An awe-inspiring fleet of windjammers will gather Labor Day weekend for the Camden Windjammer Festival, an annual community affair celebrating the area’s maritime heritage and living traditions.
The official kickoff for the festival begins at noon Friday with a pirate invasion and opening of the Maritime Heritage Fair at the Public Landing.
According to Dan Bookham, executive director of the Camden, Rockland, Lincoln Chamber of Commerce and chairman of the organizing committee that makes the festival possible, the formal welcoming of the fleet on Friday at 5 p.m. is something not to be missed.
“There will be 14 of these magnificent ships coming into the harbor and Capt. Jim Sharpe will be narrating their arrival. He’s a former windjammer captain who’s sailed all over the world and he’s an encyclopedia of knowledge on these ships – from the origin of their names to the complete sail yardage of each one.”
But people attending the festival don’t have to admire the windjammers from afar. They can actually get on board and tour them on Saturday and Sunday from 2 to 4 p.m.
“Touring the windjammers gives people a sense of these vessels. People can explore them and really see what they’re like,” Bookham said of the free Schooner Open House.
The happenings at the Camden waterfront are free during the festival weekend, including the concerts on Saturday and Sunday nights.
There are fees for schooner rides out of the harbor.
The many demonstrations at the heritage fair include blacksmithing, boat building, knot tying, mast hoop-making, timberframe cutting, sail repair, solar evaporation methods to make sea salt and even a demonstration on steam-bending to learn how to make your own toboggan.
The under-12 crowd will have plenty to keep them busy with a variety of activities that include story times, drawing classes, hula hooping and Project Puffin’s interactive booth. There’s also a fireworks show Friday night.
The festival will feature a pancake breakfast on Saturday morning that Bookham said is a great way to start your day. Breakfast is served under tents overlooking the harbor and windjammers can be seen slipping out for their morning tours. Proceeds from the pancake breakfast, and from the Chowder Challenge later in the day, benefit local Rotary clubs.
“This is the only place in Maine after June when the whole fleet gathers up to be seen in one place. It’s a wonderful chance to get a glimpse of a working waterfront, how it was, and how it exists today. It’s a great crossing of traditions,” said Bookham.
CAMDEN WINDJAMMER FESTIVAL
WHEN: Friday through Sunday, Sept. 3-5
WHERE: Camden
HOW MUCH: Free
FOOD OPTIONS: Pancake breakfast and Chowder Challenge as well as area restaurants
PARKING: On-street parking and lot in downtown area, including the one on Washington Street near the fire station. The Public Landing parking lot will be closed for festival activities.
DON’T MISS: Formal welcome of the fleet at 5 p.m. on Friday.
KID-FRIENDLY FACTOR: Great
BENEFITS: Both the pancake breakfast and Chowder Challenge benefit local Rotary clubs
IN CASE OF BAD WEATHER: Rain or shine; rain location for the Talent Show on Friday, and concerts on both Saturday and Sunday will be at Camden Opera House
MORE INFO: www.camdenwindjammerfestival.com
Originally published in the Maine Sunday Telegram August 29, 2010
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Monday, August 30, 2010
More exciting adventure options for older kids
I’d like to say I’m a natural sailor but my kids would tell you that is not quite accurate. I sail OK in a gentle wind with an instructor telling me what to do. But I am no one-lesson - or even two-lesson - sailing wonder. No sirree, that would not describe my sailing ability on a gusty day with my kids in the boat and me at the helm.
Lucky for me my kids have a good sense of adventure (and humor).
If you ask each of my kids about our sailing lesson, you’ll get a different review from each of them.
My 12-year-old summed up our sailing lesson together this way:
“Sailing was OK but mama wasn’t a good captain. We did OK for a while and had the sails puffed out nicely. But then we teetered and we almost tipped over.”
My 14-year-old had a (mostly) different take on our sailing adventure:
“I liked when the boat started to tip over and we had to lean to one side. I liked working the jib. And I liked how fast we were going. I thought that was cool! I just liked being on the water. But no offense Mom, but you’re not a good captain.”
I have had sailing lessons on the family To Do list for years and an opportunity came up for me to take an women-only lesson with a co-worker at TEIA (Trefthen-Evergreen Improvement Association) Sailing Club on Peaks Island. I loved every minute on the water so I signed myself and my kids up for a lesson together the following weekend.
There were, however, several differences between my first and second lessons.
First lesson: A group of adult women.
Second lesson: Me and my two kids.
First lesson: Ideal gentle winds.
Second lesson: Gusty winds.
First lesson: Not worried about capsizing because I’m a confident swimmer, especially with a personal flotation device.
Second lesson: Youngest child begged me not to capsize, hence my preoccupation about doing just that.
First lesson: No one really cared if I knew what I was doing or not.
Second lesson: My children expected me to handle the boat like a pro, which they realized very quickly that I was not.
Obviously my second captain experience was less than ideal but the kids and I left the dock laughing. For the preteen/teen set, life is most enjoyable when you can poke fun at one of your parents. I tend to offer a lot of fodder for this, intentionally or not.
My first sailing lesson was a calm early evening wind with a group of other women. We sailed 420s, a two-sail boat with a main sail and a jib that are designed for two people. At the beginning I was in charge of the jib (smaller front sail), which meant my official title on the boat was “crew.” The person who steers the boat with the tiller and controls the main sheet is called the “captain.” I took a turn as captain and although I had a rocky start figuring out the tiller (it’s counter-intuitive with the catch-phrase of “steer into trouble” because it actually takes you away from it), I got things figured out.
My second lesson with my kids was a gusty late afternoon. We spent some time on the shore learning about wind direction, tiller steering and the basic parts of a 420 sailboat. Then we got in the boat in the water. That’s when my sailing ability, or lack thereof, became a concern for my youngest child.
