Happy snowy halloween!

First snow in Maine...apparently a surprise to all those who live here too. I am being laughed at by many people here as I wander round already bundled up. "What ya gonna do when it really gets cold?" Err...wear even more!
What is amazing though is how fast the response to snow is here. Snow Saturday night, all plowed Sunday morning. Not quite the UK response! I went out in the sparking sunshine late yesterday for a run. I  kept to the road and didn't slide at all or get my feet soaked in slush.
Luckily we didn't get hit too badly here, although like with the hurricane, many people lost power for hours and hours. Being on the main town circuit is very advantageous for us!

Today I experienced Halloween American style. Someone at school had the idea of playing 'where's Waldo?' (or Wally to us Brits - who knew, another cultural difference!) so all teachers dressed in stripes and jeans and the kids had to spot the real Waldo. My class, slightly slow to cotton on, thought that it was slightly strange that Emily and I were dressed the same...

This aftrenoon, we had a party in class at school to launch our new reading unit on characters so children came as their favourite realistic fiction character and then got to eat cookies, cake and a token fruit or vegetable too. Sadly though, not many of these were home made due to power outages...and I was looking forward to some home made brownies. Children did have to do a little work first, stepping into role as their character and describing themselves to the class and their parents. It was a lovely event!

Then tonight we lit our lanterns and the twinkly lights for the trick or treaters. I stayed home for a while, then left Hagrid to deal with the madding crowds...

 whilst I went to experience what it was like out in the wild streets of Cumberland. Look who I found...

Too cute! Happy Halloween!

Denver along with too much time spent in airports

Our trip started well. On arriving at the airport we were asked “Which flight are you checking in for today?”

“The one to Philly.”

“You mean the one that has been cancelled?”

“Oh...”

We were then booked in on one four hours later so set off on a Portland bus to the nearby mall. The bus took a strange route…in the opposite direction and the bus driver eventually calls out “end of the line”.

Another “Oh!” Turns out we should have told him where we wanted to stop and that we were lucky not to be charged extra for having ridden the bus for so long!  An hour later we eventually arrive at the mall, kill some time and return to the airport only to see the delayed sign up by our flight via DC this time.

So we wait and wait and wait and wait until we’re told that anyone connecting in DC needs to speak to them. Basically we had to decide whether to chance making our connection in DC and be prepared to stay over there if we weren’t successful or go home and try again in the morning. Thankfully, we chose the latter. By the time our tickets had been rebooked, the flight we would have been on still hadn’t left and we would have been stranded.

Thursday morning we try again, this time through New York. All good except for the tiny plane – all 9 rows of it! Eeeek!  

Finally we made it to Denver and were the last ones there, although importantly made it in time for lunch. It was interesting to see the landscape change beneath us. First Manhattan, then very flat ground divided into neat squares of land with very little habitation in site until eventually the Rockies came into view. We also landed in  sunshine and luxury – an enormous hotel suite complete with a fire place!

The rest of Thursday flew by. It was great to catch up with everyone’s stories about teaching so far in the US. We also did a walking tour around Denver, led by a very quirky historian who told us all about the wild west: scalping, lawlessness and the numerous ghosts said to inhabit historic buildings. It was then time for some yummy frozen yoghurt followed by free wine at the hotel’s happy hour and a lovely dinner with an inspirational guest speaker. The icing on the cake was free cookies and milk before bed!


Friday saw us visiting a struggling neighbourhood elementary school in Denver whose principal had taken part in an exchange a few years ago. The school had a very mixed population and I was fascinated by the fact that children were instructed in a mixture of Spanish and English. They had books in Spanish and English and conversed freely between the two. I spent a good deal of time with some fifth graders doing math problems and absolutely loved it. One boy was very proud to have identified me as English as another of his classmates guessed was I Italian? Dutch? It really was a great morning which stimulated some good discussion and reflection and was also fascinating to visit a completely different school.

After some more work and a trip to the gym, we headed out for fondue and cocktails...

