hand along with access to an air conditioned room for the night to fight off their body’s reaction to being around that much hay. (G. and I had a rough night sleeping last night but we were feeling much better today.)
This year: The extra dose of antihistamine and eye drops didn't help much. I still spent the night wheezing and coughing and G. coughed and sneezed all night. We both agreed it was par for the course and opted to indulge ourselves with frozen slush as our feel-better remedy.

Last year: Hay bales are slippery when you climb on them. Swinging a heavy bale while balancing on a few bales of hay (we had to build from the floor up) took some coordination. Both G. and I took a header off the hay stack but were unhurt (unless you count the painful blush each of us conjured after the tumble).
This year: I'm happy to report there were no novice falls for either G or I this time! But I have to admit that I whacked my head on the barn rafters while stacking the bales in an almost full barn. My head has a nice knot now but at least my faux pas was a little less obvious this time.

Last year: There is a science to stacking the bales of hay. I was instructed to use the momentum of the bale to squash it in to place in the stack and could not seem to get the hang of it. The rest of the stacking crew made it look easy (years of experience will do that).
This year: My technique was still sorely lacking and I needed a bit more coaching on my swing. I think I improved slightly by the end of the 4+ hour day but an expert I am still not.

Last year: It takes about 5 1/2 hours to load and stack 1,400 bales of hay in the hayloft...
This year: We loaded hay in to two different barn lofts and spent about 4 1/2 hours between the two locations stacking bales before the machinery experienced a mechanical glitch and we called it a day.

Last year: 1,400 bales of hay will feed about 20-25 beef cows during winter. I knew cows ate a lot but I have a whole new perspective about how much that "a lot" actually looks like now.
This year: We were reminded again about the amount of work it takes to feed a couple of dozen cows in the winter.

G. took a bit of video of the square baler in the field and Fino giggled the whole time she was recording. It makes me laugh to hear how much he enjoyed that piece of machinery.



Here's a peek inside the hayloft with some video G. took last year.

Classic cars and cruise nights

If you have a child with a fascination for cars and engines I've got an inexpensive activity suggestion for you -- Street Rod Cruise Nights. These events are free and plentiful around Maine in the summer and kids (and parents) can find a wide range of old cars to admire nearly every night this month.

Let me explain.

My dad has spent the majority of his life building cars. It's a hobby that started in his teens and growing up, I spent many hours with him and his car buddies in one garage or another. I also spent quite a bit of time cruising in one of his street rods to various car events (both local and national).

The sort of cars he builds are known as 'street rods' (or 'hot rods' but I won't get in to splitting hairs on the terminology). My dad has told me many times the biggest insult you can say to a street rod guy is to ask him if he's got a 'kit car' (i.e., buy all the pieces of the car at once and bolt it together). Street rods are typically built from various parts scoured from junkyards far and wide (now parts are more easily found on eBay but in the old days he visited junkyards all over the Northeast) with lots of ingenuity and craftsmanship put in to the final product that usually takes years to build.

Street rods, as opposed to antique cars, aren't built with accurate restoration in mind though. Basically a street rod is the body of an old car but under the hood is the latest in engine technology and typically, serious horsepower. And power windows, air conditioning and a whole lot of customized finish work and paint jobs on par with specialty motorcycles seen on the popular Orange County Choppers reality show (although I've never seen the sort of drama in any garage of my dad's or his buddy's like I've seen on that show) are commonly found in modern day street rods.

A lot of guys build their own street rods and many barter work with others depending on their particular skill set (my dad's a welder by trade so he often helps his buddies with body work). And many times, as soon as a car is road-worthy (i.e., has an engine that runs), it's out and about to enjoy the street rod cruising community. It often takes years to track down all the parts to fully complete the building of a single car (most guys who build street rods have full time jobs and work on their cars when they can). An unfinished street rod is often referred to as a 'rat rod' (a street rod in progress) and much discussion usually ensues with the guys when they get together about the best way to finish the car. (Anyone who says women talk a lot has not met a group of car guys!)

It seems every night from June to September my dad is driving his '32 Ford coupe to a "Cruise Night." These are events hosted by a local business that invites street rods to hang out in the parking lot for a few hours. My dad and his buddies usually travel in a multi-car pack to various Cruise Nights and set up their cars for others to admire. It brings customers to the business (usually a burger or ice cream joint) and the guys have a chance to socialize and talk about cars all night.

Cruise Nights are open to the public and a great (and free) way for kids with an interest in cars and engines to see them up close.

But I have to note: Ask permission before ever touching a guy's street rod because some guys are very particular about their baby (I mean, car).

Here's a sampling of Cruise Nights being hosted this month in Maine. You can find a more comprehensive listing at www.hotkarz.com.