We did a lot of heeling (i.e. tilting to one side), which had my 12-year-old begging me not to tip over while my 14-year-old laughed in glee. And as any mother has learned, when under stress while children are in tow, it’s all about focus. You’ve got to filter out the peanut gallery voices to do what you need to do to get a job done. In my case, that was getting a handle on simply steering the sailboat in gusty winds.
My mental checklist went something like this:
Listen carefully to instructor’s directions from the other boat and try to follow them. Accurately.
Wonder why boat has only two speeds, super fast and “in irons” (flapping sails).
Reassure, then ignore, youngest child’s “Mom!” exclamations during heeling episodes when the wind caught the sails (which it was supposed to do) and we took off at a fast clip.
Smile but try to ignore oldest child’s “Yeah this is fun!” declarations during same heeling episodes (even though I agreed they were fun).
Plot ways to get youngest child out of boat so oldest and I could have some fast-moving fun.
Stop thinking about dropping youngest child off. Learn how to manage the boat’s speed so she isn’t stressed.
Try to make small turns instead of a nearly complete circle when tacking.
Try to hear over the gusting winds for the teacher’s steering instructions while we’re “in irons” for the millionth time.
Wonder why (irritably) after 30 minutes I can still not steer the boat to the desired destination.
Try to get over embarrassment of an instructor boarding the sailboat to assist us in getting back to the dock.
Once on shore I let the youngest child verbally chastise me for the fast (and circular) sailing ride while offering a silent nod and smile (without her seeing it) to my oldest who loved it.
After some time debriefing the many errors I made at the helm and the instructors assuring me that the difficulty was in part due to the weather, my youngest agreed to try sailing again with me on a calmer wind day.
And that would be one of (many) reasons why I love my kids. They have a good sense of adventure. I sometimes miss the early years when I enjoyed the simple pleasure of watching their smiling toddler faces picking dandelions on a trail. But now that the girls are 12 and 14 years old, I am realizing all the new possibilities for more skill-oriented outdoor activities. Now they are the right size and/or age to try new things like sailing and I’m having even more fun with them.
And even though there are the teen moods to contend with, complaints about “floppy, jelly legs” after our sailing lesson at least puts the girls’ focus on something other than the more typical teen laments about their mother.
Needless to say, sailing is on the list to do again next summer with my teens.
SAILING LESSONS
Although the sailing season is coming to an end, you can do a bit of research now for next year.
TEIA Club, Peaks Island
North East Sail, Tenants Harbor
Mount Desert Island Community Sailing Center, MDI
SailMaine, Portland
Sebago Sailing, South Casco
Bay Sailing, Rockland
Old Quarry Ocean Adventures, Stonington
Maine Goddess Cruises, Boothbay Harbor
Northeast Harbor Sailing School, Northeast Harbor
Sawyer's Sailing School, Auburn
Originally published in Raising Maine Magazine, September 2010
Lucky for me my kids have a good sense of adventure (and humor).
If you ask each of my kids about our sailing lesson, you’ll get a different review from each of them.
My 12-year-old summed up our sailing lesson together this way:
“Sailing was OK but mama wasn’t a good captain. We did OK for a while and had the sails puffed out nicely. But then we teetered and we almost tipped over.”
My 14-year-old had a (mostly) different take on our sailing adventure:
“I liked when the boat started to tip over and we had to lean to one side. I liked working the jib. And I liked how fast we were going. I thought that was cool! I just liked being on the water. But no offense Mom, but you’re not a good captain.”
I have had sailing lessons on the family To Do list for years and an opportunity came up for me to take an women-only lesson with a co-worker at TEIA (Trefthen-Evergreen Improvement Association) Sailing Club on Peaks Island. I loved every minute on the water so I signed myself and my kids up for a lesson together the following weekend.
There were, however, several differences between my first and second lessons.
First lesson: A group of adult women.
Second lesson: Me and my two kids.
First lesson: Ideal gentle winds.
Second lesson: Gusty winds.
First lesson: Not worried about capsizing because I’m a confident swimmer, especially with a personal flotation device.
Second lesson: Youngest child begged me not to capsize, hence my preoccupation about doing just that.
First lesson: No one really cared if I knew what I was doing or not.
Second lesson: My children expected me to handle the boat like a pro, which they realized very quickly that I was not.
Obviously my second captain experience was less than ideal but the kids and I left the dock laughing. For the preteen/teen set, life is most enjoyable when you can poke fun at one of your parents. I tend to offer a lot of fodder for this, intentionally or not.
My first sailing lesson was a calm early evening wind with a group of other women. We sailed 420s, a two-sail boat with a main sail and a jib that are designed for two people. At the beginning I was in charge of the jib (smaller front sail), which meant my official title on the boat was “crew.” The person who steers the boat with the tiller and controls the main sheet is called the “captain.” I took a turn as captain and although I had a rocky start figuring out the tiller (it’s counter-intuitive with the catch-phrase of “steer into trouble” because it actually takes you away from it), I got things figured out.
My second lesson with my kids was a gusty late afternoon. We spent some time on the shore learning about wind direction, tiller steering and the basic parts of a 420 sailboat. Then we got in the boat in the water. That’s when my sailing ability, or lack thereof, became a concern for my youngest child.
We did a lot of heeling (i.e. tilting to one side), which had my 12-year-old begging me not to tip over while my 14-year-old laughed in glee. And as any mother has learned, when under stress while children are in tow, it’s all about focus. You’ve got to filter out the peanut gallery voices to do what you need to do to get a job done. In my case, that was getting a handle on simply steering the sailboat in gusty winds.
My mental checklist went something like this:
Listen carefully to instructor’s directions from the other boat and try to follow them. Accurately.
Wonder why boat has only two speeds, super fast and “in irons” (flapping sails).
Reassure, then ignore, youngest child’s “Mom!” exclamations during heeling episodes when the wind caught the sails (which it was supposed to do) and we took off at a fast clip.
Smile but try to ignore oldest child’s “Yeah this is fun!” declarations during same heeling episodes (even though I agreed they were fun).
