Repeat after me.

Photo by George French, courtesy Maine State Archives

“What kind of cah is that deah?”

“A Honder”

“She’s wicked cunnin’.”

Ayuh! But the wife was right ugly when I bought ‘ah!

Much has been written about the Maine accent. Maine is a linguistic and territorial cul-de-sac. The old joke is that we’re not at the end of the earth, but you can see it from here. We have a population, or at least a significant fraction thereof, which tends to stay put. Additionally, Mainers are quite homogeneous in their ethnic heritage, being mostly English with Irish and French following. The accent is real; I can attest to that. When I started my first job in Maine in 1988 I had some difficulties. On one occasion I was told to “go see Dawn”. I went to the right place and looked around but there was no woman there. I asked the nearest fellow if he new where Dawn was. He said, “I’m Dawn [Don]“. When I got back to my boss I asked him, “How do you pronounce ‘D-o-n’?”; “Dawn”. “OK, how do you pronounce ‘D-a-w-n’?”;”Dawn”. I couldn’t hear the difference. His name was Carl (Cal). The dropping of the “r” after a vowel and adding of it to the words which end with “a” is known as non-rhoticity and is common throughout northern New England. But there are a set of words with different shades of meaning every visitor should know about:

ayuh   yes, sometimes stretched out to three syllables to give time to think
hoss    horse, a carpentah uses a sawrhoss
numb     dumb, stupid
deah,  dahlin’     dear, darling; used to address both genders
cunnin’    cute
ugly    in a bad mood
dooryahd     driveway
flatlandah    someone born outside of Maine
down cellah     in the basement
from away    see flatlander
gawmy    awkward
gorry    Gosh!
hot top     black top (road surface)
Masshole    someone from Massachusettes
tore(ist)     tour, tourist
wicked    very, extremely
Bah Hahbah Road    The main road to Bar Harbor, may not be called that on any map. Similarly the “Trenton Road” is the same road as referred to at the other end by people who live in Bar Harbor. In some areas, place names are a difficulty. Until recently, roads often went nameless and houses had no addresses. The new 911 system has recently changed that but some habits persist. Directions are still given based on old landmarks and some cemeteries, town dumps and even businesses don’t benefit from signage or agreed-upon names. All the locals know where these places are, so why bother?
It has to be said, the accent, the rural quirkiness and the old ways are actively encouraged by the tourist industry. Therefore, the persistence of these traits may be self imposed. Consider these guide book quotes:

“Maine has also earned a reputation as a homeland for quirky characters born with quick wits and extraordinarily dry senses of humor. Combined with the famous Down East accent… it becomes the foundation for a truly original experience”, Earl Brechlin’s Adventure Guide to Maine

“No individuals are more rugged than the umpteenth-generation fishermen who make their honest living from these bone-chilling waters”,  Kathleen M. Brandes  Moon Handbooks: Coastal Maine

So we have a mythology about Maine which every Mainer is subtly encouraged to support for commercial purposes. This viewpoint is supported in another quote from Earl Brechlin’s book:

Governor Angus King once said that if he could just strategically position a suitably crusty yet benign “Mainah” on the porch of every general store or end of  every lobster wharf, giving people asking for directions the standard reply of “You can’t get theyah from heyah,” tourism revenue would triple.

Whether a state sponsored conspiracy or a genuine cultural variance (I suspect a little of both), Maine language and manners are yet another fun thing to experience on your visit to our neck of the woods. Mainers relish the look of confusion on a tourist’s face. Hopefully this post will prepare you.  Our late neighbor, Marion Stocking wrote a book, I’ve Got the Idear: My Love Affair with Maine Language which is distilled from her many years of teaching at the University of Maine. This delightful 80 page book can be ordered by sending $15 to the Maine Folklife Center at 5773 South Stevens Hall, University of Maine, Orono, 04469, or by calling (207) 581-1891, or emailing: folklife@maine.edu.