Mondays
Sebago Classic Car Nights
29 Elm Street, Gorham
Every Monday in August
5:00pm - 8:00pm

Topsham Fair Mall
Rte 196, Topsham
May 11-September
5:00pm - 8:00pm

Tuesdays
Cumberland House of Pizza
Route 100, West Cumberland
June 2-September 22
6:00pm - 8:00pm

Roy's All Steak Hamburger
Route 4, Auburn
May - September
5:00pm - 8:30pm

Wednesdays
Beef & Ski
Route 302, Bridgton
May 20 - September
6pm - 8pm

Thursdays
TJ's Pizza
Elm Street Rt 1, Biddeford
Late April - September
5:00pm - 7:00pm
Gifford's Ice Cream
Minot Ave, Auburn
6:00pm-8:00pm

Saturdays
Hodgeman's Frozen Custard
Rt 100, New Gloucester
2nd & 4th Saturday June - August
6:00pm-8:00pm

My dad usually meets up with his buddies at one of their garages before heading out for a Cruise Night. His friend Don has an impressive collection of antique garage memorabilia and gas pumps.
A few of my dad's cars through the years...

I drove this '46 Chevy truck to the Hot Rod Nationals in Ohio when I was 19. Dad had just finished restoring the car and wanted to sell it. Always up for a traveling adventure I eagerly agreed to help him out. 

I drew the flames on this '48 Ford when I was 15 or 16. My father was a brave soul to trust a teenager for that job.

This was the first car I remember riding in that my dad built - a T-bucket roadster. My dad, mom, brother and I squeezed in to this car and actually drove down to the Cape one summer. "Never again" was something I heard a lot from my mother after that trip.

And his granddaughters have been visiting his garage since they were little.

I took some video of my dad's current street rod, a '32 Ford coupe, to demonstrate that a street rod is no antique car. I think the radar detector might be the first giveaway.

Geocache hybrids, how-to tips to make stamps

My family hid a geocache a while back that was special. In the geocache box was a stamp that L. had carved herself. Unfortunately the geocache, along with the stamp, were stolen last summer.

In the game of geocaching (you use a GPS unit and coordinates listed on the web to find a hidden treasure box in the woods - read about our intro to game here), there are a variety of classifications for a box from tiny "micro" boxes (the size of an old 35-mm film canister or smaller) to larger boxes in all shapes and sizes to "mystery" boxes that require riddles to be solved in order to find the prize to "hybrids" that combine the letterboxing and geocaching games.

My family has played the game of letterboxing (like geocaching there is a box hidden in the woods but instead of trinkets to trade there is a hand-carved stamp inside) and the kids enjoyed finding the stamps to make impressions in their log books of their finds. But, we don't care so much for the directions to find these boxes (instructions to find letterboxes are not great, nor designed to be easy most times, so we find geocaching more family-friendly (i.e., better chances of finding one and keeping the kids motivated to do it again) with the bonus of an active online community even when we can't get outdoors).

[I talk more about the pros/cons of each game here and less you ever talk about anyone else's letterbox stamp well, this is the sort of reception you can expect).]
So when developing our own geocaches (the kids love choosing hiding spots) we decided to make several of them "geocache hybrids."

Geocache hybrids are boxes found by GPS coordinates but instead of prizes inside the box for people to trade, there is a stamp that stays with the box like letterboxing. Geocachers can make an impression of the box's stamp and add their own personalized stamp (if they have one, sometimes we saw hand-drawn pictures in our log book that were just as much fun). It's the combination of both games' best features (stamps and GPS directions) that my crew really likes.

Our hybrid, Ski Away, was made in honor of the location being one of our favorite places to cross country ski and we took it off-line after it was stolen. It wasn't until recently that we got things put together to activate this box again.

G. took on the task of making a new stamp for Ski Away in the same design (a ski theme of course) as the original one. And because it's been a while since we've done any stamp-making (we're still novices at this craft), the kids and Fino were inspired to make some new ones.

To make our stamps the kids draw something on a piece of paper the size of the eraser they plan to use.

Then we use a pencil to scribble lead on the opposite side of the drawing so we can trace that drawing (with a pencil) on to the eraser (we use 'chunky' erasers but art supply stores have higher quality erasers and/or special material for making stamps).

The girls use one of Fino's small, not-so-sharp woodworking tools to carve their stamps and it works well for them.

A closer look at the the girls' carving tool.

Fino uses sharper implements to carve but the girls are still not keen on these tools and they get similar results with their own tool with less worry about cutting themselves.

The bird stamp is L.'s latest creation and the rooster is Fino's, which reminds me of his other rooster image that I still chuckle about. I think he made this particular stamp because of that.) 

In the photo with the text above is my family's stamps that we use to sign log books. Each of us has made their own along with a small pouch to store them in our backpacks.

If you're interested in learning more about my family's experience with these games, you can read more about them on MaineOutdoorJournal.com:
Letterboxing with Kid Tracks
Geocaching with Kid Tracks

Kid Tracks Column: Family-friendly hikes by the ocean

Kids have their own ideas about what makes hiking enjoyable, and that generally includes running, jumping, making lots of noise and the ultimate fun – playing in the ocean.

