It was yet another beautiful day in Mid Coast paradise. Fortified with another great breakfast, I left on my commute to the library...
Deck furniture made of unused wire lobster traps.
An example of one the dozens of small galleries in Boothbay Harbor.
This was an easy pattern to fit into. Wake, talk, eat, walk, work, walk, eat, talk, sleep. I got a lot done but wasn't able to publish, setting me back another day. Lately I don't mind falling behind by a few days, because it gives me a chance to reflect before writing each post. I was looking forward to two things Melinda had suggested: First, to take another ride around the area--this time west to Southport, and then to have a lamb dinner. Wow! I made my way back across the footbridge to her side of the harbor where she would pick me up...
I really liked the molding and porch flourishes on this house.
We drove west by Hendricks Preserve, down Beach Road and stopped to look out at the beach, another of Melinda's favorite spots...
An extra low, full moon tide.
Hendricks Head Lighthouse.
Melinda had mentioned that businessman, Paul Coulombe, who had bought and renovated the Boothbay Harbor Country Club (for $50 million) also bought land for his house right here where we were driving around. We could see the large outline in the woods beyond. Before the land was developed and the house was built, she used to take the kids around the property and knew the terrain well. It was a magical place where people had made fairy houses along the trails. Unfortunately, according to Melinda, he ripped out these quaint aspects to build his $30 million mansion. And, a place where the public used to enjoy nature is now unavailable...
While not the hypermall development that I've railed so often against in this blog, the weight of big money can still throw itself around the residential areas of Maine. And, it seems that Paul Coulombe (whom the Boothbay Register has called, "the Baron of Boothbay") does have a hypermall vision for the small coastal town he is slowly buying up. The Boothbay Common (which he purchased, and after development will be called "The Village") is actually to become a shopping mall. According to one critic, he wants "a Boothbay with mostly seasonal jobs in the service of rich people and a radically changed landscape." Is this phenomenon that has overtaken Southern Maine now to be proliferating in the Mid Coast region?
Rich people play with the world. We all know it. Maine is not spared from this trip down the one way road of hypermall development. While the "bleeding heart types" are concerned with preserving the character of this great state, the "pro business types" are concerned with making sure a minority of people can decide what the majority will be doing in the near future. Rushing into the plastified, franchised, trend of the rest of the country (and I have seen it!), in my opinion is stupid and irreversible. With more public scrutiny, we could still go either way: develop or not develop. But, once development is complete, there is no going back. Does this opinion matter? Nah! It will happen to some degree as long as people lie down and take what they are forced into. It is just a shame. That's all.
We moved on to Southport proper, and across from Cuckold's Fog Signal and Light Station (now a luxury off shore resort)...
Melinda told me that the house on the island just south of the light once belonged to Margaret Hamilton, the actress who played the Wicked Witch of the West in the Wizard of Oz...
Neat place!
We had a nice time sitting on the dock talking about the history of the area and fantasizing about what we would do if we owned an island. I noticed that the time would be perfect for harvesting a bit of bladderwrack seaweed. So, I scampered down the rocks and cut some for processing back at the house. Then we drove back, enjoying the low angle of the evening sun through the trees.
When we got back to the house, she started our lamb dinner and I cleaned and processed my bladderwrack...
I cut each of the "bladders" off and cut up the remnants left over. The squishy bulbs are simply delicious--at least to me. Melinda appreciated my interest in this alternative food but was not an enthusiastic participant in eating it. Ha!
When suppah' was ready we sat down, enjoying this meal which was richer than we were used to. But it was oh so good...
Lamb with Mediterranean herbs, alfredo noodles with extra mozzarella cheese mixed in,
and organic broccoli. What can I say?
After dinner we had a very late night, and into early morning, discussion. The hour was toning 3:00 am when I settled into bed. These days had been leaving a residual impression on me, one that was coloring and influencing my dreams.
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