Smack dab in the middle of Bar Harbor is some of the biggest science happening in the state of Maine……two major science research facilities, neither associated directly, but well connected with the academic world.   Living here you can be surprised to find yourself living next to a specialist in the electron microscope – here in a town of 6,000 folks, how likely is that to happen?  Very likely as MDI turns out to be a hotbed of science for the state of Maine.

JACKSON LABORATORY:A Bar Harbor, Maine, landmark since it was established in 1929.   The Jackson Laboratory today is home to 38 biomedical research teams. These scientists have on-campus access to more than 4,000 varieties of laboratory mice bred to model the genetic complexities of human diseases and conditions including cancer, dementia, obesity, high cholesterol and many others.    We were able to have our daughter participate in Jackson Lab’s year long high school intern program through MDI High School.   She worked on the team which identified the gene responsible for open angle glaucoma in mice. Locally known as the “mouse house” Jackson Lab means more to the MDI community than just a place for jobs.   It brings folks to the island to live and in turn brings the world to the island through it’s many teaching symposiums and programs.

Talk about current news and breakthroughs: in July, Jackson Laboratory Professor David Harrison and collaborators reported in the journal Nature that rapamycin, a drug used to prevent organ rejection in human transplant recipients, can significantly extend the lifespan of mice, in replicated experiments and on heterogeneous populations. Harrison’s team fed rapamycin to mice late in their life–600 days of age, corresponding to about age 60 in humans–and extended their maximal lifespan by 9 to 14 percent, making rapamycin the first pharmacological intervention proven to lengthen mammalian lifespan.
This research was included in Nature’s year-end tally of the top 10 science stories most accessed by their readers. The editors of Science also selected the Jackson Laboratory report among the top 10 scientific breakthroughs of the year.

The Science editors comment, “It’s not Ponce de León’s vision of the fountain of youth: the secretion of a dirt-dwelling bacterium from Easter Island. But this year researchers showed that the compound, called rapamycin, boosts longevity in mice, the first time any drug has stretched a mammal’s lifespan.” Together with advances in understanding how calorie restriction increases lifespan, they note that the Jackson Laboratory findings “might lead researchers to more palatable alternatives for slowing aging or at least increasing how long we remain healthy.”

MDI BIOLOGICAL LABORATORY:  On MDI since 1921, MDIBL has grown rapidly over the past ten years and continues to recruit new investigators and construct state-of-the-art laboratory facilities. Approximately sixty visiting scientists join their resident faculty in Salisbury Cove each year to conduct collaborative research.  Each year, about three hundred students at all stages of their scientific education join in this exceptional community and are greeted as new colleagues.

With a commitment to preserving the marine environment and the belief that everyone needs to understand science, MDIBL’s community extends beyond the world of scientific research. They are restoring marine habitat and engaging local school children and community volunteers in scientific activities that monitor and protect water quality.

They offer programs throughout the summer that educate the public about the marine environment, genetics, and biomedical research. Family science nights bring hundreds of children to the Lab, and our aquarium and touch tank mean that hands-on education can begin when a child reaches for their first sea star.

We like affordable, but we’re absolutely thrilled with free! Mount Desert Island’s Island Explorer bus service is not only free, it’s a clean, worry free way to see this magnificent island from stem to stern.  Three million passengers have taken the bus since 1999 and in that time 10,250 tons of CO2 and 16 tons of other pollutants have not entered the air, thanks to the propane powered buses. There are 8 loops on the island serviced by Island Explorer and it is easy and hassle free to hop on or off just about anywhere. For techno-geeks, the service employs a GPS location system which allows you to know where any given bus is through an interactive map here. All you need is a computer with internet and Macromedia Flash Player.

Of course, a day without a car might take a little planning and sacrifice. Don’t plan on buying those moose antlers or old lobster traps on this trip.  It is simple however, to go the the website and plan your adventure. No parking or traffic worries, no lost keys, and much cleaner air.  Bikers like to make use of the shuttle too; all are equipped with bicycle racks.  There’s even a “Bicycle Express” which runs between the Village Green and Eagle Lake.  Just pedal ’till you’re tired and hop back on.  How about a one way hike? No problem with the Explorer, just catch it at the trail’s end.  The Explorer’s website even has some suggestions for hikes.  Sure, you may just emerge from the woods as the bus is passing by, but there will be another in about a half hour.