Can’t be bad! We had a delicious cheese fondue prepared at the table, followed by a very yummy chocolate one. Stuffed, I decided we had to explore some more of Denver’s sites. Anyone who has had the misfortune to travel with me knows I am fond of flicking through a guidebook and then enlisting everyone else to join me on the mission to tick off the must sees. So off we went in search of the sign on the steps of the capitol building for the mile high city which says ‘a mile above sea level’. On the way we passed the blue bear peering in to the convention center – a ginormous beast – and finally made it to the said step. As you can see, Emily was thrilled!!

On Saturday we said goodbye to most people and explored some more, catching waves of zombies parading through the city mixed with ‘occupy Denver’ protesters and anti-police demonstrators.  Interesting!  We visited the art museum in the hope of seeing a Van Gogh exhibition that I thought had just opened. How lucky we are to catch it, I thought…yep, not until 2012, just a little early! We had a stroll around anyway to take in some culture before heading to the shops. An enormous shopping mall kept us entertained for quite a while – at least 3 times bigger than anything in Maine was our excuse. 

Sunday we headed to the airport and everything seemed plain sailing. Good bus connection, flight on time, a minor moment when it dawned on me that I had checked in my boarding pass for the next flight, but otherwise all good until we reached Newark where systems had collapsed and therefore so had the flights. Oh well, at least there was ice cream. We eventually got on a plane which we had been told had been delayed due to mechanical problems. Imagine then our horror when, trundling away from the gate, the right propellor can be heard whirring yet out of our window the left one is motionless. Thankfully, just as our panic was really setting in...why hasn't anyone noticed?...it started up. What trauma! Crawled in to bed at half past 1 Monday morning and it is fair to say a cranky pants/zombie taught the class on Monday!

The Rockies - so near, yet so far

Skunks, chipmunks, wild turkeys and cheap-skates...

There are real live skunks in Maine (and in Massachusetts). This amazes me every day as I had no idea where skunks actually lived. In my mind they were fictional characters in children's animated films but no, they actually exist and yes they do really really stink! Until Salem, I hadn't actually seen one, just smelt their presence...largely as road kill. They are so whiffy, you can be 1/2 a mile down the road and still smell them. After lots of wafts of skunk, my first sighting of a real live one was very exciting. I can't believe I forgot about it!

There are also wild turkeys around here and they look very funny too. Not much meat on them as they wander aimlessly all day trying to avoid being road kill too.

Yesterday, I went further up the coast to Boothbay to visit Maine's coastal botanical gardens with Teresa. They really were beautiful and I even met a new man. He was a bit squashy but really I just loved his dog...

The gardens are a great place to wander and there is so much for kids based on popular children's books - a bear's cave, fairy houses, Mr McGregor's greenhouse and others I didn't recognise. You could have hours of fun there with a class of kids...

"We're going on a bear hunt. We're going to catch a big one What a beautiful day! We're not scared..."

There are also lots of walk ways with wonderful sculptures nestled in amongst the plants and I got to hear, then see, chipmunks. They were so cute! They were chattering to each other as they scampered around the forest collecting winter stores. Couldn't get a picture of one though as they move like lightning.

As for the cheap-skate, that was me! Yesterday evening, I went to watch Sleepy Hollow peformed by the Portland Ballet Company. Teresa is on the committee so had volunteered us to be ushers which meant free tickets. It was fun to meet and greet so many different types of people in a different setting and then the ballet was mesmerising, especially as the dancing was accompanied by members of the Portland Symphony Orchestra. Another great weekend in Maine.

Cracking claws!

Much to the amazement of Mainers, I had never before had the full lobster experience...never until tonight! I got to experience a proper lobster dinner with the other teachers on my wing. I did need to suspend my vegetarian principles a little to enjoy it fully.

The lobsters were fresh from Casco Bay, thanks to Sarah's husband Jeff, a lobsterman. They were transported bravely by Sarah in a Hannaford carrier bag (equivalent of Sainsburys) in the back of her car. This did cause her a little distress as she had visions of crawling lobsters seeking revenge from the back seat. She managed to emerge unscathed. The same can't be said for the lobsters...

Julie soon had her lobster pot boiling on the stove. The bands were exeprtly removed from their claws  and the lobsters quickly plopped into the pot. They made last ditch attempts to escape their fate and seek freedom but were quickly trapped beneath the lid, thankfully without any screaming. (Apparently, in Regio Emilia, Italy, you can be fined almost 500 euros for killing lobsters in this way as it is thought to be inhumane).