If you're looking for a trail where your kids can do all of the above this summer, my family has a few suggestions.

MACKWORTH ISLAND IN FALMOUTH
THIS TRAIL around the small island is a little over a mile and the easy, flat terrain works well for strollers. Shells found along the beach, the fairy house village and pet cemetery give kids plenty to explore.

WHY WE LIKE IT: My daughters have been building fairy houses on the island since they were preschoolers. Now they are both older, yet the magical village still continues to capture their imaginations. My animal-loving 13-year-old also enjoys visiting Gov. Percival Baxter's pet cemetery to read the stone markers, while my 11-year-old cannot resist adding to her collection of purple seashells.

TRAIL MAP: www.trails.org
FEE: None
GETTING THERE: From I-295 in Portland, take Exit 9 North to
Route 1 and cross Martins Point Bridge. Take third right onto Andrews Road, continue over the causeway and onto Mackworth (follow the Gov. Baxter School for the Deaf signs). GPS coordinates: 43.689893, -70.234834

BATHROOM: Yes
DOG-FRIENDLY: Yes, on a leash

WELLS RESERVE AT LAUDHOLM FARM IN WELLS
A TRIP TO the beach via the trails at the reserve make this a great destination-oriented hike for those kids who need a little extra motivation. The looping trails, which also include several boardwalks, make it easy to choose a distance right for your family (the shortest distance to the beach on these trails is a little less than a mile). The visitor center, located in the main farmhouse by the trail head, has educational exhibits that feature local ecology and geology information and is worth a stop to explore with the kids.

WHY WE LIKE IT: The long, winding boardwalk on the Laird-Norton Trail holds a lot of appeal for kids of all ages, and mine are no exception. And my kids enjoy a stop to the visitor center exhibits because, even though the girls are older now, pressing the buttons and peeking behind the little knob windows to learn more about the history, plants and wildlife of the area is still fun for them. Oh, and a stop at the Maine Diner is always a "requirement" for the Almeida kids after a hike at the reserve (it's near the corner of Laudholm Farm Road and Route 1, so there's no missing it on our ride home).

GETTING THERE: From Exit 2 (Wells) off the Maine Turnpike, follow signs to Route 1 in Wells. Follow Route 1 north 1.5 miles to Laudholm Farm Road (just north of the Lighthouse Depot and south of the Maine Diner, at the second flashing traffic signal). Turn right and follow signs to the reserve. There is parking at the trail head. GPS coordinates: 43.338384, -70.551018

TRAIL MAP: www.wellsreserve.org
FEE: None; donations accepted
BATHROOM: Yes
DOG-FRIENDLY: No

WOLFE'S NECK WOODS IN FREEPORT
THE TRAILS at the state park are well-marked with kiosks identifying the wildlife and plants in the area. Along with the daily ranger programs offered in the summer, a visit to the park can offer a great educational experience for everyone in the family. There are also multiple looping trails so families can choose longer or shorter hikes depending on their children's fitness level.

WHY WE LIKE IT: The osprey nest on Googins Island is always an exciting bird sighting for my family, so bringing binoculars is a must (per the kids' request) when we hike here. The close-up view of these beautiful birds flying around the island – as well as the nest, which is facing the park's shore – is great.

TRAIL MAP: Available at the park's ranger station
FEE: $3/adults, $1/under 12
GETTING THERE: From Route 1 in Freeport, take Bow Street to Wolfe's Neck Road. GPS coordinates: 43.830603, -70.082173
BATHROOM: Yes
DOG-FRIENDLY: Yes, on a leash

MORSE MOUNTAIN IN PHIPPSBURG
THIS TWO-MILE HIKE (one way) at the Bates-Morse Mountain Conservation Area is on a mostly paved trail (there are a couple of spots of hard-packed gravel) and is stroller-friendly. With a total elevation gain of about 100 feet – there's a bit of up and down on this trail, but nothing too strenuous – the little ones can claim a summit visit about a mile in to the trail. And if that isn't enough incentive for young hikers, swimming and wave-jumping in the ocean at Sewall Beach at the end of the trail will be, for sure.

WHY WE LIKE IT: Having a picnic at the summit is a nice halfway stop on the trail, and the view is one you won't be eager to leave. Seawall Beach is not as busy as other more popular ocean beach destinations, and that really appeals to my crew. But bring bug spray, because you'll need it on this wooded trail. Also bring sunscreen for the beach, and towels – they are a must, because it's unlikely anyone will be able to resist a dip in the ocean.

TRAIL MAP: tinyurl.com/kvh5rd (my family's map of the trail)
FEE: None
GETTING THERE: From Route 1 in Bath, take Route 290 (High Street) to Route 216 (Small Point Road). Turn left at Morse Mountain Road. GPS coordinates: 43.74518, -69.83751
BATHROOM: No
DOG-FRIENDLY: No

Mackworth Island

Wolfe's Neck Woods State Park

Morse Mountain

Wells Reserve

This column originally appeared in the Maine Sunday Telegram, August 2, 2009