Plot ways to get youngest child out of boat so oldest and I could have some fast-moving fun.
Stop thinking about dropping youngest child off. Learn how to manage the boat’s speed so she isn’t stressed.
Try to make small turns instead of a nearly complete circle when tacking.
Try to hear over the gusting winds for the teacher’s steering instructions while we’re “in irons” for the millionth time.
Wonder why (irritably) after 30 minutes I can still not steer the boat to the desired destination.
Try to get over embarrassment of an instructor boarding the sailboat to assist us in getting back to the dock.
Once on shore I let the youngest child verbally chastise me for the fast (and circular) sailing ride while offering a silent nod and smile (without her seeing it) to my oldest who loved it.
After some time debriefing the many errors I made at the helm and the instructors assuring me that the difficulty was in part due to the weather, my youngest agreed to try sailing again with me on a calmer wind day.
And that would be one of (many) reasons why I love my kids. They have a good sense of adventure. I sometimes miss the early years when I enjoyed the simple pleasure of watching their smiling toddler faces picking dandelions on a trail. But now that the girls are 12 and 14 years old, I am realizing all the new possibilities for more skill-oriented outdoor activities. Now they are the right size and/or age to try new things like sailing and I’m having even more fun with them.And even though there are the teen moods to contend with, complaints about “floppy, jelly legs” after our sailing lesson at least puts the girls’ focus on something other than the more typical teen laments about their mother.
Needless to say, sailing is on the list to do again next summer with my teens.
SAILING LESSONS
Although the sailing season is coming to an end, you can do a bit of research now for next year.
TEIA Club, Peaks Island
North East Sail, Tenants Harbor
Mount Desert Island Community Sailing Center, MDI
SailMaine, Portland
Sebago Sailing, South Casco
Bay Sailing, Rockland
Old Quarry Ocean Adventures, Stonington
Maine Goddess Cruises, Boothbay Harbor
Northeast Harbor Sailing School, Northeast Harbor
Sawyer's Sailing School, Auburn
Originally published in Raising Maine Magazine, September 2010
Monday, August 16, 2010
Car Wars, a crash 'em up kinda night
L. went to Beech Ridge Speedway with her friend to see "Car Wars" and said it was fun and that I needed to see it for myself (i.e., L. wanted to go again). So this past Friday night Fino, G. and I went with L. and another friend to the speedway.
It was an interesting night of car smashing and on-track antics. I would admit I did worry about the drivers rolling over and smashing in to each other and winced every time it happened (and as expected I did A LOT of that at the speedway). But as I learned from the crowd, more rollovers and smashing = louder cheers so I tried to get myself in to the spirit of things. But L. and her friend had no trouble with it all and cheered and laughed with the rest of the crowd.
All the cars had names and many of them also had props as well. This I found highly amusing and G. had a great time taking pictures. Each one was unique.
The thing about the strapped-on props L. told me is that they sometimes fly off in a crash. Within minutes of the explanation, G. caught a demonstration of just that.
After each wave of cars did their lap races around the track a few times the ramp was brought out. The crowd was asked to rate (thumbs up or down with lots of yelling) how well each one did running up the ramp and then driving on two wheels down the track.
More often than not, to the delight of the crowd, the two wheel stunts turned in to roll overs. And when sparks when flying, the crowd seemed to cheer even louder.
And the rollovers did not seem of any concern to the speedway crew. They simply pulled out the bulldozer and flipped the cars back over within minutes.
My girls and their friend gave the evening a laughing thumbs up. I can't say it will be a weekly event for us but an annual summer outing is likely.
And in case you've never been to the speedway, they have different events each week. With admission for kids 12 and under being free, and adult tickets $6-$8 (for Thursday Thunder & Friday Car Wars nights, the Saturday NASCAR night prices vary), it can be an inexpensive night out for the family.
My 11-year-old friend S. brought his camera to the speedway and took a lot of video footage. Below is a compilation of it, which makes me smile because his laughing and brief commentary while recording is pretty darn cute. He is clearly a big fan of the speedway.
It was an interesting night of car smashing and on-track antics. I would admit I did worry about the drivers rolling over and smashing in to each other and winced every time it happened (and as expected I did A LOT of that at the speedway). But as I learned from the crowd, more rollovers and smashing = louder cheers so I tried to get myself in to the spirit of things. But L. and her friend had no trouble with it all and cheered and laughed with the rest of the crowd.
All the cars had names and many of them also had props as well. This I found highly amusing and G. had a great time taking pictures. Each one was unique.
The thing about the strapped-on props L. told me is that they sometimes fly off in a crash. Within minutes of the explanation, G. caught a demonstration of just that.
Note the airborne stuffed dog above the roof of the "Junkyard Dog" van during a roll over.
After each wave of cars did their lap races around the track a few times the ramp was brought out. The crowd was asked to rate (thumbs up or down with lots of yelling) how well each one did running up the ramp and then driving on two wheels down the track.
More often than not, to the delight of the crowd, the two wheel stunts turned in to roll overs. And when sparks when flying, the crowd seemed to cheer even louder.
And the rollovers did not seem of any concern to the speedway crew. They simply pulled out the bulldozer and flipped the cars back over within minutes.
My girls and their friend gave the evening a laughing thumbs up. I can't say it will be a weekly event for us but an annual summer outing is likely.
And in case you've never been to the speedway, they have different events each week. With admission for kids 12 and under being free, and adult tickets $6-$8 (for Thursday Thunder & Friday Car Wars nights, the Saturday NASCAR night prices vary), it can be an inexpensive night out for the family.
My 11-year-old friend S. brought his camera to the speedway and took a lot of video footage. Below is a compilation of it, which makes me smile because his laughing and brief commentary while recording is pretty darn cute. He is clearly a big fan of the speedway.
