We have a date! A launch date that is: Thursday June 4 at noon at the Pine St launching ramp in Waldoboro. Maine Cat wanted us to bring Ms. Ortolan down river to the mooring at Broad Cove so we would get to watch the process from factory pickup, along Rte 32 (often marked “Frost Heave”) to the all-tide launch ramp. The tide range would be 11 ft that day!! The other day on our way to Friendship to sight-see and beach-comb we stopped to scope out the ramp. High tide coincides with launch time; excellent planning!

Too late I thought to mark where we are. Find the red dot for Nobleboro; below it and south of Rte 1 is Pemaquid Pond (not labeled) we are near the top on the right hand shore.

Over the past month we’ve had time for sightseeing, hiking, checking out the local egg selections and lobster offerings. We’ve enjoyed a front row seat for a wedding and reception at the campground; decidedly low-budget but everyone was enjoying the warm sunny day. Those who could, came with their campers for the night.

We brought a picnic lunch and were happy to find picnic tables overlooking the bluff-perfect.

 

 

Aboca Beads sits on Main St Damariscotta along with an inviting selection of shops, cafes, barber shops, salons, and a fantastic book store that is up for sale. Naturally I had to visit the bead shop and then we walked around, coming upon a small lobster shack selling a variety of lobster items and fresh ones for $9/lb. As high as that price is, it was less than the $10.49 we’d seen and passed on at another place.

But for our money we got lobster learned. I never thought about it, but the larger claw can be on either side so lobsters can be left or right-handed as well as soft or hard and male or female.

 

While I hit the bead shop Russ ducked into this barber shop; formerly the customs house many years ago when this waterfront space was only a large dock overlooking the harbor between Damariscotta and Newcastle. In another incarnation it operated as a seafood market and the owners poured concrete, which raised the floor. A small eatery then came along, flooring added, so now anyone over 6 ft tall needs to stoop and grab a chair fast.

 

 

The campground (surprisingly) does not recycle but we always have plenty to recycle and wanted to find place to take it.

Maine is serious about recycling (or keeping the roadsides clean) and levies a 15 cent deposit on wine and hard booze. We generally don’t bother with returning bottles, just recycle them with all the rest.

But get a load of the lengthy return  process that one smart company talked Hannaford into. Buy a special bag, get a card, bring your bag in, and days later when your returns are processed you get credit for the bag cost and the bottle deposits. I think that’s the simple explanation. If you only have a few bottles, you can see customer service to get a smaller bag.  The other option is taking your bottles to a redemption center and wait in line. We are collecting our returnables and will  visit a center before we leave here. The store provides bins for other plastic, glass and paper items so we bring a bag every trip.

 

 

 

After visiting Port Clyde and the Marshall Point Lighthouse, we needed lunch! Tenant’s Harbor, a few miles away in the direction we needed to go, offered one dining option and we took it. Russ chose the Lobster Club and I must say, from the tiny nibble I was allowed, it was darn tasty!

 

Rising Tide felt just like Foodworks in Old Saybrook and even more so like the Middlebury, VT Natural Foods Co-op; the only thing missing was Benj, Lily and a busy deli counter!

Motorhome Annie’s musical selections: XM 7 Seventies, Blue Man Group. From the iDevice: MeccaLily’s Breath of Life album, Norah Jones