Acadia National Park is second only to Yellowstone in yearly visits and like it’s bigger brother, our park is in danger of being loved to death. The Island Explorer is a big step away from this fate, and we hope you will take advantage of it.  If you choose to stay with us in lovely Lamoine,  your link to the bus system is 15 minutes away, at the Trenton IGA. Here you can hop on a number one bus at 7 AM, 8 AM or each 1/2 hour thereafter and you will return no later than 9:30 PM to your car.  Alternately you could kayak across the one mile strait to Hadley Point,  and catch the #1 bus there. This bus will take you to Bar Harbor’s Village Green, where you can connect with all the other routes. Enjoy the ride!

“Last time we visited the area for a week and didn’t move our vehicle from the time we set up camp until we left for home. Love the bus and the bike trails.”

Maine kayaking, an added adventure for your vacation in Bar Harbor.   Getting out on the water gives you a very special perspective of the ocean.   You are part of it.  You see what those gulls see, you feel the ocean tides and currents, get followed by a curious seal.   It’s not to be missed. The smells, the sounds, the feelings all are unique in a small quiet boat.   No motor, no fumes, no noise.   Just the quiet splash as your paddle enters and exits the water.

Kayaking Jordon Pond

It took me years to get excited about going out in a kayak.   I remember that my mother had a friend that was always bringing her kayak with her to the lake, and inviting everyone to try it.    Having experienced canoeing at a young age, I remembered the “tippiness”;   I didn’t like it much.   I always felt that the canoe was going to tip over and dunk me in the cold water.   So I didn’t want to try kayaking.

Boy was I wrong.   Kayaks are nothing like canoes.   You are sitting just at the water’s surface, down low and right at the water’s interface with the sky.   While the kayak moves a bit as you shift your weight, it’s not going to flip as easily as a canoe.   Don’t get me wrong, you can flip a kayak, it just isn’t very easy to do.   You need high waves, or reaching way beyond your center of gravity to tip the kayak.   If that scares you, start your experience in a warm pond (Blunt’s Pond is just up the road from us), not a cold body of water. Always wear a life jacket – we offer 4 sizes here at SeaCat’s Rest – and I mean wear it, not just have it in the boat.

Kids Kayaking on Blunt's Pond, Lamoine

Kayaks are also for all ages – at least if kids can follow directions – I would say from 6 years old to 80 years young.   You do need to be flexible – that is, able to get up and out of the boat.   Other than that – it’s a sport for those who need not be very fit.    Of course, you start slow and go slow, but you can paddle without much effort having little arm strength (I know from experience);  I can paddle 3 miles without any issues.

You do need a boat that fits you.   We have two sizes of boats, one for light weight folks (weight limit under 130 pounds) or 65 kgs.  If you are a taller person, you need a long kayak for lake or ocean adventures.    Ocean kayaks are long and lean, they don’t turn fast, but they go straight easily and can accommodate 6 foot 5 inches tall folks.    Of course they are not good at stream and river riding, so stay in open water.    If you have waves in a kayak, you will get wet.   So don’t go out among whitecaps.    Here at Frenchman Bay, we only get wind generated waves on our bay, no big ocean swells.   This makes kayaking possible most days in the spring, summer and fall.

Also there is a big difference between paddling a canoe and a kayak.   With a canoe, you are sitting high and paddle goes low into the water, after a while, you might switch to the other side because your arms and back ache.   With a kayak, you have a different situation.   First of all, you are just paddling your own weight, the kayak is supported by the water and becomes weightless.   Second, you are working both sides of your body at the same time, alternating sides that you paddle.   Third, you can go fast, rest or go slow, your choice.   And fourth, you have your back braced in a triangle with your knees up against the sides of the kayak – making a strong supported base to paddle from.