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Preview: Great Falls Balloon Festival
If you see a farm flying through the sky next weekend in the Lewiston/Auburn area, don't fret that you're in the land of Oz. It's probably the Old MacDonald's Farm balloon from the Great Falls Balloon Festival.
"This year we're celebrating Maine farms," said John Reeder, the balloon-meister for this year's festival. And because the theme has been so well received and includes the 3,000-cubic-foot farm balloon sponsored by Harvest Hill Farm, the festival will also feature a farmers market.
For three days, about 30 ripstop nylon and dacron balloons will be taking to the air over the Androscoggin River.
Launches are scheduled each day, weather-permitting, at 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. from both Simard Payne Memorial Park (formerly known as Railroad Park) in Lewiston and Festival Plaza in Auburn.
"Shaped balloons can only fly in winds less than 8 miles per hour," Reeder explained. "All other balloons need winds to be 10 miles or less. This is most doable in the morning and evening, which is why we schedule the ascensions at 6 a.m. and 6 p.m.
"These (shaped balloons) aren't cheap to bring here, so we need to find sponsors for them," he added, citing the Old MacDonald's Farm balloon and the 110-foot, 550-pound Jack N D Box, which requires a crew of 12 to manage.
"Jack is cute as all get-out. He has all kinds of toys around his box. He'll be popular with the kids," Reeder said about this envelope, the official aeronautical term used for these balloons.
Balloon launches are not all you'll find at this festival. Live music and carnival rides each day will keep everyone on the ground busy.
Nintendo fans are in for a real treat as well, since the company plans to introduce a new game at the festival, with a demonstration area where kids can try it out.
And don't worry about going hungry, as local organizations will keep the crowd well fed with varied offerings.
"The food booths are all run by volunteers from local nonprofits. When we started this (in 1992) we had a waiting list for the food booths, and even now we have 30 booths and we still have a waiting list," explained Reeder.
There will be a parade at 11 a.m. Saturday that will start on Spring Street in front of Auburn Public Library.
The parade will feature balloonists and other floats, including one with Percheron draft horses pulling this year's festival poster contest winners.
A Family Fun Day is scheduled for Sunday on the Lewiston side of the festival and will feature a diaper derby, balloon model demonstration, Mad Science demos, a roaming magician, face painters, a petting zoo and many more activities for children.
Rick Charette and the Bubblegum Band will be the featured musical entertainment on Sunday.
"We want to give those people coming to Lewiston/Auburn for this year's festival a taste of what Maine's all about by celebrating Maine farms and (sponsoring) a farmers market," Reeder said. "People will leave the festival with a true taste of Maine."
GREAT FALLS BALLOON FESTIVAL
WHEN: Friday through Sunday
WHERE: Simard Payne Memorial Park (formerly known as Railroad Park) in Lewiston and Festival Plaza in Auburn.
HOW MUCH: Activities on the ground are free. Balloon rides are $225 per person. Call 782-2637 to make balloon ride reservations.
FOOD OPTIONS: There will be 30-plus vendors, all local nonprofits selling a variety of prepared food in addition to the farmer's market
PARKING: No parking on site but parking garages and lots in the downtown area offer parking for this event.
DON'T MISS: Mass balloon ascensions at 6 a.m. and 6 p.m., weather permitting.
KID-FRIENDLY FACTOR: Great
BENEFITS: All food vendors, and most parking fees, benefit nonprofits.
IN CASE OF BAD WEATHER: Rain or shine for on-the-ground activities. Balloons are weather-dependent.
MORE INFO:
www.greatfallsballoonfestival.org
Originally published in the Maine Sunday Telegram August 15, 2010
"This year we're celebrating Maine farms," said John Reeder, the balloon-meister for this year's festival. And because the theme has been so well received and includes the 3,000-cubic-foot farm balloon sponsored by Harvest Hill Farm, the festival will also feature a farmers market.
For three days, about 30 ripstop nylon and dacron balloons will be taking to the air over the Androscoggin River.
Launches are scheduled each day, weather-permitting, at 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. from both Simard Payne Memorial Park (formerly known as Railroad Park) in Lewiston and Festival Plaza in Auburn.
"Shaped balloons can only fly in winds less than 8 miles per hour," Reeder explained. "All other balloons need winds to be 10 miles or less. This is most doable in the morning and evening, which is why we schedule the ascensions at 6 a.m. and 6 p.m.
"These (shaped balloons) aren't cheap to bring here, so we need to find sponsors for them," he added, citing the Old MacDonald's Farm balloon and the 110-foot, 550-pound Jack N D Box, which requires a crew of 12 to manage.
"Jack is cute as all get-out. He has all kinds of toys around his box. He'll be popular with the kids," Reeder said about this envelope, the official aeronautical term used for these balloons.
Balloon launches are not all you'll find at this festival. Live music and carnival rides each day will keep everyone on the ground busy.
Nintendo fans are in for a real treat as well, since the company plans to introduce a new game at the festival, with a demonstration area where kids can try it out.
And don't worry about going hungry, as local organizations will keep the crowd well fed with varied offerings.
"The food booths are all run by volunteers from local nonprofits. When we started this (in 1992) we had a waiting list for the food booths, and even now we have 30 booths and we still have a waiting list," explained Reeder.
There will be a parade at 11 a.m. Saturday that will start on Spring Street in front of Auburn Public Library.
The parade will feature balloonists and other floats, including one with Percheron draft horses pulling this year's festival poster contest winners.
A Family Fun Day is scheduled for Sunday on the Lewiston side of the festival and will feature a diaper derby, balloon model demonstration, Mad Science demos, a roaming magician, face painters, a petting zoo and many more activities for children.
Rick Charette and the Bubblegum Band will be the featured musical entertainment on Sunday.
"We want to give those people coming to Lewiston/Auburn for this year's festival a taste of what Maine's all about by celebrating Maine farms and (sponsoring) a farmers market," Reeder said. "People will leave the festival with a true taste of Maine."