Twelve minutes later, our lobsters emerged nice and pink and ready to eat...hmmmm I wondered about this ready to eat part but the table was set with lobster crackers so full steam ahead. Luckily, I was surrounded by experts who directed me to remove the claws first and pick out the meat. Very nice, so far so good. Then it was on to the body and there was no being dainty about it. Crack the shell with your hands and yank the tail away from the body. Next it was off to the sink to clean out the poo shute...not so pleasant but much better to see it float down the plug hole before chomping on the rest!

It was a really great and tasty experience. One I wouldn't mind repeating at all so a big thank you to the lobsterman, the chef and my instructors this evening.

Fascinating lobster fact: Eating lobster in the U.S. used to be a sign of poverty and it was reserved for servants and prisoners. Servants specified in exployment contracts that they would only eat lobster twice a week.

Witch you were here...

This weekend I headed out of Maine and down to Massachusetts on the I-95, my first big American driving adventure. I have to say I was nervous. I'm not liking the fact that the roads are so dark here due to the lack of street lighting and the on and off ramps for the highways are tiny so you sometimes have to stop...anyway, the time had come to just get on with it and, thanks to the loan of a sat nav, I was fine and made it to Salem in one piece.

Salem has made a name for itself as the home of witch craft, thanks to the witch trials that happened there in 1692. The city is therefore completely crazy for the whole month of October, full of tourists in fancy dress prepared to buy all manner of witchy tat!

I decided to head for the tourist office to find out what I should see. The reply was "The witch trials are 5 months of Salem's history, maritime makes up 300 years" so first stop the harbour then! I watched a short historical film (complete with very naff acting) and went on a tour of the custom house. In the 16 and 1700s, Salem was a major trading port from which boats set out on risky voyages carrying goods, usually salt cod to to trade first in the West Indies, then in Europe, the coast of Africa and round into the Middle East, India and Malaysia. Successful boats came back laden with rum, tea, coffee

and spices. In Salem's heyday, the customs duty that ship owners paid on their imported goods made up 7% of total U.S. Government income. Then came the Napoleonic war. The U.S. declared itself neutral so both sides attacked her ships. Jefferson declared an embargo on shipping to keep boasts safe, however, scuppered the profitable trade and practically bankrupted the Government. So what were people to do? Go privateering, silly. Salem's ships were kitted out with weapons, and then English ships were taken over and either sold alongside their goods or turned into more battle ready ships. This didn't work so well long term though and the maritime industry faded.

After doing justice to the maritime history, I then went to visit the Peabody Essex Museum. There was an interesting photography exhibit and as a complete contrast, the Native American art was also fascinating to see.

At nightfall, it was time for the Witch Trial Trail. I wandered down to the town hall for a walking tour led by Jim McCallister, a local historian and was amazed by the sheer volume of people who had similarly turned up. I reckon there were about 200 of us. We were all given orange candles to guide our way as we were talked through the history of the witch trials. It was fascinating to hear how the whole episode developed from hatred. Two separate groups of people in Salem hated each other and therefore one group sparked the rumour about witch craft to build fear among the other group with disasterous consequences. People were put to death after trials based on non-existent evidence, yet could save themselves if they were prepared to share the names of others who had signed the devil's book (hence the non-existent evidence). Finally an end was put to the hysteria when it was decided that better, substantive evidence was needed if the punishment was going to be death...It was a captivating hour!

Local historian, Jim McCallister on the steps of the Old Town Hall

I think I look rather sinister here...thank goodness it isn't 1692! 

On Sunday, Beth (the lovely friend of Sallie's with whom I was staying) decided we needed to escape the Salem bedlam so we headed up the coast in beautiful, warm sunshine to Marble Head where we visited Sewell fort and watched as people swam in the sparkling blue waters. I was envious and wished I could have joined them for it looked idyllic but I had stupidly ignored the weather forecast as I wasn't prepared to believe that I could see people scraping frost off their car one day and then be back in shorts the next. Silly me!

On we headed to Bear's neck point, another beautiful spot with some great little independent shops and a wonderful ice cream shack...yum! I tried another new flavour, purple cow - blackcurrant icecream with chocolate chips.