Kayaking on a large calm bay or lake is the way to start.   No current to manage, no obstacles to avoid.    It’s easy, it’s exercise without the sweat.     Now, if you want it can be an exertion, you can go out in demanding weather, or waves, or in a spring fed stream and rush along with the water in a whitewater situation.   In fact, it can be quite challenging.  Kayaks have built-in floatation for edgy uses.   The point is, the challenge is your choice, and here at Frenchman Bay it’s your choice and your decision.

You have a range of choices when it comes to kayaking.   A guided tour in Bar Harbor, rent kayaks on your own, bring your own or borrow our kayaks for free while you rent from us.

People flock to the coast of Maine and especially the Acadia region in summer to escape the oppressive heat. In winter, they reason, it must be as cold as Fort Kent, Maine, where the lower 48′s  coldest temperatures are often recorded. This is reinforced by news from the top of New Hampshire’s Mt. Washington where high winds bring the wind chill down to antarctic levels. In reality, our winters are no worse than just about anywhere else in the northern third of the country. In fact, here at SeaCat’sRest we might get rain while our mailbox (1/4 mile from the water) gets snow! The reason is our proximity to the ocean; cool in the summer, warm in the winter. The tides stir up the water so much that it almost never freezes, and so the air temperature stays about the same.  Once in two or three years we do see the ocean freeze but it rarely happens until the end of January and often breaks up with the next tide. When the ice forms for real, as in deer crossing from the island, all bets are off. The air temperature plummets and suddenly we’re in Minnesota.

About ten years ago we had such a freeze. The salt water had frozen maybe two feet thick and then one March day it just broke up. Unfortunately, the preceding Fall  I had the bright idea of running a line in from my mooring and tying it to my stairway on the shore.  I did this so I could remove the float and still find the mooring in the spring. On this break up day suddenly my daughter’s friend burst in and said, “Your stairs are going out to sea!”. Imagine hearing these words. She saw the stairs being pulled away from the shore by a mysterious force so quickly that they left a wake behind.  I had trouble processing this information and there was a rather bizarre exchange of words which finally resulted in my going to see for myself. Sure enough, the lowest ten foot section of my stairs were rapidly moving toward Lamoine State Park, being towed by the ice pack. The line to the mooring had been frozen in the ice and the ice won the tug of war. I hopped in my kayak and gave chase, dodging chunks of ice and rescued the stairs. There I was, towing a section of stairway with my kayak across Frenchman Bay in March. Just another day on the Maine coast.

Normally, winter here is no big deal. Sure we get snow but Boston gets hit harder than Bar Harbor.  There’s a certain line of conflict (technical meteorological term) which always seems south of here. We get settled winter weather, gentle snow and often sunshine. Some winters we see complete thaws several times and little snow in between. So far this winter we’ve had an incredible warm sunny November and a normal December. The rainy New Years in NYC has brought us a wet snowstorm so we may have to wait a bit longer for the sunny winter I like.

It’s time we come clean about lawlessness in Bar Harbor and the State of Maine: there’s not much. This could be my most boring blog entry yet. We’ve been hearing a lot lately about New York City being the safest big city in America for 2009, with 89 homicides in first three months in a population of 8,345,075. This works out to an annualized murder figure for 2009 of 356 and a rate of 4.3 per 100,000.  Here in Maine we had 26 murders in 2009 in a population of 1,316,456. This works out to a rate of 1.98 per 100,000, and in 2008 it was 2.35 and in 2007 it was 1.59 per 100,000. The  jumps just reflect the fluctuations in a small population, over time the rate is pretty close to 2 per 100,000, half the rate of the safest city in America (2009, projection) and 37% of the average for the entire U.S. (2008).  There were no murders here in Hancock county in 2008.

To look at state comparisons, I’ll have to rely on 2004 data, but the conclusion is the same. Maine is 47th in the overall crime rate, followed only by Vermont, South Dakota, North Dakota and New Hampshire. In Violent crime, Maine is 50th, bested only by North Dakota (there are 51 total including D.C.). Finally, in property crime Maine stands at 46th.  Anyone who has studied capital punishment knows that the states which still execute tend to have higher crime rates, and Maine fits the pattern, we abolished executions in 1887. The Maine Morning Sentinel also reports that we incarcerate fewer of our citizens per 100,000 than any other state. The nation as a whole puts one out of 100 in prison compared to Maine’s 1 in 366.