GREAT FALLS BALLOON FESTIVAL
WHEN: Friday through Sunday
WHERE: Simard Payne Memorial Park (formerly known as Railroad Park) in Lewiston and Festival Plaza in Auburn.
HOW MUCH: Activities on the ground are free. Balloon rides are $225 per person. Call 782-2637 to make balloon ride reservations.
FOOD OPTIONS: There will be 30-plus vendors, all local nonprofits selling a variety of prepared food in addition to the farmer's market
PARKING: No parking on site but parking garages and lots in the downtown area offer parking for this event.
DON'T MISS: Mass balloon ascensions at 6 a.m. and 6 p.m., weather permitting.
KID-FRIENDLY FACTOR: Great
BENEFITS: All food vendors, and most parking fees, benefit nonprofits.
IN CASE OF BAD WEATHER: Rain or shine for on-the-ground activities. Balloons are weather-dependent.
MORE INFO:
www.greatfallsballoonfestival.org
Originally published in the Maine Sunday Telegram August 15, 2010
Friday, August 13, 2010
Sheep shows to the Perseids, an eclectic week
We've had a busy week with a 4H sheep show, shopping night at the mall and a star gazing event. And every single thing was fun and worth the schedule juggling.
It started with L. getting her sheep ready for the Topsham Fair at the beginning of the week. Getting a couple of wool breed lambs ready for a show is time consuming, particularly when their wool is long and they lay about in shavings and hay everyday. But L. had the lambs in tip-top shape by Wednesday and I was very thankful to some 4H friends for picking up both her and her lambs to bring to the fair while I was at the office. I met L. at the fairgrounds an hour before her show and all went well. She had a great time and chatted with some friends she made at Ossipee Fair last month. That's another check in favor of 4H for us. The girls have quite a network of friends all around the state.
Last night was the Press Herald's Dash of Diva shopping night at the Maine Mall and a co-worker encouraged the girls and I to go. We had already planned to attend an event at Gilsland Farm sponsored by both Audubon and USM's Southworth Planetarium to watch the meteor showers (also known as the Perseid Meteor Shower) that happens at this time each year. We decided we could do both as the Audubon event didn't start until 8:30 p.m.
It was a festive night at the mall with lots of great discounts. The girls had their own money and were able to buy more than they had anticipated so all was well in their world. Of course the purchases did not include back to school clothing but Bath & Body Works body washes and creams, new headphones for mp3 players and a new pair of sneakers.
But even though excited about their new purchases, the girls were eager to get to the Audubon center to see the meteors.
We hiked the West Meadow Trail at Gilsland Farm - in the dark (not as hard as you'd think) - to the open field where Astronomer Edward Gleason from USM's Southworth Planetarium had several telescopes set up. He and a couple of other experts answered every question under the sun, err moon, about the night sky. We brought along a blanket to sit on but ended up laying on it instead to do our star gazing.
It actually struck our funny bones to look around and see about 50-60 people laying around an open field in the dark. Eric Hynes, Maine Audubon's staff naturalist, attempted to take a photograph of the "largest group to visit the Center at night" but getting a photo of a bunch of people in the dark just isn't so easy.
By the end of the night, the girls and I had made a list of the stars/constellations we could identify accurately during our evening:
* Venus (was just above the horizon at 9 p.m. and "set" by 10 p.m. from our point of view)
* Antares
* Big Dipper
* Polaris (a.k.a. North Star)
* Cassiopeia
* Draco
* Little Dipper (although a couple of stars were very dim so the full shape was hard to see)
* The "Summer Triangle" which includes Vega, Deneb and Altair
* Cygnus
* The square of Pegasus (couldn't see the whole thing)
* At least a dozen meteors with one that was as bright as any 4th of July fireworks burst
It takes practice to orientate yourself to the night sky and then remember where all those smaller, harder to identify stars and constellations are. But the kids feel like they're getting better at it and this event definitely helped. But we found it still isn't so easy to always stay oriented to the stars when you're laying on a blanket and watching the night sky for more than an hour (like we were this night). Everything moves around and can still get you confused. So just when you thought you knew where the Summer Triangle was, the bugger will move over the course of an hour and then you'll start second-guessing yourself you've got it figured out. We were reminded by one of the experts at this event that all the stars rotate around Polaris and the further away a constellation and/or star is, the "faster" it will appear to move in to a different position in the sky during the evening.
I don't have a good camera to take night shots but I had my cell phone and recorded some audio clips of our conversation laying around the field. I made it compatible with a YouTube video clip simply to have an easy format for me to share here.
But I offer the disclaimer that our conversation has plenty of our typical silliness. I was less concerned the girls focus on learning all the star names as much as I wanted them to simply enjoy the experience and see the meteors.
So when you hear the "shooting star" comment, know that the kids are aware it's just another word for meteor.
When you hear giggles about a mistake meteor that was in fact an airplane, know that my kid realized her mistake immediately but her sister and I had to giggle about it anyhow.
And when mom points out the Summer Triangle, my reference to "Vega, that star and that star" you'll understand we did sneak a peek at our star chart afterward (by the illumination of my cell phone screen) to verify the other star names after the clip. It just didn't seem important at the time to know the names as it was to simply know where the triangle actually was. Being a know-it-all isn't really my goal in life (although we do take the time afterward to get things figured out).
For more explanation about the Perseid Meteor Shower, I'll let the USM's Daily Astronomer email from Edward Gleason explain. He has a knack for making all things celestial more easily understood (usually with humor) for the everyday person.