Our final stop for the day was Gloucester to visit the Fisherman's memorial. If you've seen 'A perfect storm' with George Clooney, you'll know the story of the Andrea Gail, a sword fishing boat which left Gloucester harbour and never returned. It is a true story, but just one of the many tragedies the community has faced over the years. The names of men lost at sea are chronicled from the 1800s, with some years having over 4 columns of names, many of those who died sharing the same surname.

I left Massachsettes this morning feeling very glad to have visited, thanks to Beth and her daughter Paula for their hospitality and such beautiful places and weather. To add to the treat, I became a leaf peeper on the way back. The otherwise ordinary drive was made stunning by the range of colours on the trees - every shade of yellow, orange, red and green imaginable.

 

I am so not cool

If anyone was in any doubt, tonight proved the above. Sarah said I had to blog about my ineptitude so here goes...
On the way to the cinema/movies, I decided I needed a coffee and should take advantage of the wonderful world of drive-thru cafes. Bearing in mind that I haven't been through a drive-thru for years and years and years, I don't think I did that badly, afterall who expects a voice to come from the middle of a massive neon menu???
I pulled up way past it and was about to speak into a garbage can I believe, much to Sarah's amusement, so on instruction I reversed back (luckily there was nothing behind me) but went past the menu as surely that couldn't be where the voice was coming from, but oh yes it was...eventually I got myself into vaguely the right position and managed to make an order despite then being flustered by whether I wanted milk or cream, sugar, this or that. Luckily I had a dark room to crawl to and recover from my trauma. I don't think I would pass as an American yet!!
As an aside, I would fully recommend the film. We saw 50/50, a heart warming film about a guy's battle with cancer and the friendships that make and break along the way. Sounds depressing, but it was humurous and touching. Well worth a watch.

Are we going to Cumberland fair? Animals, fried food, junk and rides...

The song would have been a little different had Simon and Garfunkel been to the Cumberland fair!

The fair lasts all week long and the kids have been so excited about it, seeing the animals, eating the legendary fried dough (how my teeth, skin, body all cringed at just the sight of it, batter having been deep fried, smothered in butter and then liberally coated with sugar) and going to bracelet night - all rides included in the entry price.

I popped along last Sunday for a visit. The animals ranged from the very cute - lots of piggies, goats, hens, rabbits and guinea pigs, miniature ponies - to the not so cute but rather majestic - oxen and pulling horses.

               

We watched some prize goat judging which looked kind of mean to me as they all desperately needed to be milked and could barely walk, but they had to be this way in order to be judged properly.

We also saw some horse pulling. Humungous horses are all decorated beautifully and are attached to a harness to pull along some very heavy blocks of concrete. I almost forgot to mention the weighing of the pumpkins. These incredible brutes had to be picked up by a fork lift truck in order to be transported to the weighing scales. The one in the picture weighed 1050 lbs. You could make a fair bit of Pumpkin pie out of it, but carving it up might take a while! 

There were some great exhibits about Maine's agricultural history but it reminded me a bit of the balloon festival in terms of the quality of the stalls!  

As you can see from the pictures, we had a September heat wave last weekend too. Away went the tights, out came the shorts and sunglasses again and it was beautiful. Not so as I write this...chucking it down and feeling very autumnal. Fall is well on the way and the leaves are beginning to change. It is strange without conkers. Not sure I miss that blooming conker tree in the playground though, or rather I don't miss having to be the tree police and draw monitor for mouldering conkers!

 

Halloween too is on its way and preparations are in full swing. There's a great house I pass on my run which is already done out with pumpkins and ghouls and the front door is covered in cobwebs. Pumpkin head beer has hit the shops and my taste buds, as has Anne's yummy homemade pumpkin bread.

To avoid ending on a food note yet again...I hit the charity shops today (or rather the Goodwill thrift shops) in search of reading material,  having completely given up on American TV, and came home with a bounty of books for 10 bucks. Did have to laugh that a British copy of one of the books (telltale sign was a 99p sticker) cost a dollar more than the US version. Obviously British translations are worth a premium here..it must be the extra letters in colour and bahaviour that do it!