A quick read of the “police beat” section of our local Bar Harbor Times usually provides more chuckles than horror. Loud parties, a bear in a tree at City Hall, summons for not wearing seat belt, drunk tourist needing help finding cruise ship, youth driving golf cart on the road and one resident complaining, “some function at the Baptist Church was shaking my house”. The more serious cases often involve an advanced state of cabin fever psychosis, when someone snaps and shoots a family member. Thefts, for some reason always end up with the perpetrator, after being caught with the stolen rifle or chainsaw,  “running into the woods”. He turns up at the nearest convenience store six hours later and gives himself up.

When you come to Maine, be assured that crime is not a big problem. You should still lock your car but if something goes missing it might have been taken by another tourist! Maine crime rates peak in the months of July and August. Remember, the police don’t have a lot to do so please be aware of our .08% blood alcohol limit for driving. And wear that seatbelt!

Our close proximity (50 min.) to Bangor International Airport in Bangor Maine (pronounced “bang-gore”, not “bang-er”) gives us access to just about anywhere. Even the Space Shuttle can use the long runway to land in an emergency. On the day after tomorrow our daughter will board a plane in Bangor, and will end up in Bangalore, India.  She is taking a two week course in the culture and religions of that great and ancient civilization.  Remarkably, the cost per credit hour will end up being less than at her public U, and she’ll still be back in time for regular spring term.

In preparation for this trip we have been planning a series of meals inspired by Indian cuisine.  Last night we made paneer, a simple farmer’s cheese which forms a vital part of  South Asian cooking. We brought a gallon of milk to a boil and stirred in 12 tablespoons of lemon juice and returned to the boil. Almost immediately curds began to form and the amber liquid whey separated.  After cooling, the curds were poured through cheesecloth and pressed in the fridge overnight.  Today we will be cutting up the nice firm block into cubes, lightly browning it in ghee and simmering it in a tikka sauce. Paneer tastes quite bland, but it’s a step up from tofu and is a good source of protein. Like tofu, paneer is only as good as its sauce and is well suited for a variety of bold spices.

Speaking of spices, one of my daughter’s goals will be to buy a good variety of Indian spices on her trip. We’ve only scratched the surface so far. At least we’ve begun to create our own spice mixtures by dry frying a selection of whole seeds like mustard, cumin, fenugreek and black peppercorns until they smoke and pop. Then it’s into the mortar and pestle for a good grind.

The kitchen at SeaCat’s Rest, our vacation apartment is well suited to serious cooking or wild experimentation. We can even provide missing ingredients or tools to make your project complete.  Some guests come to make jam from the local wild blueberries, others stir up a fresh chowder.  Many leave the cooking to others, but at least they have a choice!

Lamoine is an affordable place to stay while  exploring Acadia and getting some serious ancestor research done.   Like in many historic towns in New England, the nearby Ellsworth, Mount Desert, Bar Harbor & Southwest Harbor Libraries are stocked with tons of material covering family history. Local Historical Societies are ready to help. Researching my family history has become a passion in the past year, and I’ve made great progress. That’s fourth great grandma Sarah Root on the left (you could say I’ve been finding my Roots).  Much history can be revealed when you simply read the census reports of your ancestors. If they were farmers (almost everyone before 1880!) you will notice huge families, unrelated farm help and often early mortality, especially infants and young mothers. I have one great great granduncle who had 18 kids with two wives, the last one born after he died at 65! His name was Joseph Sterling Gillet, and I think just about every Kansas Gillet(te) is descended from him.

The other amazing part of tracing your family history is that if you can get back to colonial times, you will undoubtedly begin to find family connections to famous people of all eras. Civil War and  Revolutionary War soldiers, actors, even presidents and their spouses are in my family tree and probably in yours if your people emigrated early enough. But the most startling  revelation is that all these people survived, often against outrageous challenges, to give you life. All of us represent millions of years of evolutionary struggle and success. Maybe that’s why ggg grandfather John Hillman looked so tough.