As any comet travels near the Sun, the comet will sublimate: the ice is converted into a gas, creating a dust tail. (The solar wind also creates an ion tail, but let's cheerfully ignore this distracting detail.) During the comet's sojourn around the inner solar system, this outgassing will release vast quantities of dust into space. We call these liberated particles "meteoroids." Interplanetary space teems with these meteoroids. They constantly rain down through Earth's atmosphere, where they vaporize and glow, producing the light we see as "meteors."***
Currently, Earth is moving through the Swift-Tuttle debris stream. During this passage, countless meteoroids will plummet toward the planet's surface, reaching a velocity of more than 130,000 miles per hour. At this speed, friction will heat the particles to 3,000 degrees Fahrenheit. This heat will vaporize the meteoroids, resulting in the lights we see as meteors. Yet, the actual light producting process is more than a simple reaction to heat. The meteoroid actually ablates, which excites its atoms. The electrons respond to this excitation by attaining higher energy orbits. When these electrons settle down, they emit the photons we see as meteors.
These meteors appear about 60 miles above Earth's surface, where the particles creating them travel at paths parallel to Earth's surface. However, they seem to originate from a specific point in the sky: an area called the "radiant." This radiant constantly drifts as the planet's orientation shifts relative to the debris stream. However, this wandering radiant always remains in the constellation Perseus, hence the name "Perseid Meteor Shower."
This shower promises to be an active one, with a peak meteor rate of more than 75 meteors an hour. The best time to observe on peak night (August 12-13) is after midnight, when our part of Earth turns into direction of the meteoroid flow.
***Here's a quick reference to help you distinguish between meteors, meteoroids, and meteorites:
Meteor: the light streak visible in the night sky. (This is a sight, not an object)
Meteoroid: a particle in outer space that would appear as a meteor if it descended through our atmosphere.
Meteorite: an outer space particle that survives its descent through the atmosphere and is found on Earth's surface.
It started with L. getting her sheep ready for the Topsham Fair at the beginning of the week. Getting a couple of wool breed lambs ready for a show is time consuming, particularly when their wool is long and they lay about in shavings and hay everyday. But L. had the lambs in tip-top shape by Wednesday and I was very thankful to some 4H friends for picking up both her and her lambs to bring to the fair while I was at the office. I met L. at the fairgrounds an hour before her show and all went well. She had a great time and chatted with some friends she made at Ossipee Fair last month. That's another check in favor of 4H for us. The girls have quite a network of friends all around the state.
Last night was the Press Herald's Dash of Diva shopping night at the Maine Mall and a co-worker encouraged the girls and I to go. We had already planned to attend an event at Gilsland Farm sponsored by both Audubon and USM's Southworth Planetarium to watch the meteor showers (also known as the Perseid Meteor Shower) that happens at this time each year. We decided we could do both as the Audubon event didn't start until 8:30 p.m.
It was a festive night at the mall with lots of great discounts. The girls had their own money and were able to buy more than they had anticipated so all was well in their world. Of course the purchases did not include back to school clothing but Bath & Body Works body washes and creams, new headphones for mp3 players and a new pair of sneakers.
But even though excited about their new purchases, the girls were eager to get to the Audubon center to see the meteors.
We hiked the West Meadow Trail at Gilsland Farm - in the dark (not as hard as you'd think) - to the open field where Astronomer Edward Gleason from USM's Southworth Planetarium had several telescopes set up. He and a couple of other experts answered every question under the sun, err moon, about the night sky. We brought along a blanket to sit on but ended up laying on it instead to do our star gazing.
It actually struck our funny bones to look around and see about 50-60 people laying around an open field in the dark. Eric Hynes, Maine Audubon's staff naturalist, attempted to take a photograph of the "largest group to visit the Center at night" but getting a photo of a bunch of people in the dark just isn't so easy.
By the end of the night, the girls and I had made a list of the stars/constellations we could identify accurately during our evening:
* Venus (was just above the horizon at 9 p.m. and "set" by 10 p.m. from our point of view)
* Antares
* Big Dipper
* Polaris (a.k.a. North Star)
* Cassiopeia
* Draco
* Little Dipper (although a couple of stars were very dim so the full shape was hard to see)
* The "Summer Triangle" which includes Vega, Deneb and Altair
* Cygnus
* The square of Pegasus (couldn't see the whole thing)
* At least a dozen meteors with one that was as bright as any 4th of July fireworks burst
It takes practice to orientate yourself to the night sky and then remember where all those smaller, harder to identify stars and constellations are. But the kids feel like they're getting better at it and this event definitely helped. But we found it still isn't so easy to always stay oriented to the stars when you're laying on a blanket and watching the night sky for more than an hour (like we were this night). Everything moves around and can still get you confused. So just when you thought you knew where the Summer Triangle was, the bugger will move over the course of an hour and then you'll start second-guessing yourself you've got it figured out. We were reminded by one of the experts at this event that all the stars rotate around Polaris and the further away a constellation and/or star is, the "faster" it will appear to move in to a different position in the sky during the evening.
I don't have a good camera to take night shots but I had my cell phone and recorded some audio clips of our conversation laying around the field. I made it compatible with a YouTube video clip simply to have an easy format for me to share here.
But I offer the disclaimer that our conversation has plenty of our typical silliness. I was less concerned the girls focus on learning all the star names as much as I wanted them to simply enjoy the experience and see the meteors.
So when you hear the "shooting star" comment, know that the kids are aware it's just another word for meteor.
When you hear giggles about a mistake meteor that was in fact an airplane, know that my kid realized her mistake immediately but her sister and I had to giggle about it anyhow.
And when mom points out the Summer Triangle, my reference to "Vega, that star and that star" you'll understand we did sneak a peek at our star chart afterward (by the illumination of my cell phone screen) to verify the other star names after the clip. It just didn't seem important at the time to know the names as it was to simply know where the triangle actually was. Being a know-it-all isn't really my goal in life (although we do take the time afterward to get things figured out).
For more explanation about the Perseid Meteor Shower, I'll let the USM's Daily Astronomer email from Edward Gleason explain. He has a knack for making all things celestial more easily understood (usually with humor) for the everyday person.
