Things to do when it’s Prime Time in Maine
It's very peaceful on Sunday morning. There's a routine. Walk the dog, drive to the Quik-Stop. Get The New York Times.
I glance at some of the signs Scorch-taped to the door. "Used kayak for $400." "Bake sale for the American Legion at Ames True Value." "Gun Show." "Used Honda Civic."
Hmmm, I mused. "Gun Show".` Never been to one. Wonder whether there'd be some interesting photos to take. Back in the car, drive home.
At the breakfast table. "Hey Donna. Wanna go to a gun show today?"
"Not in a million years," she says. "I'd rather go pick blueberries.
This is Prime Time. August in Maine. The folks who live here full-time have figured out how to work around tourists and still have fun. For seasonal residents, August is when friends and relatives come to call, too.
This week, we’ll have frtiends from Hilton Head for several nights. Which means I’ve gotta go to Walmart and stock up on wine. We’ve also figured out a schedule of things to do, starting with our third week of wood fired pizza at Squire Tarbox on Westport Island.
We’ll also go kayaking on the Sheepscot River. It’s an eight-mile paddle, according to Google Maps. From Wiscasset to Head Tide, where the one of Maine’s unique reversing falls does its thing twice each day. Wikipedia explains, "Rivers flow backwards and then forwards in an ever changing diorama of freshwater, saltwater, rollocking rapids and tranquil calms."
We are planning on lunch at Robinson’s Wharf in Southport. Lobster!!!! We'll meander around Boothbay in the afternoon - where I'll be sure to get some fresh salt water taffy at https://www.downeastcandies.com.
After these nice people leave, we’ll be hosting my boss at MarketWatch.com and his Broadway-producer wife. We’ll catch up and then have dinner at our favorite inn and restaurant, Blue, on Georgetown Island.
Last week I went to the biweekly meeting of the Board of Selectmen, our town council. One of the Selectmen, Dusty Jones, unexpectedly expressed skepticism about the town's funding of the the Municipal Airport. The Board was considering the expense of the airport. Dusty made clear he thinks the airport is a questionable expense. "We're providing a luxury for the federal government at a very heavy expense to us."
The Select Board chair quickly squelched the airport discussion by saying this wasn't the time or the place. Later, she got approval for a Budget Workshop to review the airport’s operation.
The Board's meetings are Webcast via YouTube. Here's a link to last week's. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eFjxIAhT72U
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About this blog:
Man about Wiscasset
Frank Barnako is a seasonal resident of Wiscasset at Clarks Point on the Sheepscot River. His career in journalism included on air and news director positions with CBS and NBC Radio and TV stations. He was a pioneer in the Internet, helping to create and co-found MarketWatch.com where he also developed a 200-station radio network and wrote daily columns focused on the stock market, business news, and technology. Barnako describes himself as “an aspiring photographer,” whose work can be seen at frankbarnako.com<http://frankbarnako.com>. He is a member of the town’s Investment Advisory Committee. Email him at wiscasset@barnako.com.