While most of my ancestors came to the East Coast from England in the 17th and 18th centuries, John Hillman moved straight from Somerset, England to Farley, Iowa, arriving in November of 1848, at the age of 55. He was disgusted with the English system of tenant farming and was resentful of the fact that he was obliged to pay rent to the Church of England, the landlord. He bought 160 acres of land about 4 miles north of Farley for $1.25 an acre and farmed again for many years. Soon his 4 sons who made the trip with him were established on farms in the vicinity, the daughters were all married and on nearby farms with farmer husbands. One of his four sons, Albert Luke, moved to Michigan. His daughter married my great grandfather Rev. George Gillett, who had recently moved from New York and sooner or later I was born.

Maine is a great place to search for family history if your ancestors ever lived here. The first European settlers arrived in the early 1600′s to tap the rich fishing grounds and timber resources. By  the 1760′s the Midcoast was settled and soon after, Ellsworth and Lamoine. Acadia has a slightly different story. While permanent settlements came later, many islands along the coast had been visited by european fishing fleets for centuries. They came to collect rocks for ballast, trade with Native Americans and dry their catch in the summer sun. But this is a subject for a future post…

Finally, decent internet, cell service and TV is coming to the Acadia area. Here at SeaCat’s Rest we have made do with satellite internet for several years while we have (not so) patiently waited for cable.  Several months ago I wrote our town manager for a copy of the agreement between Lamoine and our cable provider. The agreement stated that all homes must be served which had a density of more than 15 homes per mile of line. With the new home on our line down the shore I was hopeful we met this minimum. Long story short, we did and cable is now run to our pole. Someday soon, a technician will show up and run the fiber optic cable the last 200 feet to our home. Good cell phone coverage is still a ways off, although it is possible to connect outside. There is a proposed cell tower under discussion now in Lamoine and another one going up across the water on the island. Seacat’s Rest has a private local landline phone, we provide the number to our guests before they arrive.

Some of our guests want to leave the rest of the world behind. Now they have a choice. They can check their email and start their day watching CNN on the TV or turn them all off.  Many places for rent charge extra for internet or only offer dial up internet and TV with DVD players, so if connectivity is important, make sure you find out.  A quick look at some luxury accommodations on line turned up quite a few without broadband or cable/satellite TV.  For us, going from 24K dialup to 200K  satellite to 2-5 MB cable has been a long road.  Seeing our connection drop out when the rain comes down has not been fun.  Now that we are finally entering the 21st century we will share our big fat broadband with our guests! Bring your laptop!

12/3/09 UPDATE!! We are now connected and able to download at speeds approaching 20 mbps! Our upload speed is .5 mbps. We are thrilled!

An unsung gem of Acadia is Northeast Harbor’s Asticou Azalea Garden.  I’ve been to Japanese gardens in San Francisco and Portland, OR and they are beautiful. I never thought a cold weather Maine version was possible.  Thanks to Charles Savage and John D. Rockefeller, Jr. this secret garden was planted in 1956 to preserve the rare plants of other island gardens as they were being dismantled. Charles Savage, then owner of Asticou Inn graciously opened the gardens for all to enjoy for free. Today the garden is owned and operated by the non-profit Mount Desert Land & Garden Preserve. This is an excellent place to unwind, relax, contemplate and inhale.

The main theme is azaleas, or more broadly, rhododendrons, from cooler regions of the world. Winding paths of raked gravel take the walker over a meandering stream to the shore of Asticou Pond. Exquisitely cared for and labeled specimens transport one into a bonsai wonderland.  Seasonally, the beauty is timeless with a careful balance of evergreen foliage and flowerings.  I can’t wait for the cherry blossoms in mid May.

The Asticou Azalea Gardens can be found at the intersection of Route 198 and Route 3 in Northeast Harbor, with the parking entrance just off Route 198. It is on the Island Explorer bus route. The garden may be visited during daylight hours from May 1 to October 31. Nearby also find the Thuya Garden, also owned and managed by Mount Desert Land & Garden Preserve.