As any comet travels near the Sun, the comet will sublimate: the ice is converted into a gas, creating a dust tail. (The solar wind also creates an ion tail, but let's cheerfully ignore this distracting detail.) During the comet's sojourn around the inner solar system, this outgassing will release vast quantities of dust into space. We call these liberated particles "meteoroids." Interplanetary space teems with these meteoroids. They constantly rain down through Earth's atmosphere, where they vaporize and glow, producing the light we see as "meteors."***
Currently, Earth is moving through the Swift-Tuttle debris stream. During this passage, countless meteoroids will plummet toward the planet's surface, reaching a velocity of more than 130,000 miles per hour. At this speed, friction will heat the particles to 3,000 degrees Fahrenheit. This heat will vaporize the meteoroids, resulting in the lights we see as meteors. Yet, the actual light producting process is more than a simple reaction to heat. The meteoroid actually ablates, which excites its atoms. The electrons respond to this excitation by attaining higher energy orbits. When these electrons settle down, they emit the photons we see as meteors.
These meteors appear about 60 miles above Earth's surface, where the particles creating them travel at paths parallel to Earth's surface. However, they seem to originate from a specific point in the sky: an area called the "radiant." This radiant constantly drifts as the planet's orientation shifts relative to the debris stream. However, this wandering radiant always remains in the constellation Perseus, hence the name "Perseid Meteor Shower."
This shower promises to be an active one, with a peak meteor rate of more than 75 meteors an hour. The best time to observe on peak night (August 12-13) is after midnight, when our part of Earth turns into direction of the meteoroid flow.
***Here's a quick reference to help you distinguish between meteors, meteoroids, and meteorites:
Meteor: the light streak visible in the night sky. (This is a sight, not an object)
Meteoroid: a particle in outer space that would appear as a meteor if it descended through our atmosphere.
Meteorite: an outer space particle that survives its descent through the atmosphere and is found on Earth's surface.
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
New audio tour of Wildlife Park is great
We went to the Wildlife Park this past weekend to see the powwow happenings. Part of the motivation was to see Lawrence the bald eagle with the dancers.
G., the family photographer, was quite pleased with the varied photo opportunities even though the crowd was crazy big at the powwow, and the park in general.
After the Grand Entry (no photographs are permitted during the sacred ceremony), G. caught a few pictures of Lawrence and the dancers.
My animal-loving kids were eager to visit the exhibits, many of which have changed over the past few years. Several exhibits now allow visitors to more easily take photos of the animals and G. was pleased to get a shot of the deer without the fence obstruction in one of her photos.
And she was highly amused with this 'action' shot.
I wrote a story a couple of months ago that included a mention about the park's new cell phone self-guided tour. There is a phone number to call while at the park (it's on the park's map) and that recorded message prompts you to enter the number of the exhibit you are looking at. These are the markers at the exhibits that have an audio component.
We called several times and thought the explanations offered for each exhibit were both interesting and educational. And just an FYI, the speaker phone mode on your phone makes this easy for the family to listen together. We also found several other visitors wanted to listen in to our call as well.
G. was busy snapping photos of all the animals and I won't be posting the 100 or so photos she took. But I'll include a few of the highlights.
The albino porcupine the girls thought was super cute.
The wild cats, which G. has always loved.
The coyote was a fast moving pacer in his cage and G. took several shots of him before she caught this one. I thought this photo was pretty cool since the only thing in clear focus in his nose and teeth.
This photo was the most interesting I thought because there could be more than one possibility for all the feathers strewn about.
Anyone been to the Widlife Park this season? The kids and I really liked the new signage and audio tour.
G., the family photographer, was quite pleased with the varied photo opportunities even though the crowd was crazy big at the powwow, and the park in general.
After the Grand Entry (no photographs are permitted during the sacred ceremony), G. caught a few pictures of Lawrence and the dancers.
My animal-loving kids were eager to visit the exhibits, many of which have changed over the past few years. Several exhibits now allow visitors to more easily take photos of the animals and G. was pleased to get a shot of the deer without the fence obstruction in one of her photos.
And she was highly amused with this 'action' shot.
I wrote a story a couple of months ago that included a mention about the park's new cell phone self-guided tour. There is a phone number to call while at the park (it's on the park's map) and that recorded message prompts you to enter the number of the exhibit you are looking at. These are the markers at the exhibits that have an audio component.
We called several times and thought the explanations offered for each exhibit were both interesting and educational. And just an FYI, the speaker phone mode on your phone makes this easy for the family to listen together. We also found several other visitors wanted to listen in to our call as well.
G. was busy snapping photos of all the animals and I won't be posting the 100 or so photos she took. But I'll include a few of the highlights.
The albino porcupine the girls thought was super cute.
The wild cats, which G. has always loved.
The coyote was a fast moving pacer in his cage and G. took several shots of him before she caught this one. I thought this photo was pretty cool since the only thing in clear focus in his nose and teeth.
This photo was the most interesting I thought because there could be more than one possibility for all the feathers strewn about.
Last Goose Standing?
Anyone been to the Widlife Park this season? The kids and I really liked the new signage and audio tour.
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Kid Track Column: Biking in Lisbon
The Paper Mill Trail at Miller Park in Lisbon is a great place for families with young bike riders.
Parents will like its off-the-road paved trail and the kids will feel a sense of accomplishment if they make it to the end and back -- about 4 miles, round-trip, of smooth riding.
The Paper Mill Trail is off Frost Hill Avenue in Lisbon, just off Route 196 at the Sabattus River boat launch. The paved trail runs along part of the river.
There are several short dirt paths that lead to the river and my 12-year-old was eager to stop and check things out after only two minutes of riding.
She had her shoes and socks off in no time to do some wading and jumping from rock to rock on the riverbank.
There is also a nice little history lesson along the way, thanks to an informational kiosk about 3/4 of a mile down the trail that explains the early history of the mills in Lisbon.
Remnants of the Paper Mill dam, bridge and road, originally constructed in 1865, can still be seen on the river. There is a large stone support for the old bridge in the middle of the river that my 12-year-old thought looked like the hull of a ship.
The large set stones that served as a sluice for the water wheel can also be seen nearby.
My daughter and I welcomed these stops on the river. We haven't done much riding lately, since we've opted for water activities during this hot summer, so our biking legs are a bit out of shape.
This trail is fairly level, but for young, less-experienced riders, little legs will have to do some pumping on a couple of the small hills.
For those familiar with the Androscoggin River Bike Path in Brunswick/Topsham, it's not as flat as that trail, but there are not any big hills either. And as my daughter will tell you, going up hills one way means having fun going down them on the way back.
The trail passes through the Lisbon Community School parking area, then veers off the river for a view of pretty farm country on Mill Street and over to Upland Road. This portion is called the Ricker Farm Trail.
"This trail will tie in to the sidewalk network we have in town by the end of the summer," said Ryan Leighton, Lisbon's town engineer.
This trail is not an off-road loop, so my daughter and I turned around at the trail's end just past Ricker Farm to make our way back to Miller Park.
The school, about a mile from the trailhead, has a very nice playground that younger kids will likely want to stop to explore.
It's a good middle point on this trail system and can be a good incentive for young riders to bike the distance to get there.
This trail does not cover a lot of mileage for older kids used to biking, but for those parents comfortable with on-street riding, the Big Dipper ice cream shop is less than a quarter of a mile from the trailhead on Route 196.
Plans are in the works to expand the trail another 2 miles from Miller Park to the Maine Department of Transportation's Park & Ride lot in Lisbon Falls.
The new segment will be called the Androscoggin River Trail and construction will begin next year.
Even though the full trail isn't complete yet, the Paper Mill and Ricker Farm trails are very nice, family-friendly and well worth a two-wheel visit with young riders.
PAPER MILL TRAIL
WHERE: Lisbon
LENGTH: 2 miles, one-way
TRAIL TYPE: Paved multi-use, non-motorized
DIFFICULTY: Beginner
BATHROOM: Yes, portable at Miller Park
GPS COORDINATES: 44.0115, -70.0861
DOG-FRIENDLY: Yes
WEBSITE: www.androscogginlandtrust.org
12-YEAR-OLD’S REVIEW: “I liked this trail and going in the river. I liked going down the hills, too. If you haven’t biked in a while and your leg muscles have weakened, it will be hard to get up the hills. It’s not hard, but you just have to use your leg muscles a lot. I think it’s a good trail for kids.”
Biking PaperMill Trail in Lisbon
Originally published in the Maine Sunday Telegram, August 8, 2010
Parents will like its off-the-road paved trail and the kids will feel a sense of accomplishment if they make it to the end and back -- about 4 miles, round-trip, of smooth riding.
The Paper Mill Trail is off Frost Hill Avenue in Lisbon, just off Route 196 at the Sabattus River boat launch. The paved trail runs along part of the river.
There are several short dirt paths that lead to the river and my 12-year-old was eager to stop and check things out after only two minutes of riding.
She had her shoes and socks off in no time to do some wading and jumping from rock to rock on the riverbank.
There is also a nice little history lesson along the way, thanks to an informational kiosk about 3/4 of a mile down the trail that explains the early history of the mills in Lisbon.
Remnants of the Paper Mill dam, bridge and road, originally constructed in 1865, can still be seen on the river. There is a large stone support for the old bridge in the middle of the river that my 12-year-old thought looked like the hull of a ship.
The large set stones that served as a sluice for the water wheel can also be seen nearby.
My daughter and I welcomed these stops on the river. We haven't done much riding lately, since we've opted for water activities during this hot summer, so our biking legs are a bit out of shape.
This trail is fairly level, but for young, less-experienced riders, little legs will have to do some pumping on a couple of the small hills.
For those familiar with the Androscoggin River Bike Path in Brunswick/Topsham, it's not as flat as that trail, but there are not any big hills either. And as my daughter will tell you, going up hills one way means having fun going down them on the way back.
The trail passes through the Lisbon Community School parking area, then veers off the river for a view of pretty farm country on Mill Street and over to Upland Road. This portion is called the Ricker Farm Trail.
"This trail will tie in to the sidewalk network we have in town by the end of the summer," said Ryan Leighton, Lisbon's town engineer.
This trail is not an off-road loop, so my daughter and I turned around at the trail's end just past Ricker Farm to make our way back to Miller Park.
The school, about a mile from the trailhead, has a very nice playground that younger kids will likely want to stop to explore.
It's a good middle point on this trail system and can be a good incentive for young riders to bike the distance to get there.
This trail does not cover a lot of mileage for older kids used to biking, but for those parents comfortable with on-street riding, the Big Dipper ice cream shop is less than a quarter of a mile from the trailhead on Route 196.
Plans are in the works to expand the trail another 2 miles from Miller Park to the Maine Department of Transportation's Park & Ride lot in Lisbon Falls.
The new segment will be called the Androscoggin River Trail and construction will begin next year.
Even though the full trail isn't complete yet, the Paper Mill and Ricker Farm trails are very nice, family-friendly and well worth a two-wheel visit with young riders.
PAPER MILL TRAIL
WHERE: Lisbon
LENGTH: 2 miles, one-way
TRAIL TYPE: Paved multi-use, non-motorized
DIFFICULTY: Beginner
BATHROOM: Yes, portable at Miller Park
GPS COORDINATES: 44.0115, -70.0861
DOG-FRIENDLY: Yes
WEBSITE: www.androscogginlandtrust.org
12-YEAR-OLD’S REVIEW: “I liked this trail and going in the river. I liked going down the hills, too. If you haven’t biked in a while and your leg muscles have weakened, it will be hard to get up the hills. It’s not hard, but you just have to use your leg muscles a lot. I think it’s a good trail for kids.”
Biking PaperMill Trail in Lisbon
Originally published in the Maine Sunday Telegram, August 8, 2010
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